Bogart (1975)
by Jacques Bogart

Bogart's eponymous seventies offering is not the vigorous, stiff-necked and leather wearing hooligan that I was expecting.Instead, I encountered something constructed with care and an attention to restrained detail.

The opening is of a vintage calibre, with a text book aged herbs and dusty lemon combination. The lemon presence, although brief is probably the only time that any note really stands up above the parapet. Bogart quickly pulls back upon the reins, and it never feels like it is ahead of the wearer in terms of potency or sillage. Beyond the opening there is a wonderful sense of blurred lines, and the notes, though subdued, feel blended and balanced. It develops a little extra bitterness beyond the top notes, and it begins to ratchet up the aridity - there is a distinctly parched feel about the entirity of Bogart.The much vaunted leather note in the drydown is tastefully introduced, it slides in under the radar, and is more of a presence than a declaration.

All in all, I like Bogie's style, simple, traditional, and discretely executed.

31st October, 2011.

The lemon aspect is like an Alfred Hitchcock cameo: noticeable but very brief. The spice and leather are what Bogart is based upon and they are well done here. Firmly masculine, I could see the most famous Bogart wearing this in Casablanca, had it been around then. Very slightly smoky and very aromatic, it's like a less sloppy Halston Z-14 (or perhaps the Halston is a meretricious Bogart PH, and I mean that in a good way!). At the end of its run, however, I find that Bogart Pour Homme loses a little bit of horsepower; the tread on the tires wears a bit thinner than at the start of the day. The opening couple of hours, however, are fantastic and highly recommended.

10th May, 2011.

Just like its younger brother One Man Show, Bogart is the antithesis of everything that is trendy and niche in the fragrance industry. Bogart is definitely not "cool" or "da bomb", and I doubt its style has ever been.

The second you sniff Bogart, you can tell that it was never meant for guys trying to be hip. This is a very leathery aromatic fougere, with sharp, herbal green top notes that smell like a classic French cologne right out of the Sixties. A musty smelling leather note appears in the heart, and it becomes very strong in the drydown, at which point Bogart becomes heavy and very aromatic. It's an amazingly long lasting scent, and it projects well for a long time.

You'll never find anything smelling like this at Macy's or at LuckyScent, but if you're into hardcore old-school masculine colognes, there is no way you will dislike Bogart. This is for men who are serious about their colognes, and who want to smell like men.

MY RATING: 8/10

9th May, 2011.

Bogart is a very wearable, everyday-type fragrance. Very green opening (think fern). I like the latter stages much more than the opening (after it looses it's initial sharpness), and transitions to the oakmoss, woody, leathery dry-down. Caution should be used with application; It's easy to over-apply.

The fragrance is similar to a couple of older, popular fragrances. It is similar to English Leather (Dana, 1949), but doesn't feel quite as dry. It also reminds me of Kanon (1966), but not quite as powdery. Of the three, Bogart is my favorite. I can not envision this being anyone's signature scent. Having said that, I wear it occasionally to work or to outdoorsy activities.

3rd November, 2010.

A light chypre with a real oakmoss base. Fantastic herbal opening with a touch of leather. So classic.

27th April, 2010.

This just a very nice composition that holds up well 30 years later. This wont be anyone's holy grail, but it's nice for almost any occasion; very versatile. Be a little careful with the application though. Definite thumbs up. What a bargain too.

2nd April, 2010.