New York Intense
Nicolaï (2014)

This scent is fabulous; it always puts a smile in my brain every time I get a whiff. While versatile, it has a slight air of sophistication that aligns well with special, formal occasions. A kind fellow BN member gave me decants of NY EDT and NYI EDP; both are good but I opted for the latter as it's definitely more of everything good, making NYI an excellent fragrance and a true "intense" version. Performance is very good and prices are reasonable. Highly recommend.

This fragrance deserves every positive review it gets, plain and simple. The stores are awash in mediocre products and quite frankly its the nicest fragrance for a men I have ever used.

This is a wonderful perfume but not original to Mme. de Nicolai. Those who peg the formula as a lot older are correct. This is Caron's Alpona from 1939, the last perfume composed by Ernest Daltroff before he left Paris for the Americas to escape the German occupation.

How do I know this you may ask? I have a bottle of Alpona from the early eighties and also the company's literature from that time. Alpona is supposed to contain grapefruit and raisin and is one of the very first green perfumes. I smell galbanum and cumin in there, and some rose. New York is, at a guess, Mme. de Nicolai's tribute to Daltroff since the great perfumer fled first to Canada, where there was a branch of the Caron business, and then to New York, where he died in 1941, hence the name. As for its outdoorsy (by 1939 standards) scent, he had lung cancer by then and probably dreamed of unpolluted grass green air. New York smells nearly exactly the same as Alpona. I've had bottles of both for years. A beautiful formula and one of my favorites, and if you think it is from another age. You're right.

Beautiful, well blended fragrance. Other, more experienced noses can break down the elements (and have done so) much better than I. My first impression, and last, for that matter, is barbershop. I enjoy wearing all fragrances, and my collection contains quite a few that are marketed towards men. However, this is one that leans a bit too far in that direction for my wearing enjoyment. I will finish my sample but will leave this one to the fellas. Thumbs up for sure, but not for me.

Like a masterfully crafted scotch!

It graces itself with a lovely orange opening, and settles gradually into a smell which is multi-faceted. The note pyramid can slightly guide on what your nose might pick at certain moments. It perhaps transcends traditional classification.

While it takes some time in getting used to New York Intense, don't be too quick to judge it. It is like a great scotch. In the beginning, you might be overwhelmed with the complexity but as you experience more, you develop deep appreciation.

NYI etches its personality in your memories. It has a certain pull about it. No matter how many times you wear it, it never fails to stay interesting. You'd want to go back to it over and over again, a hallmark of a masterfully made perfume.

It is an affable masterpiece, to say the least.

Nicolai – New York Intense

Lemon, bergamot, petitgrain
Lavender, peppers, armoise (artemisia/mugwort)
Patchouli, cedar, leather, vanilla

The lemon, leather, peppers and vanilla present themselves immediately and are so well balanced that it spells “sophistication” at the outset. I had to look up “armoise” to learn that it is artemisia/mugwort, which provides a dry, reedy note, blending with the peppers in a way that calms them down and prevents any screechiness from occurring.

The lavender and patchouli/cedar combo provide a solid heart and base that are unobtrusive, warm and familiar.

It has been ages since I have smelled a modern scent and found it even basically tolerable, let alone attractive, and New York Intense provides this exception to the rule. Other reviewers’ comparisons to Guerlain’s Derby are right on the money. This is old school, vintage, and a true gentleman’s scent. Assuredly smooth, warm and masculine.

At around $70 for 30 ml. of an eau de parfum concentration, this seems amazingly affordable for its quality and size. A very positive thumbs up.

My husband found it to be soft and complex, a significant beauty, but found it to be too fleeting in its sillage and projection on his skin. This is one you must try before you buy. Luckily, samples are available and very affordable.