Havana

Havana, inspired by Aramis Havana (1994)

Havana opens green and herbal, with basil, artemisia and caraway (a seed spice with a rye-bread smell) over a little mandarin. Tobacco arrives soon after, dry and leafy rather than sweet, wrapped in cinnamon and the clove-like spice of carnation. Fir needles add a resinous, outdoor note to the heart. The base is mossy and earthy, oakmoss and patchouli with vetiver and sandalwood, in the manner of 1990s men's perfumery.

About the original

Aramis released Havana in 1994, and it is usually credited to Nathalie Feisthauer and Xavier Renard. A women's Havana Pour Elle followed in 1995 and Havana Reserva in 1996, while Aramis Tobacco Reserve (2018) is a separate, later tobacco scent. The European retailers we checked no longer stock Havana, and fragrance forums have discussed its withdrawal for several years. We have not found a statement from Estée Lauder giving a date.

Our version

Ours is an independent eau de parfum made to evoke the same character. It is not Aramis stock, not an official relaunch and not the original formula.

Who it suits

One retailer pitches it for evenings and special occasions. It is spicy, mossy and quite dry, much closer to a traditional 1990s masculine than to today's sweet tobacco and vanilla blends. The cinnamon and caraway may strike some people as old-fashioned.

Related scents

• Aramis Adventurer
• Aramis Voyager

Notes of the original fragrance, as listed in fragrance references.

Top notes: Mandarin, Artemisia, Basil, Caraway

Heart notes: Tobacco, Cinnamon, Fir, Carnation

Base notes: Oakmoss, Patchouli, Vetiver, Sandalwood

The opening is herbal and slightly bitter, basil and artemisia with caraway, lifted by mandarin.

Tobacco leaf takes over in the heart, spiced with cinnamon and carnation, while fir needles add a resinous note.

The drydown settles into oakmoss and patchouli over vetiver and sandalwood, earthy and dark.

Is Aramis Havana discontinued?

It no longer appears at the European retailers we checked, and reports describe it as withdrawn. We have not found a statement from Estée Lauder giving a date.

Is this Havana or Havana Pour Elle?

This is the men's Havana from 1994. Havana Pour Elle (1995) is a separate women's fragrance.

Is it a sweet tobacco scent?

No. The tobacco here is dry and spiced, set against herbs and oakmoss, and there is no vanilla in the notes.

Is Aramis Havana coming back?

So far, we have found no announcement from Aramis that it will return. Our version is an eau de parfum in 50 ml or 100 ml.

Inside the EU, delivery is free on orders of €49 or more. Below that it is a flat €4.99. Outside the EU, delivery is a flat €4.99 on every order. We send every order in 1 to 2 working days. It arrives in 3 to 7 days across the EU and in 7 to 14 days outside the EU. You have 14 days to return an unopened bottle.

Aramis and Havana are trademarks of their respective owners, and all rights remain with them. Parfumour is not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, or connected to Aramis in any way, and no business relationship of any kind is implied. Our product is an original interpretation created to evoke a similar scent profile, and the trademark names are used purely for honest, descriptive comparison, so that you can quickly identify the style and fragrance family you are looking for. We make no claim to sell the original product, and we do not use the same ingredients or formula. Any similarity lies in the overall impression of the scent as interpreted by our own perfumers, not in the source materials.