I have mainly written with quink, wanted to move to something scented yet still in a somber color. This ink checked all the boxes. The scent was ... unique. It took some getting used to, but once I did, I really enjoyed it. It has a very smoky texture, which is perhaps why others found it masculine. The closest i can come up with are the burnt charcoals of pine boughs. It's got a thick, resin-y, smokey texture with a slight hint of plant freshness. I've found myself sniffing my pen more often than polite, like some delinquent school kid.

The ink writes decently, but as others mentioned, it feathers and cuts right through my paper as compared to the quink and i have pretty girthy paper too. Tested on plain printer paper it bleeds through and is 50% visible from the back with a casual scribble. This is why i took a star off. I can't picture myself writing on all stationer with this ink.

Most people try a few different black inks before they decide on their perfect one, but this was the first one I tried and will be the only one I use. The smell is absolutely heavenly. I want to bathe in it, drink it, sweat it, andwear it as perfume.Aside from all that it's also a great ink. I have two pens filled with it right now, one for home and one for the office.

Herbin scented inks are among my favorites! This one did not disappoint me! It is wet and luscious and the scent is subtly herbal. I thought the color might be too grey but it's beautifully black and looks gorgeous on white paper. It's expensive but well worth the extra expense in my opinion.

This ink seems to be similar to Drakkar Noir cologne mixed with a cedar scent. In terms of scents it's extremely masculine and would make a great ink for a long distance relationship, etc. If it's confined to an envelope or a journal page it will be strong on release but on the paper you'll only occasionally get whiffs of it. The only real complaints I can muster about it is of course the price which is significantly more than all of my other inks and also I'm not the biggest fan of the darkness of the black color. It's dark, don't get me wrong, but I prefer almost phantablack level darks. Most darks don't reach nearly that level though so it's not reasonable to expect this. It's also unfortunately not very water resistant.Overall it's a great ink and is my favorite scent out of all of the ones I've tried out, I would highly recommend the sample if nothing else just to experience it.

Firstly, this is a great, very dark, matte black ink that dries quickly and lays down an initially clean line, with a more powerful than expected but still subtle scent that is very masculine. If that were the whole story, then this would be a five star ink. Unfortunately, this ink is *extremely* high penetrating, though not quite as high penetrating as some of the crazy Noodler's penetrating inks. This means that it has much higher than normal bleedthrough and on many papers it will feather faster than other inks. For example, in a wet music nib on Apica CD Medium paper I get feather on a regular basis. This is the sort of ink that will work great in finer nibs on good paper, but which starts to cause issues in broader/wetter nibs on less than perfect paper. The ink lacks any sheen, and dries to a very solid matte surface texture, so those of you looking for that sort of matte black will be ecstatic with this ink (and many of the Herbin line), but those who are looking for a more glossy or sheeny black should look elsewhere. Additionally, I have had some issues with this ink being a somewhat dry (but lubricated) ink, meaning that the flow isn't as smooth/wet. This means that on some converters you might be more likely to get air bubbles and reduced flow compared to very wet inks. This doesn't mean that you aren't going to get a solid, clean line on the page (you might even get too much ink) but it can cause air bubbles in the converter more so than some other inks. Overall, IMO, there really isn't much competition against what this ink can deliver, and if that's what you want, and you take into account the particular special needs of this ink, then it's well worth it and will deliver many milliliters of enjoyment on a multi-sensory level, but if you expect this ink to be a low maintenance fire and forget ink, then look elsewhere.

To be clear, I 100% bought this for the smell. It is amazing and I desperately wish it came as a perfume. The ink itself is a medium black, a little chunky as to how it flows. Not bad, but not the experience I hope for at this price. But, thanks to the sample I bought... I knew that going in- I also write very fast. Really, it has the most compelling scent. Like if you took my 'questionable-choices' angst-riddled goth ex-boyfriends and magically distilled them into one perfect functioning, employed, adult man- he would smell like this. The scent does not linger long on paper, most I've seen (smelled) is 3 days. Does not stick to the pen either. Fair warning, the blue of this series is FAR stronger scent wise, may even hold up through mailing, and will stick to any plastic-like pen parts. I wish this scent did too! And really, I'd pay dollars for this as a perfume.

I really like the ink and the fragrance. It looks good and smells good.

Really am enjoying this ink greatly. My only thought and reason this didn't get 5 stars is that it doesn't work for every pen. Its a very wet ink and ive found that it can get out of control unless paired with the right pen. I have this in my 1945 Parker '51' and its amazing!

Great scent somewhat similar to a very smoky cologne, smell lasts roughly a week on Rhodia paper. It behaves very well however it does seem to feather quite a lot if used in a flexible nib like the Pilot falcon.

My son loves your products and n annual tradition to get new items.

I have had mixed experiences with scented inks. With this one, in my experience, Jacques Herbin have really outdone themselves. The scent is pleasant and I can smell it in my notebook when I open to the next blank page (that it, it seems to linger on the page in a way that other scents do not seem to; having the notebook shut and seals probably contributes to this. I do not know how the scent will keep on, say, letters in the mail). The color is a very good black by my standards. The ink flows generously in my Lamy 2000 F. Took over 10 seconds to dry but under 15 (sorry, that's not the most precise but it gives you an idea, I hope) . Overall a great black with a good scent for those who are into that sort of thing. I am highly satisfied and would recommend this ink. Note: I did not test for water resistance but cannot publish my review without filling that in, so I am marking Medium to satify form requirements.

I just received my order containing some of the new J. Herbin products. Of the two scented inks that I purchased, this sent is my second favorite. I wasn't sure about scented ink but thought I would give these a try. The other scent I received was the J. Herbin Bleu Plenitude. The Noir Inspiration is a very woody/smoky scent whereas the Bleu Plenitude is more of a floral/outdoor scent; very refreshing. I haven't used these yet but I am anxious to see how long the scent lasts once the ink sets on the paper. I also purchased two sets of the card/envelops. They are very nice. The ink bottles looks like cut crystal, almost have the sense of Baccarat although I realize they are not. They make a very nice presentation on our library desk. Lastly, the packaging on all items is in typical French style, beautiful and inspiring. These items would make exceptional gifts for friends and family. I wish the cards came in emerald green for us Irish Francophiles. Well done everyone at Goulet Pens. Since I haven't tried these inks yet, I have rated their properties as medium in order to post this review. Perhaps at a later time after I use them I can properly rate the properties. However, having used J. Herbin inks before I have no doubt they will perform perfectly.