The Blazing Mr Sam

The Blazing Mr Sam, inspired by Penhaligon's The Blazing Mister Sam (2018)

Spice dominates from the first spray. Penhaligon's talks of hot and cold spices, and both are easy to pick out: cardamom feels cool and almost camphorous, while cinnamon and pepper bring heat. Cumin, a spice with a savoury, slightly sweaty tang, sits in the middle with saffron. Later the mix calms onto tobacco and dry patchouli, then a smooth cedar base with a touch of vanilla.

About the original

The Blazing Mister Sam belongs to Penhaligon's Portraits collection, in which each scent is named after a character, and is usually dated to 2018. Sam is cast as an American abroad. Fragrance databases credit Christophe Raynaud as perfumer, though the brand has not confirmed it. A later Intense eau de parfum shares the name and is a separate product; the original is our reference.

Our version

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

Who it suits

Comfort with cumin is the deciding factor. Men who enjoy spice-forward, tobacco-tinged scents should find plenty to like, while the cumin and pepper blend can read assertive to anyone expecting a smooth vanilla tobacco.

Related scents

• Penhaligon's The Tragedy Of Lord George
• Penhaligon's The World According To Arthur

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

Top notes: Cardamom, Cinnamon

Heart notes: Black Pepper, Saffron, Cumin

Base notes: Tobacco, Vanilla, Cedarwood, Patchouli

Cardamom and cinnamon open it, one cool and green, the other sweet and hot.

Black pepper, saffron and cumin follow, making the heart dry and savoury.

Tobacco and patchouli lead the drydown before cedarwood and vanilla smooth it out.

Is this the original Blazing Mister Sam or the Intense?

The original Eau de Parfum from 2018. The Blazing Mister Sam Intense came later and is a separate fragrance.

Does it smell of cumin?

Yes, cumin is part of the heart alongside saffron and pepper. It gives a savoury, skin-like note that some people love and others avoid.

Is it Mr Sam or Mister Sam?

The same scent. Penhaligon's sells it as The Blazing Mister Sam, while its sample size has been listed as The Blazing Mr Sam.

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.

Penhaligon's and The Blazing Mr Sam are trademarks of their respective owners, and all rights remain with them. Parfumour is not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, or connected to Penhaligon's 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.