Sybaris (1988)
by Antonio Puig

Maccassar in an eau de cologne strength with a splash of Boss #1 thrown in to sweeten it up abit.

Love this. Older style yes, but it is class, especially in slightly chilly weather.

8th October, 2011.

Gorgeous powerful aromatic green oriental fougere that I wore for at least 3 years in the late 80`s and early 90`s. I remember having the entire line: soap, shower gel, shaving foam, after shave balm, deodorant spray and EDT in dab and spray forms...waking up in the morning was a pleasure knowing that the ritual of Sybaris was about to take place...

I do not think that I can add much more to Off-scenter`s review but confirming that Sybaris is an example of the great and famous frags from the 80`s...masculinity in liquid form...

Big thumbs up...!!!

6th August, 2011.

Sybaris is not the easiest fragrance to track down, but given its limitations, this is no great disadvantage. The early stages create phases of real quality, but it quickly becomes clear that Puig have chosen the safe route home. The opening exchanges are lightly herbal, aldehydic and sharp. The stridency continues well into the heart notes, with a jasmine induced urine note being discernible, but not sufficiently off-putting. Had this demanding collection of accords continued, my interest would have been maintained, but it too quickly descends into a safety first project. The drydown is too benign, sweet and formulaic to be even vaguely noteworthy. It’s a shame, as that first hour truly raised my hopes.

25th March, 2011.

It has a drydown similar to One Man Show, but it's smoother and more refined, as you might expect, though lacking the incense note of OMS. There seems to be a clear castoreum note, though it's not listed in this note pyramid. If you want something even more refined, I suggest Versailles Pour Homme, if you can find it. In any case, this one probably varies quite a bit, depending upon skin chemistry and how much you use, so I suggest experimenting to find the right "dosage" for yourself. Overall, it is competent in every way, though it may be a bit strong for some, which is why I dilute OMS with vodka. Diluting Sybaris may be something I decide to do at some point as well, if I begin to find that it is too strong for me.

18th January, 2011.

Michael Edwards classifies Sybaris as a woody oriental scent, and several reviewers here place it with the leather chypres, but I smell a brawny fougère, boasting ample aromatic content, soapy aldehydes, and bittersweet citrus in the top notes. Cumin, artemisia, geranium, and conspicuous animalic notes closely align Sybaris with grand 1980s animalic/aromatic fougères like Jules and Lauder for Men, but Sybaris evolves along its own distinctive sweet, spiced, woody path.

At its heart, Sybaris offers a tightly integrated accord of nutty vetiver, smooth sandalwood and amber that’s at once comfortable and highly sophisticated. The opening animalic elements retreat somewhat, but their lingering background presence safeguards against a slide from comfort into stodginess. At the same time, quiet echoes of artemisia, geranium, and juniper provide bracing counterpoint to the amber’s sweetness.

Sybaris is potent, but not overwhelming, with generous sillage and admirable lasting power. After several hours of sustained heart notes, the drydown settles into amber, labdanum, and vetiver, seasoned with leathery and mossy grace notes. While it smells not a bit like either, Sybaris is one of the few scents I know that capture the sense of masculine dignity found in Patou pour Homme or the original Santal Noble. It doesn’t necessarily exude the same sense of occasion, but that may only make it a bit more versatile and comfortable for daily wear. I have no idea whether Sybaris is still in production, but it can still be found online for very little money and is certainly worth trying.

20th December, 2010. (Last Edited: 21st December, 2010.)

I'm kind of so-so on Sybaris. After a nice strong, spicy and bitter opening, Sybaris mellows into a somewhat sharp smelling fougere or chypre (it has qualities of both genres to my nose), with a slight animalic feel to it. Its middle accord does remind me a lot of Lauder For Men, a scent which I do not like, and unfortunately it smells a bit cheap and thin to me. I guess I was expecting something a bit more mutifaceted and natural smelling in the heart accord, but it just smells a bit flat. What I do like, however, is that Sybaris does have a subtle sweaty, animalic feel underlying the sharpness. I doubt there are any actual animalic ingredients here like civet or castoreum, so I assume this is some sort of olfactory illusion. The drydown is pretty good by maintaining that slight animalic feel with some spiciness.

Overall, Sybaris is a pretty good, masculine smelling fragrance, very bold by today's standards. But I can't fully endorse it, due to its relatively dull and somewhat cheap smelling middle accord. The drydown is pretty good, but not quite good enough to give this a full thumbs up. I'm on the fence with Sybaris

11th November, 2009.