Reviews of Opus 1870 (2005)
by Penhaligon's

This is very subtle at first. It's herbaceous and spicy. I just tried the new Davidoff Adventure and it reminds me of 1870 but turned up a lot. I also detect a hint of tobacco in the cedar note. Similar to RL Romance is that you have to wait until the drydown to get anything real substantial from it.

My favorite Penhaligon scent, Opus 1870 is indeed for the true cedar lover. At the same time it is a balanced fragrance, evocative of an older-style masculinity without crossing the line into self-conscious parody or kitsch. It somehow manages to straddle the boundary between warm and cool, classic and modern. The cedar is indeed dominant and unmistakable, and those for whom that aroma conjures security and comfort will be pleased. The dry down is long and persistent; in fact, my only quarrel with this scent is its persistence: it lasted an extraordinarily long time on me, even after an afternoon in the California sun and a long hot bath, the scent remained, clear and distinguishable as the same one that I had applied hours earlier.

Opus 1870 is definitely one of this house's best scents. Penhalligon's older fragrances remind me a lot of Caswell Massey's in that they tend to smell like recreations of older fragrance formulas, which end up becoming more like caricatures of themselves, and smelling rather hokey. Opus 1870 on the other hand is obviously a modern scent with traditional sensibilities, rather than a direct attempt at a recreation. From its lovely spicy opening you know that you are smelling quality. The rose heart note is lightly spiced with clove and cinnamon along with some olibanum notes. The base is a moderately rich woody musk. This is a very well done fragrance and the first one from this house that I have thoroughly enjoyed.

The emperor's new scent - in that I cannot detect anything at first, then a very very light blend of spice/celery/clove - hardly detectable despite a sizeable dose. This may work better on other skins, but alas to my nose and hide it has no credentials.

10 notes:

Top: Bourbon Black Pepper, Yuzi Fruit, Coriander
Middle: Clove Rose, Cinnamon, Incense
Base: Cedarwood, Sandalwood, Clarawood, Musk

The only cedar-heavy frag I've ever encountered that can best be described as opulent. This is a rich Oriental, but without the usual heavy florals and sweet vanillas so commonly encountered in that family. Appropriate for both office and formal wear, with very good sillage and marvelous longevity. Probably not the best casual frag in the world; however, that may be just my own judgment that doesn't work for you.

This frag has many detractors; however, I am not among them. While I won't be rushing out to buy a bottle anytime soon, I certainly have to sing its praises.

If you are a cedar fan, you cannot pass this up. The dry down is beyond amazing...the best cedar I have ever smelled, putting to shame offerings by Givenchy.
The opening with its pepper and ambery flirtatiousness is quite a sophisticated approach to 'amber' IMHO, giving it a character that is familiar yet satifying. You want to keep smelling it. Then you get the warm dark mids from the vibrant 'sours' in the opening which transition well into the aforementioned awesome cedar wood. LOVELY. At least try it!

This would be woody then. And lasts all of 15 minutes. And also overpriced. If this is the what they chose to commemorate their founding then hooray for new fragrance companies.

Opus 1870 succeeds where many others (Rocabar, Tuscany, Bijan Black for Men) fail. Others have a feeble or simple wood tone that surrenders to and becomes lost in a simple, sweet vanilla base. Opus 1870 flirts with sweetness and richness (it is an oriental, after all) but remains slightly reserved (perhaps a British style). Here is cedar which is deep, true, haunting, and evocative! Instead of heavy vanilla, the similar but more sophisticated balsamic notes of amber resins are employed. I did not find this to be peppery, and its spice is woody and very moderate (probably coriander). The dry-down of Opus 1870 is a real treat, it gets drier, woodier and more interesting. Excellent, very masculine and self-confident.

Starts of very Britsh, with notes of herb and citrus.Nothing suprprising by now, but the drydown was much more complex and even a little unexpected- it suddenly turned into a rather French-made note of moderate sweetness, leather and spice. Rich, almosdt gruondbreaking daring yet discreet, understated sweetness, partly woody, partly spicy, partly even fruity. An interesting answer to today's male fragrances where sweetness is far to overdone, not added sparingly, like an extra touch of class and individuality like in this one.

Wonderful fragrance, rich warm and musky.

To my nose the top notes are problematic. I experience them as bergamot & lavendar; sour, bitter, turpentine, with a little sweetening. The combination always puts me off. I wonder if anyone else experiences top notes like that in this fragrance. I find that many men's fragrances have this citrus & lavender character. After the top notes dissappear, there is an oriental wood fragrance "tainted" with residual top notes.

1870 provoked a childhood flashback that I couldn't place at first. Penhaligon's describes the scent as "spiced black pepper gently infused with a luxurious accord of English clove rose amid warm woods and musk." The pepper is immediately obvious and is a delight, but during the dry down, I kept smelling a memory. Finally, I remembered how clothes smelled every fall when my mother would take the winter things out of the cedar closet in the attic. Until they aired on the line for a few hours, they would have this deep, rich aroma of cedar. ( I only get these days with shoe trees). It is a lovely smell and lovely scent. In actuality, 1870 is far more subtle and complicated than the closet ever was and continues to dry down to a very pleasant, light woodsy finish. I recommend it.

An utterly sublime scent, a light peppery note gives way to a rich oriental background. This should not be missed!!!!