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Custom 2011

7.3 / 10 56 Ratings
A perfume by Dunhill for men, released in 2011. The scent is fruity-spicy. It was last marketed by Interparfums.
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Main accords

Fruity
Spicy
Woody
Sweet
Fresh

Fragrance Pyramid

Top Notes Top Notes
AppleApple Fruity notesFruity notes
Heart Notes Heart Notes
Black pepperBlack pepper
Base Notes Base Notes
FrankincenseFrankincense CedarwoodCedarwood
Ratings
Scent
7.356 Ratings
Longevity
6.144 Ratings
Sillage
5.943 Ratings
Bottle
8.256 Ratings
Value for money
8.217 Ratings
Submitted by Skylab, last update on 08/09/2025.

Smells similar

What the fragrance is similar to
Ambré (Eau de Toilette) by Baldessarini
Ambré Eau de Toilette
Baldinini Homme (Eau de Toilette) by Baldinini
Baldinini Homme Eau de Toilette
Black Walnut by Banana Republic
Black Walnut
Boss Man / Boss Orange Man (Eau de Toilette) by Hugo Boss
Boss Man Eau de Toilette

Reviews

4 in-depth fragrance descriptions
Elysium

898 Reviews
Elysium
Elysium
4  
A Cheap Yet Alluring Fall Fragrance
Being very affectionate of Dunhill as a brand, I have decided to collect as many fragrances as possible. After reviewing the Dunhill Icon Elite a few months ago, I felt it was time to start checking the rest of my collection as well. Dunhill Custom is probably a little known fragrance today, but it is not a vintage fragrance as it is still in production. Custom joined my collection a few years ago, and I was so eager to have it. But something went wrong, betraying my expectations. I wasn't impressed when I first tried it;, it just disappeared so quickly, like the blink of an eye! But I gave it another try, on a colder but sunny fall day like today, and I'm so glad I did. However, I don't want to ruin the surprise by anticipating its worst appearance, because Custom has many advantages. And here I am, writing these impressions of mine.
What struck me about this perfume? First of all, its name, Custom. There are several meanings for this name, such as a traditional and widely accepted way of behaving or doing something specific to a particular society, place, or time. But what suits him best is made or made to order, made to measure. I read somewhere that the label on the cap can be replaced and personalized with your name. Funny, who knows if anyone did!

By the way, I noticed that the sprinkler is larger than that commonly used in other colognes. That giant sprinkler looks like a feature of all Dunhill colonies. Beautiful amber-brown colored juice combined with a lovely, heavy, and well-designed bottle pleasantly refracts light and looks like a precious piece of crystal. Interesting is a robust apple orchard, which seems to persist with this, perhaps giving it a hint of feminine taste.
With its rich blend of alcoholic, spicy, and woody notes, Dunhill Custom sits firmly in the Woody Spicy olfactory subfamily. A very sophisticated and tasteful version of Dunhill. On my skin, Dunhill Custom welcomes me with a sweet and fruity opening on crunchy, almost caramelized apples and an alcoholic background of lush cognac. It is similar to the finest golden Calvados, reminiscent of apples and pears, balanced with the flavors of aging; the taste resembles that of any other aged brandy. With aging, Calvados can turn golden brown or darker with orange elements and red mahogany. According to the Dunhill website, there are special English Pippin apples in the blend. I was a little curious and searched. English Orange Pippin Cox is the classic English apple, often considered the best of all dessert apples. The range and complexity of flavors make it so appealing to fans of the "English" apple style. It possesses a fantastic array of subtle flavors: pear, melon, freshly squeezed orange juice, and mango. Almost all other apples have a one-dimensional flavor. The apple's freshness is not slammed on your face, as with countless others who use this fruit, here it is exquisite because it mixes with incense and black pepper; not too sweet but rather slightly sour with a fresh smell. Sweet without being sickly or overbearing. I'm not sure I've caught all those nuances here; however, it's very different from what we get in Hugo Boss Bottled, for example. Something inside creates a caramel, sweet, and almond accord that is lovely to me. As it ripens a little on the peel, it becomes less charming, and pepper comes into play; it is soft like all the fragrance notes.

As Custom transitions to the heart, we have a smoky note of black pepper. Soon after, the pepper gives way to sweet cinnamon, and the apple notes melt into something softer and more relaxed after the first hour. The base is smooth, warm, smoky, and still slightly alcoholic. When the Custom wears off, black pepper persists. Here, a sweet yet earthy incense base blends with the refreshing cedar notes, which adds a soft, woody touch while the rounded, musky ambergris is revealed. The sweet note of cedar is there under the pepper to add strength to the scent. The drying is pleasant; the wood and the incense give it a warming effect suitable for the cold months.

And now we come to the bitter notes. Performance isn't particularly impressive, and on me, it is weak with short longevity, although the projection is reasonable before it reaches the peak of its life cycle. I had high hopes because I love the notes that make it up, but I can barely smell them, and it doesn't seem to last. I wish it were a little more intrusive like other spicy fragrances. Everything is underestimated in this perfume, and it would be impossible to over-spray it. It certainly isn't a sillage monster, and sometimes that's not necessarily a bad thing. As a skin perfume, however, it lasts until the next day. Firstly, Custom is a decidedly autumnal and winter fragrance, with its deep notes of incense and spicy notes of apple. I find it a perfume suitable for a work environment as it is relatively harmless and not very strong. I would say this falls under what people call office perfumes. Another bizarre thing is that Custom is suitable to wear in the evening thanks to its bouquet, therefore ideal for meeting friends on a cold evening. Ultimately, according to many reviewers, it recalls Baldessarini's Amber with less character, but I can't intervene here as I don't have Ambre yet. The most dominant chords on my skin are the spicy and smoky ones, which evoke the same vein as YSL l'Homme, but less leathery. It also reminds me of Dirty English by Juicy Couture. It was a blind buy as I was curious to smell this fragrance due to the reviews. It is not noisy; the sensation is more subdued, but still an aristocratic, sophisticated, and straightforward masculine fragrance. Performance aside, the aroma does not disappoint at all.

-Elysium
1 Comment
Darkbeat

386 Reviews
Darkbeat
Darkbeat
Helpful Review 2  
A spicy and roasted apple for teenagers
I bought this perfume blindly for some Fragrantica.com reviews, and because, their notes, except the apple, I love them, but, in the end, I've taken a huge disappointment.

I had made very high expectations, and I have fallen to plumb, and that the smell smells good and I like it, but, I do not know where they are, cedar, pepper and incense, there is only apple with nuances of other notes, nothing more. In my skin is linear or almost, it smells like a very spicy roasted apple on a background ... woody ?, is this really cedar? Go soft wood, it is almost imperceptible, I would not call it wood, anyway ... The final drying is almost the same, only the apple loses that fruity sweetness, and it shows something drier and smoked, and especially I do not I would call it smoky, rather I have a Cinderella feeling, like a leaden ash, which is not unpleasant, but neither of my complete taste.

I had another kind of scent in mind, I was expecting a spicy and woody incense with fruity nuances, and there's nothing like that. It is a very youthful perfume, very fruity and with spicy nuances, ready. A simple perfume that smells good without more.

Luckily I caught the 50ml bottle with a good offer and it came out very cheap, which, if not, my belly would have hurt a week.

The performance is laughing, about 4 hours, with a wake stuck to the skin almost from the start, except for the first 10 minutes that could be moderate, the rest is a perfume that sticks to the skin since you throw it .

I see it as a perfume of warm and temperate climates, and of arbitrary use, it does not matter if you wear it day or night, its softness and low projection make it a very versatile perfume in that aspect.

Particularly, I would not recommend it, unless it was a gift for a teenager who only wants to smell good, and does not care about the rest, in this case it is a good perfume, but for people who know this world, It is a dispensable perfume.

Sorry for my bad english.
0 Comments
ColinM

516 Reviews
ColinM
ColinM
6  
Clever concept, so-so quality
My expectations for this scent where really low, as I am not really the biggest fan of Dunhill fragrances except for a couple of them, and the reviews aren’t surely encouraging. Well, on the contrary this fragrance surprised me. It is really decent, almost quite good, and surely one of the best of their range (this including the – for me – unexplicably hyped “vintage” ones, such as Edition). The opening is quite all about apple: and what I really enjoy is the fact that it is not overly fruity or sweet, rather quite sharp, pungent, bitter, dark, whiskey-like. Obviously a bit of fruitiness is there, but it’s really subtle and providing just a hint of restrained “syrupiness” – just like in some spirits. It’s a quite realistic rendition of apple cider more than a fresh slice of apple, and this makes Custom surely closer to boozy fragrances rather than fruity ones. Which is surely a “pro” in my book, as I can’t think of many other fragrances playing the “dark, dry & sophisticated” card using apples. Distinctive and well put.

The magic basically stops there, as apart from that, there’s a really bland and generic woodyamber-pepper base accord which is, I bet, *exactly* the same base they used for Dunhill Fresh. It smells a bit rubbery and artificial, but it works, creating an “office-safe” frame of smooth silky woods and peppery incense. Now add this to the well-executed apple-boozy top note, and you’ll get Custom: a refined, half-distinctive half-generic almost “minimalistic” boozy-woody fragrance in the same league of Gucci pour Homme I, to which is resembles because of the same kind of weightless woody-amber-incense accord. Just with apple, less “pencil sharpener”, (way) less quality, and sort of more juvenile overall. Warm and acceptably classy, with a nice sharp twist. The longevity is not that bad for me, surely a bit close to skin but I get a decent bunch of hours. The only real bad thing is that for me (like pretty much for any other Dunhill scent) Custom clearly lacks in quality: the concept is really nice, but the notes smell a bit flat, unsubstantial and, well, cheap. With some more budget, this could have been one of the best designers of the last decade. As-is, it’s still quite good, just feeling a bit like a “missed chance”.

6,5/10
0 Comments
LUI

31 Reviews
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LUI
LUI
Helpful Review 5  
Apple Dessert for Gentlemens
The Cox Orange (English: Pippin Apple) was discovered in early 19th century England. This juicy and aromatic table apple has a yellow-red color and has been one of the most popular varieties in England for decades. The apples are ripe in September but must be stored cool until December for suitable consumption, as they are not suitable for immediate eating. Through the so-called after-ripening, this variety develops not only a great taste but also a very special fresh and aromatic scent; caused by the pleasant balance of sweetness and acidity, which characterizes the Dunhill Custom EdT.

Parfumo member Gottlieb brought this fragrance to my attention, for which I sincerely thank him afterwards. Similar to the apple variety that needs a little more ripening, it takes a certain maturity to appreciate this scent, as younger disco-goers may not enjoy it as much.
The fragrance exudes sovereignty, made especially for gentlemen who want to feel that way, grounded and self-confident,

The top note boasts a fresh apple note, which is flattered in the heart by spicy and subtle pepper, unfolding about 2 hours later in the base with cedarwood and subtle incense, which underscores the elegance of the perfume. It is rather unsuitable for evening wear - it lacks the sillage, which is kept discreet - hence the Gentlemen Agreement.

Good for everyday wear, for the office, business dinners, a dinner with your sweetheart, or other occasions. Although primarily intended for men, it is also quite wearable for one or another lady, as I have noticed that women have taken a liking to the scent.

The best season to wear this fragrance would be the transitional period, meaning the mild autumn, winter, spring; as well as the cooler summer days. The longevity could be better, but at 6-7 hours, it is quite moderate.
I consider this fragrance to be a real insider tip, a successful change in the sea of mainstreams, something refreshingly different, and I give it a clear recommendation to buy.

As a special feature, the replaceable metal strip located in the cap of the bottle should be mentioned. This can be slid out and, if sent to the Dunhill engraving service, can be personalized with the initials of the fragrance wearer. A great marketing idea from Dunhill.

PS: If you now feel hungry and have no perfumery nearby, here’s a little tip to conclude: The next time you shop at the supermarket, just wander into the fruit & vegetable section, look for Cox Orange apples, close your eyes, and inhale the scent - if you like the fragrance, you will also enjoy the perfume.
2 Comments

Statements

8 short views on the fragrance
2
My wedding day fragrance, will forever hold a special place in my heart, my wife loves it too.
0 Comments
1
Nice scent with a striking bottle but that's about it
0 Comments
1
it can seems a intense scent. But at 20 minutes is lineal soap-woody scent. but, 4 hours in my skin. Ideal for a walk or short outing.
0 Comments
Custom is a decidedly autumnal and winter fragrance, with its deep notes of incense and spicy notes of apple mixed with a boozy touch.
0 Comments
13
1
German gentleman wears a coat (Boss Orange).
British gentleman wears a trench coat (Dunhill Custom).
Scent-wise: same difference ;)
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1 Comment
10 years ago
5
Beautiful apple-incense, also for ladies. But I have to spray on a ton to notice it!
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0 Comments
5
Initially fresh apple followed by pepper with incense, smoothly transitioning to the base - a very pleasant fragrance to wear.
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0 Comments
3
2
Well, something along the lines of bossy-orangey combined with Balmain's Carbon and fruit... Nothing special.
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