Taylor of Old Bond Street #74 A/S Splash....

Another great value from Taylors

I must say this is one of the more interesting scents. It opens with a blast of bergamot and mandarin that is backed up by the floral heart of jasmine, rose, ylang, and lilac, with a base of musk, powder, and light woods. The main complaint people seem to have with the floral component is the indoles. Molecules that cause the dark, stuffy, musty smell associated with flowers such as jasmine and petunia. They deepen the floral scent, but can smell animalic and fecal.

I used to buy this years ago as "Royal Yacht" and was sad to see it disappear from the market. Then one day I called in to TOBS in Jermyn Street to sample a few scents and Immediately recognised the unique scent of No74 original. It was explained to me that TOBS had bought the right to make the scent, but the previous maker would not sell the use of the name. In any event it is a very old scent, as I seem to remember a reference to Lord Curzon ( former Viceroy of India) using "Royal Yacht" and that would probably relate to the end of the 19th century.

As you say a beautiful and unique scent...but an acquired taste.

I found this to be a wonderful aftershave and am very glad I gave it a shot. It seems to be a very controversial scent, not unlike Lilac Vegetal (which I also love).

Price--8--I got mine at West Coast Shaving for $28 for 3.5 ounces. A very good deal. Of course you can find cheaper products, but for the quality this is a steal.

Quality--9--Like all TOBS products, very good. Not the premium packaging of Trumpers, but highly presentable and lasting.

Fights Razor Burn--10--difficult to give a number here, but it worked well for me. I didn't have razor burn but I am confident this would neutralize it.

Cooling Sensation--5--it has menthol in it, but I didn't notice an AV like effect. The alcohol dissipation did provide some coolness--it felt good.

Scent--10--this is where it shines. Completely unique, very strong (at first) floral that will make a statement. It mellows quickly but lingers for hours. Enchanting. It will of course generate controversy--if you don't like florals, you'll hate it.

Efficacy--10--it does exactly what it's supposed to do, perfectly.

Moisturizing--5--it doesn't add moisture really, but I also found it didn't take any away.

No alcohol burn--5--Not sure what to put for this. It does burn quite a bit, but it's supposed to. So I compromised and put a 5 here.