WHAT I SMELL:  Herod opens with a mere second of sweet cherry pipe tobacco then quickly moves into a layer of cinnamon and sugar.  We used to put sugar and cinnamon on warm buttered toast as a child and it kind of smells like that.  Then after a few minutes more. the fragrance gets drier and more woody.  Still yet, a warmed rum note sits in play, but its not heavy and thick but instead is more creamy and contained.  From everything that I am smelling, I would kind of expect this to be big and loud, but so far, it’s holding back which is a very pleasant surprise.  At around the ten minute mark, the tobacco note begins to come back.  It’s nice and mellow and kind of cherry sweet, but it’s a muted sweet.  At 15 minutes, I’m still waiting for a bang, but it never seems to come.  And in the end, Herod stays in this very controlled state of lovely lightly vanilla’d sweetened woody tobacco bliss that dries with age.

Herod notes from the Parfums de Marly website:

Head notes: cinnamon, pepperwood

Heart notes: osmanthus, tobacco leaves, frankincense, ciste

Base Notes: vanilla pods, woody accord (cedar wood, vetiver, patchouli, ISO E Super), cypriol, musk

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME:  Walking by the library of a very old and established men’s club and getting a whiff of the fine tobacco mixed with the old wooden paneling and floors.

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE HEROD:  restrained, comfortable, assured

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT HEROD: Chemist in a Bottle

BOTTOM LINE:  Herod is what I think a good Tom Ford should smell like.  Classic, classy, restrained and not over the top.  This was my first testing of a Parfums de Marly fragrance.  If this is typical of their other offerings, I need to sample more!

• Bone Rating: 4 out of 5 possible bones
• Scent:  Woody Spicy
• Nose:  Olivier Pescheux
• Classification:  Unisex – leans a bit masculine
• Expense:  $275 for 125ml EdT