Divisive, intriguing, and undeniably unique, Black Sugar is a cult classic that demands patience. Its initial "burnt rubber" shock gives way to a truly addictive, dark gourmand experience that sets it apart from typical sweet offerings.

No. 499 goes after Louis Vuitton Ombre Nomade's smoky oud-incense-raspberry signature and captures the mood, but the oud reads synthetic and flatter than the original's rich, resinous wood, with the smoke and fruit louder up front to compensate for a thinner, shorter-lived base.