Dark Rebel

Dark Rebel, inspired by John Varvatos Dark Rebel (2015)

Dark Rebel opens like spiced rum: rum absolute and a sugarcane accord, lifted by cardamom and clary sage, with davana adding a fruity, almost dried-apricot tone. That sweetness is brief. Black leather, black pepper and nutmeg take over, and styrax, a balsamic resin, gives the middle a smoky depth. Cade, a tar-like oil from juniper wood, and tobacco leaf push the base toward a smouldering finish.

About the original

John Varvatos announced Dark Rebel in August 2015 for an autumn release as an eau de toilette in 75 and 125 ml, with model Jonas Kesseler fronting the campaign. The brand's fragrances are reportedly all by Rodrigo Flores-Roux, though the launch material for Dark Rebel did not name a perfumer. A year later came Dark Rebel Rider (2016), a separate flanker built around Russian leather. This page follows the original Dark Rebel.

Our version

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

Who it suits

Retailers position it for cooler weather and nights out, and it rewards someone at ease with leather and smoke. Its rum opening is sweet while the drydown is dry and tarry, so a buyer who likes only one of those moods may not enjoy both halves.

Related scents

• John Varvatos Varvatos

Notes of the original fragrance, as given in the launch information.

Notes: Rum Absolute, Sugarcane Accord, Davana, Cardamom, Clary Sage, Black Leather, Fir Balsam, Nutmeg, Black Pepper, Styrax, Akigalawood, Cade, Tobacco Leaf, Blackened Vanilla Bean, Castoreum, Balsawood

Rum absolute and sugarcane lead, with cardamom and clary sage giving the sweetness a herbal lift and davana a dried-fruit edge.

Black leather forms the heart, seasoned with black pepper and nutmeg and thickened by fir balsam and styrax.

Tobacco leaf, akigalawood (a peppery, oud-like wood note), cade and castoreum make up the base, while blackened vanilla bean and balsawood round off the edges.

Is this Dark Rebel or Dark Rebel Rider?

Dark Rebel, the 2015 original with its rum and sugarcane opening. Dark Rebel Rider (2016) is a separate flanker centred on Russian leather.

How sweet is Dark Rebel?

Sweet at the start, from rum and sugarcane, but that part fades fairly quickly. Most of the wear is leather, tobacco and smoky woods.

Is John Varvatos Dark Rebel still made?

We have not been able to confirm whether John Varvatos still produces it.

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.

John Varvatos and Dark Rebel are trademarks of their respective owners, and all rights remain with them. Parfumour is not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, or connected to John Varvatos 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.