Legend Red is the latest release from the popular Montblanc series, introduced in 2022. Based on the notes, it seems to take the line in more of a unique direction than just being another complete ‘re-imagining’ of the original EDT. How does Red Smell? Is it worth a try?
What does Legend Red Smell Like?
Notes include: grapefruit, blood orange, sage, cedar, juniper berries, tonka bean, mahogany, cardamom
Click here to try: Legend Red by Montblanc
My Full Review
Let’s see how Montblanc describes this: A charismatic woody fragrance that evokes the thrill of speed and makes the heart beat a little faster.
Tried this scent? Leave your rating and review in the comment section below.
The grapefruit note shares the duties about equally with the blood orange, upon first spraying. It’s a juicy and energetic citrus duo, that reminds me of The One Gold. But, I think this is a better fragrance.
There is a cardamom note early, it’s honestly pretty weak, especially compared to the one in Legend Night. Instead, you get more of the clary sage and juniper freshness.
The sage and juniper have their run at the top, but you can already pick up strongly on the woods coming from the base, even at the very start. Cedar, for sure, but the mahogany starts to really come through in the middle act, on my skin.
That aspect really brings to mind the note in Euphoria for Women, also this has an element of the men’s version, as well. Mahogany strength isn’t something you get too often in fragrances, even in this limited capacity.
So, Legend Red goes from citrus herbal to citrus woods. The only other real aspect is the tonka bean, adding a sweetish aroma to the dry down with its vanilla-like profile.
For me, the juniper actually stays around more than the sage, in the late stage.
Not too complicated of a scent.
Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility
This one is pretty moderate in terms of sillage. At its peak, it’s probably a little better than average. On the whole, it is about middle of the road.
It’ll create a nice scent bubble of 3-5 feet, depending on your sprays. Then, move closer into being a skin scent.
On my skin, it can last up to about 6.5 hours. More in the 5-6.5 hour range, with multiple tests going towards the lower end of that range.
Seasonally, this is mostly for spring and summer. Though, it really works whenever the temperature is moderate to warmer. I like wearing it outdoors and catching some of it coming off of the breeze.
It’s versatile enough to be worn almost whenever during the spring or summer. Maybe not the most formal scent, but semi-formal or office wear should be fine. It’s got a nice maturity to it, but isn’t at all stuffy.
Legend Red is a likeable fragrance that should have plenty of mass appeal. It’s an easy to reach for cologne, that is fresh, and not overly complicated with more difficult notes to pull off.
More of a daytime wear, but wouldn’t be totally out of place in some nightlife situations.
Overall Impressions of Legend Red
Overall, do I like Legend Red? I do. It’s not my favorite thing ever, but I think it’s a very nice and highly wearable freshie for the spring and summer months. Legend Night and Spirit are still my favorites from the line, but this is quite good.
I like the blood orange note and the use of mahogany. That’s what helps to give this one some distinction, even while it doesn’t have too much in common with the other Montblanc Legend colognes.
This gives you a clean, appealing, and rather versatile fragrance to wear. It’s not going to offend, it should get a decent amount of complements, and covers a lot of bases.
The performance is decent enough. Not a complete beast or workhorse. Though, it should get the job done in most respects. A couple more hours of wear would be great.
Not a mind-blowing experience, but I think most people would at least find this to be okay, if not something the really enjoy.
Best Men’s Colognes started back in 2013, as a way to share my learning experiences with different fragrances, as I dove head first into the hobby. Since then, I have written hundreds of reviews and other pages about perfumes and colognes.