Coriolan (1998)
by Guerlain

This was one of my first purchases after joining basenotes and one of my earliest reviews. What a greenhorn...I can see why I didn't like it then and it's never going to be my favorite (for juniper, I choose Creed Baie de Genievre), but I can appreciate it better today, and, in fact, like it in small doses. The opening burst of lemon and bergamot already comes with a strong powdery-herbal accompaniment, which remains quite tenacious on textile, while settling into a more conventional/palatable wood&spice base on skin after a while. This sharp powdery-perfumey sensation of juniper, absinthe and spices is nearly headache-inducing and quite a turn-off for many, I would imagine - launching this in the acquatic-ozonic era was truly as aesthetically bold as it was economically foolhardy. Coriolan MUST be applied sparingly, worn in cold weather and it smells better from a distance than close-up. The bottle is beautiful, but prone to be read as feminine, which may have not helped sales either - really, the accountants must have hated this one. There are too many ifs and buts about this perfume to really be classed as a masterpiece, but I'll go for three stars and wearing it once a year on a cold fall day.


June 16, 2006 review:
Either my bottle is defective or my skin is just too teutonic for this Roman hero's scent, but wearing it makes me feel a lot more like some ancient harlot in the services of Coriolanus than the man himself. Nothing of the citrus top notes described by others, or even bitterness - which would be a welcome contrast to the suffocating boudoir sweetness this is exuding. The juniper barely shows through a wall of cheap soapy confusion which is entirely too much and entirely too feminine. Burberry Brit works so much better on me, the wild rose blending gracefully with spice notes and the inital freshness. My Coriolan lacks the complexity and drama of Shakespeare's hero, it's not tragedy but just plain farce.

A heavy contender at the start, this is best after it has a chance to wear down a bit. Definitely not one to overapply, either. Having given those caveats, however, this is a remarkable scent. It speaks confidence and power, and after having been retired for a time, it has earned enough recognition to return, only slightly chastened, as l'Âme d'un Héros. Citrus and herbal to start, the original then goes into a heart of strong herbal, green, and spice notes slightly relieved by ylang-ylang; woods, leather, and resins in the base complete this green-herbal chypre. Not for the faint of heart or for casual wear, this must be kept back for greater needs and occasions. It won't be everyone's cup of tea, but for the soul of the valiant and questing knight, it's as necessary as a coat of chain mail.

Coriolan was one of those love-it-or-hate-it scents when it first appeared. To me that says that this must be an excellent fragrance: Polarization is for the great ones, indifference is for the mediocre. Coriolan is anything but mediocre. The fresh citrus opening is tempered and enriched by aromatic greens—sage and juniper—to create a refined accord that I would call not green nor aromatic nor citrus; it’s a combination accord but without the synthetic implications I find in so many of the massively noted openings of the 90’s fragrances. I view this scent as Guerlain’s attempt to meld the synthetic trends of the ‘90s with their tradition of excellent fragrances. (No, it does not contain the Guerlainade… the fact of which makes me grateful.) As the citrus abates, the juniper becomes more dominant and is joined by the spices and an obscure floral element. This heart accord is smooth and creamy to the point where the individual notes are unlikely to be identified. I usually prefer accords with individually identifiable notes but this smooth heart accord is particularly satisfying to me. The juniper combines with the patchouli, musk, amber, and, of course, oakmoss, to make a smooth, musky, mossy base where every once in a while an incense note wafts through the mossy musk: ethereal… but, alas, the beautiful Coriolan has only marginal longevity on my skin.

I am in a state of ambivalence about the gender distinction of Coriolan. I don’t think it is masculine, but it certainly isn’t feminine, either. Even more to my stupefaction, it doesn’t seem to be a typical unisex scent, either. As far as I’m concerned, this is an absolutely genderless fragrance, and in spite of that or because of that I find it quite sensual. (Edit of 08 October 2005 review.)

A treasure! It was so cheap and it gave me so much. I borrowed a copy of Shakespeare´s Coriolan immediately after the purchase, read it twice just to realize again that there IS something more about perfumes! They simply make your life better:)

Sorry guys, this is the worst male fragrance by Guerlain. They were selling this off at the local store for £10 a bottle and still couldn't get rid of them. This is my worst blind purchase ever. It smells like some of the solutions I used to pour into test tubes during school Chemistry lessons.

Guerlain Coriolan

Guerlain Coriolan was created by Jean-Paul Guerlain in 1998 and was soon discontinued and considered a flop for Guerlain. Much like the Roman general Coriolanus it is named after who was accused of corruption and fled Rome to find refuge in the arms of the enemy tribe, the Volscians, he had previoulsly defeated. After wearing this I am hard pressed to understand why this was not more widely accepted. Coriolan starts off with a huge blast of lemon and bergamot. This is a standard opening for many masculine fragrances but what allows this to stand out is both notes are very tight and distinct to my nose. The lemon is tart with just a hint of sweet, the bergamot adds the right complement of aromaticity. It feels just right and progresses into a spice-laden heart of coriander, juniper, nutmeg and a medicinal note which is provided by absinthe. Coriander and juniper are the main constituents of gin and the heart of this has the bite of a good martini but the absinthe adds a potency to the heart and a complexity that kept me sniffing over and over to tease out the different strands presented to my nose. This ends in a classic chypre fashion full of oakmoss and patchouli and, as at the beginning of this, each note holds its own place and is allowed to stand on its own. Coriolan has all the hallmarks of the best Guerlains out there, complex construction, quality ingredients, and classic composition. This is a powerhouse scent and overapplied could easily be overwhelming but conservatively applied this is a beauty. Guerlain has re-released Coriolan and supposedly toned it down a bit under the name L'Ame d'un Heros. One can hope that unlike Coriolanus who led the Volscians back to the gates of Rome only to withdraw at the sight of his mother that Coriolan can one day return to the perfume pantheon in glory.