I never had a pet as a child, no particular affinity for dragon legends, and I would deny being named Siegfried at any time, although peace reigns as long as I am allowed to win. So, to this day, I don't know what devil possessed me in the 80s to dive into the world of dragons by Guy Laroche.
My assumption so far:
Behind every successful fragrance selection of a man lies a potential temptation in female form. And since there seem to be many tempting women, the worldly man today has a walk-in shrine of scents, ideally located opposite the beer supply.
In a time when I still wanted to trust daily newspapers, I read about a fragrance test conducted by women in a large-format Austrian daily newspaper. This suggested to me that Drakkar Noir suited dark-haired men particularly well. Well, I don't need to dye my hair, bring on the stuff.
Have I already mentioned in a teacherly manner that one should first check the sack of a cat, or rather, the little Grisus... *pfff* for heaven's sake, never buy anything blind!?
After this took place long before the distance selling law and the world still seemed intact and analog (to cause a proper shitstorm, one still had to go outside, unimaginable today!), returning was out of the question. So I had to make friends with the black foundling and already offered it the familiar "du" form. Maybe I could at least start a self-burn or at least polish the luster, I was full of hope.
This relationship lasted, as you might have already guessed, exactly 50ml minus sediment, and the time span can be very, very long when one is not convinced of something. The only attractive thing this scent left with me was the flat, simple, bombed design of the bottle.
A few years later, (still as hetero as ever, so much for the side effects of this basil monster, by the way, if I ever feel the need to smell like that again, I’ll crawl through the alpine garden) I discovered an advertisement for Guy Laroche "Horizon" in a magazine...
The bottle immediately awakened memories. Curves that would start a catfight for the Venus of Willendorf! Framed in a cool, ice flower-like design. I suspect that if the top of the bottle had also been made of glass and not cheap plastic, I would still have the empty bottle today and would secretly suck on it at night.
Had I possessed the insider knowledge regarding emblematic identifiers attributed to Drakkar Noir back then, I would surely have been bold enough to ask the perfumer if Horizon was the antidote?
Nevertheless, one thing was clear, I accepted the challenge solely because of the bottle. If necessary, the luster would have to take the hit and earn a spanking. No Risk no Fun, we are in the 90s! Time for Blind Purchase #2:
And sometimes it really pays off to be brave. A form of freshness I had never experienced before, apart from lemon. As if you were drowning ripe grapefruits in the North Atlantic, rubbing them with a mint leaf, finishing it off with a splash of M. Jabobs "Bang" for that herbal peppery kick.
Very peculiar, not an everyday scent and unfortunately, like many of my preferred fragrances, no longer available. "Horizon" disappeared from the shelves faster than I could repurchase it.
It’s the year 2015:
I am once again reminiscing. As luck would have it, I see fragrances from the house of Guy Laroche that I have so far neglected to buy blindly. Today, you no longer have to trudge behind the horizon; the internet does that, and a few days later, et voila:
For some models from the house of Laroche, which might want to serve as emblematic identifiers for "This compartment belongs to me," it may already be too late, but with "Drakkar Essence," I hereby tempt fate and practice haste.
Therefore, test subject:
Drakkar Essence 100ml EdT
Year of manufacture 2014
Bottle still cool, this time blue-black
Cap plastic (*pff*)
If I had to tweet the result, it would be with
"Horizon Pure Grapefruit"
"Horizon Platinum"
"85% Horizon!"
brief but probably quite accurately described for at least everyday noses.
This scent has been somewhat deprived of its gonads. The subtle spice that once fought bouquets with the grapefruit at the nasal first contact had to give way to 150% grapefruit. And this
top note lasts quite a while. Probably often longer than one is willing to wait for a judgment.
The complexity of the freshness, the maritime component unfortunately got lost in my opinion. I’m close to enhancing the scent with a pinch of Millefiori "sea shore." (Note: before searching desperately, this is a company dedicated to making living spaces and cars smell nice. So, category room fragrance & Co ;))
Conclusion:
Anyone who liked Horizon and is willing to make small compromises may find themselves reminiscing fondly with "Essence," just like I do. Thus, after 3 blind purchases from the house of Laroche, it stands 2:1 for me. Anyone who wants to change this result can gladly send me a sample of "Drakkar Dynamic." ;) I would be happy.
Ideal usage location: at home, office, sports
Ideal cocoon: suit, jeans, swim trunks
Preferred season: summer
Longevity 4-6 hours
Top Notes 
Grapefruit
Spearmint
Heart Notes 
Lavender
Sage
Base Notes 
Woods
White musk
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