Arabians Tonka - 387

The Essence Vault's No. 387 takes its cue from Montale's Arabians Tonka, keeping the same core architecture of spiced saffron and bergamot over a rose-and-oud heart, finished with a sweet tonka-amber base. Where Montale's original is a genuine powerhouse - reviewers routinely describe it as nuclear in both projection and longevity, easily clearing 10-12 hours - No. 387 is a considerably gentler proposition. The oud accord is noticeably thinner and more one-dimensional than the rich, resinous agarwood in the original, and the rose sits further back. To compensate, the dupe pushes its caramelised brown sugar and amber base forward, giving it a sweeter, more straightforwardly gourmand character than the spicy, woody intensity Montale built its reputation on. It still delivers a recognisably opulent, warm-weather-unfriendly composition well suited to cold evenings and date nights, just at a fraction of the original's room-filling sillage and with performance that tapers well before the six-hour mark.