Pomegranate Noir

Pomegranate Noir, inspired by Jo Malone London Pomegranate Noir Cologne (2005)

Juicy red pomegranate opens it, pricked by pink pepper so the fruit never turns syrupy. The heart is Casablanca lily, a large white lily with a spicy, slightly peppery scent that adds body without making it powdery. Underneath, guaiacwood, a wood with a smoky, faintly tarry smell, gives depth, and patchouli makes it earthy. The contrast between red fruit and dark woods is the whole idea, and the scent holds that tension rather than resolving into sweetness.

About the original

Press coverage in 2005 announced Pomegranate Noir for an October debut, built around pomegranate and patchouli. It has since become one of the bestsellers in Jo Malone London's cologne line and is still sold in the regular Cologne range. The brand frames it as a contrast between fruit and dark, smoky woods, and it is among the darker scents in that line. Like the other colognes, it is marketed as unisex and as a building block for layering, which the brand calls fragrance combining.

Our version

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

Who it suits

It suits a wearer who wants a fruit scent with some gravity rather than one of the lighter colognes. The guaiacwood smoke is noticeable and the lily adds spice, so a buyer expecting a clean, purely fruity cologne may find it heavier than the name suggests.

Related scents

• Jo Malone Velvet Rose & Oud
• Jo Malone Amber & Patchouli

Notes of the original fragrance, as published by the brand.

Top notes: Pomegranate

Heart notes: Casablanca Lily, Pink Pepper

Base notes: Guaiacwood, Patchouli

The opening is pomegranate, tart and red, with pink pepper adding a dry prickle on top.

Casablanca lily fills the middle. Here it is a spicy, full-bodied white flower, which keeps the fruit from feeling light or fizzy.

Guaiacwood and patchouli make up the drydown, smoky and a little earthy, with the fruit fading into the background.

Is Pomegranate Noir sweet?

Not very. The pomegranate is a fresh red-fruit note rather than a sugary one, and the base is smoky guaiacwood with patchouli, so it reads darker than most fruity scents.

Is it the Cologne or the Cologne Intense?

Pomegranate Noir belongs to Jo Malone London's regular Cologne line, not the Cologne Intense collection. Ours is an eau de parfum.

How smoky is it?

Moderately. Guaiacwood gives the base a charred-wood character that becomes clearer as the pomegranate fades.

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.

Jo Malone and Pomegranate Noir are trademarks of their respective owners, and all rights remain with them. Parfumour is not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, or connected to Jo Malone 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.