Tabac smells like tobacco, rum, cloves. My wife likes it better than anything else I use. Personally I like the 100 year old stick from a Gillette travel set. Just a hint of fragrance left but great lather.
The first time I used it (I bought a stick), it didn't smell bad at all. Though I agree about the "Grandma's purse" reflection. But it left a kind of "aftertaste" with me for a good part of the morning; I kept whiffing it in my coffee, and I do strong coffee. The second time I used it, the scent had faded. Now if I want to smell it I have to breathe deeply with my nose right atop the soap.The first time I smelled it I was undecided but I've learned to enjoy it. It is one of the few products where I prefer the cream to the soap. Good stuff.