Cognac Without The Hangover: D.S. & Durga’s Cognac Reign Is Midnight Velvet In A Bottle

I’ve smelled a lot of boozy fragrances that feel like a sticky bar mat. Cognac Reign by D.S. & Durga is not that. This one glides in like a velvet jacket at midnight, freshly pressed and a little dangerous. You can practically hear the clink of crystal. Perfumers keep promising the perfect cognac accord. David Seth Moltz actually gives you the cellar door and a key.

First spray and I’m in chalky French limestone, cool and resonant. Then the air warms. Grape skin and rancio flutter in, that nutty-oxidative hum you only get near old barrels. There’s a polished wood sheen that isn’t dusty grandma cabinet, more like a cooper’s workshop with daylight slicing through. It’s boozy, yes, but never drunk. The power is in the restraint.

What I get on skin:

• A grape-brandy glow that reads plush, not sticky
• Toasted oak and a whisper of pipe tobacco
• Dry spice that feels like saffron-cinnamon filigree
• A suede-soft base that drapes rather than pounds

If you live in gourmands, you’ll appreciate how it teases sweetness without collapsing into dessert. If you live in woods and leathers, the tannic, barrel-char facets will feel like home. And for those of us obsessed with photorealism in scent, Cognac Reign nails the mood of good cognac: warmth, polish, and a little mischief.

Projection sits in the tasteful zone, the way a sharply tailored lapel sits just right. Longevity is impressive on my skin, with the woody-cognac core humming for hours. By the drydown, it reads like a private library with a glass you forgot you were holding because the conversation was too good.

There’s also a companion sparkle in the background this season: Baroque Cordial. Think of it as the party-guest cousin with plush curves and a wink, while Cognac Reign keeps the posture and the keys to the cellar. Together they sketch two sides of nocturnal opulence.

Verdict: Cognac Reign is a grown-up boozy fragrance for people who hate sticky-sweet clichés. It’s refined, a little decadent, and genuinely transportive. If 2025 needed a modern classic in the spirit category, D.S. & Durga just poured it.