Bond No.9 Nuits de Noho

Like many, I have already heard the comparisons between Mugler's Angel and Bond's Nuit de Noho. This was released in 2003 and it is the first time I have ever smelled it.

Angel is good in its own way, but it can be a bit too much. Nuit de Noho shares some traits of Angel, yet is more obviously restrained. The first similarity I noticed was the rendition of fruity patchouli , but that's where I'll stop the comparison and focus on NdN. I say that because I believe the Bond is an easier wear and therefore more versatile.

Citrus, Pineapple leaves, Musk, Rosewood, Vanilla, Patchouli and Jasmin are the listed notes. The citric opening is teamed up with an unconventional pineapple rendition, patchouli and vanilla. My initial thoughts were that this would go gourmand, but it's like a shadow brushing by you. It never goes there ( which is a good thing here ) and after 5 minutes or so, Nuits de Noho settles down into a fruity patch with vanilla. The vanilla does a nice job taming the patch and oncoming rosewood and rounds down the rough edges.

The wood and Jasmin are well played cards and are implemented in such a way that they remain players and not stars. On me, NdN is all about the patch, pineapple and vanilla. In the extended drydown, I get a subtle musk, but that is about all the transitional change I detect. NdN is very linear on me, but I put less and less stock into that as time goes by. What's important is "does it smell good"? "Does it project"? "Does it have longevity"? Yes to all three questions.

It also can be worn by men in spite of being marketed otherwise. I'd have absolutely no qualms sporting this.....especially in the cooler temps. So, this review has run its proverbial course and as you can already surmise, Nuits de Noho get a thumbs up from Aromi.