John Varvatos Vintage

The scent is great. It starts sweet, like citrus or something, and then finishes woody and masculine. I think there's a bit of patchouli, cypress or maybe sandalwood in there.

Anyways, I will save you a lot of time trying to describe this scent and just tell you straight up what it is. This is Drakkar Noir. Very similar scent. That popular 80s colonge is back in John Varvatos packaging. So if you know that scent and hated it, then you won't like this. But if you thought it smelled good at the time, then this is a modern version. I haven't smelled that stuff in like 20 years, but this instantly reminded me of it and you can't forget what it smelled like.

This is my current scent of choice, despite the cheesy association to the now discount bin scent of Drakkar Noir that it gives me. I picked up the aftershave, bodywash, and deodorant because I liked the scent so much. (Don't bother with the bodywash or the deodorant, they are terrible products and overpriced.)

This is the cologne I am currently using; I get lots of compliments from the ladies!

Well, for an "inexpirienced" nose, your description is remarcably accurate.
It starts out as a smoky vanilla, it has middle nots of leather and spices and it ends up smelling like dried fruits and other edible things. The fragrances by Varvatos are incredibly complex in evolution; IMO, much more complex than 95% Niche fragrances. They can also be bought at really cheap prices. The only thing someone may complain about is the longevity. I get 8 hours out of it though,

To me, it seems a little silly to review a cologne. Apart from some very rare exceptions, most colognes seem to have such a radical variation from user to user that it's almost futile to submit a review. YMMV has never had more meaning than in a cologne review. For any given fragrance, the reviews will range from "vile and disgusting" to "a perfect masterpiece." However, I was compelled to express my thoughts on this cologne. It has grabbed me in a way that no fragrance ever has.

Several weeks ago, my girlfriend and I were browsing through a department store sampling men's cologne. I had recently bought a bottle of Givenchy Pi Neo for my father and was impressed, and was looking for something new to try. Everything smelled quite pleasant in a general way, but I was looking for something to really catch my attention. It was when I sampled Vintage that my eyes widened, I walked to my girlfriend with a huge grin on my face, and announced, "This is the one." She agreed.

Even though the smell on the scent card had nabbed me from the start, on the skin it takes on a whole new fascinating character. It starts out beautifully sweet, in a good way. I'm no good at identifying individual scents, so I can only give my impressions. The opening just brings me to Thanksgiving dinner with my mom cooking a pumpkin pie in the oven. It's warm and good enough to eat. As it dries down, there is definitely tobacco and subtle spices. To me (who has been in an entire family with at least three generations of dedicated smokers) this scent is wonderfully familiar and comfortable. Once again, with an inexperienced nose, I can only describe the feelings evoked by the scent. As the cologne dries down I catch a whiff and I'm a child again, getting a hug from my father, with the scent of tobacco melded with that smell of fall that seeps from his jacket on a cold autumn day.

Even though I've fallen in love with this scent because of the personal connotations this scent carries with it, people I've been close to have described it as warm, masculine, and attractive. Definitely worth at least a spritz on the wrist at your local department store.