Colonia Essenza
Acqua di Parma (2010)

It does have the Colonia DNA. Feels like a classic, classic in the sense that there's no modern sweet twist or aqua note, just a traditional blend that recalls a time when colognes where relatively straightforward and not necessarily simple, but restrained and conservative. Colonia Essenza is a true gentleman's scent. There is no sweetness, no gourmand quality. This citrus aromatic is masterful example of the marriage of freshness with masculinity and also of delicacy with depth. Classy, cool, sophisticated, clean, manly, well put together, without being stuffy.

Opens with a burst of sweet citrus. It smells zesty and juicy at the same time. During this opening there is a lovely sharp herbal note in the background, almost like rosemary and sage. Slowly the neroli comes forward as the citruses fade. The white floral bouquet in the middle is shine beautifully, non particularly distinguishable, so as to create the effect of a lightly pungent yet relaxing bouquet. The dry down is a woody with an astonishing and warm touch of fine amber, and the citrusy-floral notes recade into the background. Totally feels like that the wearer may feel he has just emerged from the barbershop but the quality and refinement this scent assure us that this is no mere drugstore cologne. If you like citrus fragrances but always find them dissipating too quickly give this fragrance a try. It is an absolute lady magnet scent.

My wife had an instant and sustained favorable reaction. Nothing groundbreaking, but better than TF Neroli Portofino. If you prefer your EDCs bright and astringent, look elsewhere, but if you like a soapy/creamy profile, this should be right up your alley. I wouldn't pay retail, but FragranceNet's price, as of this posting, of under $120 for 6 oz sounds right.

Once in a while, a perfume sneaks up into your life and changes your perspective about a certain perfume group. For me, that group was fresh florals.

Colonia Essenza is one of those rare gems which shattered that perspective for me.

Here are my 5 quick takes:

- An excellent choice for the classy gentleman
- Fresh and Floral scent family
- Created by master perfumer Michel Almairac
- Long-lasting eau de cologne best used in warmer weather
- Youngsters should sample it before purchase

It is a masterpiece and true holy grail signature perfume. Check out the full review on scentgrail.com

A traditional neroli eau de cologne with an herbs-and-patchouli supporting structure.

That prominent patchouli somewhat spoils the fragrance for me, because it somewhat dirties up the otherwise clean, refreshing aura of the genre. For that reason, I'm more partial to Colonia Assoluta, which is just as soapy but uses a "clean" amber-musk base to bolster and extend the composition.

That said, it's undeniably well-made, with clarity of structure and fine materials, and can be found for very reasonable prices.

For something with a similar profile but a cleaner dark-woody base, seek out Banana Republic Neroli Woods.

Go to scent when I can't make up my mind what I want to wear in my collection. Masculine, not unisex IMO. Love.

It's as though somebody started from 4711 and took off in the opposite direction as Neroli Portofino: hack off anything remotely citrusy, crank up the soapiness to an unbearable level, and make it stick around for, mercifully, only minutes even on a shirt collar.