FRAGRANCE | Montabaco Parfum by Ormonde Jayne: Tobacco made fresh, bright, and airy

The first and last time I wrote about a fragrance from this house was more than four years ago. That frag was Ormonde Jayne Sampaquita. We have quite a few bottles from this British house, so I guess I should wear them more and as such, post more about them. Let me start then with Montabaco Parfum, which is part of their The Four Corners of the Earth Collection. I understand there’s an EDP version of this and then Montabaco Intensivo and a few other flankers but I haven’t tried any of those.

The presentation looks good: elegant-looking bottle with enough thickness and weight, and magnetic box made of thick cardboard. If I were to nitpick, though, I was disappointed to find out that the adhesive on the box’s outer sleeve is just a simple double-sided tape, which gave out due to age. Also, the bottle cap, while it snaps into position so it doesn’t come off easily, is rather loose that you can’t stop it from rotating out of place. But like I said, I was just nitpicking since their fragrances don’t necessarily come cheap.

What I cannot discount, however, is how amazing this fragrance is. I was naturally expecting tobacco because of the name but was pleasantly surprised by how it’s treated in the composition. It defies the usual dark but sweetened direction seen (er, smelled) in the likes of the masterfully crafted Tom Ford Tobacco Vanille or the handsomely rugged Slumberhouse Jeke. Instead, it treads more into lighter territory but isn’t exactly like the wispiness of Parfums Dusita Issara nor the earthy but ironically fresh vintage Aramis Havana either. Yes, Montabaco is fresh but also airy.

Crisp, bitter citruses and an invigorating tea open the show, providing both an uplifting and calming introduction. It’s a tad sharp because of the fresh spiciness of cardamom but not to the point of being annoying. I normally hate sharp scents but this one is just right. And then of course there’s the tobacco, presented as bitter, dried leaves in the background, intentionally untouched by any thick sweetening agent, its innate character entirely preserved. Some herbal undertones are slowly introduced, amplifying the scent’s dry—and occasionally dusty—general profile.

As the scent progresses, a soft, woody accord sits shyly far in the background, later joined by an equally shy leather that easily disappears into the mix. They may not be the main players but they provide depth to the composition. Meanwhile, the interplay among the freshness of the tea, herbs, and spices and the bitter dryness of the tobacco carry on, each one popping up and down at random. It’s just amazing how something as inherently dark as tobacco is expertly woven into a fragrance that’s as airy as this. The combination of tea and spices sure has worked its magic here and it’s a welcome change to not have anything sweet weighing the scent down.

Performance is good overall. The fragrance starts strong before easing into moderate territory at around the three-hour mark and gradually mellowing thereafter. However, as a scent that sits closer to the skin, Ormonde Jayne Montabaco Parfum affords you a nice, fresh and bitter scent bubble for several hours. I must note, though, that it’s not the tobacco but the tea that carries the scent through to the end. Should we call it Monteabaco instead? Nevertheless, this is one fragrance that’s well worth a try, if not having. Unisex but masculine-leaning, it can be worn in any weather, occasion, or setting.