Pinaud Special Reserve Clubman

It is truly wonderful when you can ignite a good friend from school days with your passion for perfumes, who also tends to approach his hobbies in a similarly analytical/comprehensive/exploratory manner as you do. During visits, boxes of perfumes are assembled, and in the end, it’s the gentlemen who sit sniffing and discussing at the dining table transformed into a micro-osmotheque, while the ladies are out in the garden sawing at the bamboo and occasionally peeking in with disgruntled expressions. "Oh, are you done?" - "Yes, we are now comparing shaving soaps! The texture and creaminess of the Tabac Original soap certainly don’t suggest the low price, do they?" - "..."

Well, um, hmm, otherwise we are very charming and entertaining. Really. Certainly. *cough* The aforementioned friend has also developed a distinct preference for products from the old - largely unknown in Germany - American house of Pinaud or Clubman, in addition to a lavishly stocked Harry Lehmann shelf. Their products are characterized primarily by their truly low price and the equally inexpensive presentation in the form of the cheapest (!) soft plastic splash bottles. No reason to wrinkle your nose, as both the price and the presentation align charmingly with the sense and purpose of the products. I quote the inside of the label (a separate back label would probably have been too expensive):

"- bold, masculine fragrance
- instantly cools, tones, refreshes the skin
- exhilarating freshener after bath, splash on freely all over body"

We conclude sharply: The in-house designation of Clubman Special Reserve as "After Shave Cologne" was probably the broadest semantic term they could find. "Universal scent brew," "Emergency shower substitute," or "Olfactory WD-40 for oil rigs and opera balls" would be my alternative suggestions. So how exactly does this somewhat dirty green-brown stuff, reminiscent of stagnant water, smell when you shake it into your hand? The manufacturer leaves us without a note list (which I always find exciting, as it allows you to engage with the scent more unprejudiced and not easily fall into embarrassments like "After half an hour, the Lombardian sable pine became distinctly noticeable!")...

Cappellusman attributed a "manly" quality to Clubman Special Reserve two years ago in his statement, and that is true. Here, the Marlboro Man rides out in full gallop from the old advertisement. But quite differently than European fragrances have interpreted masculinity in recent decades: Behind the - in "real" perfumes rather undesirable, but in aftershaves very welcome - alcoholic, rough opening with a hint of orange citrus lies a peculiar triad of clove, bay rum-like bay leaf, and leather accord, although I couldn’t say whether the leathery impression arises only through this peculiar spice combination. A very unique scent: reduced yet lush, casual yet with exotic charm. The base also remains peculiar, as the classic aftershave-soapiness is accompanied by a distinct, for me hard-to-define sweetness that reminds me a bit of (strongly diluted!) Dr. Pepper cola. Very American, all in all. By the way, don’t be fooled by the weak self-projection: The (nearby) environment carries a hint of Clubman Special Reserve for several hours.

Overall, one of the strongest representatives of a rather oddly likeable brand. Anyone who occasionally craves scents that are characterful and not composed with a pipette but with a circular saw will surely find something here. Bonus tip for fans of the Cologne scent type: The "Eau de Portugal" hair tonic also serves as a bitter orange (also infused with the house’s bay note) universal body scent.