Vetiver (1961)
by Guerlain

I have probably worn this too often and grown a little bored of it. A great inoffensive workhorse scent. I believe this was my first vetiver scent, and getting to know it, allowed me to appreciate other less mainstream offerings like the briny Sel de Vetiver and the dry and dark Encre Noire. Still worthy of a place in my wardrobe.

An award winning fragrance with many positive reviews. You can't possibly go wrong with this one, right? WRONG. This is a 'TRY BEFORE YOU BUY'. A nasty fecal note that refuses to budge after 2 hours sent me looking for some rubbing alcohol. I will probably try this again some time in the future. Just not over the next year or two.

I've my decant of it for close to a year now. Every time I select it as my SotD, I'm a little excited because I think that THIS will be the day that Guerlain Vetiver (new formulation) finally clicks for me. Alas, it has never happened. Which is odd because I like vetiver, and I like citrus.

The dealbreakers for me are the nutmeg note and the strong tobacco note. I already knew that I didn't like these notes when I decided to give this scent a try, but I thought that since they're basically supporting notes in the generally terrific cast, I could deal with it. But no, the suffocating tobacco and noxious nutmeg hijack the accords and ruin the whole thing for me. It's like watching an amazing movie in a theater and knowing that it's an amsolute masterwork, but the sound is slightly off and there projector is making a big blotch in the corner of the screen. You just can't appreciate it anymore.

If you like vetiver but are not fond of the heavier notes that Vetiver makes use of, I suggest something like CdG's Vettiveru, Malle's Vetiver Extraordinaire, or Creed's Original Vetiver. These are "brighter" rentitions of this theme, and work much better on me.

All that said, I can't give this a thumbs down. The evolution is too perfect, the balance of the notes too impressive, the sillage just right. No, I don't like it for myself, but it is certainly a noteworthy blend.

June 2009:

Guerlain’s classic Vetiver introduces itself with a very wet, round citrus accord. It takes some time before the citrus is underpinned by a relatively mellow vetiver note. Later in the course of its development it also reveals a touch of smoke and some crisp green notes that extend the life of the opening citrus accord.

The fragrance cruises along in vetiver-citrus mode for a long time, and I find its uncomplicated structure brisk and refreshing. Guierlain Vetiver is a classical fragrance in the true sense of the word. Like an ionic temple or a Mozart concerto, it exhibits perfect balance, with no extraneous elements to distract from its essential form. If you’re looking for the aggressively earthy, stark, potent vetiver of Route du Vétiver, Vétiver Extraordinaire, or Etro’s Vetiver, you won’t find it here. But if you want a comfortable, civilized approach to the vetiver root, this is it.

August 2009:

I have an odd relationship with Guerlain's Vetiver. I keep thinking that I ought to like it much, much more than I do. With tobacco, nutmeg, coriander and neroli gracing its star note, this stuff should be catnip for me. An yet - it never strikes as much more than "OK."

Why is that? Could it be that I've become accustomed to bolder, more aggressive vetivers, like Encre Noire or Route du Vétiver? No, that can't be it, since I find the more polite and civilized Sycomore and Givenchy Vetyver far more compelling than the Guerlain. Whatever keeps me from loving Guerlain Vetiver dearly lies with the scent itself. As I wear it and study it, I notice a few things:

First, it's very linear on me once the vetiver and cedar emerge.

Second, it's very, very shy on my skin. After fifteen minutes of wear I always have to search for it with my nose to make sure it's still there.

Third, and most disappointing, is that the vetiver and cedar heart smells oddly hollow and emaciated to me, as if the flesh on the accord has been whittled away by some erosive force, and only the skeleton remains.

I still want to like it, but I can't actually find all that much in it to like.

I have been wearing Guerlain Vetiver (GV) for over an year now, and its strange that I haven't reviewed it yet. It's probably because I have been enjoying this fragrance so much that whenever I put it on, it imposes on me a feeling of calm, its earthy yet tranquil vetiver note intoxicating in its expert realization in this manly potion.

Wearing GV is like having a knowledgeable and friendly tutor help you accomplish a task which absolutely has to be done. In this case, the task would be to familiarize oneself with the vetiver note, a note which many find too pungent and ghastly for their taste. GV makes the note apparent from the very beginning - BUT, like a good tutor/teacher, it eases you in by flanking the note with crisp citrus notes. The top construction eases you in - from there, GV evolves to a more rich and heavy base of tobacco and vetiver. During intense summers, the tobacco note may become more pronounced and might even be offputting to some - to be fair, in the reformulated Vetiver the tobacco note is a bit synthetic. I find that if applied evenly using no more than 3 sprays, the notes flow better. Longevity and sillage are near perfect.

GV is ultimately one of the easier introductions to vetiver. Some may prefer Creed's Original Vetiver (an excellent offering itself), but it comes at a price...no, I am not talking about the less intense vetiver note, I was hinting at the $195 price tag. If you are willing to venture out of Original Vetiver's protective cocoon, GV will be an excellent choice. Its easy on the wallet, and a top tier fragrance to boot. Citrus, grassy, with a base of tobacco. JP Guerlain created this when he was 22 years of age .. a hell of an accomplishment that. Be a man, take the plunge.

Rating: 8.25/10

a pretty dynamic, harsh/gritty vetiver n tobacco combo presented in a very true form... for reference, Lubins Le Vetiver smells a lot like this one. however, this is not my type of scent...maybe itll grow on me in time...but for now, ill pass.