Bogart Jacques Bogart 1975 Eau de Toilette

Seeing it was launched in 1975, I was looking forward to a bombardment of loud oakmoss and nutmeg with a pinch of cloves - and suddenly this leathery chypre/fougere (I cannot decide which?!) pops up and impresses. Agreed, Bogart pour homme (AKA Bogart Signature due to the handwriting on the box) could seem kinda dated and is probably not for guys under 30 years but the style of it also gives me a slight resemblance to Davidoff Zino which was first released more than ten years efter this, so somehow it must have been ahead of it's time. Being a Bogart fragrance (and especially from the seventies), I also expected it to go beastmode and fill the room within seconds - but it doesn't. It is noticeable indeed, and also lasts me a good six hours with no problems but either it has been reformulated since the seventies (most probably) or it has always been suitable for most occasions, as it seems restrained and never out of place.

It is deep and very masculine, no doubt but also dry and herbal. Leather, oakmoss, geranium and rosemary blend together and form a blanket of selfconfidence and gives you a feeling of "Here I am, like it or not". If the term "oldie but goodie" was ever fitting, this would be it.

In my head I imagine a bar in the late seventies, with lots of people laughing, smoking and drinking - Bogart Signature would fit perfectly in this setting!

When I think of aromatic fougeres, I think of Bogart signature. So green, spicy. Classy.
And while it does remind me of Paco rabanne pour Home, I would almost say that Paco rabanne is the "sport" version of this fragrance. Both are great but, between the two, Bogart is preferable for the evening.

Can't go wrong if you like classic, masculine men's fragrances.

I spray this, close my eyes, and see myself walking through a deep dark forest where bad shit might happen. A bit of a rosemary bomb, but I enjoy its smooth leather quite a bit. It's One Man Show's more mature, no-nonsense brother who came back from Vietnam with PTSD.

Warning: don't use on hot Summer days or you'll choke out the neighborhood.

Masculinity Level: James Woods as the high class hitman in Best Seller.

It's as if Bogart was formulated specifically to adhere to each follicle of a hairy man's chest, destined to be aspirated intimately and admired via handshakes and pats on the back—for a job well done of course. It could be the smell of a young single electrician who was raised in a blue-collar Italian neighborhood or the earnest banker who has a loyal wife and two mouths to feed. Or it could be a man who cruised at the Trocadero Transfer in San Francisco or danced the night away at The Saint in New York. A double-breasted suit, casual leisurewear, or tight jeans and a white tee, Bogart is one of those macho "colognes" that is a shapeshifter that could easily mold itself onto every male phenotype.

Redolent of that savory flavor of masculinity of its zeitgeist, it is dry and herbal, rosemary and pine resin melding with spiced florals, rendered assertive and standing erect. It cannot be pinned as merely a soapy fougere, green chypre, or parched leather—it's all of the above, compact, concise, fortified and effective. It's does the job, and brilliantly so, in the thick of it, stout in body, firm in handshake. Groped by geranium, caressed by a lather, dried clean on the mosses, Bogart was released at a time when a scent for a man would suggest virility at the discretion of its wearer, just before such declarations were resonant and inescapable.

It represents the crossroads between Aramis and Kouros, and is one helluva good smelling artifact of its era.

Bogart is another powerhouse fougere from the 70's. It reminds me of Paco Rabanne Pour Homme. Bogart comes across as just slightly less sweet than PRPH. Also, it seems to be a darker fragrance and a bit woodier, perhaps a bit more formal. It goes without saying this isn't a fragrance for the bubble gum boys and cotton candy callants. If you're a guy who likes the juice that comes in bottles shaped like a fist, gold bar, revolver cylinder or torso, Bogart isn't for you. It's green, herby, a bit soapy and rough around the edges, although it's not as dirty as some from that era. A fragrance for a confident man. Longevity is quite good. I got about 9 hours out of Bogart with fairly strong sillage and projection for the first two to three hours. And surprise! - a fragrance from Jacques Bogart that actually has a decent sprayer - none of the built-in crap like the One Man Show collection.

For me, I'd rate Paco Rabanne Pour Homme slightly better than Bogart, but I'll definitely be keeping and using my bottle of Bogart.