Interlude Black Iris Man
Amouage (2020)

As other reviews have noted, Interlude Black Iris seems to be an attempt at dialing down the original Interlude Man and making it any easier wearing scent. To my nose, the opening is not as jarring as with the original and the dry down is similar, but perhaps a more blended version of incense and leather. The Iris (Orris) is present and smooths the overall fragrance out without being prominent or detracting from the original. I personally like Black Iris better, but I'm sure many would prefer the original. No reason to own both IMO.

The opening is certainly attention grabbing; sweet, exotic, a little flowery, but smooth. The dry down smells classy, complex, elegant, expensive. At times a touch syrupy and cloying, but that's fleeting. Overall it's not understated, a distinctive type of perfume people would comment on and recognise if they knew it. A small amount of this for the office or a formal party would be ideal. I wouldn't use this as day-wear, it's far too expensive for starters.

Has a hit of orris/iris at the beginning that mellows the Interlude DNA a bit and lends a barbershop air, but it goes away fast and leaves Interlude Man but slightly more leathery and a hint less dark tar wood. I like it, but I like Interlude Man more as the leathery barbershop aspects here make it lean more masculine than the original. This would be fabulous on a man, but I need less barbershop in my scent. Not that I'm throwing the sample away or anything: I'll wear it out around the house.

Familiar, challenging opening that continues on for hours followed by a sexy, sweet drydown that forgives any disagreements you had with the original Interlude Man.

The same dark, smokey, leathery, earthy experience of the original Interlude Man is present during the opening but there's also an iris note. After the opening fades a little, I get a minty scent that starts to develop. Even further into the development, I start to smell some warm vanilla and nutty sweetness. This continues on and eventually becomes the main notes, supported by the dark, earthiness that calls back to the original. It's that combo that gives you this refined, unique sexiness.

For me, the opening is still a bit challenging, albeit better than the original, and lasts too long but the drydown, once you finally get there, is very good.

Performance is outstanding, with very good projection and. All-day longevity.

This is quite an enjoyable, albeit unorthodox fragrance. It's even more weird than the original, but in the best way possible.

The weirdness is mostly in the opening for me. Where the first 10 or so minutes, smells like a tamed Interlude, with the addition of a hefty birch tar note. It dies off and becomes more vanilla, before creeping into an iris note. Somehow, someway, it smells like a cappuccino to me, specifically, if you remember at a younger age there was this powdered cappuccino called International House of Coffee (I think the name is different now), they made a vanilla cappuccino powder, and it smells so much like this! I don't think it's purpose either, but it's just what I am getting. The "smokeyness" provided by incense mixed with vanilla, are creating this sweet coffee accord, that is just irresistible to me.

The iris in this fragrance is nothing like what we're accustomed to, rather, it's more of a dirty orris. The cotton candy from the original is still there, but toned way back and replaced more with deeper, darker, resinous notes.

Honestly, I wasn't expecting much, from in my honest opinion an overrated house. They have been pumping out a lot more in recent years, and I will have to try them. Interlude Black Iris took me by surprise. It took my olfactory senses on a ride, and showed me something I haven't seen in a while. It remains interesting and daring, while providing a much higher level of wearability than the original. I will probably seek out about an oz of this in a split, because 3.3 oz is just too much volume wise, for this potent fragrance.

This is Interlude Man dialed down slightly.
That's it.
The smell is delicious and spicy treacle although for my taste its still overpowering and indeed the name Black Iris makes no pretensions of pulling any punches.
What we need is an Interlude Man Sport or in Amouage Speak: Blue Iris.

Fragrance: 7/10
Projection: 8/10
Longevity: 8/10