I do understand that there was a greater demand for coffee in Intense Cafe as the name goes and the rose is predominant in that over coffee but somehow in this I feel as though dialling down the rose and amping up the coffee note has taken away from the charm of the scent. I bought a sample and then realized it is indeed similar but has strong coffee scant that Gentle Fluidity doesn’t have. Felt it was a bit too strong for my taste, but the more I spray it on my animal plushie for bedtime, the more it grows on me.

I have an old decant of Intense cafe (another one that didn't go bad even after almost 8 years) and one spray fills the room. I was looking for a good coffee scent, and Intense Cafe and this one were the ones constantly recommended. I'm going through a few Montale samples n I'm beginning to see what people mean by 'the Montale DNA' or whatever the main base or structure is.While we strive to provide accurate and helpful information, we cannot guarantee the complete accuracy or reliability of the AI-generated pros and cons. It doesn’t really help that out doesn’t really have any discernible notes, it’s just something sweet and syrupy that makes me go: I’ve smelled this before. I love how it starts with a strong dark coffee note (it packs a punch) then smooths out to the most yummy jammy rose. I got a sample of this one because it was supposed to be heavier on the coffee than the original, but I'm a bit disappointed.

That said, as the original IC dries down, some of the more feminine aspects tend to ease off as the notes merge and the scent becomes more melded and unisex. But frankly the other number is way cheaper and better so I am regretting a bit the rushed purchase, knowing now that I owned a better version of this mixture.Most of the fragrances I've wanted to try from the house are rarely on display or even available in stand alone samples - they have way too many, haha. Perhaps I will start loving it after wearing it a few more times, that does happen sometimes, but usually not with fragrances I perceive as generic.

When I got back into the frag world around 2014, I was just beginning to explore niche perfumery for the first time in my life. This has that sharp lovely coffee note that lasts throughout most of the fragrance and sits perfectly in front of the rose and creamy sweetness. That there is no way to not find The One amongst Montale/Mancera fragrances that you would get in love and this is not mine.After a few hours I can’t tell if I sprayed Ristretto or Instant Crush, the dry downs are very similar.

I couldn't imagine wearing this in the peak of summer 😂 but I'm glad I got to try it and see what it's all about.Some people say the coffee smells intense in this perfume, and I do believe it can behave differently on different skin. By Strong I mean here not the intensity of coffee note, but the taste of the espresso, if I should drink it. As others have mentioned, rose plays quite a starring role as well, and again I appreciate the restraint of not making it too sweet. So what we are left with is one scent at the lighter more opulent end of the coffee spectrum (Intense Cafe) and another that’s at the darker more intense end of the coffee spectrum (Ristretto).