Strawanza Wiener Schurken

TL;DR: Flies under the radar. Very well-made, old-school fragrance. Masculine without being old-fashioned, surprisingly long-lasting for a cologne. Men: Have the courage!
The Viennese rogues have been on the market since 2018. When exactly they rediscovered and re-released this nasty recipe from 1953 and where it actually comes from are just a few of the questions I ask myself about this fragrance. Another question is: How good is it actually? I'll try to be brief: I don't think it fits in with the current style of bapps-sweet, creamy, powdery or citrusy crowdpleasers, which seem to be springing up endlessly like mushrooms. But that's not what this fragrance wants to be. For me, Strawanza is a modern gentleman who doesn't have to please everyone. A gentleman who is self-confident, friendly, determined and calm in his everyday life. He knows his worth, smells distinctive and tart, with that tiny hint of sweet creaminess that rounds him off. A 'prowler', loosely translated into High German, he is not for me right from the start.

The fragrance opens with a fresh, woody menthol/pepper accord. The clove in the background is initially reminiscent of spicy cinnamon. Anyone who wears their hair close to the skin will agree that it is directly reminiscent of shaving soap. Clean, fresh and yet spicy, it transitions to the woody, earthy heart of the fragrance. Nothing stands out, the menthol fades into the background and allows the pepper to melt into the cashmere wood and cedar wood. After around 1-2 hours, the base notes of slightly creamy musk, smoky oud and labdanum and minimally sweet tonka bean join in. At best, this is where I could let the name "Strawanzers" pass. What I find great about this fragrance is that there is no lavender at all. This sets it apart from the 'conventional' fougères and makes it come across as mature WITHOUT opi vibes, more like daddy vibes... ;)

Each of us has a different perception of scents, but for me this cologne tells a short story of a man who shaves in the morning with a shavette or a plane, goes about his work or business during the day in a polite but dominant manner, spends a lunch break in the forest and in the evening knows how to enjoy his evening in cultivated company and classically dressed and perhaps comes home later than planned one or two times..

Personally, I don't see the fragrance on milk boys or yes-men, this fragrance is not a screamer, but stronger than some EdP on the market. You have to like barbershop / fougère, then it picks you up. If you can see yourself wearing it, you have an absolutely solid daily driver, an aftershave and a statement fragrance all in one.

Go for it, boys: have fun testing it!