Clubman (1880)
by Truefitt & Hill

I was almost going to call this a clone of Paco XS, but I think it has too much sharpness and not enough dull, cold, sweetness. It starts as a brisk, cool, slightly sweet minty herbal, probably closer to Live Jazz than XS. It somehow also carries a twiggy-ness that reminds me of some vetiver and light green scents, but this is mostly supressed by the mint, and by what I'd call a more raw version of the other green herbs you find in Cartier Roadster. Later, it gets to be dustier, akin to peppermint but not actually peppermint. It makes me think of ivy, but not the believable ivy in Hermes Gentiane Blanche or Sisley Eau de Campagne, rather a fake chemical simulation. I realize I'm not being very helpful by giving this a thumbs-down just because I don't like mint, but there's simply nothing redeeming for me here.

5th December, 2011.

A very modern, somewhat synthetic aquatic fragrance. Some mint notes there, but mainly a sporty type scent probably geared more towards the type that love department store offerings.

9th August, 2011.

Clubman = fresh and clean from the barbershop, without the cloves.

Probably the best of Truefitt & Hill's fragrances (which isn't saying much) unless you love Cool Water but want to pay three times more for it, in which case Freshman may be your favorite Truefitt & Hill scent.

Back to Clubman, it's easily unisex, slightly sweet, but quite pleasant and enjoyable in its way.

28th February, 2010.

If this is from 1880, i'm a monkey's uncle... Very modern, very light and fresh in a powdery oceanic way and on the whole it's very wearable for a younger demographic.
I'm not normally a fan of mint, but I like the opening to this. It's clean and refreshing, but it seems a little... "cloudy." It's very hard to explain, but with fresh scents like this, I like to imagine being able to "look through" them. I love a cologne with clarity - I imagine a pool of water in my mind (probably the leafy notes and the alcoholic hit I feel that most of them have). Clubman is plasticy powdery from the very opening and I feel this makes the naturally clear nature of a good "refreshing" fragrance slightly obscured. I also feel it makes it quite feminine. Probably too feminine for my tastes, especially when coupled with the (otherwise very nice) floral heart.
I think this is why I prefer T&H's Freshman to Clubman - the powder sticks around in this for too long and instead of a watery floral wood, which i'd like, I get a powdery floral with some very vague and muted wood.

Slightly disappointing, but still a comfortable and well made frag. I just do not care for it's blending or choice of florals and the everlasting sweet powder. Longevity was very good on me, despite the lightness - over 8 hours. It's doesn't project amazingly, but you would certainly smell like a smartly groomed guy, which I suppose is the point! Decent, but not earth shattering.

4th August, 2009.

A minty mix of Polo Sport and Paco Rabanne XS.
Employs the minty fresh topnotes of both, the aquatic efferevescence of Polo Sport, and the cool base of XS.
Just slightly too powdery on the drydown for me.

21st June, 2009. (Last Edited: 24th June, 2009.)

Clubman is like a weak Polo Sport or CK Be cologne with a lot of mint. I don't get aquatic here, I get fresh or sporty type however. I am not a lover of overpowering mint in colognes, smelling like spearmint gum is just not my thing.

Thumbs down for lack of originality, and excessive use of mint to try to cover up that lack of originality.

29th September, 2008.