I find Baldessarini to linear. Disliking a linear fragrance is somehow worse than disliking a scent with a conventional top, middle and base. Whereas the three-tiered fragrance may surprise you and win you over, for a linear scent, the primary sniff becomes the lasting impression. A top linear fragrance should have notes which will connect at various points to keep your interest but they are hard to find here. It allows for reconsideration from totally different views and in several lights. Here is where a decent linear fragrance will hold its own against a famous classic.
The first blast provides me with plenty of pepper and cloves. At the start it’s reminiscent of Calvin Klein’s Contradiction for Men, but then it goes a distinct direction turning into a less fresh and sweeter fragrance. This is pleasant and simple to reach for when you are not in the mood for heavy orientals or high-pitched clean citrus.
In Baldessarini, I found the syrupy sweet note quite unpleasant, the nose equivalent of a high-pitched whistle. The cedar-like tobacco note has no association to the present sweet note, the two sit uneasily side by side while taking their reciprocally linear paths. Another problem with the tobacco note is that it evolves over time badly interacting with the other notes.
This can be worn on a casual meeting or a formal office lounge, but it would be wise to take the weather into consideration, preferably windy.
Alina's Scentsy Scents 
Nice review. And I had never even heard of a linear scent before!
As a huge fan of HB I feel that I have to give this one a try… although I already feel a little bit assured by your review.