Reviews of Baie de Genièvre (1982)
by Creed

Baie de Genièvre (BdG) opens on me as a battle between two notes: juniper berry and cinnamon leaves. They fade in and out; sometimes the cinnamon dominates, then the juniper, back and forth. Sometimes they are superimposed upon each other and when they do I get the impression of an animalic accord: or as my son described it to me, “body odor”. It is interesting to me that only one other reviewer noted anything animalic. As the battle progresses, the juniper eventually wins. Quirky and different, yet simple - a Creed that pushes the envelope! I get decent longevity out of this, a non-millesime Creed.

While I like BdG quite a bit, it isn’t something I would wear frequently. Indeed, I think I would wear it just a few days a year. It would be nice if it came in 15 ml ‘mini’ bottles or at most an ounce.

I also feel passionate and romantic every time I wear BdG: it puts me in the mood! And even though I don't consider BdG to be feminine, per se, I think I would enjoy smelling it on a woman.

One word of caution: I have bought both samples and a bottle of this that were not at their freshest. Each of the notes has greater weight in this relative simple fragrance, so the degradation was pronounced. Make sure you are getting fresh BdG should you choose to buy it.

My first olfactory encounter with juniper berries was Baie de Geneivre. 'So, this is what it smells like!', was my first thought.

However, who could have imagined how that crisp, aromatic and very tailored accord would blend so skillfully with cinnamon leaves? Incredible. Not so much as spicy as some cinnamon prominent fragrances that I love, BdG's cinnamon leaf note is subtle, muted and diffuses on skin and in the air like a fine cornstarch talc powder.

I think the effect of formality and stiff formalness that the scent presents itself with at the top loosens itself up as it dries down to a pleasing and light almost eau-de-cologne base note. I also treasure this as a Creed scent that does not have a strong prominent ambergris base note.

BdG should appeal to lovers of spicy fragrances, who want something brighter than JHL, yet more serious and conservative than Comme des Garcons Eau de Parfum.

A fantastic green fragrance made of three basic components in balance and harmony. Juniper berry is the primary note and this intense green pine healing scent keeps from going into hospital disinfectant mode by the dry softness of cinnamon and the green earthy dry roots of vetiver. A wonderful interplay between juniper and cinnamon is the essence of why this green scent is so warm and lively. A dry vetiver base supports the green theme while keeping the fragrance dry and very green vetiver in the base. Thoroughly enjoyable green spicey fragrance.

This is juniper berry meltdown right from the start! Way potent and hardly diluted by any other distracting notes. When the cinnamon appears, it's hot and dry, and its combination with the juniper makes an accord that's oddly suggestive of clean hospital bandages! Baie de Genievre is a spare, tough, and unyielding fragrance that walks right in, stares you in the eye, and sits without blinking for quite some time. Baie de Genievre has often been called "formal." I actually find it distant, and even a bit arrogant, traits it shares with Penhaligon's Blenheim Bouquet. In other words, it's a great scent to to wear when you're out to impress or intimidate.

Baie de Genievre dries down in an interesting direction, with lots of earthy vetiver. In fact, after about two hours this smells like a straight vetiver to me, albeit a very fine one. I wish there were more going on in the base here, and I lose interest once the vetiver has come to dominate. That aside, this is a remarkably dignified scent that oozes quality. I can recommend it heartily for business wear and formal dress occasions.

A magnificent essence, blending dry juniper berries and barely sweet, slightly green cinnamon leaves. The vetiver base smooths and gently marries the two.

You could wear this to work or to a daytime affair and be very elegant. If you wore it in the evening, you would be the height of sophistication, yet in a perfectly unassuming way. Anytime you wear it, you must take on an air of entirely natural self-assurance, an almost unspeakable sense of comfort in your own skin. Ah, how deeply satisfying to wear this!

The 1980s was the golden age of Creed releases. Sure, we have the classical period before that which gave us Cuir de Russie, Cypres-Musc and Angelique Encens. Before that we had Creed's archaic period with it's specatular period pieces like vintage Tabarome and Royal English Leather. Following the 80s we have the new age Creed offerings with their unisex appeal... all great fragrances. The 1980s, however, saw the release of Creed's three greatest scents ever: Baie de Genievre, Green Irish Tweed and Bois du Portugal.

While Green Irish Tweed and Bois du Portugal probably far outsell Baie de Genievre, Baie de Genievre, Feuille de Canelle (as it was originally marketed) is the simplest and most elegant of these fragrances, perfectly ballancing it's three simple notes. It's austerity of notes creates one of the purest--yet richest--Creeds available. My favorite Creed.

I just bought a bottle of this blind. The price was good so I went for it based on the positive reviews. The first blast of it was kind of a shock. I'm used to mainly the more recent Creeds--the Millesimes. At first it smelled very dense and hard. Kind of dated, but at the same time, a very exquisite, powerful kind of smell.

After about five minutes on the skin, it's really interesting. It smells very formal. It reminds me of the Rat Pack for some reason. Kind of reminds me a bit of Versace L'Homme, but this is much much better--this is more tightly wound than L'Homme. I was afraid of two things when trying Baie de Genievre: that it would smell like pine trees or that it would smell too much like cinnamon. It reeks of neither. Its minimalism is a virtue. Actually upon drydown I'm picking up a similarity to Vintage Tabarome--except VT I don't care for all that much, while this stuff I could definitely wear.

I'd have to wear a suit with this probably. It smells too formal to pull off with jeans. Because of the description, I was expecting this to be raw and a little crude--well, I can see that but to me it seems extremely refined as well. An early 80's power scent as done by Creed. Interesting. I can't wait for an opportunity to wear this.

Bold, brash and manly. And little talked about. BdG hits you with exquisite notes of Juniper Berry and Cinnamon leaves almost immediately.

This twin combo creates a raw, sophisticated and (perhaps) a formal accord when you put it on. The cinnamon provides just the right amount of spiciness to balance the juniper berries, and the base consists of light musk with a hint of vetiver. Longevity is around 5 hours on me - not too bad, but could be better. Projection is good.

BdG is a Creed standout. Its about two exquisitely presented notes - Cinnamon leaves and Juniper berries. If you dont like those two notes, you probably wont warm up to BdG during the cold winters when it would be very appropriate. BdG is at the very least worth sampling, no matter what your fragrance preferences are.

This one's like a walk through dry hills above the Mediterranean on a hot summer day, the smell of tart juniper cut through by a sudden sweetness as you brush against the leaves of a spicy bush. After a while, you can smell the sea in the distance. A poetic and complex fragrance. Unfortunately, this one lasts maybe an hour on me.

Juniper and cinnamon, with a creamy texture and a soft balsamic sweetness. Reminds me a little of Rocabar, or rather, Rocabar reminds me of BdG. It's manly, but not overwhelmingly so. The sweetness of it keeps it from being too "rustic." That said, the juniper and spiciness of the cinnamon are probably more lumberjack than most younger folks would be willing to go. To me though, it feels balanced, with the crispness of the juniper pairing well with the spiciness and slight sweetness. I've worn it in both hot and cold weather and it's worked well in both. It projects just enough, but could last a little longer. Still, great stuff - I think a bottle is in my future.

I'm not that much of a Creed fan, but I adore BdG. Very masculine, sharp and classy - in the best possible ways. It's what James Bond would smell like. A gin martini fused with spices and a snowy winter night, its beauty lies in the simplicity of each note.

This is a really great fall/winter/spring fragrance. Very masculine - but not overpowering.

I have recieved many compliments from this spicy fragrance.

this smells to me as something an older man would wear in an effort to be hip. I'm not saying that in a condescending way, im just saying if theres a "hip" of oldmanfrags, this is it. I wore it over christmas because it kinda smells christmassy with all the berries and spices :)

Others have already described the notes better than I could do. Allow me to simply add that this is a fantastic scent that lives up to its Creed heritage. Upon applying Baie de Genievre, the juniper notes envelope me and can transport me to Juniper Bay. Truly amazing. Unfortunately, as with Cuir de Russie (another fantastic scent) it is very short-lived. After a couple hours I have to try stuffing my wrist up my nose to get a whiff. Pretty safe bet nobody else can smell it, so I'd say the longevity and sillage is pretty poor. Too bad, too, because the first notes really resonate with me. This could have been one of my absolute favorites.

An underappreciated Creed, if ever there was one. Classy. I can go along with the "gin and martini lover" reference of the previous reviewer... I love both, and Baie de Genièvre is right up there near the top of my list of favorite Creeds. There also seems to be a sort of musk note in there that makes this composition sneak up on you in terms of its manliness. Excellent stuff.

The Clint Eastwood of men's fragrances. Has no peers.

I have to say that this is among the more unusual Creeds with the juniper berry blending with the cinnamon to give a pleasant spice effect. This is a fragrance I find myself sniffing from the bottle or applying a small amount to my arm and sniffing that more often than I actually apply for a full wearing. Gin drinkers and martini lovers might find this one especially nice. By the time the dry down comes around the fragrance develops a cleaner vibe, probably from the vetiver. A scent that fits in nicely with an evening out or a cold, overcast day. Longevity is a bit above average and projects nicely without being too loud on my skin. A regular in my rotation.

Regiment of taciturn officers in the dry heat of afternoon. Dark reservoirs of masculinity. Bitter memories. But warm ones as well. Rumours of superb bravery and tragic loves. Loss and endurance. Dry, subtle, reticent, mature. The long march of manhood. The scent of Ajax and Achilles? Well, Gary Cooper, at the least.

Extremely un-Creedish, and definitely not a bad thing in this case. A very rugged fragrance with an unpolished attitude and plenty of manliness. The juniper/cinnamon combo comes off as something a macho cop would wear (if he would use scent that is =))in the 70's, brutish, raw and extremely cool.

After sampling BdG I must obtain a bottle. A warm, inviting, masterfully created blend of wood and spice. You can really pick up on the cinnamon leaves, whick slowly blends in perfectly with the Vetiver. A class act.

My first Creed scent. Very sophisticated and potent. Lasts quite a while and varies significantly from opening to base notes, which is a great quality in my opinion. Definitely a "night out" fragrance.

I have a sample of Baie de Genievre and will probably buy a larger size in the near future. It is a very traditional and conservative scent. Very masculine and refined. It could be worn everywhere - to the office, in the evening, golfing, etc. I think it is a great scent that would appeal to most guys over a certain age. I don't think it would be appreciated too much by teenagers or those in their twenties.