When I was a kid, my grandfather was somewhat of a cigar aficionado—I spent many an afternoon watching him comb the shelves of his favorite cigar shop, searching for rare finds. This probably explains my proclivity for looking for tobacco notes in perfumes, as these notes tend to remind me of a specific moment in time.
Luckily, tobacco notes in fragrance seem to resonate with other people, too. Every time I wear a fragrance with tobacco notes in it, it’s almost guaranteed that someone will ask me to tell them what fragrance I have on. Keep reading for the top ten fragrances that have tobacco notes and what makes them smell so alluring.
Key notes: tobacco leaf, vanilla, ginger. Meant to be reminiscent of an English gentleman’s club, this fragrance is luxurious, heady, and incredibly alluring. Vanilla and ginger help soften and add richness to a classic tobacco scent (FYI, vanilla notes and tobacco notes go together like peanut butter and jelly).
Key notes: pink pepper, rum absolute, tobacco leaf absolute. This is the fragrance equivalent of a dark bar and a stiff drink. With the slightest hint of cigar smoke, this fragrance is the ultimate pick for anyone who would be content spending every weekend at a jazz club.
Key notes: rhubarb, bergamot, black pepper, violet, black tea, tobacco leaf, incense, orris, white birch, tanned leather, smoked papyrus. If you want a smoky fragrance, this will be your new favorite. Tobacco, incense, and smoked papyrus all work in harmony to create an intensely hazy scent.
Key notes: birch bark, blonde tobacco, jasmine. In 1920, the Russian Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich went into exile in Paris, and ultimately inspired Gabrielle Chanel with his style. This fragrance is an extension of that influence, filled with tobacco, birch bark, and jasmine.
Key notes: bergamot, bay leaves, black tea, fig, hay, tobacco, cedar, vetiver, musk. This perfume is an ode to the tea leaf, which comes through in the strong notes of black tea. Tobacco gives it a heady quality that will make you want to wear it on repeat.
Key notes: coriander seeds, mandarin, labdanum, leather, olibanum, oud, frankincense. Leave it to Byredo to create the ultimate unexpected tobacco-infused fragrance. Top notes of coriander seeds and mandarin keep this fragrance spicy and fresh.
Key notes: tobacco, plum, peach, honey. This fragrance takes tobacco notes and turns them on their head. Not only is it smoky, but it’s also fruit-forward and undeniably inviting.
Key notes: tobacco smoke, tonka bean, cedarwood, juniper berries. This is one of my favorite fragrances to wear when I’m craving something ambiguous that still smells hypnotically good. This fragrance is smoky, woodsy, and has that can’t-put-your-finger-on-it quality that makes it work so well.
Key notes: pink pepper, bitter orange, banana leaf, tuberose, porcelain rose, ginger, nutmeg, vetiver, tobacco, mineral, moss, white musk. Inspired by the pine trees of Colorado, this perfume is truly like wintertime in the American West in a bottle.
Key notes: Paraguayan tobacco, Peruvian balsam. For a straightforward tobacco fragrance, look no further. This scent blends tobacco with balsam wood for a woodsy, smoky scent.
