FRAGRANCE | Smoking Hot EDP by Kilian is smoking hot and delicious

Smoking Hot by Kilian is yet another gorgeously crafted fragrance from the house. While I miss the elaborate presentations of yore (think Black Phantom's hefty and lacquered skull coffret), I do appreciate how the brand's current packaging occupies much less storage space because it's so thin.

Anyway, onto the scent. Upon first spray, I get a sweet, fruity tobacco. This scent profile may not sound unique but I daresay it's executed beautifully. The fruitiness, in this case characterized by apple and cinnamon, dominates for a few minutes before the darkness of the dried tobacco takes over, pushing the spiced apple a few steps backward. Before long, a burnt smokiness starts billowing, enveloping the scent with its dark nature. I’m partial to smoky scents, be it a burnt and “dirty” take like Orto Parisi Terroni, a light incense-y style like Roja Risqué pour Homme, or something comforting like Maison Margiela Replica By the Fireplace, so Smoking Hot is unsurprisingly smoking hot for me.

Despite its inherent burnt quality, the smokiness is made more appealing to most noses by the apple and cinnamon combo. The apple carries a brief hint of fresh fruit at the start but once the smoke spreads, it morphs into something cooked or baked, amplifying the sweetness and treading into gourmand territory. I know it sounds uncanny to think of a tobacco-forward frag as a gourmand but the way the tobacco’s inherently dark and dry nature is slowly drenched in this runny stew of apple and cinnamon is simply delicious, you can’t help but wonder if it could actually be edible. Okay, maybe I’m exaggerating but it is gourmand-ish in scent profile; warm and comforting.

Over time, vanilla rises and pushes the apple and cinnamon to the background, leaving the tobacco still in the spotlight. It’s not Tom Ford Tobacco Vanille, though. Smoking Hot is different and has its own character and nuances. This stage carries on up until the scent fades.

Unisex with a masculine slant, the fragrance has an air of formality and confidence, making it ideal for formal gatherings and date nights in cold or temperature-controlled environments. However, the irony of it being an ideal cold weather frag is that it loses steam—er, smoke—faster than it should and requires a little nudge from heat. After starting with moderate projecting power, it mellows around the third hour mark. Nonetheless, it lasts for several albeit closer to the skin. Performance issues (and of course, price point) aside, I still love how Smoking Hot By Kilian smells and would recommend giving it a try.