Intense Cafe Montale for women and men

I finally got this fragrance after doing much research on it and upon spraying it at first, I was very disappointed with the smell. It took me a few days to come around it and I grew to love it even more and more. Intense Cafe starts out with a burst of rose and coffee, but as it dries down, the coffee becomes nearly non-existent and you’re left with the rosy musk scent of the fragrance and a minor hint of vanilla but definitely no coffee. If you love musky rose fragrances, then this is for you, but don’t expect any coffee prominence with this fragrance. It has an amazing staying power and above average performance that will give you compliments as you walk by with an admirable scent trail. It’s not as beast mode as I expected it to be, but given the notes and how the fragrance leans, it’s more than impressive for a floral fragrance. Definitely a beast mode when it comes to florals in my book.

It definitely smells very similar to Mancera's Roses Vanille like other reviewers have stated. BUT IT IS NOT identical. It does have a chocolate/coffee element to it that Roses Vanille does not have. I love Roses Vanille but it's very linear. This is that plus some.

Worst Niche houses ever. Even the famous 30$ or 40$ middle eastren dupes "Club De Nuit Intense et et " smells great and high quality, unlike that made in "France " niche "Montale+Mancera", they are the cheapst made in France perfumes for a reason right? Montale bottles are funny also looks and feel less quailty than "dollar store items" !

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This smells nearly identical to Gentle Fluidity Gold by Maison Francis Kurkdijan. The rose is a little soapy in the initial spray which makes it smell sort of like baby wipes but the scent dries down to a more rosy coffee scent. Smells like a café filled with roses and flowers. All of the notes in this are very present with the rose note being most dominant.

This fragrance is great I love it ( my first niche fragrance btw ). I know there are a lot of people do not smell any coffee in this, however for me I smell so much coffee it smells like a actual cafe it's beautiful. If you are not a big fan of rose though, DO NOT BUY THIS (or try it first) this is very rose heavy. Also even though people are saying this is feminine TRY IT ANYWAYS; i'm a guy and I love this it's my signature now last a long time and doesn't have a great silage for me like arms length but that's just my skin a lot of people say this has a crazy silage. If you like the smell of coffee and vanilla you should try it highly recommend for everybody

This is beautiful, a classic for a reason! I'm very much not a floral lover, but the rose in this is lovely blended with the creamy vanilla and soft coffee note. Like many people I also don't detect an overly powerful coffee note, it's quite subtle, but to me it's the perfect amount. This scent transports me to a Parisian café! Just lovely.

i’m obsessed with this because it smells exactly like the soda pop girls dolls i had as a kid in the late 2000s. if you too have this extremely specific nostalgia this will not disappoint. sweet and airy and pleasant and lovely

It has great opening. Lasts forever. But drydown smells like smoke on my skin. It's a love-hate relationship for me.

It's good. Very good. My partner loves it too. For it's addicting.

I agree with the comment below that stated this perfume smells exactly like Mancera's Roses Vanille, it 1000000% is the same perfume.

As someone who was never into niche perfumes, when I first smelled this I was taken aback, it was absolutely gorgeous, delicious, evoking, seductive - I was utterly infatuated with how amazing it smelled. Its like youre in a cafe, literally, there's not bitterness to the coffee, its slightly sweet, and smelled even abit chocolatey. The longevity is eternal, and silage...too much. My dad said I stunk whenever I wore it. Its an aquired smell.

I dont know what happened but I suddenly hated it days later. Its too strong. My entire room smelled like a cafe for days and I would have to open the windows to get the scent out after it permiated everything. I think I was exposed to it for too long and I ended up throwing the tester away. This is perfect for those who absolutely adore the smell of cafes, if you dont like a strong coffee smell then dont get this. To be fair, im not a coffee lover so maybe thats why I got over it rather quickly.

This perfume smells identical to Mancera's Roses Vanille and both of the fragrances have a dupe - Zara's Rose Gourmand. Roses and vanilla scent. Until I tried this fragrance I didn't think I liked roses but I was wrong. Amazing perfume. I recommend Zara's dupe also.

This fragrance is proof to me that everyone interprets scents differently. For starters, this is commonly compared to Roses Vanille but I have never thought either smelled similar. Sure, they both share a prominent rose and vanilla, but they are very different to me. Additionally, most people seem to not detect coffee in this but I can easily smell the coffee note at the base of this scent. However, the coffee note is not a main player in this fragrance so if you are looking for a coffee scent, this may not be the one for you. For me, I don't necessarily want a coffee fragrance, so the coffee note in this perfume adds a really nice twist to an otherwise uninspiring rose and vanilla scent. Honestly this scent profile is not very unique and has likely been overdone at this point, but for some reason this fragrance is incredibly addicting to me. I really wanted to hate it because I am not the biggest fan of Montale bottles but I cannot stop myself from thinking about this scent. It truly is divine, this fragrance will always be in my collection.

Oh my gosh...this is beautiful. It's making me like rose!!!

i dont even know why its called intense cafe, it should be intense rose instead. Its a nice smelling fragrance but js straight up rose. i couldnt detect any coffee. Fortunately i bought a decant of this before committing to a full bottle. performance wise is good, quite strong and lasts quite long.
Overall its a okay fragrance, would have been way better if the coffee was more obvious imo
smell 6.5/10
performance 8/10

If your looking for a sweet, rose, vanilla cake like fragrance this is perfect..

I pick up coffee later within spraying and it goes amazingly with the deep complex notes. It reminds me of a rose cake in a way, extremely well done.

The longevity is 12+ hours easily and the projection is amazing, 5 sprays feels perfect. Leans feminine but men can definitely pull it off.

100% worth buying if the notes interest you 🙌

If you came here looking for a coffee fragrance...this isn't it. It's a rose & vanilla fragrance

However if you want a coffee & rose fragrance then you need to try Bois 1920 Durocaffe

And if you want coffee without the rose then Kerosene followed is the most realistic coffee without the florals

It is a nice fragrance that reminds me the smell of honey.....The coffee note is not strong...Awesome longevity 12+ hours and strong sillage.....A blind buy for a gourmand lover.....

this is a very strong (both literally and figuratively) offering from montale and i would definitely recommend this to anyone interested in a gourmand-leaning rose. this smells like a rose cake? which is not a thing as far as i know, but if it were it would smell like this. like eating in a bakery and they have roses on display for some reason.

unfortunately this is not for me! and that's on me because i fully know i don't usually love sweet, vanilla-laden scents. i also do not get coffee from this at all and the marketing feels a bit misleading in that sense.

This is an absolute banger. I’ve been searching for this exact one for months since a partner of mine smelled like that at the beginning of our relationship and oh man did it bring flashbacks.. This scent is impossible to miss or confuse with anything else. It smells like magic and is the perfect pick for a cold winter day. Go for this one if you want to fascinate someone, they will never forget. Dark, mysterious and romantic, one of the best of all times.

Being using this for a couple months still haven’t gotten tired of it. It’s amazing. Gotten compliments from strangers from across the counter in resteraunts love this.

Got to love a good Montale, and this is one. I will admit I am a fan of this line. They have this specific DNA that I find alluring. Counter to its name Intense Cafe is not a strong coffee scent rather a well blended creamy vanilla rose with a hint of coffee. A very pretty scent. Not quite as beastly as other Montale's but worthy of a FB nonetheless IMO.

I bought this while searching for a strong coffee scent. It's great, but the combination of heavy and sweet is too much for my sensibility. So far that's been the assessment for all of my mancera-montale purchases, except for Cedrat Boise, which just bores me to tears. In the future, I will look to the drier black coffee scents, like Halloween (Suggestions are welcome).

I would probably like this much more on a woman than I like it on myself, it does lean feminine and it is pleasant. I'm just not sure how to feel walking around smelling like a pecan roll.

I've now worn this and Roses Vanille to compare the two. I might sound insane because they are quite literally dupes of one another but I really do think the added coffee note in this makes it a slightly worse fragrance overall-it just doesn't feel like it's gelling right. I think this profile is super enjoyable and not at all overplayed (I live in a major city and have never smelled this on anyone out in the real world, Zara dupe included), but would recommend Roses Vanille as the fragrance to scratch the itch for a rose sugarbomb.

The opening is not overly pleasant. The coffee note seems to clash with everything else and creates a slightly bitter accord. This drops away after a few minutes, and the coffee is really in the background. Occasionally I catch a hint of it, which is interesting, but I still think it clashes a bit with the vanilla. That seems unusual to me, because coffee and vanilla should go together like peas in a pod - a Nespresso coffee pod to be exact. In the dry down the scent is like Turkish delight and vanilla ice cream (waffle cone and all). It’s very nice and a not too sweet gourmand experience. I think this leans more feminine, and I would certainly enjoy smelling it on my wife.

Maybe I’m tripping, but I don’t smell coffee at all. It smells like roses and vanilla with the Montale DNA. Like anything Montale the longevity and sillage are great.

This is interesting and excellent for what it is. I struggle with that Montale / Mancera dna generally and this is the only one of those houses that I have. They all smell a bit too synthetic to my taste. This however, is brilliant and unique. I do not wear this often but in a certain mood I can’t think of an alternative. It is not for casual wearing. Both the rose and coffee are such complex scents that you have to make an effort when smelling this and it may take some time to truly appreciate this. It is gourmandy with a twist. I smell rose spiced Turkish delights.

Intense cafe is fundamentally a rose fragrance and it is so strong that you only need less than one spray. People say that they do not get coffee at all or some say that they get a milky coffee. I get something else: I was commuting for years past a coffee roastery and also I have been on a Colombian coffee farm where they were roasting coffee. The coffee note in intense cafe is that roasted coffee, not a coffee that is in a cup and that you can drink. The coffee here is wonderful, artistic and unique, but a perfume can’t quite match real coffee roast which has hundreds of aromatic notes.

Staying power is superb. As with all Montales that I have tried that synthetic base starts to bother me a bit after a while. I would like it to have less longevity for that reason. For me, this is a kind of fragrance that smells better on others. But take that with a grain of salt as I am overly sensitive to synthetic type of smells.

I have received a ton of compliments from this fragrance, although I have been told by two random individuals on separate occasions that I smell like beer. I am not really sure how they think that but just thought I'd mention it.

For me, almost all Montale fragrances smell the same- attractive Oriental smell. Here I don´t get any coffee, but to be fair, I don´t get coffee in any fragrances, e.g. Opium.

I used to love this. The dna just smells cheap now. I’ve smelt it everywhere! Everytime I wear it I feel like I’m wearing an obvious Arab dupe house.

Now as a male I always thought this fragrance leans a bit too feminine for me. That was until I bought Tom Ford’s Black Orchid and I loved it, rocked it and got hella compliments from it. I even made a friend of mine buy it because he liked it so much on me! So I bit the bullet and bought Intense Cafe. I love it, as a gourmand enjoyer this is heaven for me. As I am a smoker when this mixes with the cigarette smells the rose turns into an almost wine accord becomes way smokier with a roasted coffee and makes me like the scent even more. It almost reminds me of Urma Vie by Adi Ale Van with the cigarette smokiness added! Either way this scent is absolutely goregous. I layered it with CH Mystery Tobacco and it’s by far my best layering combo. Intense Cafe is a sweet beast mode fragrance with easily 24+ hours of longevity and insane projection. I do wish the coffee was more present in this doe, however it’s still here and compliments the scent greatly! I definitely recommend this especially if you’re like me and love .U.M.B.R.E. By Adi Ale Van but are on a budget and or can’t find it! Solid 8/10

as soon as i sprayed this on myself i immediatly came on the nearest living creature (the cockroach in my bedroom)

I was expecting a bigger coffee accord and something more gourmand in here. Instead I get a very light Oudy-rose dusted in some coffee grounds . I think it’s nice but leans a bit feminine and would like much more coffee!

A BEAST mode of all Beast modes, sprayed late evening, woke to the strongest gourmand of coffee and vanilla. I thought I liked strong scents, this is next level.

A rather wonderful coffee and vanilla scent with creamy resinous loveliness buried under the spiky wood top notes that kills it with never-ending scream.

I have had this perfume for two years. I don't wear it very often, but I am wearing it today as I work from home. I like the fragrance, but I don't pick up the coffee. I do pick up strong vanilla and traces of the roses. For me the floral notes emerge toward the end of the dry down as well as maybe the bitterness of the coffee, but it's extremely mild. What I appreciate about this fragrance is that it is long-lasting 7+ hours. Very few fragrances last more than a couple of hours on my skin. The drydown is very pleasant. To my nose this is exactly like Mancera's Roses Vanille.

I dont find this fragrance as feminine as its maked out to be i don't find much of the rose but i get a massive punch of coffee which i love because i find most fragrances with coffee to be to underwhelming and usually you can't smell the coffee to much i do get some floral notes in it but i dont really get rose in particular in this fragrance but i think its great

What I smell on my wifes skin is apple cidre mixed with café latte. We both love roses in fragrances, but this smells for me more artificial and sour. It is also more of a skin scent on her. Huge dissapointment after the hype

If you hate rose, avoid this absolutely. I thought the coffee notes or amber or something could make things different, but no, roses all the way, so who likes it, will be happy.

very strong combination of roses and vanilla. The fragrance smells synthetic and cheap. It's beast a mode, everyone will smell you in the room. I once went to bed after a night out wearing this and the smell stuck to my sheets for days. It's a very feminine fragrance, I tried to convince myself that it's unisex but people around me always tell me that this smell reminds them of someone (always women's names)

This is my most complimented fragrance ever . No other perfume gave me as many compliments as intense cafe did.Tho I am a little bit tired of this fragrance since it is my signature smell for the last 7 years and would like to try delox or gentle fluidity next time instead of this just to change it up a little bit. I would spray this 3 times whenever I go out in the evening. The projection is very strong and the longevity is great too.

A rose and vanilla forward fragrance. It smells luxurious. Such a beautiful rose scent and with the addition of the vanilla, it makes it lactonic and creamy. I apply 2-3 sprays max and it has great longevity and sillage. You will definitely get noticed if you do more sprays.

Since this a rose and vanilla combo, women can get away with more sprays. Men can pull this off but with less sprays. The dry down is exquisite. It opens up floral. I don't know why this is called "Intense Cafe" because the coffee in here is very subdued.

The rose and vanilla combo is very prominent. This fragrance is great for spring, winter, and fall possibly summer if you do less sprays. Occasions: weddings, anniversaries, date night, and winter holiday occasions. Dress: suit and tie. Tuxedo. Business casual.

a very vulgar vanilla rose with a woody base...and that touch of abrasive product that distinguishes this brand

I am in love with this gourmand offer by Montale. very strong. too much at times, but so much enjoyable!

I get mostly sweet coffee and vanilla but the rose does come through and makes this very interesting imo. I'm surprised that so many reviews claim they don't get any coffee bc I get a very realistic coffee. To me it's like a sweet black coffee if that makes sense. I love it and feel like it's very cozy and warm, making it nice for winter. It is kinda linear to me and I think its nice for layering to add depth and sweetness. Leans a little more feminine but I do think this would be sexy on a man or anyone.

Straight forward, pleasant and very linear. Gentle rose, vanilla and café au lait. I am happy to wear this but it leans more feminine.

In Intense Cafe by Pierre Montale, the aroma of coffee that has just emerged from the Moka stands supreme and dominant, thrilling to the point of taking your breath away. Coffee in its maximum manifestation immersed in the carnal and fresh intensity of the rose. The queen of the floral world masterfully fused with impetuous caffean notes, the two dominant and controversial notes blend and blend into a surprisingly dry and refreshing top note, at times enveloping and dark. Temporal olfactory evolution is surprising for the progressive and diluted prevailing note of coffee which persists, giving space to more reassuring and sweet notes of vanilla white musk, which soften the roasting aroma with a charming and joyful hint of voluptuous cream. Coffee entirely dominates the olfactory experience, allowing all the other notes to emerge undisturbed in their wonderful uniqueness. Undoubtedly a gourmand fragrance of great charm.

As it was the most hyped of the Montale house, I got it. No sillage , no longevity. No character . Really disappointed

Trading almost new bottle(used max 2 ml) in EU pm me if interested.

Selling decants of this perfume in Canada (ON), shipping countrywide. - please pm here for details. 5ml is for $12.

I had previously left a review on Intense Café, but deleted it the next day as my feelings towards it changed completely.

First of all, I would change the name of this scent to "Roses Café". It would do justice.

This is not a coffee-dominant scent, as many others have already stated. However, at least on my skin, the coffee aroma is present all the time. The star here is the rose. Sweet roses with a coffee aroma.

Now, I don't like my roses sweet, but to my surprise, this scent has become so addictive. I know the reason, though. There is a very thin line preventing this scent from going overly sweet for my tastes, and that is THE coffee. On my skin, it gives a bit of bitter quality to all that sweet composition. It is so delicious and intriguing, even I can't believe it.

A successful blind-buy. I will wear this very often.

I’ve reviewed this one already.. a couple years ago maybe? Anyway, I still love it. Definitely a must have for me. Creamy vanilla, jammy rose, a dash of coffee with silky musk and amber. I have a lot of great frags, but this is one that my husband compliments every time I wear it. Performance is great as well!

Begins with a blast of cheap-smelling florals with a prominent rose. As I'm sure you've read from the other reviews, this is NOT a coffee fragrance, just a cheap vanilla rose and the slightest hints of coffee. cozy and feminine.

5.5/10

This is my crush perfume , I love it with passion .
The coffee and vanilla mixed with roses makes it perfect for the winter 🥶
I think it used to be more concentrated years ago , either it’s watered down or I have became just nose blind🤣
Definitely a must have , imo leans more feminine and the silage CRAZY

Performance is pointless if a perfume has this quality, very synthetic very unrealistic notes .
It reminds me dupes and clone's.

Dirty rose oil and the "coffee" note is more like sour black coffee. Overall a synthetic mess, sharp and aggressive. Not an easy wear and I don't see many others around you enjoying this. Harsh middle eastern style.

On the plus side if you like it the performance is crazy strong

all i get from this is rose, rose and more rose... something slightly bitter resembling coffee floats about here and there and unfortunately this lasts a long time. if that sounds like a pleasant experience to you'd love this. i absolutely hate this.

I didn't find better yet. Sweet coffee 😍

I am crazy about this fragrance. I work as a flight attendant and use this fragnance on my flights. Passengers and co-workers ask about my perfume all the time! Its relaxing and doesnt annoy anyone. Much love.

The first time I tried it I loved it. The bold opening reminded me of freshly brewed coffee and the dry-down smelled like rose turkish delight. The second time I tried it however was a completely different experience. The opening smelled musty and the rose was overpoweringly sweet. I think it would be an amazing perfume on someone else's skin chemistry, just not on mine.

I don’t know why more people don ’t mention how similar it is to gentle fluidity gold by MFK. to me they are almost identical, even though intense cafe is longer lasting. i don’t really like either so i’ll pass

Not my favorite but I will give them a lot of points for confusing me. Such a unique fragrance it is hard for me to figure out what is going on. Almost seems to smell different with every whiff. Probably the most feminine fragrance I have. I suppose you could wear this for any time of year or occasion. Longevity is very good which is standard for Montale.

This perfume just works with my skin. I found it by accident years ago while trolling Lucky Scent for coffee and chocolate frags. Out of my sizable perfume collection, this is the only one I still get compliments on every single time I wear it. On me there's no standout note; the rose, the coffee, the sweetness, are all present but working together instead of fighting for attention. It's definitely a cool weather scent, my fall and winter staple. I've noticed the sharpness others mention when the juice is very cold; the second it warms up on the skin it transforms into a soft, cozy cloud that strangers stop me in public for. Nothing is for everybody, but on me this one draws comments like "sexy but classy", "sweet sophistication", and "expensive chocolate roses." I'll keep buying full bottles as long as they don't change the formula.

If you've ever ordered a latte and thought "I want to try a fun flavor. I'll add some rose syrup to it" and then ended up with a sticky sweet drink that completely overwhelms the taste of your coffee and leaves you sick to your stomach, you've experienced this perfume.
The rose is so incredibly overpowering, it doesn't smell like it's paired with the coffee, but rather that it's job is to mask some terrible coffee based accident. If you want a rose scent, this also isn't it. The rose is strong, but goes so poorly with the other scents, it brings out the worst in all of it.

I got a sample of this and wore it for a few days really hoping I would like it (I'm in search of a coffee scent for everyday wear), and was deeply disappointed by this.

I knew I was taking a gamble with this one as I'm desperate to find a good coffee-like scent but all this smells like is a cheap fizzy rose drink. It isn't pleasant at all, there are way better and softer rose fragrances out there but this is just a very loud and obnoxious ROSE. Nothing else.

While the scent as an (almost) pleasant sweet rose with a vague coffee-like bitterness (I asked 3 ppl to blind test and all of them could easily pick out the rose, but none mentioned coffee—instead opting for Oud or incense)—it is ruined by a biting, sharp synthetic musk in the base.

The edges just are a bit too jagged for my tastes, and the whole thing gives me a sting behind the eyes if I inhale deeply where I applied my sample.

However, if you’re not as sensitive to synthetics as I am, this is a lovely sweetened rose fragrance. It evokes a sugarcube melted in rose water. Truly a shame, because I would certainly have loved this had it not been for the biting synthetics.

This is very beautiful coffee and rose Perfume with 10+ hours longevity .. i adore this smell 💜

I love it, even better than YSL Black Opium.
Just like Black Opium, this perfume smells so sexy.
I was disappointed with Black Opium, because it has no staying power.
Unlike Black Opium, this perfume is actually long lasting.

creamy rose latte with very very light coffee, sometimes the rose reads a bit soapy to me like a bath bomb. don’t hate it but don’t really love it either

Great scent vanilla and floral heavy, eternal longevity and strong projection, though the coffee note isnt as prominent as one could hope for. It still is a great coffee scent though if you aren't looking for a super strong coffee scent.

Very pretty rose. Sweet gourmand candy rose. So strong & long lasting. Its called intense cafe but the coffee is barely noticeable.

Easily the most long lasting fragrance with the best dry down at this price point.

im a guy and if i smell this on any girl or woman holy crap this is amazing

Hated it at first but it grew on me very quickly as it blends well with my skin chemistry.
Not a safe blind buy, not much coffee but it's there in the background
A floral dominant fragrance that leans feminine, but you could rock this as a dude if you're dressed nice

As much as I wanted to love this, to me this is incredibly synthetic and cloying. I bought a decant because of the hype, but I feel let down. I don't get the complexity or the mesmerising scent others speak of, unfortunately. Definitely test before buying! Sillage and performance are excellent though, can't complain there. I used to have Rose Gourmand by Zara and honestly, I don't see why you'd get this if you can buy Rose Gourmand for a fraction of the price. Not saying they're the same fragrance, but similar enough to consider.

On my skin this smells very similar to Roses Vanille, except I find this more wearable. I find Roses Vanille to be a bit too cloying, the rose too syrupy. But Intense Cafe is like a more wearable version of it, although still sweet. Sadly for my nose the coffee is almost nonexistent, even on other people’s skin I do not pick up on coffee. Performance and projection is great as usual with Montale, I just wish it smelt more distinct and different from Roses Vanille.

Very similar to Roses Vanille and Gentle Fluidity Gold, but RV has slightly more rose, GFG has more woody vanilla, and this has a hint of coffee. All 3 are stunning.
This is a strong and sweet vanilla and rose, with a good dose of amber and some coffee dipping in and out. I like the coffee note in this, it’s usually not my favourite (hated black opium for this very reason), but in this it’s quite subtle and supports the other notes beautifully. Beast mode of course. Love this.

I love this but I often wear the Zara clone rose Gourmand. It's soooo cozy and lovely. Not a huge fan of rose fragrances but this is super Gourmand so it works for me. I think it's a fragrance for cooler weather - love it in the fall and winter. I think it's reasonably priced especially if you look around for deals.

My first experience with this scent profile was Zara's dupe of Mancera's Roses Vanille (Rose Gourmand). It was the first time I ever realized I liked rose and it didn't have to smell like my grandma.

Upon delving in I read about how the OG iconic fragrance Intense Cafe is pretty much the same as its sister brand's Roses Vanille but with a very mild coffee note.

I finally got my hands on a large sample of Intense Cafe and at first spray...I hated it? The coffee note is absolutely acrid on me the first 10 minutes after spraying. Thankfully it dissipates quite quickly after drying down and becomes a soft, fluffy, and super sweet vanilla rose scent with just the most barely perceptible hint of spice from the coffee.

Overall I like it and I've always appreciated Montale's more reasonable prices as a niche house. You can get $300+ bottles that smell synthetic too. That being said if you're on a budget then snag Zara's Rose Gourmand. It isn't quite as complex but the performance is stellar.

I'm adding Intense Cafe to my list of FB buys, though. I learned to really appreciate that coffee spice in the drydown that adds much complexity over the budget dupe.

I don't really get a coffee note here but it is still a beautiful parfume. Very similar to mancera roses vanille.

100% Banger!!! I think this is perfect fragrance and my personal signature scent.Smash through bottles and keep buying non stop. Wasn't a fan of rose notes ever before till I tried this with the coffee vibes and in love at 1st sniff. Good projection and endless complements from randoms everywhere I go plus the longevity bit of beast or maybe just nose blind too these days too and over apply??.Just find hard to speak negative apart from only thing its a lil hard to wear in high heat in Australian summer but I still wear manage to say heck on some days can't help it- its perfect👌 .

My boyfriend (who doesn't know anything about perfume) told me I smell "like a mall Macy's"

Sexy, warm, cozy and in your face fragrance!
But the coffee note is sometimes to much for me, so i much prefer Roses vanille from Mancera.

Love the dry down of the Montale intense Cafe.

Received this today. My first sniff was strong coffee. I’m hoping that the rose will come through otherwise I’m really not sure about this fragrance. I love Montale Roses Musk.

My signature scent ,I love it . Jammy rose, a little bit coffee and lots of vanilla. Last around 8+ hours on skin and forever on clothes . In my opinion its not a gourmand perfume but very sweet and fenimine.

I can’t stop sniffing my wrist when wearing this. It is surprisingly complex and smells so delicious.

I get sweet, jammy rose, grounded by a beautiful coffee note, as well as vanilla and musk. The reference to coffee in the name had me worried (I was expecting it to be coffee-heavy) but the note truly only plays a supporting role, adding depth to what would otherwise be a rose vanilla musk scent.

Something in here reminds me a lot of Delina, however less sour and more gourmand. I’m honestly surprised not to see others mention this.

This would be perfect worn for a date or during the holidays.

Gorgeous dark fresh-ground coffee beans plus jammy rose, plus deep rich vanilla, plus those unmistakable Montale-Mancera musks all equal a beautiful fragrance. It's similar to Tanasuk, but the musks are more pronounced in this, and the cocoa notes are more pronounced (I sometimes layered Tanasuk with Choco Musk for a bit of the same effect). I just have a purse-size sprayer of this, 0.27 ounce, but I could see buying a full bottle of this one someday, especially if the price was right. I can't seem to stop sniffing my hand!

Fantastic rose vanilla scent. This domain of perfumery is pure art in the way it smells and the way it's created. Just be known, unlike the name suggests the coffee in here is essentially non existent, at least to my nose. Regardless of the misleading title, Intense Cafe projects lasts long and projects very well, this fragrance is quite strong. Niche and signature scent appeal, can be worn through 3 seasons.

If you're Australian, don't bother buying the A$200 Montale, get the Bujairami version instead. Spot on & rivals the performance

I love this, one of the few perfumes I can smell on myself all day. Smells like a vanilla latte with rose petals - and I know how random that sounds but I really like this.

To me this is more complex than the notes seem. I love the sweet rose, and i actually get quite a bit og coffee despoter the rumors

Someone said this smells “zingy” and that is so spot on. The rose note, specifically, reminds me of Rose Jam by Lush. The combination of notes in this is actually very odd, and something about it really turns me off.

I love it. This was my first perfume from Montale and it's one I always come back to. Specially during the Holidays. Perfect for cold weather or any dressy night out. This is one of my DATE NIGHT favorites. My man loves it when I wear it. It smells like walking into a very bougie coffee shop while wearing a vanilla perfume and rose scented body lotion. Ordering a hot vanilla latte and a buttery croissant. You're usually on the go but you chose to stay. It's the prettiest during Christmas time. They bring out your latte, it smells AMAZING. The coffee is not an in your face coffee, but everything I just described. In the most elegant way. It's sensual, feminine but than again a guy could totally get away with wearing it. The rose is not potent at all. This perfume was perfectly made. Sexy, intoxicating, somewhat boozy, fresh (like fresh coffee) but creamy, it smells like a vanilla latte. Intense, but in a good way. The amber really comes through when it settles, absolutely gorgeous. BISOUS

since i already own MFK’s GFG i do not need to own this as well. they essentially dry down to the same vanilla-amber-musk base. the only difference is GFG is more linear (and softer) in its approach. whereas Intense Cafe invokes the most BRIEF steamed-espresso type of opening.

it also has something a bit sharp and synthetic lingering alongside the jamminess of the rose that emerges in the mid-notes. this makes for a slightly cloying, and headache-y experience. nevertheless, i can see how the punchiness of this fragrance could cut through cold weather like no one’s business and bloom beautifully. gorgeous in theory, but not for me. ultimately decided to sell my bottle after a month.

I wasn't a big fan of it at first, since it definitely didn't have the coffee scent I was looking for. It honestly smells a bit like the Rose Jam scent from Lush, and it can be cloying if you use too much, but a little goes a LONG way, and after trying it out for a while, I've decided I absolutely adore it, and I was actually kind of disappointed when I smelled Cafe Rose by Tom Ford and it didn't smell as sweet as this one.

I have one for sale in London, I sprayed it once. I like it but it’s just like my Rosewood from Arabian Oud. Send me a message

I bought a sample of this, and I don't know -- I'm definitely intrigued and enjoy the scent but I'm not sure if I want to smell like it?? It's so weird 😂

This is an interesting combination of rose and vanilla with a slight hint of coffee like the reviews before me have stated. I agree that it isn't blind buy safe but it is GOOD. I'm still relatively new with perfume but to me this has personality - it's not something I personally have smelled before.

To me this leans feminine but I think that a man could definitely pull it off! Overall a good fragrance.

Love this fragrance. The combination of rose, coffee, vanilla making up this gourmand are brilliant. Gone through one bottle; need to purchase another. My sprayer broke right after I received it. Emailed Montale. They were sorry but no replacement offered. That's the only bad. I'm not a fan of amber/musk dry downs. But there's enough going on that it's acceptable. Blind buy? No. Sample first.

I'd tried Intense Cafe in my mid-20s and found it overpowering, but I've just received a bottle for my 30th birthday and I'm totally hooked. It's sweet and warm, but in a more interesting, kinda goth way than a straight-up vanilla fragrance. Vibes include: pretty girl on the train wearing a plush black sweater and combat boots, fancy Halloween party in a crumbling castle, the black swan in Swan Lake, a love note sealed with red wax.

Gorgeous and well blended rose and vanilla with that hint of coffee!! As a lover of sweet scents, this smells beautiful without being too sweet. Beast most longevity and projection, I have received many compliments on this and I only do 1-2 sprays at a time. If you love roses and vanilla, you will love this one, yes the coffee note is not strong but there is a small hint of a cappuccino type sweet coffee note. Perfect for me.

Velvety, Zingy & Sweet Rose-Vanilla with Coffee Accent...
Opens with some floral notes that quickly segue into a rich & velvety rose accented with coffee. Vanilla is already swelling through, and sweetens the rose with a zinginess that's almost to the point of being jammy, but not quite. Vanilla here has a zingy, congealed quality with a faint near-green touch. Amber holds everything together with a faint hint of incense (not listed) while musk volumizes the rose. The longer it's on your skin, the sweeter and rounder the vanilla gets. I agree with other reviewers that this isn't primarily a coffee scent, but coffee is present. Overall I get a rich & velvety rose and zingy vanila scent accented with coffee. So, so good. This has the characteristic Montale performance, and a little goes a long way. The profile is versatile & suitable for year round wear, but most will find this appropriate for cooler weather. I have worn this in summer but only one spray to the wrist. Any more and you risk it cloying or choking yourself out.

Contrast to Ristretto Intense Cafe Montale:
These are different, but they share the same DNA. Ristretto Intense Cafe has the coffee more forward, but it's still a predominantly rose-vanilla scent. Both have beast mode perfomance.

Contrast to Crystal Rose Swiss Arabian:
These are different, but Crystal Rose has the same DNA. It may be my imagination but I get a faint coffee note in Crystal Rose, although the coffee is more forward in Intense Cafe.

Overall: gorgeous velvety rose-vanilla scent with coffee accent and beast mode performance. It's a longtime love for me. Enjoy!

Ooh I'm In love with this. It's dry down is truly heavenly, I wanna eat it. Name may be somewhat misleading, because rose is more heavy but coffee is there too. Do not anticipate the scent of a simple black coffee; instead, envision a bouquet of roses adorning a richly sweet, milky coffee. This fragrance is just that. Some may perceive this perfume as predominantly feminine, and I concur with their assessment. Yet, as a man, I would love to wear this masterpiece day after day... Performance is great, it lasts more than 16 hours on my skin and sillage is pretty enough.

It's a great scent, but not for me. Tried wearing it a few times and just felt weird, as if i might be wearing someone else's perfume lol i think the coffee note it's not very appealing to my nose but i would love to smell this in other girls! VERYYY long lasting and great sillage, but it can be a little cloying

The name of it gives a wrong impression of what to expect. Yes, there is coffee somewhere there, but it is not an intense coffee perfume. City girls perfume. On the other hand, it is a wearable,chic and pleasant.

Starts with a strong, smooth and sweet rose. After that, i can smell the coffee, but the rose is really the star here. It’s very pleasant. Smells feminine and expensive. A great option for cold nights. I imagine a creative and classy woman wearing it. Try it if you like earthy florals.

I was so excited to smell this after hearing so much about it but so disappointed after trying. I love sweet perfume and am usually not particularly fussy to pick out “synthetic” scents, but this smelt like burning plastic and powder on my skin. To be honest, all the móntale I have tried were like this. Arabians tonka was okay.

Opening is rose and dry diwn is coffee. Not for me. Strong and feminine. Black opium style.

I get zero coffee from this. Just a milky vanilla rose.

The best coffee perfume I’ve ever tried! I owned a bottle of this but unfortunately gave it to my mother since my boyfriend didn’t like it. The rose is jammy and sweet and the coffee is rich and high end. It smells so perfect that it’s more of fantasy scent then something realistic.

Rose and Vanilla as sweet as Honey are the best things to say about Montale Intense Cafe. A sexy and warm perfume for cold, windy days. Extremely great performance, long-lasting scent on skin and clothes. I will be using it all winter long and will repurchase it once it runs out.

Rating: 7/10

This is a newer fragrance in my collection so this is about a month's worth of first impressions. On first application, this opens with a bit of bitterness but very quickly settles down to a very nice rose that's made milky by the vanilla, amber and musk. The rose makes Intense Cafe the warmer blooded sister to Replica: Coffee Break (a lifer fragrance for me), which I think reads cooler due to the lavender in Coffee Break. Overall I find this to be a really romantic and dreamy-creamy fragrance.

The longevity and projection of this is quite good so one to spray with a light hand because it will stick around. I also think any more than 2-3 sprays would choke people out. My only gripe is the bottle. I hate the bottle/packaging but not enough to stop me from enjoying the juice inside. I find myself reaching for this a lot lately as the weather begins to cool down. Who knows, maybe the more I wear this it will turn to a love one day.

If you're looking for a coffee dominant fragrance, this is not it, coffee is very much in the background here, barely detectable. This is rose jam mixed with some florals, complimented by powdery sweetness and muskyness. It's smooth and sensual if sprayed gently, but if you use a lot this will be super heady and sharp. Strong and long lasting, projects well just from a couple of sprays

Pretty sure I've written a review already but a year later this is still the most intoxicating vanilla I own. And I've smelled + own a lot of vanilla perfumes! The rose and vanilla are way stronger than the coffee but they are done oh so well!

Some people are saying this perfume is for mature ladies - and I agree
But my skin chemistry strongly disagrees on that - so I am using it too
:D

As a man, this is honestly incredible. A man who wears this has to be in touch with his sexuality since its not for everyone. Incredible blend and it projects/lasts like crazy. This is a fragrance a philosopher like Camus would rock, and I wouldn't blame him. Simply put a masterpiece, no other ways to describe it. Extremely unisex too

the opening is soooo much coffee. like the first 10 seconds it was a coffee bomb. Once it settle it becomes a beautifully done rose and coffee blend. its like black opiums steroided older sister. this is definitely my new night time signature scent.

A plastic rose and sweet vanilla. For some reason, I'm getting something that's pretty synthetic here and the notes just aren't blending. It seems a bit flat after a bit. Of all the "jammy rose" scents that are popular right now, this is probably one of my less-er favorites. I could still see it being a compliment magnet nonetheless.

Like all Montale, this is nuclear in terms of projection and longevity. I slept with this and over 12 hours later, it is still very present.

This is one of those fragrances that men seem to LOVE smelling on a woman. As a man, I can justify wearing this more than I could justify wearing Oud Satin Mood. I think because there is a bitter amber wood going on in the base and I can still smell the bitter coffee even a few hours later--because of these two bitter notes it makes me think a man can pull it off. Coffee, jam rose, vanilla, and a bitter/dry woody aroma chemical in the base. And this stuff lasts forever. I can smell it on my skin 24 hours later. I live in a tropical climate, but I don't give a shit--I wear it anyway. 10/10

This and Ristretto version have been hyped to the moon. However, all this is is yet another synthetic oud and even more synthetic rose note with some little extra to trick your noses it smells like coffee! Montale has a few good fragrances, but this isn't it! Skip it and find a Montale that you really like. Not worth the price, not even discounted IMO.

I remember sampling Intense Cafe at the Montale boutique in Milan and really liking it. Fast forward almost a year and I decided to buy a bottle as I rebuild my fragrance collection; my opinions however have changed a little.

Intense Cafe opens with a strong coffee note (like the steam from a pulled espresso), which quickly fades away into a scent which lasts for basically the entirety of the fragrance's lifetime. This subsequent scent smells like a fusion of rose/floral notes, vanilla, musk, with some powdery undertones. This sounds lovely on paper, but in reality I sadly don't love it as much.

It's surprisingly fresh, has a slight room freshener quality to it, and smells very grandma-like (I know that's a super weird way to describe a fragrance, but it's the only word I can think of). I thought that Starry Nights also had that same grandma vibe, so maybe this is just a Montale thing? It's also possible that my nose is just broken, because despite the "insane projection" most experience with this fragrance, I unfortunately do not have the same outlook. To me, it's a skin scent within minutes.

I do still like the way this fragrance smells - it's nice, just not for me :(

This perfume convinced me to never sample any Montale ever again. Every Montale I've smelled had the same oud-like base note, that I, and a lot of people I've asked find extremely musty and repulsive. The worst example of this from Montale that I've smelled was Montale Oud Dream.

Intense Cafe seems like it doesn't have this note in the beginning, when there is still some freshness to it. But, when the rose note disappears it is the same musty Montale drydown - at least to me. Not as horrible as in Oud Dream or Arabians Tonka.

I am a man, but I love unisex fragrances, even those that lean a little feminine and I love roses in perfumery - but I definitely wouldn't wear this. This is very feminine. It reminds me of Black Opium.

5/10

My impression in a nutshell: Intense – yes, Café – not so much.

This one is extremely floral-sweet on me. The initial blast is too intense, like some elderberry bushes or similar sickeningly-sweet white blossoms. Then it becomes a bit more tame, but still mostly floral for several hours. I can feel no rose, just those nondescript florals.

Then, after 4 or 5 hours, the coffee note starts peeking out here and there, and it does smell like a coffee house – a particular kind, stuffed with cakes, candies, toppings and syrups. This, however, doesn’t last long and it all dissolves into dry, slightly spicy intense vanilla and musk, with a hint of woodiness from amber.

The scent is not what you expect from the name, and I definitely wouldn’t guess how it’s called from smelling it. Midsummer, Floral Crown, Blooming Fields – I would call it anything, but not Café.

Despite being rather too much at times, I like this frag. Hope I don’t choke people around me – for intense it definitely is.

This smells like bad try of layering perfumes. Notes just did not blend. It feels like i am wearing two different perfumes and they fight with each other.

Intense but not overbearing rose scent with coffee undertones. Works surprisingly well together. As it dries down you get more of the vanilla, which is very aromatic, unlike the overly sweet vanillas you get with most designer frags today. This has sweetness too but it's just the right amount.
A very soothing scent. Definitely leaning more towards the feminine side but wearable by men. I can picture a calm, well-educated looking guy at the library wearing this. Great sillage and longevity.
The price tag is what ultimately kept me from buying it. The struggle to find a good cheap coffee fragrance continues.

I wanted to like this so much but was so disappointed. I have been on a hunt for a good coffee perfume but this doesn't read like coffee on me at all. The rose notes are incredible strong but with my chemistry there is a really unpleasant component to it that I can't describe any different than literally just the floor of a bar? Like something gives me a flashback of spilled beer, I have no idea what it is but I dislike it immensely. Otherwise it's pretty much just a sweet rose. I wouldn't recommend this for coffee lovers, definitely not a safe buy.

a beautiful, long lasting, comforting, creamy coffee/vanilla with rose all balanced. The longevity is super impressive and I get random whiffs throughout the day. I could see this being too invasive to wear to work or around those that are sensitive to fragrance. But, it’s deep and complex without being overbearing. Even as more of a skin scent, the notes are still prominent to smell each one while remaining blended beautifully

Edit: I agree that it can feel more rose than café, and that the rose is at the forefront with the vanilla. The coffee here is more of a supporting role. If you’re looking for a sweet and rich coffee forward fragrance, try Follow by Kerosene.

It smells like I spilled a cup of mocha on my shirt. The florals are there but are overpowered by the coffee and vanilla

should be called Intense Floral instead, lol. It does have a coffee-like start but it’s really not gourmand to me.

I like how Intense Cafe smells, but it's more of a pretty rose fragrance. Surprisingly, I can't detect any coffee in this at all :( It's also kind of overdone; I feel like I've smelled the same jammy-rose before in other fragrances. But I can see how someone else could love this scent.

It has become a bit basic but it is liked for a reson - a pretty mix of sweet rose jam and coffee. It is like a toast with rose jam with a strong coffee on the side.

I love its expressiveness and depth of sound. I've been using it for three years and don't plan to stop.

To much sugar. Not coffee, unfortunately. Not my piece of cake.

Coffee with cream and sugar and a huge vase of fresh, jammy roses next to you at the table. It's VERY similar to Roses Musk, but with the coffee note. I have both, and honestly you don't need both in your collection they are that similar. I will be sticking with this one from now on as I love the coffee note so much. As always with Montale it grabs compliments by the bucket load, has amazing beast mode projection, and lasts 24h+ on hair and clothes, around 18h on skin. Gorgeous, but spray lightly in warmer weather.

This was not at all what I was expecting, though I was pleasantly surprised. Initially I got a blast of fruit followed quickly by rose and bitter coffee. I understand that the coffee note cuts the sweetness a bit, but I didn’t think it meshed well with the rose, which itself is beautiful. It’s very very sweet. After it dried down I didn’t smell the coffee, just rose and vanilla. However, if I put my nose to my wrist I could smell chocolate infused coffee beans underneath the rose. A few hours later when on me it was a skin scent (I did not spray on clothes), the rose leaves and I get a slightly bitter chocolate vanilla. Overall I very much liked this, but not enough to purchase it.

Imagine a jammy, rose mixed with a sweet cup of cappuccino. This is what that would smell like. Very gourmand and would be great for colder weather but it would be overwhelming on hot days. There is a strong coffee note in here so do not get it if you don't like this note. The projection and sillage is huge so be mindful of the occasion you wear this to. Overall, a solid night-out fragrance that is not unique compared to other ones on the market. 8.5/10

Not my gem, but it is a gem!
I mean, it must be one of best sweet, jammy and sugary rose of all times, duped to filth.
And men love this, they literally want to eat you! It would be so pleasent to be around you when wearing Intense Cafè since it is an inviting warm fragrance, you will have an aura of opulence about you but it will still make you approachable.

On me it opens with a little of freshness in the sense that the rose that first appers is lightly lemony, has a dewy quality and it resembles a delicate May pink rose, but after just ten minutes it starts to warm up and blossoms in to the most sweet, hot pink rose! It blushes with warmth and it flushes with swetness, it matures in a way. And it gets musky, musky, musky!
This is my favorite stage! Powdery, warm, sweet and even a little dirty musk...well not truly dirty or animalic, but it gets less white clean musk and much much more carnal.
The coffee note is there for sure, but it is very light and at the edge of the rose, a little chocolaty/mocha but nothing intense, I would have not even guessed it was coffee if not for the notes and all the things I have heard about it. If you want to more of this toasted coffee beans then you have to go for Ristretto Intense Café, it delivers everything that it promises, same jammy rose, same intense vanilla but more coffee!

In the mid the scent starts to get really sweet, this is absolutely not a Renaissance rose like the ones from Parfums de Marly (Delina), Dior or the majority of Les Parfums de Rosine, this is jam rose, pure jam rose, sweet and honeyed. The vanilla, the coffee and the amber really get almost gelly, it is a marmalade of rose petals, sweet and sugary but the texture at this point is creamy thick and like a gelatine. Dare I say sticky? Yes, definitely sticky but in a good way, that was the intent.

Both Monatale and Mancera have many others similar rose, some more clean, some more musky, some more sugary in the sense that the texture is really similar to sugar or caramel, more airy, but in here we have a proper jam; the dna of the rose is pretty much the same, to me it smells delicate, pink and with a stem component, much round and modern (very different for instance from the classics rose water or bulgarian rose, from the more soapy, antiqued, classic ones, from the powdery or photorealistic ones, ozonic and watery, this is more fruity and sweet then those), then it varies based on the other notes but it is a very distinctive rose that of Montale and Mancera.

Back to the dry down, the vanilla goes on and on and on, and it is a gorgeous vanilla this one, good quality, even in the presence of such sweetness it never gets obnoxious or childish, it is intense, much sweet and warm, a mix between edible and more opulent vanilla. The ending of the fragrance, the proper intimate dry down, now smells more light and like a rose confetti (maybe there is a bit of tonka too) and there is a lot of amber.
This vanilla is also part of the Montale dna, and very recognizable, the mix of amber is similar for instance to aspects of Arabians Tonka, Mukhallat and many others.


I think this scent is feminine to the extreme! I don't know how someone could even suggest this on a man, not that I would care, it could even be cute if he knows how to pull it off...but come on, this practically flashes hot pink in to my eyes.
You will leave behind an irresistible trail of flowery swetness and optimism, something warm and inviting, this scent it's not intimidating at all.
As for the vibe, well...it's innocent in a way, at least in the opening, then it gets coquettish until it escalates into passionate and carnal! It is refined in the sense that you can feel it is a well made perfume but not elegant, from my point of view in order to have that effect it has to be much more airy in consistency, that is how I see it, but this is not a con, I don't think it was made to be a elegant perfume but a much more filtry one.
It has very good versatility in terms of style that could go with it, I think it would suit something romantic, maybe even a young bride, but also a more provocative, sexy style for a night out.
I personally prefer a different rose, more unisex, but it is incredible, no doubt about it.

Performance are stellar! Many speak of a disappointing reformulation, or that thing about the difference between 100ml and travel size, what I can say is that it lasted on me for about seven hours projecting strongly for the most part, and dry down remains on even after showering. If you spray your clothes it is eternal. In line with the Montale I have tried.

Packaging is unique, many see it as cheap instead I think it looks cool... like a modern crazy alchemist concoction, specially when you have more then one or two and you put them all close to each other. The blinking sound the stopper does is iconic! Love it.

I don't know if I should go in to comparisons territory since so many scent resembles it, it's a best seller after all...to remain in to Montale and Mancera territory I can say:
-Mancera Roses Vanille is much more fresh in the opening, almost like geranium then rose and then it gets sugary (not jammy) in a graceful way;
- Montale Ristretto Intense Cafe is just that...an intense, more coffee version of this one, so if you are in for the coffee that one will be much better;
-Montale Roses Musk, my favorite, has a bit of this dna but it is much more green, and powdery and etherial with the musk and the jasmine both clean and dirty, so it is my favorite.
I have samples of them all and I have compered them, but this kind of rose dna is in almost all the other rose based Montale and Mancera, at least the ones I have tried, for instance Randez-vous à Paris (more noble, but same quality of rose), really they are too many.

I would like to spend a few words on a dupe that I have in my cabinet, Zara Rose Gourmand: its really, really similar, I don't know how they pull that off...I kinda understand people who prefer to buy that one and not splurge on Montale; there are some light differences between them, I think Zara lacks the fresh and graceful opening (which last too little anyway!), and it's even more jammy, thick and sweet then Montale. In the Zara one I smell much more vanilla and less musk, the sweetness is a touch more refined in Intense Cafe. The vanilla, in terms of quality, is almost the same, it is incredible.
I am comparing them side by side, but catching a whiff of it in the air... I doubt many of us could tell the difference.
Zara Perpetual Oud has this same exact jammy rose but worked on a dirty, earthy humid base with some synthetic oud, they basically put an oriental twist on it, making it less sweet and vanillic. So they gave us an alternative too.
Is it appropriate? Is it fair? I truly don't know. But they smell good.

Edit: the name I find funny, also the color of the bottle...if someone buys this expecting coffee...I would be furious 😅 This is a pure floral gourmand, not true floral not true edible, in line with modern taste, a very used and abused dna.

I don’t get coffe at all. Does not remind me of a cafe. Smells like Roses Vanille to me. Not too excited for it

i hate this perfume dna and i smell it EVERYWHERE

Oof. Exceeded expectations. Opening is a genuine gourmand rose infused coffee scent. Smells genuine enough to be real designer coffee and synthetic enough to be a fragrance. Awesome harmonics going on here. I just wish it didn’t fade away into a feminine leaning rose bomb.

I blind bought a can//bottle of this sometime pre-Covid. I don't understand that little do-dad hanging off it and the spray cap is cheap and far from anything even resembling quality. My cap stopped functioning after 2 months. Emailed Montale. They appreciated my feedback but no suggestion of a solution. A new cap would have been something.
But I love the juice. Smelling a rose while the coffe's brewing.
I'm a light sprayer and never spray cloths and this has great longevity and sillage. If I sprayed my clothes I'd be paying mucho at the dry cleaners.
That rose coffee combo does it for me. Delicious.
A blind buy for the brave but not for the meek at heart.
Have to give Intense Cafe 10/10. IMA.

This is the perfume has converted me to rose fragrances.

It opens with a blast of freshly roasted coffee. It’s so good, almost like a black coffee with a good amount of sugar. It’s sweet, and toasty. The coffee lasts for about 10 minutes before this gorgeous rose and vanilla blend takes over.

The rose is sweet, jammy, and sits proudly at the front of this fragrance. The vanilla happily sits in the background, and as the rose softens it drys down into a creamy blend.

While it’s named Intense Café I do agree that the coffee is not the star of the show. It is, however, the perfect opening act to a symphony of jammy rose, soft vanilla, with that warmth of amber.

Opening is briefly coffee bean with rose and vanilla that quickly turns into powdery rose and vanilla. To me it smells exactly like Schmidt’s rose and vanilla deodorant. Dusty vanilla rose.
Meh.

this is surprisingly a lot sweeter than I expected, especially in the drydown. at first whiff I definitely get coffee, but it very quickly fades into a sweet, powdery vanilla. there may be a tinge of rose in the background, but for me it wasn't nearly as present as some other reviewers have mentioned.

I'm glad I bought a sample before sniffing this fragrance. Definitely not for men. The smell is pleasant yes, I like it, but I would like to smell it on a woman. It’s rosy, it’s floral, you can feel the coffee and vanilla, everything very well blended. Performance is good like almost all montale perfumes. Overall it’s a very good fragrance, for ladies.

I only really smell coffee in the opening and it's a smooth, almost chocolaty coffee. After that, it smells very creamy and smooth. More like a vanilla latte.

It's very nice, however, my big complaint is how "sticky" this fragrance is. It actually takes a while to even dry down, and it leaves a sheen on your skin for some time. It is very strong, gets on everything, and stays with you even after you've scrubbed. If you like this fragrance, you'd better like it a lot to buy it. The way it gets onto everything means it will make itself your signature scent.

Floral, Rosy creamy vanilla cappuccino scent. Too sweet, intense, can be nauseating and the coffee note is not strong in this one, I don't like it but it is a bit gourmand and definitely a feminine fragrance not unisex.

Here I am sniffing happily sniffing away at the deliciousness on my arm from my little sample. Attentively picking out the notes and basking in its beauty. Then I scroll along to the “this perfume reminds me of” section and see MFK Gentle Fluidity Gold (which I own and love and wear often) and a lightbulb goes off in my brain. Yes it smells extremely similar, but my actual thoughts are, “I thought I was getting pretty good at this sniffing game and how did I not even almost sniff the familiarity”? Would have definitely saved me a pretty penny if I purchased this not that. Also goes to show how easily humans are influenced lol.
Anyways this is excellent and if I ever finish my Gentle Fluidity Gold, I’ll buy this as a replacement.

Very sweet rose, definitely a Bulgarian rose, with some coffee and vanilla. But it works so well, it is very loud but it is a people's pleaser. great sillage and lasting power, currently my favorite fragrance at the moment! If you want a coffee-dominant fragrance and YSL Black Opium doesn't last on you (it doesn't last on me either), you can definitely give this one a go! 10/10 in my books.

So I had it on yesterday, I sprayed thrice and went out in beautiful sunny weather with up to 20 degrees c. I did read others wrote this wasn't warm weather scent, but I thought I could pull it off as long as it wasn't summer. Well, let me tell you, I regretted using this scent. As much as I love this in cooler temperatures, in warm weather it became too sweet, and a tad cloying.
Furthermore, warm temperature brought forth this synthetic quality which people talk about, but also something else.
I'm afraid this started to smell a little cheap. In comparison, last summer I wore Vanilla Diorama, also amber vanilla scent like Intense cafe, with great joy and pleasure on 30+ degrees c. Even though it is on the "heavy" side, Vanilla Diorama is exquisitely blended and extremely high quality (of course, it is Dior, after all). Yesterday my Intense caffe smelled like a scent that was too expensive for what it was.
I'm storing it away until fall.

So the influencers weren't lying, this stuff is nuclear strong. Seriously two sprays from a sample completely filled the room.

Now this is a really good scent, its milky, sweet, smooth gourmand goodness. In my opinion the downfall is the rose. Unfortunately the rose takes a very jammy, smooth tone on my skin and ends up becoming the dominant note. Therefore I end up smelling like a grandma.

Interestingly enough, I barely get any coffee off my skin. None of my friends could smell coffee either, so i'm going to mark that up to my skin chemistry.

Putting my odd skin chemistry aside, this is still a pretty feminine fragrance so for all my guys out there who are getting this recommended to you, tread carefully. Its a grandma-ish scent and I think its definitely going to be a challenge to wear as a guy.

Wear it with confidence

Great gourmand scent, I love smelling it and it has a great staying power, shame the coffee note went on a vacation from this fragrance.

Tried it on a hot summer weather and I only smell a bit of coffee, but lots of peppery rose. It's sharp and spicy on my skin. I will try it again once the weather becomes cooler, because I think it's not worth using on a hot and humid day. For now - pass.

Yummy rose latte. Delicious and a beast. I love it truly.
But I have one gripe.
I HATE these bottles.
I just find gaudy tacky bottles like this to be unacceptable for the price. They feel so cheap but these fragrances aren’t cheap at all.

Barely smell the coffee, a very overpowering rose scent that can only be worn during the cold seasons. It's very strong but sweet.

smells exactly like turkish delights. don’t smell any coffee in this at all. can be suffocating in the summer and i felt a little nauseous after wearing this for a while.

i have nooo idea what people like in it , smells like something gone baddd

It is sweeter than I expected. I get the coffee , rose and vanilla. But I love the dry down. First 1 hour, it projects like beast . Then it turns into an addictive smell . I would not recommend for a blind buy. Just get one of those decants and give it multiple tries because this thing grows on you.

Love this. It’s like a rose latte. The coffee opening is what makes it interesting, although it’s a bit disappointing that the coffee doesn’t last very long. The dry-down is mostly rose and vanilla- perfect for gourmand lovers.

Coffee in a bottle.
Snuggle up on a cold day under a blanket with hot cocoa vibes.
I absolutely love it!

Super easy and very pleasant to wear on a regular basis

Very yummy, sweet and girly. The rose and coffee notes helps it from being too linear and cheap gourmand. I think the word for this one is romantic, it makes me think of a bouquet of red roses or a red heart shaped box of chocolates.

So delicious.. coffee rose delight 💕 Though not really understanding the unisex label as it’s so very feminine to me.
Montale “Ristretto “ intense cafe is very similar but the rose is not as strong when I spray them side by side and the coffeee is more intense but I can see that being unisex .

This is really yummy, isnt it? The rose and vanilla is scrumptious and i get a bitey coffee-snack here and there, but not emphatic. Has an almost woody thing--the 'warm spicy' -- that grounds it ... stops it being too simply delicious. i never really want to smell like cake mix, so i veer away from gourmands, but this one is tempting: happy powdery rosy vanilla vibe.

I love this one ! But in this moment is too much for me 😹 ,too strong and for time to time is very hard for me .but I have a lot of compliments and is long lasting

This has a sparkling and airy texture which I really enjoy. The rose note is brilliant, and the foamy and crunchy espresso is an absolute beast of a note in here.

The best part of this scent is that I pull a massive, but airy sillage behind my back every time I wear it. Just perfect

Sweet, sexy, feminine, gourmand. Loads of rose and loads of vanilla. I was expecting to smell coffee but I think the name is misleading as I can’t really smell it at all. This maybe leans a tiny bit too sweet for my taste but it’s still a really nice scent; great for a wedding or a date night. Powerful longevity and sillage.

I agree with one of the previous comments, I recieved both this and Delox as samples in a previous purchase. I smelled Delox before this and... Yeah. Delox is this made better, much better. And I too would have fallen head over heels with this if I hadn't bought Delina Exclusif before (the jammy rose is similar, but the overall composition is better and more complex) and Delox, that is the equivalent of comparing a regular hotel to a five star one. The artificial quality in this, after the both of them, just screams at your face. The rose jam, which I'd normally would have found delightful, ended up lackluster, lacked complexity, and ended up industrial and fake. It's nice, but too sweet and simple. I'd recommend it to someone that is new to niche, as it's very likable and something very easily giftable. Definitely wouldn't buy it for myself, but I would for someone else. I see this in someone very girly, very pretty and barbie/coquette-core, definitely not adept to natural beauty or clean aesthetics, nor heavy glam makeup and sexy clothing. Very romantic dresses and makeup, sweet mannered, frilly dresses, perfectly made up hair, but definetely not natural.

Its my first ,,mature" gourmant scent, i love the way it dries down on clothes, can smell it even a day later. Truly delicious, perfect for a visit to a nice restaurant where some dessert is guaranteed.

Extremely long lasting ! Does not actually smell like coffe but warm roses and vanilla… However on my skin it smell more like a masculine scent. Would recommend to try it first and not blind buy.

This smells so creamy and beautiful on my skin. In the dry down it smells similar to Delina, and after 6 h at least it smells like Dama Bianca. I love this 😍

I've had it since I wanted to know how this differs from Ristretto Intense Café by Montale.

I quickly realized I made a mistake.
Unless you are a huge fragrance collector,
owning this on top of Ristretto Intense Café is redundant.

In fact, I recommend Ristretto Intense Café over this
as Ristretto Intense Café is more interesting whereas this is linear.

I mainly used this as a room fragrance and this lasts!
So be careful on trigger, but it's a pleasant coffee scent.

Rating: 8.3/10
Season: Spring, Fall, and Winter (more F/W)
Time: Day and Night
Attire: Casual
Unique: 8.1/10
Projection: 6/10
Sillage: 6/10
Longevity: 9/10
Washable: 8/10
Value: 7.6/10

Delicious! It's got these amazing floral notes right at the top, but then in the heart, it's all about the rose and coffee.

It's not like just any coffee smell - this is like rich, milky, cafe latte kinda coffee that makes you feel all warm and cozy inside. Plus, the rose is sweet and gorgeous and just blends in perfectly with the coffee.

Dries down and I start to get hints of vanilla and amber, but it's not like in your face. The vanilla is the real star here - it's just so creamy and delicious smelling. And then there's this white musk that's just the cherry on top of the whole experience.

I know some people might not be into rose, but this one is different - I've had so many people smell it and immediately fall in love with it. It's just got this amazing likeability factor that I can't resist. And even if you're not a big coffee drinker, I think you'll still appreciate how this perfume smells. It's just so unique and beautiful, and I can't get enough of it.

Candied rose is the best way to describe it. To me, it's a very artificial sweet rose scent which reminds me of Turkish delight or those sugar coated gummy jellies. Like many others I don't know why it's called Intense Cafe when I detect no coffee at all, only rose.

If I were to find a scent that embodies the word "pretty", this would be it. It's a very sweet, feminine and young-smelling scent. Not young in a bad way like it's juvenile, more like I picture this on a young woman. The type who is traditionally feminine and likes to be dolled up at all times. This isn't for the down to earth girl next door type, or the natural beauty. Because this is a more artificial scent I picture it on someone who likes to doll themself up a lot.

That being said, obviously anyone can wear this, I'm just describing the image that this scent elicits. And it's quite a strong image because in my opinion this perfume has a very strong point of view! It is all rose, vanilla and musk, and it definitely has that artificial/beast mode DNA that is common among Montale/Mancera fragrances.

It is very pleasant and I do enjoy it, although I don't think it suits me. I'm also not a big fan of super sweet scents, although this one is a bit of a guilty pleasure. It's super long-lasting and projects strongly, so I'd rather not have it on my skin, but I do enjoy when it rubs off on my clothes or a blanket and hours later I get to enjoy that faint sweet rose scent.

Overall, if you're looking for a coffee scent, this isn't it. Try Ristretto Intense instead, or one of the many other coffee fragrances on the market. But if you like the idea of a super sweet, super girly candied vanilla rose, then this is a great option.

Edit: The more I wear it, the more I enjoy it and crave it, as it offers something unique in my collection. To me this is an excellent winter scent. It smells like a cold, icy rose that was genetically cloned, rather than existing in nature. I am a rose lover in general and most of my fragrances seem more like a fresh dewdrop-covered rose, or an almost-wilted rose, but I'm actually really enjoying the synthetic quality of this one.

Am i the only one in the world that smells cherry? Big dark cherrys, like a cupcake with that cherry on top? Sitting inside a small café with the smell of coffee latte around 😁

I typically don't like heavier rose in fragrances. But this is really nice. Vanilla spicy coffee with faint rose in the background. It's a very quiet scent not a giant smash you in the face

Unfortunately I smelled Delox first and was spoiled. Maybe had I smelled this first I would've been able to appreciate this more. Its like going to Disney World when you experience Delox and this is like a local park with one working swing and merely one raggedy slide. There is NOTHING intense about this. They should be sued for lying. I have stronger Bath and Body Works sprays.

beautiful, gorgeous perfume. you 100% have to try this one on skin to get those creamy coffee notes. leaves a trail and its so good my mom who hates pretty much all perfumes asked what I was wearing because it smelled so good when I walked by

I just received full bottle of this beauty. My previous review was based on sample.
Opening here is different: while in sample of this scent I got zero coffee, here I do get wonderful intoxicating blast of freshly brewed coffe, (together with rose and vanilla) but it is gone within seconds. 😔
Drydown is the same.

Anyway, Montale, you don't score points for inconsistency in different batches of same perfume. 😐

A lot of people have asked if this is a dupe for Tom Ford Cafe Rose. I have both now and my thoughts are as follows.

For context, I like rose and incense perfumes. When I was a penniless student I wore Tea Rose and constantly burnt incense sticks in my apartment. I drink stove top black coffee like it’s my life blood. I’m also completely unable to detect any kind of coffee anything from either of these perfumes.

My hot takes:

What I paid: TF Cafe Rose 50ml $395AUD Montale Intense Cafe 100ml $144 AUD

Are they the same? They’re not twins but they’re sisters.

Are either of them the best rose perfume on the market? No.

Biggest differences: Cafe Rose is more nuanced with a discernible incense note on my skin. The silage on Intense Cafe is 80’s level monstrous and it’s more syrupy sweet.

Intense Cafe gets better over time. Once it gets to the three hour mark and all the initial hairsprayish synthetics have calmed down I actually prefer it to Cafe Rose. It’s almost as though it doesn’t take itself so seriously.

If you had to pick one? Cafe Rose as it’s more wearable. But maybe just spray Intense Cafe 3 hours before you need to leave the house and you’re good. She’s gonna get you noticed.

I want to try layering it with CDG Avignon but I don’t have it right now. I feel like those two together would be the closest thing to a Cafe Rose dupe. Would also still be more than $100 cheaper.

The scent starts with the most realistic and full rose scent, but then dries down to a dark oudy coffee scent that makes me feel like I am wearing a man’s cologne. I am not really a fan of the bitter dry down. I keep having to reapply to get the initial notes. I also don’t get ANY vanilla in this.

Update: I wore this today and I was just so happy being surrounded by this cloud of vanilla, coffee and rose. This now changes from “ok” to “like”.

Although I am not a huge Montale fan, since almost all of their fragrances were a miss for me, this is the first one that I actually really like. Pleasant smell, suitable for all genders, ages and seasons. I smell no coffee, but I love the flower and vanilla blast in this. I had a sample, but I will definietly be buying a full bottle in near future.

i can’t smell much coffee, but to me this smells like a warm crispy yummy donut with rose jam filling. such a nice comforting scent, love it

This smells like rose petals with beer spilled on them.

Not sure if I'm doing something wrong- but this fragrance does not last at all on me. At least, I can't smell it at all after around 20 minutes. It's a blast of rose on the opening and sometimes a whiff of coffee afterwards. It's ok.

I really like the opening of this. The Rose and Coffee notes really hit you with a blast, carried in by a sweet, floral river of goodness. It dries down into something much more ambery, warm and fuzzy. I wish the initial notes stayed around longer, in which case I would definitely purchase a full bottle.

starts out as a very sharp rose +espresso but the dry down is such a romantic sweet rose and vanilla. i get almost a little bit of a sweaty scent for some reason? but not in a bad way at all just a lil musky

So funny how everything is so different to every nose! I get blasted in the face with rose and black coffee and thats it. But I LOVE it. I mean, LOVE it. I feel it could work any season but I live in a very moderate climate (midwest, USA). I may detect a hint of musk blending it all together, but I'm not sure. I detect no vanilla, on myself but I could care less because it smells that good to me. The rose reminds me of my grandma, only because she was an avid gardener, this isn't an "old lady" fragrance. The coffee reminds me of my dad. Overall a big yes from me. I'm now intrigued to buy all Montale has to offer!

This stuff has some good performance. Still some notes on my arms after a shower. So definitely points for longevity and projection. Intense Cafe is sweet, almost sugary, and rosey (synthetic rose) with vanilla. Not very much coffee off my skin.

I kind of like this frag, even though I'm not a rose fan. It doesn't smell expensive or sophisticated, quite the opposite actually. I'd say it's a casual going out or running errands type of scent. I think it'd work best for young ladies, though men can pull it off too. Not something I'd buy a bottle of for myself, but I'm happy I sampled it.

The first time I used this, it was super overwhelming. I made the mistake of excitedly using this scent in summer! This is definitely a cold-weather scent. I waited and now always use this in cold weather and love it!

Intense Cafe is a syrupy rose fragrance with a vanilla base. I don't really smell coffee, but there is something slightly bitter that helps balance the sweetness and florals. It dries down to be somewhat powdery from the amber. It's a good performer that also has some projection. I've finished the sample I was savoring and added this to my wishlist.

Hey guys, i received it yesterday, the projection is not that strong like everyone is saying, is it my skin or am i anosmic, longevity is 6+hours
What is wrong?

This was not an instant love. At first, I actually hated it. I came back to it after a few days and as I gave it another chance, I began to really enjoy it. It does take some getting used to. It’s very heavy on the rose. And I can see how it could be a huge turn off to some. I do not smell much coffee at all. As it dries down, it gets a bit spicy and creamy. Maybe a touch of coffee… almost as if you were walking next to somebody drinking an espresso. But that’s it. I would not consider this a safe blind by. It’s a strong and bold sent for sure. Take it easy on the sprays too because it will saturate!

This is so gross! Smells like beer/dirty frat house with cheap bathroom air freshener. Maybe I just have a hard time with rose but this is a hard no for me.

I really wanted to love it…. But no, this smell really makes me sick, while I really like strong smells. Really chemical!

This is on my list next . Sounds like a beautiful fragrance. Can’t wait to try it. 🥰

Opening: Turkish delight! 🥰
Very pretty rose and vanilla.
Apparently no coffee.
Drydown: boozy, slightly fruity cider/ rose/ vanilla. Sweet though not too sweet. Rose here is fresh and vegetal, realistic, freshly picked from the garden, not cloying, "grandma" rose scent.
I love this.😍

Definitely feminine, imo.
Simple and pretty, one of the best rose/vanilla perfumes I have ever tried.
By far the best Montale scent out of five that I have (Ristretto, Chocolate greedy, Vanille absolu and Arabians tonka).
At the same time, misleading scent name.

Because there's room for improvement (much more coffee) I give Intense cafe 9 out of 10.

I don't really care for this perfume. I like it, but it does not really stand out. I get no coffee at all, only extra sweet jammy rose with something weird in the background. I have other jammy rose fragrances that I love, so I will pass on this one.

I already own Mancera's Roses Vanille and this smells almost the same as RV so I'm happy I only got a sample. I like this one but I think the RV is a lot better. Also, this lasted a lot longer on my skin than on my clothes.

To me, Intense Cafe smells very synthetic, which normally bothers me in fragrances... but I love this. It's super addictive! If I didn't know the notes, I probably wouldn't have been able to pick out other notes than rose and musk - but knowing the notes, I know that the bitterness and the sweetness that I get comes from coffee and vanilla. It's not a perfume that I would describe as smelling "like roses and musk" - it's like all the notes create a brand new and special note together, if you know what I mean?
It doesn't smell dirty at all, but there is something almost animalic about it to my nose. I imagine the breath of something otherworldly - like a goddess - smelling like this.
It's present-day and Aphrodite has come down from Mount Olympus to roam the streets of Paris, looking for a mortal to take as a lover. Intense Cafe is her breath as she leans in to kiss you.

I’m surprised that many reviewers said there was little of the coffee note coming through. Maybe that’s in the dry down. Right now it’s a coffee blast and little else. I hope this mellows so I can pick up the rose and other notes. Right now I smell like I’ve spilled my sweetened coffee on my shirt.

It opens very floral. You would think it’s feminine leaning but as you get to the dry down, the coffee comes out so it’s very unisex. The performance is monstrous so be careful with the sprays.

Wow, definitely a very distinct smell. I have not tried the many ones often said to be similar nor other Montales, so I felt that it would be quite recognisable as itself, and with that synthetic taste? similarly found in Mancera.

It's good, but not that good unfortunately. I'm also not really getting that 'lactonic vibe' much as I am picking up a lot of the white musk and the others separately. Just mildy latte like I guess, and more that than rose on me after a while, which seems to be the opposite to a lot more people's experiences? Which is a shame, as a rose fan! It also reminds of me something very specific, but maybe once it comes to me I'll add that on.