Year: 2013
Notes: coffee, flowers, rose, amber, vanilla, white musk
Those expecting Intense Cafe to be a pungent coffee offering will be in for a very unpleasant surprise...
Apart from an ephemeral coffee top note, it's nothing more than a floral-oriental, with a slightly crude rose being the main note. Within seconds, any traces of coffee are literally gone, and replaced by a creamy chocolate and rose aroma. Yes, the coffee may be partly responsible for this effect, but one considers that it's more due to an underhanded serving of some patchouli.
The florals, which accompany the coffee, set the scene for the emergence of the rose. But by the time the rose has revealed itself, the entire composition smells like a diluted rose-infused mocha. Resting on a notable white musk base, it's also glaringly similar to Roses Musk but with a mild milk chocolate element included.
With the addition of amber, to bolster the sweetness of the rose, the name is a complete misnomer. Generally, it's sweet, musky and slightly creamy, but it's certainly not a gourmand as anticipated. And while it possesses excellent longevity, one can't help concluding that its lack of distinction makes it a redundant release.
Another new Montale fragrance, another predictable disappointment.
Apart from an ephemeral coffee top note, it's nothing more than a floral-oriental, with a slightly crude rose being the main note. Within seconds, any traces of coffee are literally gone, and replaced by a creamy chocolate and rose aroma. Yes, the coffee may be partly responsible for this effect, but one considers that it's more due to an underhanded serving of some patchouli.
The florals, which accompany the coffee, set the scene for the emergence of the rose. But by the time the rose has revealed itself, the entire composition smells like a diluted rose-infused mocha. Resting on a notable white musk base, it's also glaringly similar to Roses Musk but with a mild milk chocolate element included.
With the addition of amber, to bolster the sweetness of the rose, the name is a complete misnomer. Generally, it's sweet, musky and slightly creamy, but it's certainly not a gourmand as anticipated. And while it possesses excellent longevity, one can't help concluding that its lack of distinction makes it a redundant release.
Another new Montale fragrance, another predictable disappointment.
