Herod

Herod is one of Parfums de Marly's most compelling and sought after compositions. A tobacco and vanilla fragrance that operates in the great French tradition of pipe tobacco accords but updates them for contemporary sensibilities. The tobacco here has been through the house's characteristic refinement: smooth, warm, and slightly sweet, with a cinnamon that adds spice without aggression and a vanilla that gives the fragrance its comfortable, enveloping quality.

The opening has a dryness that is both refined and appropriate; this is smoked tobacco rather than sweet tobacco, the pipe in a lined study rather than confectionery. As it develops, the vanilla gradually softens the composition's edges, and the sandalwood in the base adds a creaminess that makes Herod pleasant to live with across a full day. The projection is moderate, which suits the intimacy of the tobacco accord.

Herod demonstrates the quality that distinguishes Parfums de Marly in their segment and a confirmation of their understanding that tobacco fragrances are at their best when they smell like genuine materials handled rather than mere ideas of tobacco.