The 10 Best Tobacco Colognes for Men

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Do you think you know what tobacco smells like? If your first thought is cigarettes, then you’re wrong. Well, not entirely wrong, but you’re not seeing the big picture. When we talk about tobacco in fragrance, we’re talking about the raw material—usually the root, leaf, or blossom—that exists way before it’s processed into cigarettes. And thank god because honestly, no one really wants to smell like the sidewalk outside a dive bar at 2 a.m.

Tobacco is prized in perfumery because of its warm, sweet, smoky, and spicy aroma. You’ll often find it mixed with notes like vanilla and tonka bean to bring out its sweetness or woods to bring out its smokiness. It’s a richly layered note that can stand alone, but it really shines as a grounding element to some other more fleeting notes like spices or florals. Tobacco fragrances are all about confidence, sensuality and a kind of subtle, smooth masculinity. And because of its inherent warmth, you’ll often find tobacco-forward fragrances are cozier, heavier, and ideal for winter.

So before you light up a Marlboro hoping to harness some of those smoky-sweet tobacco vibes, spray on one of the colognes on this list instead. They’ll accomplish that way better, trust us.

Tobacco Vanille Eau de Parfum

You can’t talk about rich warm tobacco colognes without talking about this icon. This smoky, sweet, and spicy scent remains one of the most popular from Tom Ford for the simple reason that it’s impossible to ignore. The highlights are, of course, tobacco (in both leaf and blossom form) that give it a hot, spicy air and then the rich, smooth vanilla that adds sweetness and longevity to the juice. It's long-lasting and statement-making.

Tobacco Toscano Eau de Cologne

Santa Maria Novella has been making fragrance for literally centuries and this is one of the house’s most iconic. It’s incredibly elegant, like a pair of Italian leather shoes; designed to be appreciated more by the wearer than anyone else. Notes of tobacco are mixed with sweet vanilla, smooth leather, and a variety of subtle woods for a surprisingly long-lasting but non-aggressive scent that ends up smelling like the most attractive version of your skin.

Tobacco Honey Eau de Parfum

If Guerlain knows anything, it’s honey; the symbol of the house is the bee and many of the products from both fragrance and skincare include honey and its derivatives as ingredients (the company is incredibly invested in the worldwide preservation of bees). But honey can be an overwhelming note in fragrance, which is why, in this case, it's paired with tobacco. The sweetness of the honey mingles well with the spices, eventually drying down to reveal rich woods that ground the whole thing to your skin. You can’t escape the sweetness, but it's anything but cloying.

Opus XIV Royal Tobacco

Amouage fragrances always make a statement and this one is no exception. It’s a bold, mysterious, elegant cologne that’s heavy on the incense, but in a mysterious, smoky, mystical way. It really captures the smoke, thanks to the tobacco in there, and creates an aura around your body that’s irresistible, like something a royal would wear. It’s an aggressive, confident fragrance that lasts for hours—reserve it for when you want to really make an entrance.

Spicebomb

There have been many versions of Spicebomb since the original came out in 2012, but the OG stands the test of time as one of the best. You can’t deny that this is a spicy cologne—the initial blast of pink pepper hits you immediately and mixes with other spices like saffron and paprika to really drive that vibe home. It’s the base of tobacco, leather, and vetiver, though, that gives this the unique longevity that so many other spicy colognes lack. It’s the counterpoint to all the fresh, aquatic scents out there, but just as versatile and wearable.

Sweet Tobacco Eau de Parfum

This cologne could be the literal interpretation of long sweaty nights spent in a smoky dive bar, getting sweaty dancing next to a jukebox. And on the surface, this boozy, sweet, animalistic scent is - but it’s also surprisingly wearable. It’s strong, don’t get us wrong, and will last for hours, but it’s not so aggressive that you couldn’t wear it during the day. Let’s get real though, it’s a party scent, so we say wear it when you’re ready to turn up.

Herod Eau de Parfum

Think of this cologne as the ultimate winter cocktail—perfectly balanced with all the warm spices and cozy sweetness you could want. The top note with cinnamon and pepperwood is a welcome blend that soon gives way to a delicate balance between sweet vanilla and dark, sensual tobacco. It’s an intimate cologne that invites people closer (the projection is not huge, but the longevity is good). It’s the perfect apres ski cologne to wear sitting around a fireplace.

Chergui Eau de Parfum

This elegant cologne uses a lot of notes that are familiar on this list (honey, incense, sandalwood) but the result is completely different. It’s a little bit powdery, a little bit warm, and a little bit sweet—but entirely unique. For us, the rose is really what brings it all together, giving it a depth and floral element that really twists the idea of a tobacco scent on its head. It’s one of those fragrances that smells slightly different on everyone, but still somehow entirely identifiable at the same time.

Replica Jazz Club Eau de Toilette

One of the most literal tobacco colognes on this list, this one is is undeniably smoky, spicy tobacco—but not so much that is going to make you smell like you just crushed a pack of Marlboros. The rum shines through here, nailing the nightclub vibe, so it really does smell like you just stepped out of the Blue Moon after a night on the town. Even after all that, it’s surprisingly versatile and wearable—even during the day—which is part of what makes it so popular.

Back to Black Aphrodisiac

Part of the brand’s “Smokes” collection, this one is called Aphrodisiac for a good reason—it’s damn hot. The tobacco is dialed up and reinforced thanks to the wood notes in the base, but the fruit notes like cherry and raspberry that give it a sweetness that’s sensual instead of cloying. That’s just the tip of what’s going on in this constantly evolving and surprising juice, but the overall result is always attractive.

What To Look For

We know that choosing a fragrance is always a personal decision and often requires lots of testing and trying new scents. However, there are always a few things to keep in mind. First, the categories of fragrances are good clues to a couple of things—namely to how long they’ll last. Parfums and Eau de Parfums have the highest concentration of fragrance which means they’ll usually last on your skin longer than others (they can also be more expensive because of the higher concentration). On the other end of the spectrum, Eau de Toilettes will last the shortest amount of time, usually only about 2-3 hours. If you’re concerned about longevity, then keep concentration in mind.

It’s also worth considering the overall olfactory pyramid for a fragrance. Even if you know you want a tobacco-forward fragrance, the other notes that are in the scent will determine how a single note comes across, even a strong note like tobacco. Floral and fruits, for instance, will play off the sweetness of tobacco while woods will bring out the smokiness. Also consider where in the pyramid your target note sits. Mostly you’ll find tobacco in the base, which means it’s going to linger on the skin longer, though sometimes you’ll find it in the middle notes as well, which means it may be more fleeting. Even if you can’t smell a scent, understanding the other notes in the concoction may give you a general idea of the vibe of the overall finished product.

Why Trust Us

We’re not going to say something is great unless it's actually great. Every product in Esquire’s round-ups is carefully curated by our grooming and e-commerce teams.

When it comes to fragrance, one of the most important grooming items a man can have, you can rest assured that we’re hand-selecting scents that we’ve personally tested, tried, and loved. Our grooming editor Garrett Munce, along with the rest of the style team, has spent years spritzing, spraying, wearing, and test driving hundreds (thousands!) of colognes and we are confident that these are the best.

Every pick on this list (and our other lists) comes from these years of testing. We know that no two tastes are the same, no two men are the same, and how you want to smell may vary from someone else. But if you’re looking for the right place to start, with advice from folks who and care (possibly too much!) about this sort of stuff, this is the place to be.

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