Lalique Encre Noire A L'Extreme

The fragrance community asked Lalique for a richer Encre Noire for about a decade, and in October 2015 they got one. Encre Noire A L'Extreme is Nathalie Lorson's eau de parfum successor to the 2006 original, built on two varieties of vetiver with resins and woods filling in everything the first version left bare. The bottle references René Lalique's 1913 inkwell design. The Encre Noire A L'Extreme price in Bangladesh remains one of the better value propositions in vetiver.

Fragrance Notes

Top: Cypress, Elemi Resin, Bergamot

Heart: Haitian Vetiver, Vetiver, Incense, Orris

Base: Benzoin, Sandalwood, Patchouli

Full note breakdown on Fragrantica.

The Scent

Bergamot and cypress open it with a sparkling, aromatic woodiness that is brighter than the near-black opening of the original Encre Noire. Elemi adds a rounded resinous quality. That brightness does not last, because the vetiver takes over quickly and completely, and it is a rootier, drier, earthier vetiver than the muted inky version in the 2006 formula. Two varieties are in play and the Haitian one gives the composition its grass and soil character. Orris surrounds it with a cool, elegant powder that softens the edges without making the fragrance polite. Incense threads through the heart, more dry than smoky. The base is where reviewers say this version earns its name: benzoin, sandalwood and patchouli were absent from the original and here they are all individually detectable. Benzoin brings out the natural sweetness in patchouli, which is the spiciest patchouli some wearers report having encountered, and sandalwood smooths the whole thing so it never turns harsh. The result sits closer to an amber accord than the name suggests, matching the whiskey colour of the juice. Criticism exists and it is specific. Some wearers wanted more extreme, meaning smokier and denser, and find the cypress underpowered and the resins insufficiently smoky. Most agree it is richer, more mature and dirtier than the original. Worth knowing where it sits in the family. The 2006 Encre Noire is the reference, a famously dark vetiver that built the line's reputation, and Encre Noire Sport from 2013 took the citrus route. A L'Extreme is the version the community had been requesting, and it does not attempt to be smokier so much as fuller.

Reviewers who own several vetivers tend to place it as the value option in the category, and one describes it as sharper than the original in a way that lets it function in both hot and cold weather. Do not expect it to smell natural, because it is not trying to.

When to Wear

Autumn and winter, office hours and casual everyday daytime wear. Its sharpness means it does function in heat, though the earthy weight sits better once humidity drops. Fits our Mossy | Earthy collection.

Who Is It For

Someone who wants serious vetiver without niche pricing, or an owner of the original Encre Noire looking for the fuller version of the same idea.

If you want vetiver softened rather than deepened, Vetiver & Golden Vanilla by Jo Malone takes the same root in the opposite direction. Browse the full Lalique collection at Aromatica.

Available as an authentic decant in Bangladesh at Aromatica in 5ml, 9ml, and 15ml.