Sagamore (1985)
by Lancôme

Try as I might, I just can't bring myself to like Sagamore. I've grown to love late-70's mossy green chypres, and Sagamore clearly owes them a debt of gratitude, but it's fantastic blend of forest-floor moss and rich earthy patchouli is buried under an unpleasant top of dank bergamot and overwrought lavender that feels somehow sour (as in sour milk) or like spoiled vinegar.

I reserve the right to change this review of it turns out that my sample has gone bad, but I'd much rather cross over to the 70's green feminines like J'ai Ose or Vent Verte, or even just have fun in modern moss-centric scents like Byredo's Green or TF's Moss Breches than spend any more time trying to convince myself to enjoy Sagamore, which seems to me to do what they do, but not as well. Sorry...

18th January, 2012.

Although classified as a Chypre, vintage Sagamore seems more lika a cross between a spicy fougere and a citrus chypre. The fragrance has elements from both families and the combination is solid in the way that 80`s fragrance used to be. The first moments of the fragrance are typical from that era, starting with a huge lavender note, followed by some bitter citrus aromas. Something mossy, but without being dirty, seems to appear on the beginning already, but isn`t the dominant note, as the fragrance develops to a spicy and powdery heart. The cinnamon is evident. although not so much because it`s very blended with the carnation. I cannot pick the flowers on this one, they seem more like a powdery floral aroma, that unfold gradually a kind of vanilla-tonka accord at the base, do in the old style, withouth smelling gourmand but adding a subtle sweetness to the ambered musky base. Classy and elegant, the kind of fragrance that unfortunately was abandomned by most of men.

17th January, 2011.

Sagamore smells at first like Tiffany for Men and Chanel pour Monsieur were locked in a room and told to fight it out. It starts out rather sweet and oriental. After things settle down a bit it shows us its true nature, which is more of a chypre than an oriental. As the initial sweetness subsides it reveals a lovely lavender, citrus and aromatic herbal element which is blended on top of both a floral and spicy heart. There is a jasmine, geranium, rose, muget and carnation center blended with cinnamon, ginger, geranium, clove and pimento notes. The ever present base is a sensual accord of vanilla, musk, benzoin, styrax, sandalwood, patchouli. Sagamore is one complex and elegant scent. It's easy to over apply. I don't understand the reviews which call it a light citrus scent at all. It is a real serious oriental/chypre, and an excellent one at that.

15th November, 2010.

If I had to pair this with a person description it would have been "funky old guy". As foetidus says the opening is quite unique. Like smelling two scents at the same time. It felt like my head was banging inside a glass bell. First thoughts: this has gone bad! But no. This is it This is just wild composition. Different notes running wild on your skin for the first five minutes, competing for domination of your nostrils. Something tart peaking its head every now and then. And then it all calms down to a peppery, woody, powdery delight. What is really striking is how such a classic base can pair so beautifully with such an individualistic opening.

4th December, 2009.

A fragrance came up to me and said I'd like to poison your mind.
With strong aromas that appeal to you though I am not unkind.
It looked at me I looked at something written across its cap.
And these are the words that it faintly said as I tried to call for help.

Dry. Woodsy. Lemony. Powdery at the end.

30th November, 2009.

There are two movements going on concurrently in the opening that make the opening quite an elegant and complex presentation: first the lavender / citrus combination which has been fairly typical of many fragrances; second, the nutmeg / sage combination whose juxtaposition with the lavender / citrus accord deeply enriches the total impact of the opening – it’s remarkably rich… and long lasting. The flow to the middle accord is so smooth that it’s hard pinpointing the transition. I know that I reach the middle accord when I realize I’m smelling florals – soft florals where the usual flowery emanations have been refined to a masculine floral texture. It’s sensual and elegant at the same time, and it, too, lasts. The base is a multi-noted accord typical of the times, but done even better than most. It is a well-refined amber, wood, musk and styrax accord… balanced, masculine, and as rich as the accords in the previous levels of the fragrance.

Sagamore is beautiful. It is one of the most tasteful and elegant of the deep, rich, woody masculine amber Orientals of its time. It is soft enough for it to be easily be worn today if applied lightly: A great one from the past that works in the present.

14th November, 2009.