Astor
Geo F Trumper (1880)

Gentry from Kent, but he's always preferred the city. Eton, Cambridge, Sandhurst, some years in India, diplomatic service in Italy, Berlin, then at Whitehall. Very well read, one hears, patriotic, but quite the cosmopolitan - he loves caraway, apparently. Knows Elgar personally. Suits by Anderson & Sheppard. Very low key, quite elegant, but mind the pocket squares, he does indulge in slight eccentricities and has quite the sense of humour. An aesthete as well, always wears a jasmin blossom on the lapel - yes, he has contacts at Kew - and he has old regimental chums sent him very fine sandalwood from Mysore. At the Liberal Club mostly. Yes, quite the gentleman Astor is. Very fine chap indeed.

Pleasant enough barbershop cologne. Very fleeting so didn't really get to enjoy the drydown.

Another interesting scent from Trumper, redolent of assertive masculines such as Tuscany, and, to an extent, Kouros. The performance is a little less at EDC concentrations, but not ever so much, and I think that Astor might be too much for many modern noses.

The theme is of a standard cologne with the added spice and astringency of what is listed here as caraway; but I wouldn't be surprised if artemesia and/or cumin were in there as well. Jasmine, citrus, and aromatics are present as a matter of course for the genre.

Good to try and nice to know that a throwback such as this is still available. I can't say it has really grabbed my imagination at the moment, though, although that might change in time.

I've quite enjoyed wearing Astor lately. I'm not sure what it smelled like in 1880, but as of now, it's a 70's/80's-style masculine woody chypre. It's got a rather focused chypre structure that actually does smell vaguely of cypress, with slightly mentholated mint and citrus on top and a judicious mix of cedar and sandalwood in the middle, with just a pinch of sweet pine played against a nutmeggy mace backbone.

I think what's most notable about Astor is its refined subtlety. Most masculine woody chypres are, almost by definition, loud and brutal. But Astor doesn't have the nuclear patchouli or hawthorn that belch out from your typical 80's powerhouses, and it also lacks the Aramis-inspired herbal dank that adds ugliness to so many masculine classics. Instead, it's carefully balanced between woody, spiced, and sweet. Sillage and longevity fiends may want to skip Astor (or, for that matter, pretty much the entire Trumper line), as it is content to wave out subtle spicy wood sillage that lasts all day without the crass shouting that some woody chypre aficionados require. But, if you love the genre, Astor is very much worth a sniff.

Sweetish cigarette smoke

A light sandalwood mossy scent with a clean fresh feel to it. That sums up this fragrance to my nose a nice pleasant simple frag. I could imagine the barber splashing this onto my cheeks after a cut and shave. I like it.

This one begins very similar to Marlborough with that pencil shaving smokiness and a hint of citrus. Whereas the geranium takes over and projects great longevity with Marlborough, this one has a pine and oakmoss note that dominates. Though this offering doesn't last long and like many of Trumper scents this is the norm. Probably the worst of the classics from GFT, though not displeasing. Overall just Meh.

Today I am briefly testing Trumper's drier, more leathery offerings Astor, Curzon, Eucris and Marlborough together. It took me a few tries to distinguish them.
Astor is brighter and fruitier with sour apple for a while (?), but it gets weak fast. Drydown is pleasant dusty hay and pencils, but almost too weak to evaluate. Perhaps like a much weaker Tuscany or Burberry Original.

This reminds me so very much of an edc-strength version of Maitre's Bois Moussu. It got the exact same masculine mossy note, but in a light concentration, flanked by a light citrus up top. One of the better Trumpers.

A favorite of mine from Trumpers. Very soft and delicate sandalwood with a touch of warmth to it, almost a light sweetness. Not the most longevity, which is typical for me with a lot of the Trumpers fragrances, but very enjoyable. Great for those times when I need a quality fragrance of the lighter variety that won't offend those around me.

A little old style citrus, aldehydic florals, pine and lots of moss on top of the smooth creamy sandalwood accord which trumpers uses in so many of their colognes. In the heart there is a carraway effect, I suspect from an aldehyde.This does remind of Eucris at times, though it is less complex, more friendly and a little more restrained. The acrerbic green qualities are certainly present; the tamed animalic quality of the moss is like a softly spoken, well dressed gentleman who is incongruously deadly with his rapier if roused by injustice.Very fine indeed.

TRUMPER – ASTOR COLOGNE (1880)

The only Astor family Americans are familiar with is that of our first millionaire, John Jacob Astor (1763-1848), who made his money in the fur business and established himself and his family as the “first” of the “four hundred” in New York City society during the gilded age of the late nineteenth century.

That said, I must assume this Trumper scent is named for William Waldorf (1848-1919), first Viscount Astor.

All Trumper will tell us of its notes are sandalwood and caraway, but Basenotes reviewers (there are 16 of them as of this writing) have detected a plethora of others: cumin; artemisia; mint; cedar; pine; oak moss; coumarin; lemon; sage; and vetiver.

It's also been described as a woody chypre, a fougere and a spicy floral.

My impression is that it is a spicy chypre, similar in design to the plethora of men's “powerhouse” scents of a century later (the 1980s). I detect certainly the caraway and a restrained use of oak moss, vetiver and cedar. There is a sweetness that I believe is due to a balance of clary sage, lemon and lavender. I certainly do get an impression of spice, but perhaps that is the caraway speaking in another voice. Galbanum may also be present to provide the very green overall voice.

My spouse found it comforting and bracing, dry with (to his nose) soft hints of lavender and rose.

When I first reviewed this back in 2007, I was a neophyte re scents and was put off by the chypre genre. Over the years I have come to love it and find that Astor is one of the very best. It is enjoyable to learn that the powerhouse 80s of the 20th century was merely a repeat of a century prior. Highly recommended.