Stetson Black (2005)
by Stetson

Not an essential purchase by any stretch, Stetson Black´s staying power is very limited, a maximum of 3 hours shelf life if you´re lucky. The somewhat synthetic leather and suede blanket the aroma the whole stretch, with a tint of berry-grape that manages to tone down things a bit and certainly can charm but all too quickly seems to fade after the first 20 minutes.
A nice, affordable alternative to the overpriced Polo and Kenneth Cole Blacks, Stetson certainly hits on the masculine element of what black should embody with this one. Sure, the scent is one-dimensional, a bit sweet, and guilty of using cheaper ingredients, but for a cheap drugstore fragrance this is a decent find and worth throwing into the rotation if not to keep things interesting.
Agree with Jenson from India, the aftershave is far more wearable. Works well as a splash on more than a feature scent. Stetson deserves credit for bringing the dark and black back into black.

Overall 6.25 (Scent 7.75/Longevity 3.0/Sillage 7.0/Originality-Intangibles 6.5/Value 7.0)

17th February, 2011.

Highly synthetic, cloying, harsh and sweet.

Up front this smells very sweet. None of the listed top notes come to mind. It smells sweet and grape like.

I can notice a tad of the cedarwood and musk it the middle mixed with a harsh synthetic leather note.

The end has a sweet leather note, a touch of sandalwood and something I can't place but smells vaguely like glue.

IMHO this is a disaster that earns a neutral only because it isn't offensive despite its poor blending. Nothing about it smells good. It is like a cheap imitation of Gravity with worse linearity. About all it has going for it is it is not offensive smelling, and smells like some sort of cleaner. Something clean would probably be associated with good to most people.

The biggest drawbacks are it isn't cheap and it is terribly weak. Don't expect to get by on a spray or two for an 8 hour workday. It disappears in no time. Expect to go for about 6 sprays to make it last. This does nothing for it, it doesn't make it the drydown more apparent. It just makes it last longer. You get the same, sweet grape, fake leather and cheap woods. It is like an inferior imitation of Gravity. It isn't cheap. Regular Stetson, All American Stetson and the like all offer longevity for the price. Like Gravity this stuff doesn't last and it is just not as smooth. If you wanted a sweet budget scent that at least smelled acceptable go get something like Elizabeth Taylor's Passion for Men. Don't waste your time with this stuff.

Update... I finally placed what this smells like. Ever smell that copy paper, or carbon paper that has that weird sweet scent to it? That is exactly what this stuff smells like when it immediately hits your nostrils.

19th January, 2011. (Last Edited: 4th October, 2011.)

I liked this when I first sampled it on my wrist about a year ago, but actually wearing this is a completely different story. I really wanted to like Stetson Black because it's got a lot of notes I like, but this just continues my ongoing hatred of so-called "Black" fragrances.

Like every other "Black" fragrance I've smelled, Stetson Black is not dark smelling, but rather syrupy sweet and nauseating. It smells pretty good and quite aromatic for the first 15 minutes, but after that, the smell of grape juice just gets stronger and stronger the longer you wear this. Its sweetness is unrelenting, and by hour three I was running to the bathroom with a facecloth, scrubbing vigorously. I had to take a shower a few hours later to get the smell off of me.

I can't say that Stetson Black smells cheap or poorly constructed. It's just a terrible fragrance, that's all.

MY RATING: 2/10

2nd December, 2010. (Last Edited: 8th December, 2010.)

While it's not bad, it didn't really leave me with a GREAT impression. For the price, its a good smell. Minimal lasting power. If you're looking for a slightly better "black" cologne for not much more cash, go for Corvette black.

25th September, 2009.

I think this stuff is strange. It's a conglomorate of other popular colognes. Like Gucci II pH, Fahrenheit, even some traces of Le Male. Really weird I was very briefly and vaguely reminded of these. Odd spices on top and could be "violet leaf" instead of what's listed here. Weird leather drydown, almost fruity and brash. Like Kiton Black which is smoother. I't s OK, I don't hate it but I'm quite confused by the fragrance's execution on my skin.

10th September, 2009.

Incredibly dark, brooding & spicy scent with a leathery drydown. not bad at all. Especially considering the price. i found it's after shave to be much more refined and wearable. if you like dark scents like de la Renta Pour Lui, then this ones right up your alley.

14th August, 2009. (Last Edited: 18th August, 2009.)