Montana Black Edition
Montana (2011)

A scent that sits square in the middle of my wheelhouse, Montana Black Edition is a dense, exotic, yet unified composition that was a bold release for 2011 being that it is at first sniff it smells like it was released in 1984. I give much credit to Montana for being so daring as to release something so out of step with the times, and doing it with such aplomb.

This Tower of Babel opens with a maddeningly good fanfare of aldehyde C-12, conifers, and Epicene-esque spice accord. Rose comes to the fore as the heart enters the scene, making this stage vaguely reminiscent of a hybrid Van Cleef and Arpels Pour Homme with Aramis Havana. However, leather and incense are what pull this in its own direction, almost reminding the wearer that Black Edition is in fact a modern release. It isn't merely some cheap 80s cosplay, though, this is of great quality and design, if not misunderstood by modern noses that haven't inhabited a time where such elements were commonplace.

Black Edition projects and has sillage for days, if any of that matters to you. It's all icing on the cake for me. This is a solid release and will be revisited often!

80s fragrance.

Its got that aromatic 80s smell. To me i get lavendar/pine/jasmine. Its got something that gives it an anise flavor. Kinda smoky. Would go well with a pack of cigarettes. Bottle is ugly. Performance was good, but not huge. About the same as a reformulated 80s fragrance would exhibit. Price is cheap. Going thumbs up.

Only those who love 1980s powerhouses need apply.

A darker/drier more assertive sort of Parfum d'Homme. Spicy, dry, rubbery, restrained, peppery, overall with a more than vague traditional powerhouse-twist. Black Edition smells like an orgiastic bacchanal between Nostalgia Santa Maria Novella, Jacomo de Jacomo, Bvlgari Black, vintage Trussardi Uomo and the classic Montana Parfum d'Homme. Superb piece of flanker-fragrance. Recommended.

To me, smells like a less dirty version of Kouros with amped up leather notes. Soapy leather with spices.

Fantastic projection and also has a fresh crispness to it that makes it easily detectable even when not trying to smell it.

Pyramid-note wise this has the typical component notes of several of the similarly priced men's “black” eau de toilettes – possibly there's a little bit stronger sillage here than in the others, but the identified notes are practically the same as a dozen others that I have tested. But there is something in Montana Black Edition that makes it better than its competition. For one thing, this appears to be centered on a better quality lavender note – one more aromatic than creamy, one that does not possess that synthetic tang that the cheaper lavenders tend to have. So this one is thumbs up for the opening while many of its competitors received a thumbs down from me.

To my nose, the heart is primarily green (pine) and floral (jasmine) with a soapy sage note bringing the whole accord to come off as not-very-original but well-made and enjoyable. It still shows traces of the aromatic lavender that began the fragrance.

At first I don't get much resinousness out of the base – the incense doesn't come through for me. The leather note is not a strong or aggressive one, and it joins with the sandalwood to create a soapy sandalwood that is an okay accord to me even though I usually dislike leather. Later, at skin-scent stage, the incense emerges and provides a rich but soft resinous character.

In its price range, there are several designer fragrances of this general character. This is probably the best of similar fragrances that I've reviewed.

Well that's a nice surprise, another quite underrated scent by Montana. Basically this Black Edition is a darker, gloomier, at the same time a bit more sophisticated and drier version of Montana Parfum d'Homme, with both more bitter, almost ash-y leather and a really classy whiff of soap (rose) and something smooth and slightly sweet with a hint of fruit (sandalwood, maybe some resins, and I guess incense – the same kind of accord I think I get in Montana Noir Sacre). So imagine Parfum d'Homme and its fantastic trademark structure of tobacco, cloves, carnation “revisited” with a sort of more contemporary, urban, cold black mixture of leather, ash, glassy cold flowers, a sprinkle of bitter green. Futuristic and decadent at once, both darker on leather and brighter on flowers, and most important, just perfect from any point of view: quality, composition, creativity, elegance. Rich, classy, masculine – in one word, amazingly solid. The original base of Parfum d'Homme is perfectly there, like a Monna Lisa in a frosted glass cube, just set in a totally new ambiance adding the abovementioned feel of futuristic darkness. A true modern “gothic” leather chypre. The name fits the scent perfectly: totally Montana and totally black. For the price, a mandatory must.

8,5/10

Montana Black Edition opens with an aromatic lavender and mandarin orange tandem before quickly moving to its heart. As the composition reaches its early heart it keeps the early aromatic lavender now relegated to joining added cinnamon, green pine, soapy oakmoss and dry tobacco leaf in support of the more prominent slightly powdery rose and relatively soft leather that emerge as co-stars. During the late dry-down the composition eschews its more aromatic elements, leaving the soft leather to mesh with slightly sweet sandalwood and incense in the base through the finish. Projection is on the low side of average, but longevity is very good at over 10 hours on skin.

Montana Black Edition quite frankly never got on my radar when it was released in 2011. In truth, I doubt I would have even tried it now had I not discovered completely by accident that Edouard Flechier, perhaps the most consistently good nose in the business was behind this flanker of his own Montana Parfum d'Homme released over 20 years prior. Now having tried Montana Black Edition I feel quite ashamed that I completely missed such an extremely well-done composition by the master. When describing Black Edition, one can't help but reference Montana Parfum d'Homme as there is no denying its heritage, and Flechier obviously never tries to. The aromatics and tobacco-like aspect immediately bring one back to the original, and also Aramis Havana (also by Flechier). The distinguishing features here are the perfumer's deft use of the slightly powdery rose, and the leather, sandalwood and incense in the base that add a new element to an already winning formula. While price is never a consideration with this reviewer when determining whether a composition is successful or not, one can't help but call out the absolutely outstanding value Black Edition represents at its ridiculously low online pricing nowadays. While I'll be the first to admit to enjoying getting a steal as much as the next person, I almost feel guilty at how low the pricing is, and must wonder if the subjectively ugly black tower of babel bottle has hurt sales by dissuading folks from even trying it on the shelves. If my hypothesis is correct, it is truly a shame, as Montana Black Edition is incredible smelling and deserves great success. The bottom line is the $30 per 125ml bottle at discounters Montana Black Edition is an outstanding composition at a scandalously low price in relative terms, earning 4.5 stars out of 5 and a "run don't walk" to your nearest store and buy recommendation if you enjoy classics like Parfum d'Homme (Red Box) and Havana.

WOW, another winner for Montana.
It may have some common notes with Montana Parfum d'Homme but it is a different animal altogether.
First, it lacks the aldehydes of PdH's opening and the cinnamon is way stronger, so much so that it reminded me a lot of Bogart's Witness (maybe a good replacement of that sorely missed beauty).
The floral notes in this perfume is dominated by rose, while in PdH is carnation/geranium, and while PdH drydown has lots of patchouli, here is totally absent.
The incense/pine/leather maybe is the common theme in both.
I have heard people saying that they have PdH, therefore they do not need this fragrance, well, I disagree completely and to me they are two different scents, for different occasions, and although they share some notes, they are not similar at all.

good dark floral no mandarin or anything fruity here. jasmine, pepper, incense, and leather dominate this scent. a great addition to the usual fruity/aquatic scene. Montana is very underrated but makes gems. this is no exception. 6+ hours on skin.Pros: great longevityCons: don't smell any top notes.

This is great. I just acquired a bottle. I sprayed a wee bit on my wrists just before going shopping with my GF. She said she didn't like the idea of me leaving home smelling so good. I really like the incense and leather dry-down.

Smell like the original montana in red box, probably this is darker or intense