Rocabar by Hermès

I’m running low on this fragrance; it’s my second time using it. Today, when I stepped out, I noticed a scent very similar to Roja Dove RDHP15—almost identical, but with much less intensity.

Although it’s not even a shadow of what it used to be, I think it’s worth it if you find it at a good price: it has a citrus and slightly balsamic opening with creamy touches that evolves into fine woods. Low projection, but yes, it’s worth it for the new version.

Before discovering Terre d’Hermès, my first encounter with the house was Rocabar in December 1999 or 2000, when I was about 14 or 15. A family from the provinces came to visit us in Mexico City. One morning before school, I saw a relative open a special-colored square box. He took out a square bottle with ochre liquid wrapped in something like a blanket. I asked if I could see and smell it, and I did, without knowing about reviews, YouTubers, or prices—just with my nose. Smelling it was an explosion of sensations; I’d never smelled anything like it: like being in a forest full of trees, woods, and autumn leaves at your feet. It was a strong, rich scent with indescribable class and elegance. The description by gelo999 is great: it smells like a wool sweater warming you up on an autumn morning; it’s autumn in a bottle. When I asked about the price, I was disappointed—it was very expensive, and I had to save up. Around 2002, I finally bought it, with the same square box and bottle, though without the blanket. The scent was exactly as I remembered: potent, elegant, and characterful. In high school, I got lots of compliments. I finished that first bottle and got another around 2009. The bottle was no longer square but a vertical rectangle with black letters (like on Fragrantica); the scent was the same: amazing, strong, spicy, woody, with great presence and projection, and I still received compliments. Time passed, and in 2022, I wanted to get Rocabar again so my wife could experience the great scent that accompanied me through high school. Department stores told me it was out of stock until late November or December. One afternoon in the historic center, at a small perfumery, I found Rocabar and noticed the bottle had changed: now it’s more streamlined, with a round cap and a label that, viewed from the back, mimics the old blanket. I bought the perfume and, when I got home, showed the box to my wife. After spraying three sprays on my forearm and starting to smell it, I was bewildered: it was a similar scent to what I knew, but lighter, more citrusy, much less potent and spicy. It had the DNA, but it didn’t give me the same feeling as before. I wondered if I’d bought a fake or if it had been reformulated. I went to an official Hermès store to clear things up; although it was still out of stock, I managed to smell a tester. Indeed, it was the same scent as the bottle I bought in the center, confirming it had been reformulated. Is it a bad scent or a bad perfume? No, but it’s not even a shadow of what Rocabar used to be… what a pity. My opinion on the last bottle (2022): Age: I wore it at 15, but I’d say it’s great for 20+. 85% Masculine – 15% Feminine. Seasons: Autumn and Winter. Occasions: Work and outings. Scent: 7.8/10.0. Sprays: 10-15. Longevity: 8.0/10.0. Duration: ~6 hours. Sillage: 6.5/10.0. Projection: 7.0/10.0. Versatility: 8.0/10.0. Value for money: 8.0/10.0. Final score: 7.55/10.0. Thanks and see you next time.

I smelled the model from the bottle shown on Fragrantica a while ago, and although I don’t remember it exactly, the new one seems quite ‘etherealized.’ Very airy and abstract. The truth is, it smells good and lasted about 8 hours, but with very weak potency.

Rocabar is a warm woody scent like a wool sweater; it doesn’t resemble any other Hermès. Its flaw is that after half an hour, it doesn’t project much. I’d like to tell @arp that the non-reformulated version is the one in the small photos on the right, i.e., the flat bottle, while the current one is the one on the left. The differences are that in the current version, the top notes feel more citrusy and less floral, making it fresher. In the old version, the floral and woody notes are more intense, so it feels somewhat warmer and more retro due to the woods used, like cedar and fir, which were more prominent in the old version.

I’m just starting to get to know some Hermès fragrances, but one thing they definitely have in common is high quality and elegance. This fragrance opens with not-too-intense citrus notes and floral notes; the next phase feels the presence of cardamom. Finally, it’s dominated by a slightly aniseed combination given by patchouli and vanilla. It’s not a fragrance with much sillage, but it has good longevity close to the skin. I see it as timeless, suitable for almost any season, with a preference for autumn and winter. It can also be a fragrance for the office and for wearing with at least a casual blazer. At times, it reminds me of two other fragrances I’ve already smelled: Roadster by Cartier and, above all, Lalique Pour Homme, perhaps due to how they combine floral, woody, and vanilla notes.

At first, there are soft floral and spicy notes, without prominent citrus at the start. In the heart, violet, carnation, cypress, and cardamomo stand out. The dry down is a powdery, vanilla-woody sensation with cedar, and a dusty touch from patchouli and vanilla, nothing gourmand. I agree with Jesús and Juan, but in my case, it lasted over twelve hours with a moderate trail that clung to the skin at the end. It’s special, with that timeless elegance of Hermes. Although woody, it lacks spicy heat, so it works well in autumn, winter, or cool summers, better for daytime. I tested it with a flask-style miniature.

Rocabar smells like a dense pine and fir forest, a spicy, balsamic woody scent that fits perfectly in cold weather or formal events. While it’s too much for daily wear and has a short trail, it’s comfortable, manly, and unique, featuring a menthol note I haven’t felt in any other fragrance. I’d give it an eight.