Reviews of Sandalwood Cologne (2002)
by Geo F Trumper

The lemon-spice opening is pretty good. Lovely rich florals give this depth. The sandalwood starts off woody and tangy, and with the other ingredients it intially makes a dignified statement. But then the heavies (amber, leather, patchouli and particularly vanilla) kick in and highjack the scent. Where did the sandalwood go? This winds up creamy and luxurious, quite sweet and perfumed. Loads and loads of vanilla give this a foody sort of profile. Not my style at all. For the complete opposite – a lean, woody, austere sandalwood – try Santal by Melvita in its Soliflore line. That can be hard to find but is is worth the effort, I never grow tired of it. Whereas this Trumpers is a scrubber for me. A shame, because I love pretty much all of the ‘historical’ Trumper scents. But the modern ones don’t have the same character: perhaps in an attempt to have a unisex scent some of the masculine assertive flair has been lost.

Errrr -- where's the sandalwood? It's a very leaden, clammy leathery floral on me and just sort of lays there like a lump, not sparking or moving anywhere. If you want sandalwood there are several others that fit the bill much better. I don't like this at all and I find the rest of the Trumper range that I've tested very disappointing (with the honourable exception of Eau de Quinine).

Kaern