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Hammam Bouquet - A wonderful cool weather companion

post #1 of 20
1/30/10 at 2:00pm
Thread Starter 
I dusted off my bottle of Hammam Bouquet last week, and wondered just why I had neglected it for so long. Applying it in this spell of cooler weather has certainly allowed the spiced elements to shine, and a whole new dimension to HB has opened up to me. Despite having its genesis back in 1872, it has undoubtedly been updated several times, and it actually feels much more modern.

For those that are not familiar with this little gem, its name and spirit were inspired by the Turkish Baths built in 1862 by the London & Provincial Turkish Bath Co Ltd, and was located at No.76 Jermyn Street. The last one, at No.92 Jermyn Street closed its doors as recently as 1975.

If the current version has any similarity to the original, then William Penhaligon certainly has captured something of the exotic, faintly medicinal qualities of those ancient treatments.

Beyond the bracing bergamot and lavender opening, Hammam Bouquet has an intriguing blend of floral and spiced elements. The floral ingredients add some slight but natural sweetness, and the suggestion of cedar adds warmth and depth. I found considerable creativity and luxury in the heart notes, and it seems the perfect companion for formal occasions or cooler climes. This is a quite splendid oriental.

I would like to hear from any other devotees, detractors or indeed the indifferent.
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post #2 of 20
1/30/10 at 2:12pm
Of all the hundreds of perfumes that I have tried in my life, hammam Bouquet is and I believe always will be my favorite. I think it is a work of genius. it remains truly original after all these decades.

Hammam bouquet was created during the victorian period in England. It doesn't have any eucalyptus in it, which is usually the smell of saunas, but it has a vaporish character, which is difficult to define, that is very much like the one you feel in a Hammam. Hammam bouquet is a languid perfume. It reminds you of the relaxation, warmth and sensuality of a sauna. It actually will make you relax, feel warm and get horny because of the association. If you have ever been to a sauna or Hammam, of course.

I have two bottles and I am considering buying two more. I cannot live without having a HB bottle near me. I love it.
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post #3 of 20
1/30/10 at 2:14pm
Detractor here.

I'm fascinated to hear your take on it - from your description it sounds exotic, complex and rich. Unfortunately to me it just smells like a cloying, stuffy, soapy and powdery mess. And a VERY dated one at that. I have the same problem with most old English frags from the trad English houses (Pen's, Trumper and Floris; with Taylors, Truefitt & Hill and DR Harris largely, and thankfully, bucking that trend) - they all seem to be obsessed with the same note and they all seem to have it as a house accord, with just a few frags from each that I really like.

Now Pen's Blenheim is a bouquet I'd MUCH rather have. And now do, thanks to a great 'Bay bargain earlier in the week!
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post #4 of 20
1/30/10 at 2:34pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by great_badir View Post

Detractor here.

I'm fascinated to hear your take on it - from your description it sounds exotic, complex and rich. Unfortunately to me it just smells like a cloying, stuffy, soapy and powdery mess. And a VERY dated one at that. I have the same problem with most old English frags from the trad English houses (Pen's, Trumper and Floris; with Taylors, Truefitt & Hill and DR Harris largely, and thankfully, bucking that trend) - they all seem to be obsessed with the same note and they all seem to have it as a house accord, with just a few frags from each that I really like.

Now Pen's Blenheim is a bouquet I'd MUCH rather have. And now do, thanks to a great 'Bay bargain earlier in the week!

Same opinion here. I had a bottle of Hammam once but couldn't stand it any more after a certain time. I think it is a flat, sweet, boring stink. Sorry!

Threw it away.
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post #5 of 20
1/30/10 at 5:16pm
I get a strong dose of musky skank right off the bat. But I am getting more interested. For me, the rose doesn't come through the musk immediately. But when it does, it becomes very elegant. Good when wearing a suit and tie, but maybe wouldn't work with a more casual image. (This is after just one skin test--kinda hard to score take-home samples here.)
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post #6 of 20
1/30/10 at 11:42pm
For sophisticated Gentlemen. A bottle will be mine sometime this year.
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post #7 of 20
1/31/10 at 5:52am
I like it, but I cannot quite imagine where and how I would use it. Maybe on my list of things to wear when I want to be different.
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post #8 of 20
1/31/10 at 8:48am
I find it demands a level of sartorial respect and right now, I usually reach for Windsor when I'm in full dress business mode.
But I find a bit more romantic than Windsor, so I'd use it at night for a dressy date.
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post #9 of 20
1/31/10 at 6:45pm
I couldn't stand it. Really didn't work for me and my skin chemistry. Reminded me of the smell of unwashed, itchy hair full of days old, rose-scented pomade.
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post #10 of 20
1/31/10 at 7:37pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by mikeperez23 View Post

I couldn't stand it. Really didn't work for me and my skin chemistry. Reminded me of the smell of unwashed, itchy hair full of days old, rose-scented pomade.

Whoa, now we're speaking my language. I'll pull my HB out and wear it this week now.
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post #11 of 20
1/31/10 at 7:49pm
One thing I can comment on is we can never appreciate this fragrance like people back in the days did.
You see Hammams were the central chill spot for just about any individual from any social class, and they symbolized recreation, relaxation, and community (people use to take the newly wed groom to the hammam before his wedding), which we of course know nothing about. Keeping this in mind, we have no real emotion tied to the smell of the Hammam, which I am sure many people did back in the days.

None the less, I guess some people can imagine better than others, and take a ride back to the past every time they wear such a unique fragrance
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post #12 of 20
1/31/10 at 7:53pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hasupk@gmail.com View Post

we can never appreciate this fragrance like people back in the days did.You see Hammams were the central chill spot for just about any individual from any social class, and they symbolized recreation, relaxation, and community (people use to take the newly wed groom to the hammam before his wedding), which we of course know nothing about. Keeping this in mind, we have no real emotion tied to the smell of the Hammam, which I am sure many people did back in the days.


Of course we can. I've been to Hammams, to normal saunas, to gay saunas, and to in-house saunas (at my parents and friends' houses). Saunas are part of my life and my adventures!
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post #13 of 20
2/7/10 at 2:08pm
My Boss wears this one, and it's very cold here in NYC. Very impressive
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post #14 of 20
11/10/11 at 11:33pm
I almost blind bought this one. But I am so curios about Hammam B.....
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post #15 of 20
11/10/11 at 11:37pm
It's a love-it-or-hate-it scent, as you have seen.

You must sample this first, as it is not for everyone.
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post #16 of 20
11/10/11 at 11:58pm
A friend of mine raves about it, but I personally am not a fan.
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post #17 of 20
11/11/11 at 12:08am
I love HB; rose and baby oil! It´s a fantastic, long-lasting, Victorian-style Gentleman´s scent.
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post #18 of 20
11/11/11 at 12:14am
I love it. It was, in fact, the first perfume I ever purchased. When my bottle runs out, I will likely get another. It took me a long time to enjoy the last part of the drydown. For ages, I thought it merely a jasminate powder - a let-down after what came before. I was wrong; some lavender survives, and it's quite like the peculiar smell of an orchid at this stage. So the base notes can be an acquired taste (if one is like me) to appreciatively perceive. Without question, though, the top and heart notes are utterly sublime.
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post #19 of 20
11/11/11 at 9:51am
My goodness what a coincidence. I was just testing this today and searching BN for info on it.
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post #20 of 20
11/11/11 at 10:10am
Thread Starter 
Still polarizing opinion, and still extraordinary.
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