Patchouli Impérial
Christian Dior (2011)

In the beginning of 2021 I’ve had an amazing opportunity to buy almost full 250 ml vintage bottle of Patchouli Imperial produced back in 2017.

First of all - both pre-reformulated and the new version is the same fragrance.

Direct test 2017 vs 2018:

They are the same, the only difference is that so called "vintage" juice is slightly darker in appearance. It also seems to be a little more dense and has a little bit more of woody nuances (I don't know - it has to be the sandalwood). The new one on the other hand is slightly brighter in terms of smell and is also a bit more spicy because of more nuanced coriander note. In general if I didn't know the old one the new one is very good. I don't regret I bought the "vintage" but the new version does its job.

Dior Patchouli Imperial (2018) vs Chanel Coromandel (2016):

Dior opens up with a wet, cold mold - semi-dry one. Then it slowly sweetens up with tonka bean and amber.
Chanel opens up with a mix of aldehydes (a lot of them), flowers and a pinch of white chocolate (hidden far behind). I cannot smell any singular flower (rose per se or any other). This dries down into patchouli (rather not raw, but not very mild on the other hand) - sweet, cozy and warming; resins and incense (this is in the background but is detectable). The patchouli here gives you chocolate'y vibe so all combined together might smell for some like there is a milk chocolate with cocoa.

In general - Dior is simpler, but its patchouli in general is more "in your face" and it is straight patchouli. Chanel is more sophisticated and much more complex.

If you want patchouli as its essence - choose Dior. If you want a more complex variation - choose Chanel.

I also do own a mini bottle of 2018 version of this fragrance.

This is a milder take on patchouli than the one presented in Coromandel. Patchouli is wet, but much brighter than what Chanel's fragrance presents. You can still smell that familiar basement, cellar aroma, but it's lighter. And I would say it is much more friendly. It leans a little bit towards gourmand, but not excessively so. Still a patchouli, without a doubt.

I also own Coromandel - both EDT and EDP. I personally would put Dior's Patchouli somewhere between Chanel Coromandel's EDT and EDP. However, Coromandel's EDP does not have that much sweetness - and the reason is simple - there is no tonka in it.

Longevity is somewhere around 8 hours, sillage is medium.

I couldn't give a neutral to this fine fragrance, but this is not my preference for patchouli's presentation. This is very powdery, though not the 'baby powder' variety. If you like the powdery aspect of patchouli, then this should be required sampling.

This is very classy, but I prefer a sharper, greener presentation for patchouli as opposed to the powdery aspect. For powdery presentations, I prefer vintage Tiffany for Men.

Definitely tux worthy, but again, my preference would be vintage Givenchy Gentleman for the 'meatier' patchouli blast with the animalic honey to compliment. But this is strictly due to my personal tastes.

Blending is top notch, as is material quality. Performance is awesome, with more than a full work day experience to be had, while projection seems to be polite.

A subjective 6.5/10.0 based purely on my personal tastes.
An objective 8.0+/10.0, based on blending & material quality.

A review about 2018 version

Patchouli Impérial is similar in grace and beauty with Chanel Coromandel, but more laid-back and modernly cool. She likes elegant parties and primping, but equally enjoys wearing jeans while listening to jazz music. Sometimes she goes for a red lip, others a smudge of eyeliner and nude lipstick. This is a lovely natural earthy patchouli with a subtle sweetness. Feels a bit gourmandy but rests nicely on the skin in any event. It has a very interesting personality, a sophisticated young woman who is a bit edgy. She doesn't scream to get attention.

I love the bright opening with the mandarin and i get a hint of bergamot. It's a momentary luminosity that feels sparkling. patchouli is so dominant in the heart. This is not a hippie patchouli but an elegant connection. The dry down is all about the amber, vanilla, and a touch of smoke combine to create a warm, exotic and balsamic scent. Sandalwood lends an overall smooth-woodiness to the blend. To be totally honest, the dry down veers more towards a feminine scent, and i could really see this working well on a woman. It is lovely if you just want almost pure patchouli without powder.

Impérialists
Of course, adored His Highness
As leaf of branch, but

Even hippies loved
King Kouros of Patchouli
For his grunge guitar.

Patchouli dressed up in a tuxedo.

It marries the wet patchouli with dry coriander in the opening. The two notes are really complementary, balancing each other really well. It smells premier and dressed up. In the heart the patchouli takes a step back, blending in, and the smoky aspects step forward, still keeping this very balanced and handsome. It is quite expensive, but smells of nice quality ingredients and blending. Thumbs up.

So, every once-in-a-while, I go through phases whereby I wish to expand my go-to fragrances. Patchouli, rose, oud, incense, musk, jasmine, smoky, etc blends (unisex or leaning towards the feminine side) are what I crave. I read some stellar reviews about this fragrance, so I decided to purchase a sample.

As others have stated, this fragrance performs exactly as promised. For me, it is a fairly linear, straight-forward, clean, more "green versus dark" patchouli fragrance that lays against a gently composed sandalwood back-drop. Period.

No hippie-level noted here...not dirty, not earthy, not grungy, IMHO. I dislike "hippie" patchouli smelling stuff...you know the oily, resinous, dark, heavy, heady, boozy, dreary stuff...yuck. However, I do prefer patchouli fragrances that are a bit more complex, & moody than Patchouli Imperial. For me, Patchouli Imperial is a bit too fresh, chipper, clean & bright...not exactly what I look for in a patchouli fragrance.

And as others have also stated, while this fragrance is attractive and appealing, it also seems to go "dull," or "dead" after a while. On me after an hour or so, the fragrance just "dropped."

I say for the "general masses," Patchouli Imperial is extremely wearable. I prefer the above mentioned notes combined in a more complex way, a way that packs more of a punch. For me, I prefer patchouli blended fragrances that are a bit more "niche-y."

Patchouli Imperial is a great choice for someone who opts to wear a reserved, refined & tamed patchouli fragrance.

Nice enough...just not for me!