Top Notes 
Floral notes
Lemon
Heart Notes 
Clove
Cedar
Cinnamon
Nutmeg
Base Notes 
Sandalwood
Amber
Musk
Ponticus
79 Reviews
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Ponticus
Top Review
65
Very British
A hot day, the sky azure blue, not a cloud in sight, and the high sun beats down on the two gentlemen who are engrossed in conversation at the railing of the old river steamer. Their white clothing in colonial, tropical safari style shows the first signs of sweaty patches, and the beads of sweat on their foreheads and necks are rather unseemly for noble gentlemen. “Let’s freshen up,” are the relieving words of the slightly portly of the two gentlemen, and they promptly disappear into the respective washrooms of their first-class cabins. A quick glance in the bathroom mirror is enough; very leisurely and carefully, the moisture between the eyebrows is dabbed with a white cotton cloth, and then immediately four or five spritzes of Cologne are lightly patted onto the forehead and neck, without even taking off the jacket. Done! The everyday refreshing shower of a gentleman from that time, a ceremony in buttoned mastery with understatement and exclusivity in perfection.
This scene from the film “Death on the Nile” with Peter Ustinov and David Niven is surely familiar to many readers. Whether the Cologne used in the film scene was Dana’s British Sterling, I cannot say, but due to the extremely old-school craftsmanship of the Cologne, the scent, the era, and the “surroundings” fit perfectly together for me. British Sterling is a very masculine Cologne, an oriental men’s Cologne par excellence. Royal, British Empire aspirations in the form of a gentleman’s Cologne, even if true royal British glamour, whether in the kingdom or empire, has always been underpinned by femininity (Queens Victoria, Elizabeth I, Elizabeth II).
British Sterling starts fresh, even very refreshing, just as it should. Very volatile alcohols evaporate the strong lemon, drawing away plenty of warmth and leaving behind a stimulating, invigorating feeling. Thus, the citrus theme is resolved after about ten to twenty minutes, and feeling pleasantly refreshed, one is ready for the actual scent of the Cologne.
The remaining three to four hours of the Cologne’s lifespan offer a potpourri of the finest and most expensive spices that the empire can provide. Nutmeg, cinnamon, and especially clove create an oriental base mood, without any of the notes really standing out on their own. The fine, floral bed of the perfume is the binding element here, similar to the promise that holds the countries of the empire together. The often overwhelming power of the oriental scent direction comes across in British Sterling rather lightly, yet profoundly. Quite quickly, one becomes accustomed to a solid woodiness as the key allure, but this is skillfully embedded in a milieu of precious, spicy ingredients until the end. The aromatic, warmly flattering finish encourages reapplication, even if the temperatures have since dropped and a refreshment is no longer strictly necessary.
The responsible house, Dana Classics Fragrances, is one of the cornerstones of perfumery. Founded in 1932 in Barcelona and after many successful years, the company is now part of an American investment group. The name derives from Danae, the beautiful mother of Perseus. Alongside Tabu (1932), a Dana classic of perfumery, the Cologne British Sterling seems like a dwarf. It dates back to 1965, which also explains the very conservative, old-school scent composition for a Cologne. In 1996, Dana then released a woody-spicy reissue that closely followed the original in scent and bottle and is still produced today. Nevertheless, the Cologne British Sterling plays only a minor role on Parfumo. Only about 30 members claim it as their own, and apart from three lonely, many years old statements, there are no further contributions available so far.
A heartfelt thank you to all readers, whether Cologne fans or not!
This scene from the film “Death on the Nile” with Peter Ustinov and David Niven is surely familiar to many readers. Whether the Cologne used in the film scene was Dana’s British Sterling, I cannot say, but due to the extremely old-school craftsmanship of the Cologne, the scent, the era, and the “surroundings” fit perfectly together for me. British Sterling is a very masculine Cologne, an oriental men’s Cologne par excellence. Royal, British Empire aspirations in the form of a gentleman’s Cologne, even if true royal British glamour, whether in the kingdom or empire, has always been underpinned by femininity (Queens Victoria, Elizabeth I, Elizabeth II).
British Sterling starts fresh, even very refreshing, just as it should. Very volatile alcohols evaporate the strong lemon, drawing away plenty of warmth and leaving behind a stimulating, invigorating feeling. Thus, the citrus theme is resolved after about ten to twenty minutes, and feeling pleasantly refreshed, one is ready for the actual scent of the Cologne.
The remaining three to four hours of the Cologne’s lifespan offer a potpourri of the finest and most expensive spices that the empire can provide. Nutmeg, cinnamon, and especially clove create an oriental base mood, without any of the notes really standing out on their own. The fine, floral bed of the perfume is the binding element here, similar to the promise that holds the countries of the empire together. The often overwhelming power of the oriental scent direction comes across in British Sterling rather lightly, yet profoundly. Quite quickly, one becomes accustomed to a solid woodiness as the key allure, but this is skillfully embedded in a milieu of precious, spicy ingredients until the end. The aromatic, warmly flattering finish encourages reapplication, even if the temperatures have since dropped and a refreshment is no longer strictly necessary.
The responsible house, Dana Classics Fragrances, is one of the cornerstones of perfumery. Founded in 1932 in Barcelona and after many successful years, the company is now part of an American investment group. The name derives from Danae, the beautiful mother of Perseus. Alongside Tabu (1932), a Dana classic of perfumery, the Cologne British Sterling seems like a dwarf. It dates back to 1965, which also explains the very conservative, old-school scent composition for a Cologne. In 1996, Dana then released a woody-spicy reissue that closely followed the original in scent and bottle and is still produced today. Nevertheless, the Cologne British Sterling plays only a minor role on Parfumo. Only about 30 members claim it as their own, and apart from three lonely, many years old statements, there are no further contributions available so far.
A heartfelt thank you to all readers, whether Cologne fans or not!
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