Note Pyramid
Presence
Montblanc Presence Eau de Toilette 75ml belongs to a period when men's fragrance was built on wood rather than on sweetness, and it has not been updated to suit current taste. It starts with a contrast. Mandarin orange gives a brief sweet brightness and black pepper cuts straight across it, dry and prickling, so the opening is sharp within a minute or two rather than citric for half an hour. It is a brisk, businesslike start and it suits the rest of the composition.
The middle is flowers used in a masculine way. Orchid is soft and faintly creamy, cyclamen is green and watery with a cool edge, and neither of them is there to be noticed on its own. Their job is to smooth the transition into the part that matters. That part is the base, and there is a great deal of it. Brazilian rosewood is dry and faintly spicy, mahogany reads like polished timber and furniture polish, sandalwood is the creamy one, patchouli adds damp earth and depth, and vanilla flower lays a pale sweetness over all of it without turning the finish into a dessert. The effect is dry, dark and rather formal.
Nine materials, released in 2001, and at eau de toilette strength it gives four or five hours with a moderate trail that settles close after the first hour. It suits offices, winter and men who dislike the sugary direction most modern releases take. The 75ml bottle is the standard size and the only one offered.
Montblanc began in Hamburg as a German maker of fountain pens and writing instruments, later adding watches, and the company is a division of Richemont. The fragrances carrying its name are made under licence by an outside house rather than produced internally.
Please note: images are a guide only. Packaging and bottle design may occasionally differ from those shown due to manufacturer updates or promotions.
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