Tabac Original Mäurer & Wirtz 1959 Eau de Cologne

Describing this fragrance with words is a challenge. One that I am willing to take on at this moment - even though I know I will never be able to verbalize it adequately, I still dedicate these lines to it. The first time I smelled Tabac Original Eau de Cologne was in my early childhood during a family gathering or celebration. Unfortunately, I lack the exact context, but I have always associated it with immensely positive nostalgia and a journey into my own personal past. One could even say that this fragrance has subtly yet significantly shaped my taste today, as at 40 years old, I love herbal-spicy-aromatic-woody vintage scents more than ever. And that is precisely what Tabac is for me: the cornerstone for everything that has come since and will come in the future. I compare every fragrance that takes this direction (partially unwillingly) with Tabac Original and think to myself, "Is it better? Does it smell more intense? Does it evoke similar memories? How does it smell different from my favorite?" Of course, the notion of "smelling better" is an absolutely personal and individual matter, as every fragrance carries a certain uniqueness and affects everyone differently. And yet, every classic men's fragrance that I discover anew must first pass the comparison with the legendary original before I can incorporate it into my mental fragrance repertoire and store it away.

I sincerely hope that this brilliant masterpiece (I use this term very rarely) will never be discontinued and will accompany me for many more years. This fragrance is a monument from the past that, for me, olfactorily represents the values of a bygone era. An era in which true masculinity had not yet been defamed by today’s agenda and in which decency, respect, and morality were not inflated and alienated phrases, but real values for which one stood proudly and acted accordingly.