Ho Hang Club (1987)
by Balenciaga

I have to say I'm a little disappointed with Ho Hang Club. My first exposure to it was smelling a really old, skunked bottle that had that sharp, biting smell characteristic of perfume gone bad, but it still had a wonderfully spicy patchouli smell to it. I thought that if a stale bottle smelled this good, a fresh bottle must smell amazing.

I recently bought a sealed bottle of this discontinued scent, and it doesn't smell amazing. It's kind of like a poor man's Bois du Portugal - it's definitely a formal scent that smells appropriate for a night on the town, but it lacks the richness, strength and complexity of BdP. I don't like the opening accord - a somewhat ascerbic lavender and coriander accord that is very heady and quite irritating. It just obliterates the patchouli. Fortunately, the middle accord and base accord are excellent; it's a slightly sweet and spicy patchouli-based accord that I enjoy very much. Only problem is that two hours into this fragrance, when the base notes start to emerge, Ho Hang Club dies on the vine, in terms of sillage and potency. It's like it almost disappears after T-minus 120 minutes, becoming a "skin" scent where you can only detect it if you ram your nose into the crook of your arm.

For fans of the original Ho Hang, this is a very different scent, although there are similarities, mainly in the prominent use of patchouli in both. Ho Hang Club is heavier (well, for 120 minutes) and more formal than the original Ho Hang. I prefer the original Ho Hang.

Ho Hang Club is a decent fragrance that could have been great. If it smelled more like that old stale bottle I smelled, I'd actually have liked it a lot more, believe it or not. Maybe I should throw my bottle in the microwave for 30 seconds and see what happens.

Balenciaga Ho Hang Club was released at a time when Alpha-male beings didn’t like to wear talc. they used to wear Ho Hang Club like theres no tomorrow and experience the kind of orgasm no fragrance could ever give. A straight ahead, no non-sense, Patchouli/Incense based scent (white smoke) with a soft accord of florals combined with an powdery extract of spices and woody notes. the main star of this scent is Patchouli (it feels damp and earthy). The base is earthy, mossy green with hints of incense and mild touch of leather acting as a comforting anchor retaining it's powdery accords with amazing consistency.
This one is for people who admire scents like Cartier Santos. not to be missed at any cost. 80's at it's best!!

A very virile, hairy and potent 80s scent. Slightly loud and dated now. For this kind of scent, I think Lauder for men is more sophisticated and interesting.

This is a wonderful scent! VERY different from anything that I have ever worn. I first encountered this frag in high school 1990. My brother worked at a local department store which was closing down and Ho Hang Club was marked down to five bucks. He gave me two bottles of the cologne so, the next morning I showered myself in this lovely scent and as I walked down the hall to my locker, two girls rammed me up against my locker and demanded to know what it was that I had on.(Man I miss High School! Kinda!) I buy this scent whenever I can find it and still to this day whenever I wear this, people always ask what is it that I am wearing because it does not smell like anything that they have smelled before. Very Distinguished! Very Exotic! A must have for my collection!!!

Unlike its predecessor Ho Hang, which is a masterpiece in subtlety and takes at least two sprays to work, this one comes out full bore and has more in common with something like Trussardi. The whole thing is coated with the exact same honey note found in the much lamented Balenciaga Pour Homme. Great scent for the unafraid.

Cannot but agree - there is a sense of mystery about this scent, floating aloofly above its subdued darkish base spruced up by warm spice and a bitter honey note.