Casaque Jean Louis Vermeil 1989

So, Vermeil seems best known for their oddly anachronistic release Vermeil Pour Homme, which to my nose, while decent, seemed like an inferior facsimile to Davidoff Original and I was not compelled to acquire it.

Casaque, however, was recommended by my good friend who lives for muscled aromatic green fougeres of the 80s, and is another animal altogether. There's a blast of soapy aldehydes and juniper berries: what a bold announcement, hell yes. It no sooner brings on the moss, the IBQ, and what my nose picks up as thyme; earthy, savory, somewhat perspiring herbs heated by the sun, surrounded by pine barrens.

Apparently I like them rough, virile, and masculine. Fougeres, that is.

Opens piney and metallic like Jaguar for Men, then dries down woody in the same vein as Enrico Coveri Pour Homme, but weaker. All in all, it's pleasantly herbaceous and aromatic but as metallic as one would expect from a 1989 release, which isn't my cup of tea.

Projects well and lasts quite long.

Masculinity Level: Ben Affleck in Gone Girl.

So far, I only knew the tobacco powerhouse "Vermeil pour Homme" from Vermeil, which has convinced me completely. I was all the more excited to test this fragrance, which is now in my possession in the form of a well-preserved mini. What can it do?

In my headline, I already give it away. "Casaque" starts off strong and resinous; its year of release is not known here or on other relevant sites, but I would estimate it to be from the mid-90s. And the opening suggests this temporal association. So - wait. In the heart note, the fragrance becomes soapier and has, to my nose, that "rubber-like" note that I notice, for example, in Lion by Lalique.

At that point, I had almost resigned myself and was ready to pull out a solid 80%, but then unexpectedly, a fine, noble spiciness and subtle leatheriness emerge in the base, which allows the fragrance to gradually and consistently fade away, reminding me of the blissful scents of the 80s, though it is a bit more subdued, so I stick to my temporal assessment.

An exceedingly rare fragrance. Aside from a few scattered minis, there is nothing to be found in the vastness of the web. All in all, a clean and intelligently composed fragrance with a remarkable development. Good stuff.