Item Description
Havana by Aramis is my latest find. Supposedly it has been discontinued, but you can still find it for sale on the net. Rumor has it that it may be back in production. I hope so. Some consider Havana to be the best cologne Aramis ever produced. For me, it ranks right up there with Aramis Tuscany. The two are definitely related in some indescribable way. Havana is more exotic, heavy, complex and sweet. Tuscany is more refined, relaxed, and controlled. They are both classy.
First the packaging: The box is evocative of a tropical island, and is pleasantly colorful. The bottle is something of an inverted truncated cone of dark aqua color frosted glass. It looks cool, but isn't the most stable thing, so I don't keep it in the medicine chest, but on the counter where it is less likely to have a disastrous tumble. The atomizer is OK. It functions perfectly well, but has a wide pattern which makes it hard to control the application a bit. For example, unless you hold it real close, half the juice misses your body.
Price: its priced in an affordable way. I paid about $30 for a 1.7 oz. bottle. That puts it in the middle price range, similar to Paco Rabanne and frags of that ilk. Not a budget buster, but not a Brut or Old Spice either.
The Scent: Its an incredible melange that defies reduction to individual notes. It has such an overwhelming number of notes, and they are so blended that its difficult to describe. What hits me right off the bat is a wallop of citrus and heavy spices. I think I can detect at least cloves and cinammon in there, but many more besides that I can't put my finger on. The citrus is a lemony orange with some cider notes. Its quite sweet initially, and almost smells drinkable. Somewhere in there are some florals and vanilla. As it dries down, you get some pretty decent tobacco, incense, woods, and bay rum (yes, bay rum - heavy on the rum). Overall, the scent is rich and heavy, not soapy like so many of today's frags. Its classic but unique. Not neccessarily a young guy fragrance, but if you're over 30 I think you can pull it off.
Complexity: is the hallmark of this fragrance. It seems like it ought to be a train wreck, but the notes are so balanced that it actually organizes itself on the skin. It evolves through the day more than any other fragrance I've tried.
Staying Power: I've rated this a 7. Although many people report a phenomenal longevity with this cologne, for me it doesn't last as long as Knize 10 or C & S 88. In fact its very similar to my experience with Tuscany, another Aramis cologne, which is probably a 7 or 8 hour longevity. The other thing that puzzles me a bit is that most people advise a single spray with this cologne. There are some frags where a single spray does it for me, like Knize 10. With this one, I actually used 5 sprays this morning at 6 am and now, at noon, the scent is very faint. Most colognes I use 3-4 sprays. It makes me wonder whether people have been describing the Havana Reserva, which is a more concentrated version. Sillage with this is about average. It doesn't announce your coming, but hangs within a foot or two of your skin.
Overall quality is high. The fragrance is unique, manly, and exotic. The price is right, and you'll be the only one wearing it. I think it definitly deserves a try if you can find it.
First the packaging: The box is evocative of a tropical island, and is pleasantly colorful. The bottle is something of an inverted truncated cone of dark aqua color frosted glass. It looks cool, but isn't the most stable thing, so I don't keep it in the medicine chest, but on the counter where it is less likely to have a disastrous tumble. The atomizer is OK. It functions perfectly well, but has a wide pattern which makes it hard to control the application a bit. For example, unless you hold it real close, half the juice misses your body.
Price: its priced in an affordable way. I paid about $30 for a 1.7 oz. bottle. That puts it in the middle price range, similar to Paco Rabanne and frags of that ilk. Not a budget buster, but not a Brut or Old Spice either.
The Scent: Its an incredible melange that defies reduction to individual notes. It has such an overwhelming number of notes, and they are so blended that its difficult to describe. What hits me right off the bat is a wallop of citrus and heavy spices. I think I can detect at least cloves and cinammon in there, but many more besides that I can't put my finger on. The citrus is a lemony orange with some cider notes. Its quite sweet initially, and almost smells drinkable. Somewhere in there are some florals and vanilla. As it dries down, you get some pretty decent tobacco, incense, woods, and bay rum (yes, bay rum - heavy on the rum). Overall, the scent is rich and heavy, not soapy like so many of today's frags. Its classic but unique. Not neccessarily a young guy fragrance, but if you're over 30 I think you can pull it off.
Complexity: is the hallmark of this fragrance. It seems like it ought to be a train wreck, but the notes are so balanced that it actually organizes itself on the skin. It evolves through the day more than any other fragrance I've tried.
Staying Power: I've rated this a 7. Although many people report a phenomenal longevity with this cologne, for me it doesn't last as long as Knize 10 or C & S 88. In fact its very similar to my experience with Tuscany, another Aramis cologne, which is probably a 7 or 8 hour longevity. The other thing that puzzles me a bit is that most people advise a single spray with this cologne. There are some frags where a single spray does it for me, like Knize 10. With this one, I actually used 5 sprays this morning at 6 am and now, at noon, the scent is very faint. Most colognes I use 3-4 sprays. It makes me wonder whether people have been describing the Havana Reserva, which is a more concentrated version. Sillage with this is about average. It doesn't announce your coming, but hangs within a foot or two of your skin.
Overall quality is high. The fragrance is unique, manly, and exotic. The price is right, and you'll be the only one wearing it. I think it definitly deserves a try if you can find it.
