Ink
Akro (2022)

Feels like a more wearable version of Encre Noire, and not just like the Sport version either. Ink starts off dry, rubbery and with a good amount of leather. It has a dark, dry, earthy feel, so I feel like the scent matches the name pretty well, but it can be described in other ways. Not especially dirty or animalic, but this is on the darker side.

Projection and longevity are both decent.

Ink is the most recent release (2022) from Akro as of today, similarly one-word-named and texturally interesting to some of the prior entries. It’s dark, raw, and has the signature (and self-described) blend of vetiver, tar, and birch that, to me, excellently captures the concept of ink. I think the vetiver is the single biggest standout of the three, fostering a dirtiness that perhaps slightly exceeds most ink that I’ve smelled, and in that respect it does lean somewhat toward a Lalique Encre Noire vibe, albeit without some of the ashy qualities of vetiver, but there’s definitely an overlap.

Overall, I think it’s well-done, high-performing, and, like most of the Akro line, pretty reasonable in terms of niche pricing, at $185 for 100ml, sold by Luckyscent and another US-based boutique or too, I believe, in addition to the house site.

7 out of 10

The opening blast is strongly reminiscent of Santal 33 and co., but once that fades off you are rewarded with an enjoyable woodsy and smokey composition in the same realm as MMW and/or 24 Rue. I get zero birch wood in this, instead birch tar works as the main constituent that formulates the industrial incensey aroma along with a piquant note of palo santo, subtle vetiver and a hint of cardamom spice.
In the dry down, there is a creamy, lactonic texture created by the jasmine that smoothens out the smoky edges beautifully. Overall, wonderfully executed regardless if the name does not do this fragrance any justice. I find Ink very chic, artistic and modern even if it brings nothing new to its eminent genre.

Reminds me too much of Bulgari Black. Not a novelty IMHO.
If you miss Black, this could be a choice.
Very little ink.