Vetiver
Guerlain (1961)

The scent itself is a spicy, woody, citrus aromatic that has a very dominant green earthiness because of the intense vetiver. It also has that depth that I love, a lot more complex than most other vetiver fragrances out there . Even though it is a bit dry, that depth is making me like it a lot.

It is a timeless classic that will always smell awesome as the time goes. It performs really well for a fragrance of this type, and it lasts for a long time 6 hours of longevity easily. Plus,it is very versatile because of the scent's depth.

This ones’s an icon for a reason. Cool, fresh, and refreshing but with just enough warmth to stop it being metallic (like Atelier Cologne Vetiver Fatale.) But it’s a bit more subtle and fresher than hardcore vetiver offerings like Timbuktu which can smell a bit like old books. And the florals are a bit more balanced versus some of the more neroli-heavy fresh colognes. In short, it’s amazing from start to finish. Perfect for the summer, for the office, but worth having as an easy go-to for general wear.

This is simply to state that the current formulation (2022, square bottle with metal cap) smells terrific.

I've owned various bottles of this over the years - from the 80's rooty formulation, then the frosted striped bottle, which was heavy on the citrus, back to the old school (Habit Rouge-style) bottle which brought back some of the rootiness.

Now we're squarely in the middle - everything seems more balanced, smoother, and very refined. You can't go wrong regardless of what style bottle you buy.

What can I add that hasn't already been said about this icon? This is a reference vetiver and one of the first commercially successful vetiver-centered fragrances (see also the marvelous Carven Vetiver), but to my nose, and may do agree, this is just as much a tobacco-forward fragrance as it is vetiver. Its citrus aromatic opening is classic Guerlain and no sooner than this develops does the vetiver and tobacco, supported by some carnation and spice, flourish on my skin contrasting with the green grassiness and hesperidic delicacy.

Today is a rainy, damp late August day in New England, and Guerlain Vetiver is a sublime accompaniment as it really blooms in this weather, with its woodier elements coming to the fore, and the dry and dusty qualities contrasting with the wet air. Be that as it may, Guerlain Vetiver could be worn in any season and on the sunniest of days as well; I find it has that sort of versatility. I also want to draw attention to the concept of scent association and ageism. We are all free to have our own personal response to scent and choose to pass something because it is evocative of something for which we do not want to associate. However, there are so many other ways to assert this stance without using "old man" or "old lady" tropes. We all will reach "old" in what will seem like the blink of an eye, but will we have the wisdom to match? Just like how "I" statements are better than "you" statements, perhaps just say that we feel "too young" or "not mature enough" for a particular fragrance? That really shifts the tenor and puts things in perspective; at least I think so.

Back to Guerlain Vetiver⁠—I absolutely adore it. It excludes, class, elegance, a certain sprezzatura that cannot be said for a lot more "modern" fragrances that beg for attention and leave a nagging trail of synthetic woody desperation or saccharine artifice in their wake. It smells like someone well-read, worldly, yet compassionate and approachable. Cerebral yet warm, thoughtful yet playful. Some things are better left in the past, but to be a gentleman shouldn't be jettisoned, but distilled in the 21st century, leaving in place these qualities and the pillar fragrances such as Guerlain Vetiver.

(reviewing the vintage EDC formulation)

This is so good while it lasts, but the problem is that, like most EDCs, it really doesn't last. You get a bracing green citrus up front, that gets displaced by a really dry centre, like nutmeg, pepper and dried grass, with a touch of something herbal, then the vetiver arrives properly and it's the dry and austere variant of vetiver, and it's so, so good and then it's all... gone. This is literally in minutes, barely an hour anyway. I can really see why this was later reformulated as an EDT, whatever the complaints from some about the formulation. Such a great scent, shame it didn't last.

Too harsh and dated for me. It's incredibly spicy and in your face. There's a lot of pepper(s) and nutmeg in here and a sharp, resinous cedar.

Apart from that, the vetiver is also not to my liking. It's too grass like, plain grass not vetiver. It's also too 'dark green' if that makes sense. Almost as if there's things like gentian, pine needles and even some sort of salad leaves in here.

It's love or hate I guess.