I own Penhaligon's most recent mens release Sartorial but wanted to know your opinion as to which is your favorite of all time. Have heard alot of good things about Racquets & Blenheim Bouquet, which of their scents do you like best?
Best Penhaligon's Scent
- Thread starter Koken
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My personal favorites are English Fern and Endymion. English Fern has recently become my daily fragrance 
This is totally a YMMV category and you never really now for sure until you sample them yourself.
For example I love EF and am thinking of bottles of Opus and Castille.
I absolutely hate BB and endymion. Sartorial I need to resample as well as Duoro.
For example I love EF and am thinking of bottles of Opus and Castille.
I absolutely hate BB and endymion. Sartorial I need to resample as well as Duoro.
Absolutely love it!
Depends what you like!
I'd say get small decants of Blenheim Bouquet, Opus 1870, and Endymion to start out with. Those are their big sellers on the men's side, and a nice spectrum of old-school to modern style. BB is very old-fashioned (though not in a bad way), Opus 1870 is a modern take on the classic floral-and-wood style, and Endymion is a very modern fragrance (it's more or less a gourmand).
Fine stuff all.
I'd say get small decants of Blenheim Bouquet, Opus 1870, and Endymion to start out with. Those are their big sellers on the men's side, and a nice spectrum of old-school to modern style. BB is very old-fashioned (though not in a bad way), Opus 1870 is a modern take on the classic floral-and-wood style, and Endymion is a very modern fragrance (it's more or less a gourmand).
Fine stuff all.
Get samples of the whole line and try them. That is the only real way to know for yourself which one is your favorite.
I like several of their frags, but I don't love any of them.
I can't say I have a favorite, but my top 3 are Sartorial, English Fern, and Racquets.
I like several of their frags, but I don't love any of them.
I can't say I have a favorite, but my top 3 are Sartorial, English Fern, and Racquets.
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If any can come close to Sartorial I would be very happy, I have gotten more compliments on Sartorial than any other cologne in a long time. To me it is what Brut would smell like in present tense, a classic fougere of epic proportions...
Exactly. Sartorial is a modernized polished up Brut with much higher quality ingredients. If you like that fougere/barbershop vibe, I'd highly recommend English Fern and Racquets.
Racquets is to Pinaud Clubman what Sartorial is to Brut. Same concept.
I can't really think of anything else similar to English Fern. It's just a very rich, green classic fougere.
Comments on a few others:
BB - Heavy citrus top note, followed by pine and pepper. It wasn't really my cup of tea. I think the sharp citrus threw me off. I don't really like strong citrus notes in colognes for the most part.
Endymion - One of their more "modern" frags trying to appeal to the younger generation. Nothing special IMO.
Douro - Amazing scent. Hard to describe. Lots going on with a hint of citrus and lavender in the top, neroli in the heart, and a warm base of oakmoss and sandalwood. This one evolves quite a bit over it's life. A very comfortable scent, but it won't blow your mind.
Opus 1870 - Slightly boozy cedar. Good, but gets a little too powdery in the dry down to be a favorite. Eliminate the powder and it would be in my top 3 from Pens.
Hammam Bouquet - Polarizing floral. Not my cup of tea.
Quercus - Meh.
Castile - Really like it. Reminscent of Acqua di Parma Colonia, but not quite as good. Strong neroli note.
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My top three:
English Fern
Blenheim Bouquet
Sartorial
English Fern
Blenheim Bouquet
Sartorial
I'm a massive blenheim bouquet fan
You will likely also like, no, love, English Fern. Sort of similar to Sartorial, but greener and soapier. Run, don't walk, to sample this one. Kind of like a warm weather version of Sartorial in my mind.
Racquets very barbershoppy and nice. One of the scents that always catches me off guard in the afternoon..."wow, someone smells good...oh, it's ME." Happens just about every time I wear it.
Blenheim Bouquet a holy grail scent here, but the popularity escapes me. Lemon and pine for 30-40 minutes. YMMV, my nose is pretty dense, but I've read lots of knocks that this one is longevity light weight.
Endymion is their version of a gourmand scent. Probably sells best to younger guys. I kind of like it. But it wears pretty light. Women like it.
Hammam Bouquet is from another era and kind of an acquired taste. It's opening is boozy and has been likened to "roses macerated in baby oil" (once you've read that, that IS what it will smell like). When wearing this one, you almost feel like you should heading to a duel - with swords.
Racquets, Sartorial and English Fern among my favorites in a pretty extensive collection. Three great wet shaver scents and all last well on me.
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English Fern
Sartorial
Opus
Lords (Douro)
Sartorial
Opus
Lords (Douro)
Opus 1870 is quite possibly my favorite scent ever, well maybe tied with Czech & Speake No. 88.
English Fern is my second favorite from Pen's.
English Fern is my second favorite from Pen's.
LP#9 - maybe its the scarcity, but that's the one I keep coming back to...
Wow, great notes.
For me, top two Pen's: BB and Douro (Lords)--Not much I can add re BB. Douro seems exotic. Something along the lines of, say, Havana. I really, really like it.
[Sartorial might go here. I have not had enough of it to fully know how I feel about it.]
[I also do not know where to put Racquets. I have not had any in a very long time. When I tried it, it seemed like a very nice barbershop. I love barbershop. But I am not sure I do not like Clubman as much. I need to retry it.]
Next in order:
English Fern--To me, the classic fourgere.
Elixir (no other love for Elixir here??)--something of a gateway scent for me to the current frag addiction. Olivia Giacobetti absolutely banging on all cylinders here, to me. Highly unusual. Powered by a "eucalyptus steam" opening, whatever that is. To me, a masterpiece. Why not higher in the order, then? I do not find myself wearing it as much as the ones above, and it seems less "welcoming" to me.
HB may go here. I admire HB, but I do not end up wearing it. I do not think I can add anything that has not already been said.
Opus--To me has elements of the Pen's I like even better, but a great scent itself. A scent that to me is less attention catching that the above scents. More middle of the road. Not quality-wise, it is excellent, but more like other scents out there in type. How can anyone not like this one?
Castile--Again, what is not to like? A good neroli scent. There are better nerolis out there, but this one is quite good.
LP No. 9--Smells like "Double Bubble" bubble gum to me. Kind of interesting and creative, so props for that, but not my cup of tea.
Not on my list because too feminine, but Elisabethan Rose is a very very good English tea rose. Very pure. Very very good quality. Smells so nice. I just to not want to smell like it, at least without layering.
To me a great house.
Quercus--Sort of neither here nor there. I do not understand what it trying to be. Pleasent. Unremarkable.
Endymion--Gourmondish. Lots of vanilla. I do not like it. Many do.
For me, top two Pen's: BB and Douro (Lords)--Not much I can add re BB. Douro seems exotic. Something along the lines of, say, Havana. I really, really like it.
[Sartorial might go here. I have not had enough of it to fully know how I feel about it.]
[I also do not know where to put Racquets. I have not had any in a very long time. When I tried it, it seemed like a very nice barbershop. I love barbershop. But I am not sure I do not like Clubman as much. I need to retry it.]
Next in order:
English Fern--To me, the classic fourgere.
Elixir (no other love for Elixir here??)--something of a gateway scent for me to the current frag addiction. Olivia Giacobetti absolutely banging on all cylinders here, to me. Highly unusual. Powered by a "eucalyptus steam" opening, whatever that is. To me, a masterpiece. Why not higher in the order, then? I do not find myself wearing it as much as the ones above, and it seems less "welcoming" to me.
HB may go here. I admire HB, but I do not end up wearing it. I do not think I can add anything that has not already been said.
Opus--To me has elements of the Pen's I like even better, but a great scent itself. A scent that to me is less attention catching that the above scents. More middle of the road. Not quality-wise, it is excellent, but more like other scents out there in type. How can anyone not like this one?
Castile--Again, what is not to like? A good neroli scent. There are better nerolis out there, but this one is quite good.
LP No. 9--Smells like "Double Bubble" bubble gum to me. Kind of interesting and creative, so props for that, but not my cup of tea.
Not on my list because too feminine, but Elisabethan Rose is a very very good English tea rose. Very pure. Very very good quality. Smells so nice. I just to not want to smell like it, at least without layering.
To me a great house.
Quercus--Sort of neither here nor there. I do not understand what it trying to be. Pleasent. Unremarkable.
Endymion--Gourmondish. Lots of vanilla. I do not like it. Many do.
Sorry Channing, I guess Elixir is the only Pens frag I haven't tried. Didn't leave it out intentionally, but now I have something for my "to try" list.
Elixir is a really great scent IMO. Perfect for the winter.
I'm prety new to all this. Haven't worn much for years other than AS. Where can one get decants of Penhaligon's? Thanks.
Mark
I agree, it's a great winter scent.
Everyone says it's supposed to be similar to or derivative of Hammam Bouquet, but I don't get that. The wood notes in Elixir actually remind me of Opus 1870, which I don't really like, but blended with spice notes that make it quite enjoyable.
