Polo Modern Reserve (2008)
by Ralph Lauren

No one should doubt about the project’s intentions. We don’t talk about an improvement of the classic but of a modern approach on to the same theme, I suspect with only one and only reason. To attract a new and younger group of fans that love the classic Polo , but cannot imagine themselves smell like their father. And it’s definitely a success regarding the creation of an interesting scent, althought I am not sure it is different enough to call it “NEW”. A new fresher opening with green herbal notes and the pine still present but more polite. The heart incorporates wood, light floral and leather notes always on a patchouli background and altogether drydown into a beautiful light base. Less formal but still classy. A worthy successor of an American classic.

Well, my sample of Polo has gone missing, and I’m disappointed at not being able to make a side-by-side comparison between Modern Reserve and the original release. Like bbBD, I don’t find much resemblance to the original Polo in Modern Reserve’s bergamot and aromatic fresh fougère-style top notes. It’s only after about twenty or thirty minutes’ wear that Polo’s leather, woods, and tobacco make their entrance. From that point onward it’s pretty close to what I remember as Polo, perhaps a touch drier and with less conifer resin at its heart, but still very much the big 1970s gentleman’s club leather and cigar scent. Which is to say good, if a bit out of synch with today’s olfactory aesthetic. I wouldn't pay the extraordinary premium that a bottle of Modern Reserve demanded upon first release, and I'm not certain how much (if any) improvement over the original Polo Modern Reserve represents, but this scent does succeed on its own merits.

I'm just sampling it now. For anyone who was unhappy about Polo Crest being discontinued. Break out the wine & celebrate. This smells just like it. That's a good thing. I sure hope to get a bottle. UPDATE:8/7/09. I got a bottle for Christmas and I just love it.

A simpler, modernized, but still viable version of the famed Polo Green… The resinousness of the original is reduced and so is the leather and heavier herbs like thyme, which makes for a much cleaner, less ponderous presence. It is still green but I think it is less coniferous and more airy. That strong presence of the original that wafted through the halls of the school thirty years ago hasn’t disappeared… it’s just been beautifully reinterpreted and it is unquestionably worthy to reside in the bottle of the original Polo. The green of Modern Reserve is an herbal green – primarily basil tempered by a sharpness-reducing cardamom. There is still a tiny bit too much leather for me, but not enough to keep me from buying a bottle. The softening floral element has been reduced to just a rather abstract jasmine note, and since jasmine is my favorite floral note, you won’t hear me complaining at the simplification. The (possibly dated) quality of the geranium has been removed and the base is a simplified, clear, and long lasting cedar and patchouli with a minimum of soft suede leather. I like this better the original. I had an at-a-distince admiration for the original although I never purchased it because the leather note was a bit too much for me. One sniff of Polo Modern Reserve and I laid down the cash and fulfilled a three-decade desire. I’ve worn Modern Reserve many times and I’m still as pleased as I can be – after all these years I can now wear a version of Polo Green.

The first thumbs down i'm afraid. Too green. I'm not a fan of overly sweet fragrances but this has no sweetness detectable at all. After the first hour i began to feel sick and couldn't wait to shower this mess off. Synthetic with strong sillage and longevity. Not pour moi.

I was ready to scrub it off right after I tested it, because of my not so pleasant encounter with the original Polo, but this is actually quite wearable.

It's a very green fragrance. It starts off with spicy basil, and when the topnotes have settled down, you can smell the pine, which links it to the original Polo. The drydown is remarkable in the sense that it is totally the end stages of Bulgari Pour Homme! The translucent pepper/white musk combo is definitely there.

I couldn't wear the original polo. The pine is so harsh. But Polo Modern Reserve does what it promises to to: it makes the original Polo wearable in the next century.