Tonka Cola Tester

Firstly, I have to say that I adore this fragrance. I basically get cherry and cola from start to finish. Different variations throughout the journey of the fragrance, but they are the notes that dominate the entire journey. It starts with a blast of cherry cola, then the cherry settles down and becomes less sweet, but still dominates the scent and, as it dries down, a beautiful creamy vanilla joins the cherry. The three stages are almost like - the opening, when you first open a fresh, cold can of cherry cola, the mid, when the can has been sitting for 20 minutes and the fizz has died down, then the dry down is like you add a dash of vanilla to the drink. I love this fragrance. To my nose, and I don't often say this, it is a beast performer. I wore it today, whilst working outdoors on a cool fresh day, and 4 sprays lasted me for 5-6 hours , with constant wafts, and it stayed on my skin as a more vanilla scent until I showered 2 hours after that. Projection is really good too, especially for the first couple of hours, and it is excellent value at it's current price point. I bought this in December, so I can't comment on which seasons it is appropriate but, living in the UK where hot days are few and far between, I think this will be in my rotation on a frequent basis....

Surprisingly realistic and enjoyable, if you've ever tried a traditional cola it smells quite similar to that. I find it hard to pick out the cherry. Green and floral notes give it more depth, and it's quite smooth and well-blended (despite the 'fizz' of the cola). After drying down it turns into a spicy and resinous skin scent, which is pleasant enough but not so interesting. I suppose that the citrus is really essential to the cola accord and it's naturally going to be one of the first notes to fade. The performance is fairly good otherwise and it projects well. Overall I like it a lot, and it's a fun one to have in your collection if you like gourmands.

The cherry-cinnamon-nutmeg opening sure does last a long time, I get over an hour or more. The cola is also front and center, but to my nose fades faster than the other mid-notes. Patchouli and vanilla with a touch of resins are underneath all of it, becoming prominent only when the stronger notes fade. I love the blend and balance, and I like how it changes giving me plenty of time to appreciate it through the phases instead of the 15 minute opening so many other fragrances give. It never has a sweet smell, but is also never bitter nor sharp. Combine that with the spiciness, it presents as somewhat masculine. This will remain in my rotation all winter.

I tested many many Manceras and I like a few. I had 3 full bottles (Sicily, Cedrat Boise, Jardin Exclusiff) and i sold them all after some time because I found that for me there are very synthetic and strong in some notes i dont like. This Tonka Cola is the best of all Manceras I tried. Cozy, lovely, sweet, cinnamon, vanilla, cherry, tonka. Beutiful combination. There is narative, that you dont want to smell like cola and thats why it is not versatile. This is not 1:1 Coca Cola. For me it is very versatile I can wear it anywhere (fall, winter, spring). 8,5/10 for me. Only this Mancera i can rate more than 8... Maybe Cosmic Pepper is 8, maybe.

I really love this. Someone said on initial spray they got anise, and I got that as well, but it dissipated quickly. I’m a sucker for anything with cinnamon and this definitely fits that bill. The cherry and cola top it off nicely. There’s a bit of leather in there as well. I can see where not everyone will like it because it largely depends on what category of scents you prefer. If you don’t like fragrances that lean towards gourmand then you’ll probably want to move on. If you like warmer, spicier scents that are not overly sweet, then you may enjoy this on occasion.