Reviews of Hammam Bouquet (1872)
by Penhaligon's

Lacks refinement - I want to smell the aroma of the petals of the rose, not the smell of the tissue of crushed plant matter. Overpriced even if it were cheap, which it is not.

"Hammam" is a Turkish bath - stuffy, sweet-smelling and a bit overwhelming. If that's the way you want to smell, this is for you. Since older fragrances tend to be pretty simple and linear, it's hard to find one that's really, really offensive but this one is just...yuck. Probably just me...

I never smelled a more alcoholic scent. truly, thefirst impression is awfully spiritous, smelling of whisky and brandy, not even a mellow whisky but a rather strong, cheap and literaly nostril-burning and heartburn and nausea causing sprit. It's highly unlikely that merely the alcoholic content of this scent is like this, as this note lingers long during the drydown- and this is not warm anymore, it is schorching and choking heat, overheated tar... Only after a generous amount of hours this scent became slightly more bearable, revealing( whisky again?) a touch of overripe and almost fermenting malt or corn, besides a leathery animalictouchof civet or amber. The name is also redundant or at least partly or totally misplaced as alchohol is a tabu in the Muslim world and highly unlikely to be found in a hammam or harem, a steam bath or sauna-even the turkish way- must smell much more aromatic and herbal, besides it lacks a certain spicy quality to be truly Oriental.