Classic 1920 (2005)
by Bois 1920

The dominant top note here is an extremely sweet candied orange, at once bright yet so viscous that I feel as if I’m sucking a jar of marmalade up my nose. The citrus syrup persists into the heart of the scent, where it is seasoned with cinnamon and supported by (you guessed it!) very sweet amber. There are some floral notes floating about as well, predominantly a bright, clean jasmine, but they are very much subsidiary to the sweet stuff.

Christopher Sheldrake made candied orange interesting in his Mandarine-Mandarin for Serge Lutens by marrying it to animalic ambergris, charred spices, and a profoundly strange smoked salt accord, but nothing like tat happens here. This is fruit+syrupy amber: bland, two-dimensional, and seriously lacking in balance. In fact, the more wear it, the more it feels like a cynical über-sweet celebrity fragrance for twelve year old girls. (Mine has better taste than that and wears Tocade.) The development is nothing to speak of, and the drydown, which in this case doesn’t occur soon enough to suit me, is just some more of that sweet amber and a very crude, artificial smelling wood. (For the record, I’ve used the word “sweet” five times in these two brief paragraphs. Oops – now that’s six!)

An overtly sweet,citrus and Amber fusion that will delight only those with the sweetest of teeth. The opening gave a strong sense of fruit flavoured sherbet, with the acidity increasing quite markedly in the first half an hour. Although the drydown is a muted version of this, I could never escape the feeling of confection that remained for the remainder of its existence. The Amber won out in the final stages, but the fat lady had sung quite some time before that.

The citron and vetiver come across immediately. It’s a unique accord: refreshing, citric, a strong, gentle touch of the past (in a very good way)… This is a rawer, more natural, more complex version of the typical vetiver / citrus opening, and much more interesting than the Guerlain Vetivers of the world IMHO. The heart moves into a complication of florals, herbs, greens – I get dominant notes of Osmanthus, lavender, and apricot and some basil remains of the top accord. The heart accords are interesting but they would be more impressive if they exhibited more potency. The base accords go vetiver, tobacco, and thyme on me; I don’t get much amber or musk. I see Bois 1920 Classic as a good idea that wasn’t carried to its rightful fulfillment, and my problem with it is in its lock of potency and poor longevity. It would be very good scent for one who prefers the more subtle deliveries, which I often do, but in this case, it doesn't work. For me it’s a neutral.

Sweet and spicy citrus. A little herbal. Feel somewhat weak, probably why they made an "Extreme" version. I smell this and think "man, I really miss my Tommy Hilfiger Cologne". Not that it smells the same or gives the same effect, it's that same fruity sweet and woody quality just that 1920 ups the bergamot opening. For $20, I can get the same effect from some Tommy and still have money leftover for dinner... Classic 1920 is not terrible, just funny how money gets in the way of liking something enough to get and appreciate sometimes.

This scent conjures up for me the following image: I'm sitting in a cafe in the Domplatz, Vienna, on a sunny afternoon, looking up at St Stephen's, and I have in front of me a bowl of the most delicious lemon ice cream (not sorbet) floating in vielle prune.

It's elegant, it's reassuring, I love it and I'm going to get a bottle of it next thing.

Top: bergamot, pepper, nutmeg, basil, juniper
Mid: rose, jasmine, osmanthus, cedar, apricot, lavender, black pepper
Base: amber, vetiver, musk, tobacco leaves, thyme
Classic 1920 has a marvelous opening. It is spicy-green, aromatic, invigorating and quite charming. This is the best part of the scent, in my opinion. The scent then opens up and mellows with the appearance of the floral notes and light woods. The base is where I lose interest. I’ve never been a fan of tobacco-leaf scents. I understand the rich, sweet brown note but it doesn't work on me. The amber-musk notes add other rich and sweet notes. I don’t get any of the vetiver or thyme notes. So I’ll be neutral on this one, but I admit it is a classy and lovely scent that will appeal to many.