Stetson Black Stetson 2005 Cologne

One of the cheapest of the cheapies, but worth reviewing because it smells so good! BUT… the second it touches my skin, it isn’t the same. Lavender? Suede? It’s too bad that wonderful smell doesn’t translate to skin. I sprayed maybe 10 times on my shirt AND skin, and I can’t smell anything after a few minutes. Granted, this bottle is old (original from 2005), so maybe it’s just TOO old. But I honestly believe, if this fragrance recipe was re-created by Chanel or Hermes, using oils and ingredients that would last more than a few minutes, it might be in my Top 10 favorite fragrances of all time. But as a weak Coty cheapie, no. You really do get what you pay for.

Uncommented Scents No. 3

Bonanza was a Western series from the 60s that was one of the hits on television during my childhood (the 70s). Westerns and Western series shaped the image of advertising at that time, the concept of masculinity, and the longing of an entire generation of men for freedom and a little more adventure than what was found in offices and factories.

The Stetson brand, with its fragrances, still belongs partly to the 70s, and thus strongly participated at that time in the USA and Europe in the then-modern cowboy image, but it also stands with one foot in the postmodern era (starting in the 80s), which focused more on fashionable chic and less on masculine ruggedness.

Stetson itself has consistently transformed from the manufacturer of the typical, classic cowboy hats, the Stetsons, to the producer of fashionable, elegant, or simply stylish headwear of all kinds. This naturally also fits with the development of fragrances, which now present quite an extensive range.

One of the newer scents, Stetson Black, in my opinion, once again relies on the old cowboy image, to which popular Western series like Bonanza belonged, an image that makes the classic Stetson scent a favorite among many American men to this day. The bottle is designed in the same style, but the glass is darkly tinted to match the name.

However, the scent impression is completely inconsistent with the idea of a dark, black fragrance, as it is rather fruity-fresh and subtly spicy. The notes of leather or suede indicated in the fragrance pyramid are, more or less, imperceptible to me. Instead, accents of fruits dominate, though there are fewer citrus notes (perhaps bergamot), rather notes of apple; vetiver could also contribute to this sour-fresh impression.

In addition, there are spicy accents, possibly cinnamon and pepper, but also herbal tones from various garden herbs. However, the fruity-fresh note remains dominant on my skin.

In the dry down, I can perceive wood: likely more cedar than sandalwood. The information gathered from various sources about this fragrance containing many warm tones like sandalwood, patchouli, oak moss, and leather notes is something I can hardly confirm. Only after a longer time do these soft notes break through.

The longevity is modest, more akin to cologne strength, which I personally don't mind, as I prefer fragrances that don't necessarily accompany me all day; the sillage is moderate, especially since the scent is rather unobtrusive anyway.

Who needs this fragrance? Certainly not a rugged cowboy, if such a creature still exists in our hemispheres, and certainly no one looking for a scent with a black aura, a fragrance with a dark, mysterious presence. All of that is hardly offered by Stetson Black.

I myself was drawn to the bottle while purchasing a Stetson cap, especially since I already knew its big, older brother, the ceremonious and hefty Stetson Classic. My Stetson cap is not a cowboy hat but a Frisian wool cap of excellent quality, whose wearing comfort during a holiday on the North Sea was so convincing that the fragrance also made its way into my collection. While the cap became a loyal companion in winter, I cannot say the same for this fragrance.

An outdated fragrance: a bit of cowboy image that has long outlived itself, a name (Black) that does not seem to fit the scent at all, and low recognizability compared to the big brother (Stetson Classic). Not good conditions for success in Europe.

If all these limitations are not taken into account, what remains is a nice, pleasant fragrance that is wearable for almost all occasions, especially and primarily by office cowboys, if such a species exists.