The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
Maison Incens built its identity on incense traditions and aromatic heritage, taking raw materials with centuries of ritual significance and reshaping them for contemporary skin. Tabac Licorii arrived as part of The Black Opus collection, a name that signals intention: this wasn't a casual release. Perfumer Jean-Claude Gigodot had something specific in mind when creating this fragrance. It begins with the sharp, almost pharmaceutical bite of star anise and black licorice, then transforms as the scent develops on skin. The tension between sweetness and smokiness, between the kitchen and the sea, between the leaf and the ocean air. That's the conversation this fragrance starts.
What makes Tabac Licorii unusual is its architecture. Most tobacco fragrances lean warm, resinous, enveloping, this one opens cool, almost bracing, before softening into something warmer and more familiar. The star anise and licorice aren't decorative. They're the argument. The tobacco and violet that follow are the concession. And the Tonkin musk and aquatic notes in the base? That's where the conversation ends up, somewhere quieter, saltier, more intimate than where it started. Gigodot structured this like a story with a reversal in the third act.
The evolution
The opening hits first, anise and licorice, bright and sharp, with a sweetness that borders on medicinal. It's the promise of something complex, an invitation into unfamiliar territory. As the scent develops, the tobacco arrives, not smoky or leathery, but green, almost fresh-cut. Violet follows, powdery and floral, softening the edges. The transition isn't dramatic. It's a slow exhale. By the second hour, the aquatic notes emerge, not oceanic in the marine sense, but the smell of air after rain, salt without the beach. Tonkin musk settles close to skin, warm and animalic without being aggressive. The drydown is where this fragrance earns its name. It lingers, the exact duration varying by skin chemistry, but long enough to leave a presence without overwhelming a room.
Cultural impact
The Black Opus collection represents a deliberate choice to work with challenging materials rather than familiar crowd-pleasers. Where many niche houses gravitate toward safe, accessible compositions, this collection takes a different approach, building fragrances around notes that demand attention and reward patience. Licorice functions as a central element in Tabac Licorii, elevated from background supporting role to full protagonist. The composition asks wearers to reconsider what they expect from anise and spice, proving that unconventional ingredients can build into something cohesive and compelling when handled with care.
