Montale

Intense Cherry

Intense Cherry by Montale is an unisex eau de parfum in the niche price tier. It opens with lemon, bergamot, mandarin and black cherry, moves into rose, jasmine, licorice and patchouli and dries down to vanilla, cedarwood, oakmoss, sandalwood and white musk. Expect around 10 hours of wear, and it projects very strongly.

Notes, explained

Opening

• Lemon Clean, sour, instantly recognisable. Bright but burns off fast.
• Bergamot Sharp citrus with a faint bitter edge. The opening of about half of all men's fragrances.
• Mandarin Soft, sweet, almost powdery citrus. Gentler than orange.
• Black Cherry Darker, boozier cherry. Reads more grown-up.

Heart

• Rose Can be jammy, green, peppery or soapy depending on the type. Not one smell.
• Jasmine Heady, sweet and slightly animal underneath. Rarely subtle.
• Licorice Sweet anise with a dark, salty edge. Divisive and distinctive.
• Patchouli Damp earth and dark chocolate. Either you love it or it's your least favourite note.

Dry-down

• Vanilla Sweet, creamy and warm. The most comforting note in perfumery.
• Cedarwood Dry, pencil-shaving woodiness. Clean and structural.
• Oakmoss Damp forest floor. Bitter, green and the backbone of every chypre.
• Sandalwood Creamy, milky wood. Soft and almost edible.
• White Musk Clean, soft, laundry-like. The 'smells like nothing but better' note.

Smells like this

• Montale Red Vetiver
• House of Sillage Nouez Moi
• Nautica Blue
• Montale Aoud Queen Roses
• Xerjoff Newcleus
• Montale Aoud Sense

Cheaper alternatives

• Nautica Blue
• Lattafa Art of Wood
• Phlur Somebody Wood

All 12 cheaper alternatives to Intense Cherry

More Montale fragrances · Discover · Cheaper alternatives