Antaeus Sport
Chanel (1985)

There are fragrances that become "rare" through hoarding and market control by scalpers looking to cash in on hype or panic, then there are true rarieties that are scarce on a tangible level, having been small production or huge failures quickly aborted after release. Chanel Antaeus Sport (1985), or more accurately Chanel Antaeus pour Homme Sport Cologne, is one such true rarity among many false "unicorns" only made so by online hysteria and the greed of aftermarket sellers. You won't find this stuff often online, and when you do it will not be for a nice price, because when Chanel launched it they quickly aborted it after it failed to register so much as a blip on the radar. It's hard to say why without having been there, but I can guess part of it is the confusion surrounding the way Chanel mishandled its first-ever flanker fragrance that wasn't just an alternate concentration, from the identical packaging, near-indentical labelling, and smell that neither succeeded in coming across "sporty" nor separated itself adequately from the pillar release of Chanel Antaeus (1981). What you get here in Chanel Antaeus Sport (or Sport Cologne if you must) is a scent that seeks to be a more lively and brighter "fresh" Antaeus experience, but instead comes across richer and smoother thanks to the blending. Chanel Antaeus Sport is good, but certainly wasn't different enough to warrant someone already owning the original to buy this one too. Chanel pulled the plug on this before anyone really had a chance to know what was going on, and some people to this day do not realize there ever was a "sport version" of Antaeus, which gives you an idea of how rare this scent actually is compared to so many "unicorns" praised on Reddit, in forums, or YouTube.

The opening of Chanel Antaeus Sport mimics the original except with the addition of artemisia, peppermint, and pimento, but the removal of myrtle, coriander, and other "brown" notes. The citrus remains in place, and the contrast of cool mint with hot pimento gets a bit lost over the bitter artemisia, which makes Antaeus Sport have some connective tissue with Quorum by Antonio Puig (1982). Some people already consider Quorum to be a "poor man's Antaeus" as is due to similarities in structure, and Antaeus Sport sort of gives that claim more validity because of the top note similarity thanks to that artemisia. Of course, the dry down is very different, as Antaeus Sport moves into the same basil and rose, but with thyme replaced by a hotter mace note, and a bit of jasmine hedione to "uplift" the laughable attempt at making such a monster of raw masculinity seem fresh. It almost feels as if house perfumer Jacques Polge was under duress from managment to make this flanker, as his choices of what to switch in and what to remove seem too academic, like they were done by the numbers rather than by the nose. The base is of course the patchouli, sandalwood, castoreum leather, and oakmoss that defines the original Antaeus finish, but there is a lighter touch with added vetiver, and no beeswax, labdanum, or incense notes to anchor the castoreum. This has the opposite of the intended effect and makes the animalic castoreum note more readily detectable to me, even though the overall feel is smoother, less confrontational, and less loud. This reads like a classic 80's powerhouse like the original, so it sways formal and is best to wear in cool weather or situations where you want to feel a little imposing, and performance is more than enough with a day's worth of heavy projection.

If you're a collector of rare specimens, Chanel Antaeus Sport may be a legitimate one to seek out if you have the coin to spare, but considering this is a true Maltese falcon and not something back stocked in the dozens by colluding eBay flippers, how much you use it practically in your wardrobe is curbed by that fact. When you separate the fragrance itself from its objectification as a collectable trophy for the hardcore vintage guru, you're left with an interesting anecdote in Chanel history, and a case example of how not to do your first flanker. I'm sure Chanel learned after this that flankers have to be similar enough in packaging to be identified as a flanker, but different enough in smell to substantiate themselves as something worthy of "flanking" the core product, so someone familiar with that product is inclined to buy into the concept of a larger range rather than a singular entry; and they've since done good flankers that are a balancing act of these things. Modern-day flankers go to the opposite extreme by oftentimes just sharing the same name in common with the original pillar fragrance and nothing else. Chanel Antaeus Sport is a good alternate-reality Antaeus that unintentionally answers the unasked question of what Chanel Antaeus would smell like if it had more of a classic drugstore vibe, but as some people seem insistent on pointing out, Quorum already exists to serve much the same purpose. Lastly, there are some intrepid folks out there who prefer this version of Antaeus to the original and jump through substantial hoops to keep a supply, so if I had anything to do with it, I'd just divvy up all remaining bottles amongst them to make them happy, since they're the real heroes in this story. Thumbs up.

I absolutely love Antaeus, especially vintage Antaeus (pre-2000's). Antaeus Sport Cologne, to my nose, is almost identical to Antaeus. Released in 1985, 4 years following the release of Antaeus, it seems that this flanker didn't succeed as Chanel had hoped and was discontinued after only a few years. It came in both splash and spray bottles.

I concur with other reviewers that this is not as "pronounced" as the 1981 original, though the notes seem nearly identical. There are no new notes or accords that I can detect - certainly none that jump out at me. The dry-down is where I really pick up the difference. It is very sweet and borderline cloying - a sandalwood/vanilla combo, though I can't say it's vanilla I'm smelling... just sweetness that isn't there in the original. Sometimes it's hard to discern in vintages if natural aging (or degradation) of ingredients is the primary reason behind the change in smell.

Though I still keep a bottle of Antaeus Sport Cologne and have had several bottles of it in my collection over time, I wouldn't go out of my way to get the Sport Cologne or pay much more than I would for vintage Antaeus. A Chanel collector should certainly wish to acquire a bottle for the sake of its rarity, but sometimes I forget that I still have a bottle of this in my wardrobe!

Antaeus Sport won't disappoint, but if you already know and love Antaeus I don't think this flanker will really provide a radically different experience than vintage Antaeus until the dry-down. If one wants to observe such a vast departure from the original, seek out reformulated/modern Antaeus and contrast it to the vintages. If you're a total Antaeus fanatic it is worth trying Sport Cologne. It's almost guaranteed you will enjoy it.

Mesmerizing Antaeus flanker. This sport version is a little softer, especially in the opening. I think I may like it even more than the original release, but it's not as strong or complex. It's a slightly toned down version that's a little easier to pull off, at least soon after spraying.

It seems to add a touch of sweetness in place of the mossy bite of the original. Maybe it was discontinued in part for being too similar to the original, but for me it's a nice complement to the original to have in the rotation.

A true relative of Antaeus… I love it, but I'm not at all sure it's a sport fragrance. I mean… Castoreum and leather in a sports fragrance? …Takes a lot of believing!

Antaeus Sport joins the ranks of the best masculine fragrances I've experienced. It is a less dense version of the classic, vintage Antaeus (not the present Antaeus, which is a shadow of its former self). Antaeus Sport makes vintage Antaeus more wearable and a little bit cleaner without removing the quality and panache of the original… yet it retains the vintage Antaeus's sophisticated sillage and lasting longevity. I didn't think it possible but I like this one better than the vintage Antaeus.

A big thank you to the generosity of the lover of power scents / former Basenoter who provided me with this excellent experience of sampling of Antaeus Sport Cologne, and I'm treasuring every drop of it. Two thumbs way, way up!

Probably looked better on paper than what was actually produced. This was one heck of a job to pull off being that Anteus is such a dark and mysterious fragrance. Ultimately didn't work but is a nice edition to my collection.

Medal worthy sports flankerA crisp citrus-bergamot-mint opening is soon softened by a jasmine note. In the drydown a very nice rose appears, whose sweetness is dampened by a white pepper counterpoint; then a delightful raisinous nose gives it added depth and character. A beautiful gentle patchouli emerges in the base, not harsh or sharp. For the last couple of hours it is oakmoss, however, that dominates the scene, again a softened and very much a milder version of the usually harsh chypre note. It is as if Jacques Polge wanted to demonstrate that these otherwise harsh ingredients can be softened in the right hands. As sports flanker this is smoother, gentler and more restrained that the original. Silage and projection are very good, as is the longevity of over six hours. One of the very few sports version that I prefer to the original.

Simply put, a lighter, smoother version of the wonderful Antaeus. Less herbal and more woodsy with a different sandalwood note. Also of note, towards the end, Antaeus Sport smells a lot like Versailles pour Homme by Jean Desprez's styrax.