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8d • Q&A 🙋🏻♂️
Here are some top Montagne Parfums!
My Top Montagne Parfums — How Close Are They to the Originals, and Are Any Actually Better?
I look at Montagne a little differently than I do most clone houses.
I have always said that if you're cloning a fragrance, name the original. I don't care how good the clone is; the original deserves the credit. Then I judge the clone for what it actually is.
For me, there are two questions:
How close did they get to the original?
And maybe even more importantly:
Did they do anything that actually makes me want to wear the Montagne instead?
Montagne is one of the few clone houses where I can legitimately say the answer to that second question is sometimes yes.
These are the Montagne bottles that stand out the most to me.
1. Tigris Cologne — Inspired by Bvlgari Tygar
This may still be Montagne at its best.
You get that huge sparkling grapefruit sitting over the clean woody ambroxan base that makes Tygar so ridiculously easy to wear.
The original Tygar is smoother and more refined. You can tell where some of that extra money went when you smell them directly beside each other.
But Tigris Cologne gives me a juicy grapefruit, a very good presence, and gets extremely close to the overall experience.
This isn't something I smell and say, “that's pretty good for a clone.”
It's just a damn good fragrance.
Closeness to the OG: 95%
Better than the OG?
In refinement, no. But when you bring grapefruit, performance and value into the conversation, I can make an argument for Tigris Cologne.
My rating: 9.5/10
2. Afternoon Dive — Inspired by Louis Vuitton Afternoon Swim
Another one Montagne absolutely nailed.
Afternoon Swim has that gorgeous natural orange and mandarin opening that Louis Vuitton does extremely well.
Afternoon Dive is a little sharper and slightly more citrus-peel-like right at the beginning, but give it a few minutes and these two get surprisingly close.
The bigger issue for me is performance.
Afternoon Swim smells fantastic, but I have always wanted more staying power out of that DNA. Afternoon Dive hangs around better.
So the original may have the prettier and more refined citrus opening, but the Montagne gives me more of what I want after that opening.
Closeness to the OG: 92–95%
Better than the OG?
The original smells slightly better. But as something I can spray heavily, enjoy, and actually get some mileage out of, Afternoon Dive may be the better buy.
My rating: 9.4/10
3. Eau Gaiac — Inspired by Le Labo Gaiac 10
This one surprised me because Gaiac 10 isn't an easy fragrance to duplicate.
The beauty of Gaiac 10 is how understated it is. Airy, smoky, woody, and almost transparent.
Eau Gaiac captures that DNA extremely well, especially once you get into the drydown.
Montagne comes across a little woodier, smokier, and somewhat more noticeable.
The original has that weightless quality that makes Gaiac 10 special, but Montagne almost turns the volume up slightly without destroying what makes the DNA work.
Closeness to the OG: 95%+ in the drydown
Better than the OG?
This depends completely on what you want. If you want that airy Le Labo elegance, stay with Gaiac 10. If you want the same basic experience with more presence, I could easily understand choosing Eau Gaiac.
My rating: 9.3/10
4. Bleu Talisman — Inspired by Ex Nihilo Blue Talisman
This is another important one because Blue Talisman is exactly the type of fragrance that exposes a bad clone.
It's clean, bright, and deceptively simple, but the pear, bergamot, ginger, woods, musk, and modern amber materials have to be balanced correctly, or it just turns into another generic fruity fresh fragrance.
Montagne gets surprisingly close.
You still get that crisp pear and citrus brightness with the ginger coming through and that very clean musky woody base underneath.
The Ex Nihilo is smoother and has more finesse. There is an almost polished transparency to the original that Montagne doesn't duplicate perfectly.
But the actual scent profile is there.
Closeness to the OG: 92–95%
Better than the OG?
I wouldn't say the juice itself is better than Blue Talisman. The original has more refinement. But Bleu Talisman gets close enough that when you consider what Ex Nihilo costs, this becomes a serious alternative.
This is exactly what I want a good clone to do.
My rating: 9.3/10
5. Torino 2021 — Inspired by Xerjoff Torino21
Torino21 is one of those fragrances that sounds simple until you actually smell it.
Mint, citrus, herbs, and musk. But the original has this extremely crisp, cooling, and almost sparkling quality.
Montagne's Torino 2021 captures that green minty citrus character very well.
The original Xerjoff is smoother, and the herbal notes feel more naturally woven together. Montagne can feel slightly more direct—you notice the mint, lemon, and herbs individually a little more.
But once it's moving around you in the air, it gets very convincing.
And this is another one where the Montagne gives you plenty of freshness without feeling like a cheap freshie.
Closeness to the OG: 92–95%
Better than the OG?
Not quite. Torino21 is still the more refined composition. But Torino 2021 gives me so much of the same experience that it becomes difficult to justify the difference in price unless you specifically want the Xerjoff bottle and that last bit of refinement.
My rating: 9.2/10
6. Parfum de Cerise — Inspired by Tom Ford Lost Cherry
This one is a little more personal for me.
I bought Parfum de Cerise as a gift for my daughter, and along with it I gave her 10 ml of the actual Tom Ford Lost Cherry.
So she had the Montagne and the original right there.
Parfum de Cerise isn't necessarily Montagne's closest one-for-one clone. The cherry and almond come across richer, darker, and a little heavier than Lost Cherry.
But I actually think that works in its favor.
Lost Cherry is beautiful and more polished, but performance has always been one of the criticisms of the original.
Montagne takes that basic idea and gives it more body and staying power.
So while Parfum de Cerise may not be the most exact Montagne clone on this list, it may actually improve on one of the weaknesses of the original.
Closeness to the OG: 85–90%
Better than the OG?
In pure refinement, no. But when I bring performance, richness, and price into it, I can absolutely understand someone preferring Parfum de Cerise.
My rating: 9.2/10
7. Imaginary — Inspired by Louis Vuitton Imagination
This one had to be included because Imagination is one of those fragrances where I know the original very well.
And Montagne did a very good job here.
You get the citrus, ginger, neroli, black tea, ambroxan and that clean airy quality that makes Imagination so addictive.
Where the Louis Vuitton wins is the blending.
The original has this seamless quality where you're not necessarily smelling citrus, then tea, then ginger. Everything just seems to move together.
Imaginary is a little easier to pull apart. I notice the individual pieces more.
But in the air?
It gets close.
Very close.
Closeness to the OG: around 92–94%
Better than the OG?
No.
This is one where I still take Louis Vuitton Imagination. The original is smoother, more dimensional, and has that effortless quality that's hard to duplicate.
But Imaginary proves how close Montagne can get when they are working with a modern, fresh DNA.
If someone loves Imagination but doesn't want to constantly spray a Louis Vuitton bottle, Imaginary makes a ton of sense.
My rating: 9.2/10
8. Victory of Bacchus — Inspired by Argos Triumph of Bacchus
Here we start getting into something completely different.
Triumph of Bacchus is rich, sweet, boozy, fruity, tobacco-heavy, and definitely not shy.
Victory of Bacchus gets the overall idea right.
You get the peach, rum, apple, and saffron up top, followed by that warm tobacco, vanilla, amber, and sandalwood underneath.
The Argos is richer and has more depth. There's more of that luxurious density to the original.
Montagne is slightly cleaner and a little less opulent.
But that may actually make the Montagne version easier to wear for some people.
Closeness to the OG: around 90%
Better than the OG?
I wouldn't call it better. Triumph of Bacchus has more richness and personality.
But Victory of Bacchus gives you a surprisingly large percentage of that experience without having to spend Argos money.
My rating: 9.1/10
9. Eau Santal — Inspired by Le Labo Santal 33
If you know Santal 33, you already know what we're going to talk about.
The pickle.
Some people don't smell it at all. Some people can't smell anything else.
Eau Santal smooths some of that sharpness out.
You still get the sandalwood, cedar, leather, violet, and that very dry woody character, but I find Montagne a little easier to wear.
The original has more character and probably more artistic personality.
The Montagne rounds off some of those strange edges.
And depending on why you like—or dislike—Santal 33, that may actually be a positive.
Closeness to the OG: 90–95% after the opening
Better than the OG?
If you love everything strange about Santal 33, no.
If that sharp dill or pickle-like quality bothers you, you may honestly prefer Eau Santal.
My rating: 9.1/10
10. Sicilian Tobacco — Inspired by Xerjoff Naxos
Naxos is another fragrance where Montagne had a difficult assignment.
You have that bright citrus opening, then honey, tobacco, and tonka creating this sweet aromatic tobacco fragrance that has become one of Xerjoff's most recognizable scents.
Sicilian Tobacco gets the structure right.
You get citrus up front, plenty of honeyed sweetness, and that tobacco-tonka foundation underneath.
The difference for me is texture.
Naxos feels richer, smoother, and more luxurious. There is a depth to the honey and tobacco in the Xerjoff that Sicilian Tobacco doesn't completely reproduce.
But the DNA is unmistakable.
Closeness to the OG: around 90%
Better than the OG?
No. I still think Naxos is clearly the better fragrance when judged strictly on the juice.
But Sicilian Tobacco is good enough to show why Montagne has the reputation it does
.
You're not getting some rough interpretation that vaguely reminds you of Naxos. You're getting a legitimate attempt at recreating it.
My rating: 9.0/10
11. Immensity — Inspired by Louis Vuitton L’Immensité
Immensity gets very close, particularly once everything settles down.
You have the grapefruit, ginger, watery freshness, ambroxan and that salty ambergris-type character.
But this is another one where I still give the original its respect.
L’Immensité is smoother, brighter, and more naturally blended.
Immensity can give me a little more ginger and sometimes a slightly darker salty character.
That makes it easier to distinguish when you're smelling them close to the skin.
Once they're out in the air, though, the difference becomes much harder to pick out.
Closeness to the OG: around 90–93%
Better than the OG?
No—not purely on scent.
L’Immensité is still the better fragrance.
But Immensity gets close enough that the difference in price becomes very difficult to ignore.
My rating: 9.0/10
My Final Montagne Ranking
- Tigris Cologne — 9.5/10
- Afternoon Dive — 9.4/10
- Eau Gaiac — 9.3/10
- Bleu Talisman — 9.3/10
- Torino 2021 — 9.2/10
- Parfum de Cerise — 9.2/10
- Imaginary — 9.2/10
- Victory of Bacchus — 9.1/10
- Eau Santal — 9.1/10
- Sicilian Tobacco — 9.0/10
- Immensity — 9.0/10
Final Thoughts
Montagne is one of the very few clone houses where I don't feel like I have to make excuses for the fragrance.
That doesn't mean I'm going to tell you the clones are automatically better than the originals because they're cheaper. They're not.
In most cases, the original is still smoother, better blended, and more refined.
But Montagne gets unusually close.
And every once in a while they change something—more grapefruit, more presence, better longevity, a smoother rough edge—that can make their version just as enjoyable and sometimes even more wearable than the fragrance they are cloning.
For me, Tigris Cologne, Afternoon Dive and Eau Gaiac make the strongest argument for actually choosing the Montagne over the original.
Bleu Talisman, Torino 2021 and Imaginary sit right behind them. I still think the originals are superior fragrances, but Montagne gets close enough that you have to start asking yourself what that last 5–10% of refinement is worth to you.
Parfum de Cerise is a different story. It doesn't reproduce Lost Cherry quite as precisely, but it gives the DNA more body and performance—and having given my daughter both Parfum de Cerise and 10 ml of the real Lost Cherry, that comparison has been particularly interesting to me.
Victory of Bacchus, Eau Santal, Sicilian Tobacco and Immensity are also very good interpretations, but those are the ones where I personally still give the original a clearer win.
And that is probably the biggest compliment I can give Montagne:
I don't judge their best fragrances by asking whether they're good for clones anymore. I judge them by how well they stand next to the originals.
That's a much higher bar.
Honorable Mentions
I also have to add a few honorable mentions here—and one that I flat-out mistakenly left off the list.
Port d’Azur — Inspired by Loumari Porthole
This one probably should have been in my main ranking, but I don't feel like retyping the whole damn thing. LOL.
Port d’Azur is Montagne's take on Loumari Porthole, and this is absolutely one of the better Montagne clones I've smelled.
You get that salty tropical combination of pineapple, passionfruit, ginger, and sea salt, with the musk, woods, and slight caramel sweetness underneath.
Porthole itself has that beautiful niche quality and refinement, but Montagne captures the overall experience extremely well.
If I were doing the list over again, Port d’Azur would be somewhere near the upper part of it. It deserves more than just a casual honorable mention.
The Byredo Group
I also have several of Montagne's Byredo inspirations that deserve to be mentioned:
Mojave Spirit — inspired by Byredo Mojave Ghost
Mojave Spirit Absolu — inspired by Byredo Mojave Ghost Absolu
Gypsy Mist — inspired by Byredo Gypsy Water
Azonto — inspired by Byredo Bal d’Afrique
Azonto Absolu — inspired by Byredo Bal d’Afrique Absolu
These are especially interesting to me because I know these Byredo DNAs, and Montagne has now given us both the regular and Absolu interpretations of some of them.
From what I've smelled so far, there is definitely some quality here.
But I'm not going to start throwing around percentages and declaring that they're 95% identical or better than the originals just for the sake of completing a ranking.
I haven't spent enough time with them yet.
And that's something I think gets lost with fragrance reviews. Sometimes you need to wear something several times, let it develop, compare it directly with the original, and see what happens after the opening before deciding how good the clone actually is.
So for now, Mojave Spirit, Mojave Spirit Absolu, Gypsy Mist, Azonto and Azonto Absolu all go into my honorable-mention category.
They have impressed me enough that I want to keep comparing them, but I'm not ready to give them a final ranking yet.
Final Final Thought
And yes, Port d’Azur was mistakenly left off my original list.
I'm not rewriting the entire thing. LOL.
Just consider it officially added, because based on what I've experienced with it, Port d’Azur belongs among Montagne's top clones.
As for the Byredo group, I'll spend more time with them before I decide where they fall.
That's really how I prefer to review fragrances anyway:
Wear them. Compare them. Live with them a little bit. Then give them the rating—not the other way around.
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Here are some top Montagne Parfums!
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