FRAGRANCE | Vintage Aramis Havana EDT: How does it differ from the current release?

I first owned the newer edition of Aramis Havana—the one that's part of the house's reissue of its classics called "The Gentleman's Collection"—before scoring a vintage bottle. I didn't really know what to expect, whether or not there was any significant difference, but the prospect of copping a vintage instantly appealed to me. The conga-shaped bottle, obviously an ode to Cuba, succinctly captures the essence of what the fragrance tries to achieve. While there's definitely more to the country than just cigars, this of course is a tobacco fragrance. By the way, this should not be confused with Havana Reserva, which is a different Aramis fragrance but with an identical bottle.

As expected, the tobacco is already evident from the beginning, perked up by fresh citruses and puffed with a mild powdery accord. It starts soft but picks up strength in no time. It then proceeds to deepen almost immediately but doesn't go as dark as Tom Ford Tobacco Vanille or Slumberhouse's Jeke. By contrast, the newer version has a sharper opening and is generally thinner and brighter in character. 

Where most tobacco-based frags lean on dark and with some form of smokiness played up, Havana steers into fresh territory but without committing to being a full-on freshie. Creed's Tabarome Millésime comes to mind with this approach except that the tobacco there is almost completely overrun by the ginger. In Havana's case, however, it remains the star throughout. Although not as raw as the newer release, the tobacco still has some leafy greenness to it, like it hasn't completely dried yet. And with no noticeable sweetness to weigh it down, it's not a heavy scent to wear at all, making it suitable for warm weather use. It's Cuba after all! 

With the omnipresent tobacco as constant, the scent oscillates between fresh and mildly earthy before eventually settling into the latter. The scent can last the whole day, with projection that's generally good but with an expected weakening over time.

As to whether vintage Aramis Havana is worth hunting, honestly it's just nice to have. With no stark difference between the old and new formulations, I'd say you're fine with what's currently in the market. But when hard-pressed to compare, I find that the tobacco in the vintage is a little drier than in the new one and as such is not as bright and transparent. Otherwise, they're practically the same.