Drakkar Noir (1982)
by Guy Laroche

Not bad. The blend of patcholi and sweet florals is a pretty good one. Smells like Caswell-Massey's Aura of Patchouli meets Axe's Dark Temptation bodyspray. I give it a Neutral rating - but if Guy Laroche decides to add a wee touch of Mysore sandalwood to the mix, it'd have a Thumbs Up from me.

One can immediately tell that this is not a modern scent because the opening is rather uninspired. It is obviously intended for purchasers with a longer than nine second attention span. With many of the “classics” the opening is simply a holding pattern — sometimes attractive, sometimes not — while the newly liberated scent molecules marshal their forces to present their real job and purpose; and that purpose is the presentation of the middle and basenotes, which contain ninety-nine percent of the existence of the fragrance. Drakkar’s opening is a soapy and spongy aromatic / citrus. The citrus plays a very small role in the action, while the aromatics — albeit insecure, unorganized, and a bit unrefined — provide the main force of the initial volley. It’s a tolerable opening but it is far from stellar, and if it had to depend on the typical modern mass- market purchaser, it might be immediately eliminated from his list. The richer, fuller, refined heart is a balanced green / spice accord with emphasis on the coniferous notes of pine and juniper. This is a distinctly wearable accord. The heart notes are not really fresh as “fresh” is presented nowdays, but they are clean, full, and natural. With sensible application, they provide a restrained, dignified sillage that is legendarily attractive to the fairer gender. The base notes add leather, sandalwood, and oakmoss to the note lineup in a skillfully balanced and refined accord — I don’t get the patchouli that is supposed to be there because the leather overrides it to my nose. I often dislike leather in fragrances and the leather in Drakkar Noir is what has kept me from purchasing it in the past. I keep decant of Drakkar Noir and I sniff it once in a while in spite of my dislike of the leather note. I have found it an interesting fragrance in the past, but never intriguing. It is very strong and has to be applied with a good dose of restraint. Too strong and it is a turn-off. Excellent longevity. (Edit of 15 October 2005 review. Changed from a neutral.)

DN is brash and bold, featuring citrus and a sour, smoky wood (mandarin oranges and cigarettes?) that make me picture the morning after a big party where a bunch of investment bankers all scored. There's an underlying sharp soapiness to it that I only recently detected...a little clean detergent underneath the dirty smoke. And something in the delightfully acrid base reminds me of buttered movie theater popcorn, which upon further reflection gives me somewhat mixed feelings. It's unequivocably masculine, and even though I'm sure every 18-year-old boy wore it back in the 80s, I don't think many do anymore. I certainly agree that a conservative spray hand is required to tame this beast, but with no more than a spray and a half I can appreciate its testosterone all day without just smelling like a prick to everyone. If this stuff is too jarring for you, Duc de Vervins is more mellow and green, living in the space between Drakkar Noir and Bowling Green. (Hmm, might a replacement be in order?)

I neither love it nor hate it, Though at times it can offend. It seems to try too hard in some ways, with the lavender.juniper a sometimes seesaw. It seems to move at two altitudes, high, kind of clean but ultimately an overall sense of washed.

MassMenace says: "Drakkar Noir is that annoying guy that talks too much and needs to get attention from everybody no matter what measures need to be taken.Some people like this guy, some don't..."

Well, it was worn by Truman Capote ;). Which is just one of the reasons I love this. It smells so good. Simply, that's all. Masculine, soapy and dirty at the same time, fresh, classic, comforting. For me, this will never go out of style.

The epitome of cheap cologne. Offensive and unforgivingly common.