Cold Spices
Phoenix Artisan Accoutrements

According to PAA's Douglas Smythe, this scent is an "homage" to the original vintage Shulton formula. The main play on this theme is the 'Cold' menthol in the shaving products that also comes across in the opening of the scent. After the quick menthol fade this scent is a very nice, classic Oriental Spicy scent that indeed hearkens back to the days of the knock-off's of Old Spice. This particular scent has a particularly punchy floral section that strikes a different balance than the vintage Shulton.

In my opinion, this fragrance has better quality floral materials in it than anything you'll find at the store from Procter & Gamble. The scent is more substantial and dense from Cold Spices than even from my vintage bottle of Old Spice. The floral notes in this just smells 'alive' to me and instead of being smeared with other notes like in the various Old Spice versions of the past.

I really enjoy this take on Old Spice. It seems to remind me more of Shulton's vintage Early American Old Spice, which is the women's version. Although Cold Spices is not precisely the same scent as Old Spice, it's the same species and what's mostly different is the 'effect', such as the perception of 'density' to the scent. Cold Spices is more 'dense'.

I contacted Douglas Smythe through his website to get more information on his work on this product's scent. Seems he went really in-depth and actually attempted to resurrect the original formulation using more costly essential oils and resins. The aftershave has rose hydrosol (water carrying essential oils) and I think it adds to the fluffy/alive florals. I actually enjoy this Cold Spices more at times than the other versions. I love all the versions of Old Spice, even the P&G ones of today.

I give this fragrance a top rating because of the work and effort and quality that went into it. This isn't some cheap wanna-be. It's a carefully crafted, elegant interpretation of a classic.