Results of my Top Five Week

I have had a lot of fun this past week conducting my own version of ‘King of the Mountain’.

I was beginning to feel that my ‘Top Five’ had become entrenched and a little too comfortable in their positions. So each day, for the last eight days, I wore one of my favorites and ‘challenged’ it with a variety of worthy competitors.

The only restriction I placed upon myself was that the fragrances had to still be in production.

If discontinued fragrances had been included, these three would have easily been in my top ten:

Giorgio for Men (1984) - Giorgio Beverly Hills (still my #1 fragrance of all-time)
Derby - Guerlain
Macassar - Rochas

This what my top five looked like when I started this review:

1. Vintage Tabarome - Creed
2. Heritage - Guerlain
3. Chanel Pour Monsieur (1955) - Chanel
4. Kolnisch Juchten - Parfums Regence
5. No. 88 - Czech & Speake

This is what my top five (and in the process, my top twenty) looks like now:

1. ‘Vintage’ Tabarome - Creed
2. No. 88 - Czech & Speake
3. Chanel Pour Monsieur (1955) - Chanel\t
4. Kolnisch Juchten - Parfums Regence\t
5. New York - Parfums de Nicolai

While my top five survived largely intact, No. 88 has moved into second place replacing Heritage which has been nudged out of the top five by the upstart New York.

The surprising part of this challenge to me is the major reshuffling that has occurred in my choices for the next two tiers of fragrances.

Tabacco Toscano and Cuir Mauresque did not surprise me coming in at #7 and #8. However, I did not expect Domenico Caraceni and Jean Pascal to finish in my top twenty, much less at #10 and #11. Also, I had pretty much forgotten and written off both Guerlain's Vetiver and Green Irish Tweed. I am absolutely stunned that I now have them listed at #19 and #20.

This is the rest of my new top twenty:

6. Heritage EdT & EdP - Guerlain
7. Tabacco Toscano - Santa Maria Novella
8. Cuir Mauresque - Serge Lutens
9. L'Air du Desert Marocain - Tauer Perfumes
10. Domenico Caraceni pour Homme - Domenico Caraceni
11. Jean Pascal - Jean Pascal\t
12. Royal English Leather - Creed
13. Black Aoud\t- Montale\t
14. Bois du Portugal - Creed
15. Jean Marie Farina Extra Vieille - Roger & Gallet
16. Winter Star - Michael Storer\t
17. Ambre Sultan - Serge Lutens
18. Kouros - Yves Saint Laurent
19. Vetiver - Guerlain
20. Green Irish Tweed - Creed\t

Honorable Mention - alphabetically by house (because, to me, they all deserve to be ranked #21):

Acqua di Parma Colonia - Acqua di Parma
Azzaro pour Homme - Azzaro
L'Anarchiste - Caron
Yatagan - Caron
Egoiste - Chanel
Avignon (Series 3: Incense) - Commes des Garcons
1776 Russian Leather - Elsha
Caravelle Epicee - Frapin
Gentleman - Givenchy
Bogart pour Homme - Jacques Bogart
Juozas Statkevicius - Juozas Statkevicius
Knize Ten - Knize
Krizia uomo - Krizia
Mazzolari Lui - Mazzolari
Black Tourmaline - Olivier Durbano
Ormonde Man - Ormonde Jayne
Blenheim Bouquet - Penhaligon's
Polo - Ralph Lauren
Richard James EdT(Savile Row) - Richard James
Acqua di Cuba - Santa Maria Novella
Tiffany for Men - Tiffany

I may have to do this again sometime!



Update 05/15/09 - Revised Top Ten:

Giorgio for Men
Vintage Tabarome
Czech & Speake No.88
Chanel Pour Monsieur (1955)
Kolnisch Juchten (Parfums Regence)
Domenico Caraceni Pour Homme (aka 1913)
L'Air de Rien
New York
Heritage
Town & Country (vintage)

How does anyone objectively analyze something so subjective as fragrance?

If you and I sampled and ranked the same twenty fragrances, our lists would be completely different.

That said, I did not set a predetermined structure of, for example, 'choosing at least one from each family' but I was cognizant of their family heritage. I relied primarily upon my nose and some limited blind testing courtesy of my wife - who puts up with me!

In some sense, it came down to splitting hairs: 'if I could only take 20 fragrances' then 'if I could only take 19 fragrances', then 18 fragrances, etc.

To give a little more perspective on my project, these are some of the notable (and truly excellent) fragrances that are in my wardrobe but not included on my list: Havana, Cuiron, Antaeus, Zino, JHL, Santal Noble, Aramis 900, Habit Rouge, Parfum d'Habit, Dunhill '34, Bel Ami, Chergui, Daim Blond, Musc Ravageur, Eau Sauvage, Rose 31, Monk, Voleur de Roses, Idole de Lubin, LV Uomo, Blue Amber, Acier Aluminum, Ambre Cannelle, C&S Cuba, Royale Heroes, mb03, G 11, Isfarkand and Terre d'Hermes.

Thanks everyone for your support and encouragement!