1903
by J Peterman

I will just get to the point. This is a very smoky, rich and leathery cologne with true staying power. It's rare, which is what I love about it even more. Gets compliments every time. A real winner cologne. In my top 3.

19th December, 2011.

Here's another appreciative review of this retro marvel. The opening notes have crisp citrus and dusky green aspects which remind me very much of Truefitt & Hill's Grafton. A fair bit of peppery spice keeps a warm touch to balance the cool notes. These cool ones may be from the frankincense, certainly they have a coniferous, mountain-air quality. Gradually the old-school notes of leather, moss, smoke and tobacco appear. These are restrained, classy, and very very similar to Gucci Nobile. This is a well-made scent in a warm, masculine style.

7th December, 2011.

Is it really the replacement for Dunhill Edition? The opening is a very sweet but surprisingly organic wood with sharp spices. It has some of the soapiness of DE, but because the spices aren't as smooth, the soap connection is weaker. The leafy, live character of the wood reminds me of that aspect of Burberry London, even though they aren't too similar beyond that. Later on, it starts to resemble potpourri a bit more as the spices mellow out and lose astringence. Perhaps some of this is also from an apple cider note, as if taken from Michael Kors? For the most part, I'm intrigued by how this brew splits the difference between the stronger, dryer 80s wood scents and the exotic but very sweet spice scents that I find so fascinating (Eau Lente, Maharadjah, Tea for Two?). Still, the base has a cold, waxy, concrete grayness (violet, I suspect, as in Narciso Rodriguez) that makes it all a bit impenetrable and stubborn, and slightly dated. Overall, definitely worth a try, though I'm not using it to replace my Dunhill Edition.

26th June, 2011.

I honestly swore this wasn't much more than a clean and peppery musk. If the pyramid is to be believed, there's a light green and citrus on top that I guess contributes to the clean feel, but I don't see any pepper, or musk for that matter. To be fair, during today's wearing I was having a harder time smelling the musk, and the whole composition felt more herbal and tobacco-y. It's a well blended enigma that may take a dozen or so wearings to fully understand. Unfortunately, my decant is almost out and it didn't really speak to me enough for me to get more.

In conclusion, 1903 is a fine office scent that keeps close to the skin and dissipates rather quickly. It stays in it's lane and doesn't speed, but it always gets where it's going.

2nd February, 2011.

Top notes: Clean citrus, bergamot, green notes
Heart notes: Clary sage, cardamom
Basenotes: Leather, smoky labdanum, elemi, tabac, frankincense

1903 strikes an amazing balance between clean green freshness and rugged outdoor adventure. It opens with green mountaintop air and this freshness carries through while spice, smoke, deep tobacco, leather and frankincense join in harmoniously.

Fitting that J. Peterman is based in Lexington, Kentucky, because this scent personifies a well-to-do, self-made gentleman visiting the stables to wish his horse well before the derby.

Set aside the 1903 name and fanciful story J. Peterman conjures up about the scent and you'll find a well-made, very modern woody fougere with a healthy respect for classic barbershop fragrances.

If 1903 were a person, it would be Clark Gable.

13rd December, 2009. (Last Edited: 4th October, 2011.)

A great scent for the gentleman. Slightly powdery but smokey. Fantastic drydown of very masculine bases: tobacco, woods, leather. With the notes listed above, the elemi comes across reminiscent of Oscar for Men (2000), very strong yet lightly minty woods. Great all around cologne.

2nd October, 2009.