Ormonde Jayne
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
Cardamom and juniper burst forward with immediate spice, the air accord creating an almost cooling sensation that feels closer to incense smoke than traditional citrus brightness. Bergamot and orange absolute provide a citric backbone, but it's the clary sage that steals the opening act—green, slightly peppery, and decidedly herbal.
The florals emerge gradually as the spiced notes soften, with hedione providing that distinctive radiant, slightly metallic quality that prevents magnolia and rose from becoming traditionally pretty. Tea surfaces as a grounding element, while violet adds a subtle powdery-cool undertone; the overall effect is contemplative rather than romantic—more library than bedroom.
The fragrance recedes considerably, becoming a true skin scent as Iso E Super takes hold, lending that ghostly, almost imperceptible quality that fragrance community members both celebrate and criticise. Tobacco, suede, and sandalwood create a refined, slightly retro woody base with just enough ambergris warmth and tonka sweetness to prevent it feeling austere, finishing as something vaguely patchouli-adjacent and enduringly restrained.
Montabaco arrives as something of a paradox: a parfum concentration that whispers rather than projects, yet commands attention through sheer refinement. Geza Schön has crafted a fragrance that feels simultaneously austere and sensual—a contradiction that somehow works. The cardamom-juniper opening announces itself with peppery insistence, but there's an ethereal quality courtesy of the air accord and clary sage that prevents it from ever becoming loud or aggressive. It's green without being herbal, fresh without being citric in the conventional sense.
What distinguishes Montabaco from countless woody fragrances is how the heart notes introduce an almost disconcerting femininity. The magnolia-rose-violet coalition should feel incongruous with the spiced opening, yet hedione—that brilliant, radiant molecule—orchestrates the transition beautifully, lending a slightly metallic, almost ozonic shimmer that bridges the divide. There's a whisper of tea that adds another layer of sophistication, preventing the floral notes from becoming decorative.
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3.9/5 (88)