Our take
What does A*Men Pure Havane smell like?
Mugler released A*Men Pure Havane as a limited edition in 2011, after Pure Coffee and Pure Malt. Jacques Huclier of Givaudan composed this flanker inspired by Havana cigars. The opening is the highlight. A tobacco and honey accord smells of dried leaves and gingerbread, with an aromatic touch that keeps it from feeling heavy. The heart slides into cocoa and patchouli, two materials that tie it to the A*Men family. A dash of vanilla rounds things off. The base is openly resinous. Amber, styrax and labdanum give a sticky and smoky warmth. Think of a cedar cigar box. It is genuinely powerful and the trail lasts for hours. Compared with Tom Ford’s Tobacco Vanille, Pure Havane is less vanillic and darker, with that cocoa so typical of Mugler. The limited run has long sold out and bottles now resell at high prices.
When to wear it
For cold evenings, in small doses. One spray on the chest under a sweater is plenty.
It belongs to the Oriental / Amber, Spicy family. A*Men Pure Havane is one of 23 creations by Mugler in our encyclopedia.
