L'Eau du Caporal L'Artisan Parfumeur 1985

According to Wikipedia, the corporal is the lowest rank of non-commissioned officers in many armed forces; in the German army, this refers to the lance corporal. In the French military, the rank of "Caporal," which has further subdivisions in various ranks, belongs to the mounted army, and he can have up to 30 personnel under his command.

I am not a big fan of the military, but this charming, dapper, and crisply fresh "Caporal" is definitely worth a test. He is one of those tall blonde men with a side part, a captivating smile, an almost aristocratically angular and sharply defined face, and laughingly fresh blue eyes, to which his long and heavy double-breasted wool coat with old brass buttons suits perfectly. He is not just a man in the ranks but also the next superior and friend, someone you enjoy listening to. He loves his horse and nature, but he is also not averse to the urban pleasures of night bars, fast cars, and good clothing.

I find the start of the "Caporal" extremely humorous, as the combination of juicy fresh citrus notes and aromatic invigorating mint takes me back to childhood and brings to mind the good old "ATA" scouring powder... Cleanliness is something you are supposed to learn in the army. This robust "cleaning agent" start, with its dry and slightly powdery ethereal freshness, not only lasts until the end but also reminds me a lot of Maître Parfumeur's "Centaure," which, however, remains more multifaceted and opulent as the scent develops. Diptyque's "L'Eau des Hespérides" takes a different path, but with this mint note, it is not too far off either. Lavender, with its herbaceous floral and energetically herbal note, and here also quite soapy facet, serves as the unmistakable hallmark for classic fougère scents in the heart - it gives the impression of freshly starched cotton shirts - and herbal geranium seems to intensify the character a bit, without the floral note being truly "flowery" or feminine. The base harmonizes gently and well-balanced with herbaceous mossy warmth, green woody earthy vetiver (without smoky facets), and dry cedarwood, airy and elegant. It softens the almost sharp and clean strictness of the citrus-cool herbal top and heart notes, creating a gentle enveloping effect, and the combination of cedarwood and mint seems perfectly blended in this dry and almost ethereal clarity. Mint, lavender, and vetiver also seem to support the positively green, soapy, and classically masculine retro and almost British "barbershop" aura of the "Caporal," although it appears to me here to be fresher, crisper, and less conservatively static than many classic fougère scents often are. This may also be due to the relaunch, as the scent probably had a "deeper voice" in 1985; I do not know the old version.

Longevity and sillage are decent but not overwhelming, fitting very well with the clearly structured and honestly cheerful elegant character of the scent, which, like the charming "Caporal" himself, does not want to impose; rather, it knows how to read between the lines.

It indeed seems to be a trend to want to revive old scents. If they look like this, I am happy to lead the way as an advocate. Within a year, "L'Eau du Caporal" from 1985 is the third - more appealing to men - fragrance that has caught my interest after Goutal's "Eau de Monsieur" and Le Galion's "Eau Noble." It has been worth it; keep it up.