Oh, Aramis. Can you do no wrong?
I am deep into my journey through the house's classic scents, and I am yet to find one I don't like. It began with New West - an instant love, which is now my signature. The journey then led me to that beastly animalic floral, Aramis 900, and the aromatic citrus bomb that is Tuscany. I am now awaiting flacons of Devin, JHL and the original Bernard Chant scent that started it all. Whether vintage or reformulation, none has so far failed to impress.
Which, of course, leaves Havana - the last of the classic Aramis scents. Sure, the house has released a few good scents since - both Adventurer and Black are nice modern takes on familiar themes. But none reach the heights of the Aramis classics. Havana truly book-ended an era of greatness.
This house's fragrances really are so evocatively named - Tuscany is an Italian herb garden flanked by lemon trees and drenched in sun; New West is a dry, salty pine forest kissed by the sea air of the Californian coast; and Havana is the smell of rum, cigars and sweat as lovers dance the night away in a Cuban bar.
I have only tried the Gentleman's Collection reformulation of Havana, but I must say - if the original was more potent, then wow. It must have been a tobacco bomb.
Havana's opening blast is a strong, almost shocking burst of aromatic and citric notes. The combination of pithy mandarin orange and bitter artemisia produces an almost sour note. That quickly fades into Havana's famous tobacco note - which has already been beautifully described in the reviews below - as well as an indulgent blend of spices. The overall effect is manly but not confronting, spicy but not astringent. It truly is a perfect masculine tobacco scent.
Like all Aramis classics, Havana has excellent performance. It projects well and lasts and lasts. It's also remarkable in that it's a heavy scent that works best in the heat. Havana is sophisticated on a cold winter night, but on a dripping hot night, it is all swagger and seduction. A true great - 10/10.