Thanks to a lovely and generous sample of Yatagan, I had the pleasure of experiencing this fragrance. I hadn't read about the scent character beforehand and let myself be surprised.
Scent Development:
My first surprise was the opening: A very fresh, almost piercing citrus start. This aligned perfectly with my preference for fresh, hesperidic scents. Very quickly, a minty, penetratingly fresh note emerged, beautifully balanced with a slightly herbaceous-spicy touch, which I would describe as green/gray, creating a connection that lasted until the end of the fragrance. In between, the spicy notes were occasionally a bit more intense, but never dominant. Throughout the entire, very enduring development, I perceived a fresh-minty, slightly herbaceous-spicy scent.
I was surprised for the second time when I later found no mint in the scent description. I was firmly convinced and had already been pleased that there could be a more subdued version than in what I consider the overly minty “Guerlain homme l’eau.” I see - in a hopefully not too misleading memory of the Guerlain - a similarity between both fragrances and would say that one should try Windsor if the Guerlain is too strictly fresh. This minty impression surely comes from the vetiver-pepper combination. It vaguely reminds me in the fresh and light vetiver note of Tom Ford's “Grey Vetiver” EdT vetiver note, although the one in Windsor is even brighter and lighter. I can't say much about the comparison drawn by some of my predecessors to Terre d'Hermes, as I only remember it very vaguely. However, I believe that Terre seemed significantly sweeter-spicier to me. Before I make any further comparisons that would leave the experts shaking their heads, I better stop here :)
Longevity and Sillage:
Here I was surprised for the third time. I didn't expect it to last so long. I could still perceive it clearly and continuously after 13 hours. It clearly has EdP power for me. As for longevity! Thank goodness (for me personally), the sillage is more restrained. At first, it is slightly perceptible at a distance and gradually draws closer to the body, but is still noticeable to others in the immediate vicinity with movement.
Conclusion:
I was surprised three times, with the first two surprises resulting from previous, intentional lack of information, which naturally makes it not particularly difficult to be surprised :). However, the longevity was truly unexpected.
This fresh-minty, well-measured herbaceous-green-spicy English scent is classically British, straightforward, without frills, natural, and of high quality, leaving no wishes unfulfilled. From my perspective, despite its young year of creation, it feels slightly old-fashioned - I often have this association with vetiver scents - elegant and truly uplifting. Throughout the day, I had this pleasant and finely tuned, entirely unartificial feeling of freshness. Therefore, it is particularly well-suited for summer and also for transitional months. Personally, it is a tad too cold for me, still too strictly fresh to be a purchase option. But it is very close!
Bergamot
Black pepper
Vetiver
Cedarwood
Amber
Leather
Orange
Patchouli
Vanilla
Salva
Yatagan
Klingerhain
Couchlock
Smellscent
Frumsel
Schnüfflbart
