Burberrys for Men Burberry 1981 Cologne

*This review is of the vintage 1981 version.

Burberrys for Men opens with fine bergamot citrus and aromatic lavender with hints of supporting mint and tarragon spice before transitioning to its heart. As the composition enters its early heart remnants of the aromatic lavender remain, now in support of an unveiled natural cedar wood note that takes the fore, with slightly sharp woody vetiver, earthy patchouli, dulled carnation and rose florals and mint-like warm marjoram spice in additional support. During the late dry-down the warm spice and aromatic woods remain, now joining moderately hard leather and slightly animalic musk from the base through the finish. Projection is slightly below average, but longevity is excellent at between 13 and 15 hours on skin.

It took me a bit of time to completely warm to Burberrys for Men. Oh, I always at least "liked" it, but something about the warm spice and aromatics just didn't quite click at first. That said, the more I wear the composition the more I find myself appreciating its seemingly endless list of ingredients that near-miraculously come together to smell quite good on the whole. The composition really isn't overly innovative, but the minty marjoram spice adds a special dimension to the aromatics in particular that set Burberrys apart from its long list of competitors. If I had one wish, it would be to have the projection enhanced a bit, but that is a small "flaw" that I find easy to overlook when taking a macro view of the perfume results. The bottom line is the discontinued $150 per 50 ml bottle on the aftermarket Burberrys for Men (1981) is not the last word of what the best of 1980's perfumery has to offer, but the "very good" to "excellent" 3.5 to 4 stars out of 5 perfume is a winner that gradually makes its case for recommending a sample or even a full bottle buy.