Reviews of Casran by Chopard

Very classy, sadly discontinued scent from Casran that is commanding some HUGE prices online.

Casran surrounds the wearer with a semi-gourmand cloud, with perceived notes of subtle spices and dark, sweet fruity tones. The result is a thick, aromatic oriental scent, echoing older scents like Caron's The Third Man and Laura Biagiotti's Roma Uomo.

This fragrance can be worn on most occasions, esp. in cooler weather (warmer temps may not suit the density of this moderately heavy scent).

I regret giving away my big bottle years back! ;-< I still have a mini edt, just for old times sake. ;->

There is definite bergamot as main accord in the top notes, with a yuzu-like line note and some added cardamom. A middle note based on lavender's greenness with a touch of sage, which does not really develop well on my skin, is followed by a fairly generic base of woody spiciness. Overall with the good top notes it is not bad, but not particularly interesting. Limited silage, decent projection and about five hours of longevity on me.

For originality and truth in advertising, Casran gets a thumbs down. For the aroma itself, in a vacuum, it is not bad so I settle for a neutral.

Smells like it's from the same neck of the woods as Deauville, Colonial Club and others of the era. The note recipe listed above bears scant resemblance to the very linear yet pleasant Casran. Maybe there's some bergamot, there is a sandalwood-like note and vanilla, of course, since men's fragrance developers nowadays are inspired more by Foster's Freeze than by, say, Rolls Royce.

the pyramid is very misleading. short live slightly spicy/light fruity accord with no longevity or sillage. gone in 60 seconds>>

The worst perfume, i have ever used or purchased, smells like a lot of amber with coconut - more for the ladies i would say, i sprayed the remainder in an area with no human movement.

This one is not a bad scent, but it is quite disappointing. I get a lot of semi-sweet licorice-like anise, chemical powder and nothing much else. The scent pyramid has a lot of notes that I just do not smell, and it is missing the anise that I definitely *do* smell... Quite linear, and somewhat classy but not distinctive. There are many better gourmands out there, but I haven't thrown out my bottle of this stuff from a blind buy purchase years ago, so I can't completely dislike the stuff... Maybe it is the fancy bottle? I would say this is 2.5 to 3 stars out of 5. Not hideous, but also not recommended.

Singular horrendous foulness in a bottle! A sharp astringency pervades the entire wear and the cocoa notes are more of a burnt scent. Difficult to find cherry, fig, and vanilla traits as fragrances are muddy and not sweet enough to carry the senses in that direction. Casran just doesn't "read" as the pyramid it's purported to represent. Rather indicative of a burnt bake shop! There is no evolution, it is quite linear and projects as acrid throughout a mercifully short longevity.

Smells rather ordinary given the extraordinary pyramid. Rochas Man and Hanae Mori HM are more realized versions on this theme. Extremely hard to find but if you don't, you're not missing much.

Astonishingly good, beautiful elements merged through a white spirit and made more subtle for it, I love Casran. As the fragrance warms with wear, different components emerge. I find a 'praline' which I expect is the melding of amber, vanilla and sandalwood. The chocolate, prune, and the aromatics serve to balance the gourmand components and not allow the fragrance to sweeten or cloy; despite which, it is sweet but mannered. No single component dominates although they seem to 'ripple' throughout the development and dry-down. This is like a colourless gemstone with facets that catch the light suddenly; it is transparent and magical. The more restrained the application, the more delightful the journey. Perhaps, the best way to enjoy this journey is to apply a tiny amount to the nape of the neck of one's partner.

rich, it's all i can say, a great perfume!

To my nose quite badly engineered modern oriental juice. It smells sharp, thin and astringent. Definitely much more feminine than most of its kinds. Actually, to me this smells a lot like some cheap mediocre female fragrance.The most annoying thing in Casran is that the whole list of wonderful notes in the pyramid doesn't fit at all in real life. I mean, I don't get rum, chocolate, cherries, prunes or dates…..It smells sharp and straightforward fruity-floral amber with light green accent and hint of caramel. I suggest you don't fall for that delicious sounding pyramid – it just doesn't give you a clue how this scent actually smells. It (pyramid) seems to be very much of a gimmick. If you are still interested and curious, find out yourself and see if you can agree with me at all.

Very linear and chemical. Feels like a chemical mess to me and doesn't add up in the notes. I don't get any of them shown on the note pyramid.

very gourmand and sweet, good drydown, made by Nathalie Lorson, of Kate Moss and Boucheron Saphir fame.

There are different versions of the notes: some include rum, ambered cherries, and chocolate; others, Moroccan geranium. I couldn't tell you everything that's in this one; but the overall impression is spicy and oriental, and maybe a hint of green and leather. This is certainly an energizing scent for me. It has a great deal of "presence" without being loud or raucous. A bit sharp at first (perhaps the nutmeg and anise?), it dries down to a suave and elegant finish.

Disappointing relative to my very high hopes. In fact, it's the first blind buy that I regret, although it wasn't expensive and isn't awful.It starts out incredibly thin on my skin, so the first time I wore it, I over-applied and then began to regret this action as a sweet and vaguely fruity note became prominent. It's a scent I know ... it's just like that sweet plum wine one is sometimes served at the end of a Japanese meal.And then it pretty much stays like that. I suppose a bit of woodiness develops, but I don't enjoy sniffing for it because I find the persistent sweetness unpleasant.If you want a fragrance that is sweet and light and not floral -- a bit like Pi but cooler and lighter -- this might work for you. But this much sweetness is too much for me.And yes, the bottle is gorgeous.

After reading the reviews here I had very high expectations going in for Casran. It doesn't quite meet them, but other people (I've been around) really seem to like it, and I guess I do too. It is basically linear, but I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing. To my nose, it has three main notes: citrus, cherry and chocolate. My only complaints are that it's a little too sweet and it stays somewhat close to the skin. But, it's inexpensive and the longevity is good. It's definitely a worthwhile purchase.

I get more coriander, cardamom, and bergamot out of the opening than I do rum. It's a very sweet opening existing in a crystal clear ambiance which makes it different from the usual run of sweet fragrances–there's no syrupy, sticky sweetness here, just a clean, sharp, incisive, somewhat spicy sweetness that holds true for a very respectable time. The middle gourmand notes are certainly not overdone; they are quite restrained and subtle to my nose, and yet they don't lack substance. I don't really get much chocolate but the cherries and prunes come through–especially if I use a little imagination. They, too, are delicate notes that don't suffer from an excess of syrupiness, and they are so like the top notes that the fragrance gets a deserved reputation for linearity. The dry down brings in even more sweetness–especially vanilla–but there is a wispy woodnote floating in and out of the sweetness at first, then an excellent sandalwood / amber accord (I don't get much vanilla in the end of the dry down). The dry down is my favorite part of the scent. Linear, sweet, clean, sharp, and somehow very satisfying–that's what I get from this scent. I don't exactly understand why I feel good about Cašran–it doesn't seem to have any standout qualities, and yet it is certainly a scent that I enjoy.

I need to vent my disappointment. This should have been perfect. That gorgeous bottle which made we WANT the moment I saw it. Even the cardboard box is beautiful, for god's sake. Then that enticing pyramid, promising rum, fruit and oriental delights, right down my alley. Finally all the rave reviews here from respected basenoters who know their frags. It should have been perfect, yes, but it's a total letdown. On me this is rather thin, and not luscious. There is abso- posi -tively NOTHING in there from the pyramid. Well, if there were light fruit aspects, or some booziness at least, but what there is is just a boring creaminess which somebody here very rightly associated with NIVEA. I hate the smell of Nivea. I just don't get what is supposed to be so great about this fragrance. Boredom, linear mediocrity and of the kind I personally don't like at that. Ironically I bought this blind together with Opium EdT, which I was very uncertain about, but loved immediately. I hope I'll find something in Casran that will make me revise this judgment, but I frankly do not see where it should come from. Sigh!

The most futile thing is to try to describe this scent. I can't begin to describe this one, it's just so unique. It's one of those ethereal things that words can't describe. The bergamot note is pronounced and the high notes of licorice and rum are just heaven. I also believe there's Moroccan Geranium in this very complex, elegant and unmistakable cologne. The scent lasts very well. It's a subtle scent to begin with, but has staying power. Winter or summer, casual or formal, this is the ultimate scent. If you have an addictive personality, do not buy this. You'll lock yourself in a room and do nothing but smell it. If you like classy and sophisticated fragrances you'll love it but if you prefer cheap and tawdry, you probably won't. And the bottle, what can I say? Attractive. This is a magical, mystical fragrance; truly unique and wonderful!

I bought Chopard's Casran blind, based on the enthusiasm here on the forum, and while this scent strikes an instant and pleasant chord in my heart, I couldn't help thinking it smelled similar to something I owned. Lo' and behold, I zero-ed in on the familiarity between it and Lacoste Pour Homme. Because it had similar fruity berry notes, it was in sync with each other in familiarity. Cardamom might also be the note that ties the two. They both begin with a fresh fruity presence, but then the two impart their two personalities...Lacoste takes a deeper road, whiles Casran takes a woodsier and bright personality, and this is where it parts ways. Bottom line is that if someone adores Casran, they can possibly also appreciate its familiarity in Lacoste PH. Longevity seems it's on par with each other. Both seem to evoke a sophisticated, youthful vitality. I tested each on my wrists, and bringing both together to sniff, there wasn't a note to clash with each other, wishing there was something out there to combine the two. If I had to choose, I would choose Casran, because Lacoste seemed to dry down with a linearity that was quick and predictable, and ended up smelling cheap alongside of Casran, which at least smells of a fuller bouquet, its notes more collective, right to the end, with a woodsy note that pleases and captivates, at least for my tastes. Hope this can astound members to some degree, and at least bring a wake up call that with trends and obsessions, many houses tend to replicate a current trend, with their own punch of expression, but to the unknowing "nose", they achieve the same familiar result, in other words, they can't tell the difference! Cheers everybody!

really nice daytime, formal fragrance.the bottle is so professional and awesome.

It's a pretty great scent, but I definately agree with that its basically linear. I'm mainly picking up cherries and wood when I wear it, but that's not a bad thing. Definately good for the cooler weather, and perhaps more so if you're wearing a blazer.

Casran is a nice but not outstanding fragrance from the bling-bling experts at Chopard. It's similar to a dozen things on the market and really isn't half as gourmand as the pyramid indicates. Buy it if you get a good deal, otherwise don't.