The Dandy by Penhaligon's

Sometimes it’s not you looking for the perfume, but the perfume finding you. In Edinburgh, at a random barbershop, the barber gave me a free sample of Penhaligon’s. The moment I smelled it, I got a pure whiskey note straight out of Scotland. It was love at first sniff. The blend of whiskey and raspberry left me hypnotized; with just one drop on my neck, I couldn’t stop sniffing. I went to the official store, only to find it out of stock, but when I arrived at the airport, it appeared in a luxury boutique as if it were waiting for me. I tried it again and was completely won over, so I bought it with a 25% discount. Now it holds a place of honor in my collection, like a memory of an inevitable encounter.

There’s nothing unisex about this; it smells like a mature man just stepping out of a tavern. It has excellent longevity, at least on my skin, but it’s heavy, not very clean, and quite challenging overall.

Although it’s marketed as unisex, to me it leans more towards a man’s scent. Still, I liked it more than I expected. The whiskey, wood, and patchouli notes are very prominent at first, but they soften as it dries down. Over time, I find I like the aroma even more. It’s wearable and easy for most people to enjoy; it’s not overwhelming.

Personally, I like it. Upon spraying, you get the whiskey paired with what seems to be davana. At first, there’s a brief luminous touch of cider, then the raspberry blends with the whiskey. Throughout the dry down, those fougère notes stand out, along with Iso E Super and cedar. The patchouli reminds me of Diptyque’s when dry. There’s also ambroxan, but not too strong. It’s fairly linear but pleasant. I see it as a cold-weather, nighttime, masculine scent, though I’d love to smell it on a woman. It reminds me of Bentley Intense or a certain Halfeti, and has that Tom Ford vibe. Its structure is similar to Oud Wood. I don’t think it will be a massive hit or remembered as one of the brand’s best, but it’s not a disaster, and the current rating doesn’t do it justice.

I like it. As soon as you apply it, you get the whiskey (that Baraonda kind, just less intense than Nasomatto’s) mixed with what seems to be davana. At first, the luminous touch of cider is brief; then the raspberry comes through with the whiskey. Throughout, those fougère notes are noticeable (the same lactone, with Iso E Super and cedar). The patchouli, when dry, reminds me of Diptyque’s Tempo. There’s also ambroxan, but not too strong. It’s fairly linear but pleasant. I see it as a cold-weather, nighttime, masculine scent, though I’d love to smell it on a woman. I understand comparisons to Bentley Intense or a certain Halfeti, though they aren’t the same. It also smells very much like Tom Ford, with a structure and behavior similar to Oud Wood. I don’t think it will be a huge seller or remembered as one of the brand’s best, but it’s not a disaster, and the current rating (3.51) doesn’t do it justice.