Finally, a fragrance with Rose that I can enjoy. This is more of a musky scent, but the rose is right in there. It's said to lean towards that Arabian Tonka from Montale vibe. Maybe, but I find this more airy and musk focused instead of Oud.. I quite like this house, they are brining out some good juice as of late. The fragrance is a complex blend of sweetness and spice, along with a dark, sexy rose character. It starts with a vibrant, slightly tart burst of red berries paired with the leathery, metallic edge of saffron. This prevents the initial sweetness from becoming cloying. As it settles, the gourmand elements take over. The combination of tonka bean and chocolate creates a cocoa/cream effect that is smooth rather than syrupy. The rose adds a velvety, floral layer. At the base, The Secret Musk name comes alive. It dries down into a sugary, musky, and slightly earthy (mossy) finish that clings to the skin and clothes for a significant amount of time. Performance is super good too. The entire package screams niche luxury. The presentation, the bottle, the atomizer is almost pressurized. An easily several hours on skin, with a heavy projection, that creates a noticeable scent trail and can easily fill a room if over-applied. Definitely an Autumn/Winter fragrance. The warmth of the chocolate and tonka makes it too heavy for high summer heat. Date nights, evening events, or "statement" wearing. It is a bold fragrance intended to be noticed. This is a little gem. My Rating: 8.5/10 Scent: 2.5 Longevity: 2.5 Sillage: 2.5 Y/N: 1

Hey guys, The Booze Wars was extremely successful so I was thinking "can we roll right into the next one?" Many guys mentioned gourmand, how about a good ole knock-down dragout fight between that quintessential question: Vanilla or Chocolate? So, for years we've debated woods, citruses, fougères and florals. We have analyzed structure, projection and performance as though they were engineering principles. But now we turn to something far more primal. The gourmand. Gourmand fragrances occupy a unique space in perfumery. They do not merely smell pleasant. They evoke appetite. They trigger memory. They blur the line between aroma and flavor. Vanilla, chocolate, caramel, coffee, tonka… these are not decorative notes. They are visceral. In The Gourmand Wars, I'm wanting to examine both designer and niche interpretations of dessert-inspired perfumery. Airy vanillas will stand beside syrupy chocolate constructions. Some will whisper warmth. Others will command attention with almost theatrical richness. This competition is not about sweetness alone. It is about composition. Density. Balance. Restraint versus indulgence. When does comfort become cloying? When does decadence become sophistication? When does edible become elegant? What say you, guys? When it comes to gourmand perfumery, do you lean toward the structured elegance of vanilla, or the dense, decadent gravitas of chocolate? And which fragrance in your collection truly blurs the line between edible indulgence and refined composition? Which fragrances would you like to see in the war? Or do you think ole Joe A. here had too much sweets and needs to lie down? Love to hear from ya!