Cigar Commander
Rémy Latour

It opens with a very nice and earthy aroma of tobacco leaves, but quickly transforms into a spicy concoction in which cardamom plays a central role. There is also a base of sandalwood and amber under this powdery-spicy composition. It's warm and slightly sweet. I had this fragrance almost 20 years ago and I had a good image of it in my mind. Recently, even though it has been discontinued, I bought another bottle of it after many searches, but unfortunately today, it no longer has the same appeal for me; In fact, the thing that has been remained in my mind all this time was its opening.

Gee, Burberry really ripped off Rémy Latour with Burberry London, didn't they? Cigar Commander is even closer to Burberry London than the original Cigar, but without the Christmasy spices and a richer, more dominant tobacco.

Cigar Commander has the best tobacco note of the Rémy Latour fragrances I've tried; it's dark, deep, earthy, rich, and a touch damp. It's bolstered by a shadowy fruity-woodiness that seems to be the signature element of the Rémy Latour Cigar line.

It's not that great. It's like almost a mix of Burberry London and original Cigar, and as good as that may sound, the problem is the dry down here. It comes off too powdery, too "sloppy", I'm not sure what is causing the clash in notes. Sometimes tobacco can smell powdery, and almost like soiled diapers, skanky and funky. That's what I get here.

Although the intent was good, the execution was bad. I liked it at first, but after wearing it more often I began to notice more wrong than right. Therefor I cannot recommend this to anyone.

I can however recommend Burberry London and original Cigar, both 5 star fragrances!

Update.. now looking at the notes I see what it is, it's 100% the note of jasmine that doesn't belong in here. That is my subjective opinion though. I think if the jasmine were toned down it may have worked out. Jasmine in big doses comes off overly powdery. I do not like powdery smelling fragrances in most cases, and certainly not in a tobacco fragrance. (Tobacco Vanille is an exception to that because imo the tobacco outweighs the powdery component, keeping it in alpha male masculine territory.)

I give this a very reluctant 3 stars out of 5, while almost a 2 star fragrance. The problem with this brand is everything other than the original Cigar has been non bottle worthy imho. Capitalizing on their market, Cigar is a pretty big hit, I have smelled it in public before, I know its eye catching appeal and low price tag probably helps move it in discounters like TJ Maxx, and Marshall's. Plus in these stores I frequent, I always see the original Cigar inventory here one week then gone the next, so people have to be buying it. Though as I said, and again, just my personal opinion. I wouldn't waste my money, even if it's only 10 bucks, on any of the flankers to this brand, I have tried about 4 of them, and they have all been pretty bad.