Quorum (1982)
by Antonio Puig

Years ago I couldn't stand Quorum because it made me feel like Disco Stu. But time away from something will often change my opinion for the better, and this is the case with Quorum. Quorum is unquestionably a no-bullshit macho man fragrance, and it represents old school powerhouse at its crudest. This is not to say it's a bad scent - quite the opposite actually. To my nose, it smells a lot like Paco Rabanne PH with the added leathery richness of Bel Ami. In other words, it represents the best qualities of both the 70s and 80s masculine frags - a 70s styled aromatic fougere with a large dollop of rich 80s oriental powerhouse. I particularly like the dry, stark and harsh opening notes of lavender and coumarin, offset by what smells like a slightly sweet leather and citrus (see Fendi Per Uomo, e.g.). I also love the slightly dirty feel of the sandalwood drydown. One thing I must note is that despite the low price of this fragrance, Quorum smells like it is made of mostly natural ingredients - no chemical lab smells here - and I am impressed with this. There's really nothing pretty at all about Quorum, and it is definitely a polarizing scent that can very easily be overapplied, but it is very well constructed and has a crude charm to it. It's a love it or hate it scent, no doubt.

Sniffing this one again brings back memories. There is something so real, so “there” about Quorum—it doesn’t have not much sophistication, it has absolutely no finesse, but it boasts loads of character. It is a straightforward, masculine-of-the-days-gone-by fragrance that brooks nothing less than extreme dryness and starkness. The light citrus notes of the opening are overwhelmed by the deeper darker aromatics of artemisia, cumin, pine. and patchouli—apparently the citruses are not masculine enough. The florals of the middle don’t even dare to rear their beautiful heads. The ultra macho leather and tobacco control the base with the help of the moss and incense. Quorum is about as rawly masculine as a fragrance can get.

I don’t wear Quorum very much anymore. The world has changed and I’ve changed, too. But taking a sniff of Quorum reminds me of where I’ve come from and I miss that at times. Quorum’s not a beautiful or smooth or balanced or creative scent. It’s extremely masculine and it achieves its masculinity with its darkness and potency. It has grit and character, and I’ll always keep a bottle of it around. (Edit of 02 October 2005 review. My first review – now edited.)

Some fragrances are referred to as " Sex in a bottle." This is crotch in a bottle.

Okay. Finally got around to buying this legend. As a disclaimer of some bias - I am very partial to Puig, I find this house to be historically significant in several ways - not the least of which is value for your consumer dollar. I had read the intensely polarizing reviews here and found both arguments to be true. Which is to say - at first I was thinking insect repellent or lighter fluid or perhaps a combination of both. One gentlemen here at BN said that it was a Latin Polo Green, very true! But, annoyingly so! I mean it was an intense first twenty minutes with two sprays around the throat/collar area. Ah, but then something magical (and endemic to Puig in many ways) began to happen. It really did begin to mellow and become (as my dear friend commented) "comforting." The reviews of Quorum are hilarious to read - one person commented that this would be Dirty Harry's cologne - and I find that to be pretty spot on. This is a brave scent, but I dig it. The drydown is lengthy and rewarding and I am now wondering what Quorum Silver is all about. The reviews at BN are positive! At any rate, if you're a confident man - a spray of this after a shower will no doubt give you a powerful day!

Deft certainly, self-assurance and bravado underpin this wonderful fragrance which forgoes sophistication and nuance in its powerful embrace. Somehow, it seems to suit darker complexions, smokers and long hot summers notwithstanding that I'm blond, don't smoke and it's winter where I am. Quorum can warm a room, or clear it, and I don't mind at all sometimes.

Quorum falls comfortably into a category of powder dry fougeres with Worth Pour Homme, Paco Rabanne Pour Homme and Cerrutti 1881. It can easily hold its own in this company, and one could argue, and indeed cogently, that it has even more to offer than the other three. The opening can best be described as clumsy and simplistic, but it gives the fragrance an early momentum that it never loses. Any freshness in those opening moments is strangled by a bestial presence that bitch slaps the wearer into gaining its attention. This slightly hostile opening is brief and it quickly slides into its stride providing a dry aromatic base that supports Quorum for hours. The middles notes are deeply aromatic and designed to drive everything forward upon a typical fougere base. It has prodigious sillage and longevity, typical of fragrances of this period, but it never felt as though it would overpower me, it just about kept on the right side of acceptable. This is not one for the purists, and it will never gain the accolade "masterpiece", but Antonio Puig has created something very noteworthy and eminently wearble.