Dries Van Noten introduces Havana Gold, the newest fragrance in its celebrated collection, a scent that captures the sultry rhythm of a Cuban night. With its intoxicating interplay of tobacco and liquorice, the fragrance is at once nostalgic and daring, embodying the Maison’s philosophy of “impossible combinations.” It is a perfume that draws its power from contrasts, a composition that feels unexpected yet irresistibly harmonious.
Perfumer Jordi Fernandez crafted Havana Gold as an atmosphere, a sensual portrait of Havana where music pulses, people gather, and warmth lingers in the air. At its core lies the duality of gourmand sweetness and smoky depth, the comforting embrace of liquorice entwined with the leathery facets of tobacco. Enhanced by cinnamon and benzoin, these notes unfold like tendrils of memory, evoking togetherness, generosity, and the richness of shared experience.
The fragrance evolves through layers of sophistication. At the opening, liquorice offers a sweet, anise-like brightness, its regressive familiarity tempered by the mystery of tobacco leaf absolute. The heart reveals spice, smoke, and resin, with cinnamon adding heat and benzoin lending its warm, resinous glow. At the base, roasted tonka and leather linger, leaving an enveloping, opulent trail that feels both grounding and seductive. Each note has been chosen not just for its olfactive power but for the narrative it conjures—an invitation to inhabit a moment of nocturnal elegance.
Sustainability and responsibility are woven into the composition. Tonka beans are harvested by hand in Venezuela from fallen nuts, while benzoin resin is responsibly sourced in Laos through partnerships that empower local farmers. These elements remind us that beauty, even in its most indulgent form, carries a deeper responsibility to people and place.
True to the brand’s ethos, the flacon itself becomes a work of art. Havana Gold is the first in the Dries Van Noten collection to incorporate brass, a material that brings cold, sculptural strength to the design. The amber-tinted glass bottle is anchored by an aged brass base, its patina uniquely crafted so that no two bottles are identical. This marriage of materiality and fragrance reflects the Maison’s dedication to craftsmanship, artistry, and individuality.
“Havana Gold is a surprising alchemy involving nostalgic, gourmand liquorice and the darkest, leathery facets of an intensely mysterious tobacco,” Fernandez explains. “These two elements may seem unlikely partners; yet they come together in a way that feels natural and alluring.” It is precisely this alchemy that makes Havana Gold feel timeless yet contemporary, familiar yet thrillingly new.
With its refillable bottle, refined design, and complex scent profile, Havana Gold extends Dries Van Noten’s vision of beauty as both artistic and responsible. It is a fragrance that is not simply worn but inhabited—an olfactory portrait of warmth, mystery, and sensual generosity that invites the wearer to own the night as their stage.
