Top Notes
Basil
Bergamot
Juniper
Lemon
Heart Notes
Artemisia
Jasmine
Cardamom
Lavender
Pine
Cinnamon
Base Notes
Amber
Moss
Patchouli
Sandalwood
Fir
Rate
Collection
Classify
Notes02/05/2021
MrHonest
94 Reviews
MrHonest
3
~~ An unexpected journey ~~
"There is nothing like looking, if you want to find something."
For years, I passed up Bowling Green because it was just so cheap. And Grey Flannel was just so terrible. How could I have been such a fool?? This stuff is amazing! Not only does 120 ml cost less than an extra-large pizza, but the journey this juice takes me on.....wow.
To be clear, I purchased a new bottle (L. No. 133522) distributed by EA so it's most likely the reform. But still, what a surprise...
For starters, the rubber cannister is actually pretty sturdy despite the cardboard look on the outer wall. The bottle certainly resembles the one that Hugo Boss uses for the "Bottled" line, but it's actually far slimmer than expected for 120 mL of juice, owing to the considerably thinner glass. The tall atomizer is fantastic and really reminds me of the one on the original Polo, without the shiny golden finish. Shoots out an incredible amount of liquid too. Really superb.
Immediately from the first blast, it's flashbacks to Drakkar Noir. Absolutely no missing the similarity - astringent lavender, unsweetened lemon candy, soily cinnamon and pine. No basil to my nose, although there's a slight hint of something amber-ish in the background. As the fragrance begins to settle and the notes separate, it quickly becomes apparent that the lemon used is the exact same as the one in Eau de Rochas. That's 2 fragrances in 5 minutes. But wait! Here it comes.....is that....is that a dash of Tom Ford's Italian Cypress? Six minutes in and the plot thickens!
At about the 10-minute mark, the moss in the base starts to show up with the lemon and pine actually gaining strength, outpacing most of the other notes. Then, rather suddenly and without warning, a beautifully smooth, minty lavender heroically breaks out of the pack and relentlessly begins to project. Six inches from the skin, it's flashbacks to Beau de Jour. Unbelievable. But sadly, it doesn't last. Literally within another 10 minutes, the lavender pulls way back, giving the lemon one more shot at the spotlight before fading into a piney oblivion. Enter the animalics.
Yes indeed, nothing this cheap comes without a price; and despite the surprisingly well blended lavender, there is a bit of sour grunge that permeates its heart. At this point, most of the projection has been spent, but at about the hour-to-hour and a half mark, the cinnamon combines with a minty juniper, all-but-rotting lemon and mossy patchouli to produce a skin-like sourness that I would image many youths would not appreciate. Nevertheless, it's a surprisingly brilliant turn to the fragrance and adds that touch of 'body' that harkens back to the masculines of the 80's. Luckily, at about 2 hours, the sourness breaks apart, and the animalic touch subsides to merge harmoniously with the smooth lavender, cinnamon and pine once again, ultimately rounding out the fragrance. Incredible. What a ride!
Without a doubt, Bowling Green, even in its current state, has got to be one of my favourite fragrance purchases of all time. An unbelievably interesting fougere, with nods to a number of superb perfumes (even preceeding some of them), at a fraction of the cost. It literally tells a story. And although it's certainly not as "green" as I was expecting from the name, the fact that you can still purchase it for next to nothing makes up for any shortcomings. If you enjoy barbershop-style fragrances with plenty of character, this is definitely one to own. A timeless gem - and for me, an unexpected journey. ♣
For years, I passed up Bowling Green because it was just so cheap. And Grey Flannel was just so terrible. How could I have been such a fool?? This stuff is amazing! Not only does 120 ml cost less than an extra-large pizza, but the journey this juice takes me on.....wow.
To be clear, I purchased a new bottle (L. No. 133522) distributed by EA so it's most likely the reform. But still, what a surprise...
For starters, the rubber cannister is actually pretty sturdy despite the cardboard look on the outer wall. The bottle certainly resembles the one that Hugo Boss uses for the "Bottled" line, but it's actually far slimmer than expected for 120 mL of juice, owing to the considerably thinner glass. The tall atomizer is fantastic and really reminds me of the one on the original Polo, without the shiny golden finish. Shoots out an incredible amount of liquid too. Really superb.
Immediately from the first blast, it's flashbacks to Drakkar Noir. Absolutely no missing the similarity - astringent lavender, unsweetened lemon candy, soily cinnamon and pine. No basil to my nose, although there's a slight hint of something amber-ish in the background. As the fragrance begins to settle and the notes separate, it quickly becomes apparent that the lemon used is the exact same as the one in Eau de Rochas. That's 2 fragrances in 5 minutes. But wait! Here it comes.....is that....is that a dash of Tom Ford's Italian Cypress? Six minutes in and the plot thickens!
At about the 10-minute mark, the moss in the base starts to show up with the lemon and pine actually gaining strength, outpacing most of the other notes. Then, rather suddenly and without warning, a beautifully smooth, minty lavender heroically breaks out of the pack and relentlessly begins to project. Six inches from the skin, it's flashbacks to Beau de Jour. Unbelievable. But sadly, it doesn't last. Literally within another 10 minutes, the lavender pulls way back, giving the lemon one more shot at the spotlight before fading into a piney oblivion. Enter the animalics.
Yes indeed, nothing this cheap comes without a price; and despite the surprisingly well blended lavender, there is a bit of sour grunge that permeates its heart. At this point, most of the projection has been spent, but at about the hour-to-hour and a half mark, the cinnamon combines with a minty juniper, all-but-rotting lemon and mossy patchouli to produce a skin-like sourness that I would image many youths would not appreciate. Nevertheless, it's a surprisingly brilliant turn to the fragrance and adds that touch of 'body' that harkens back to the masculines of the 80's. Luckily, at about 2 hours, the sourness breaks apart, and the animalic touch subsides to merge harmoniously with the smooth lavender, cinnamon and pine once again, ultimately rounding out the fragrance. Incredible. What a ride!
Without a doubt, Bowling Green, even in its current state, has got to be one of my favourite fragrance purchases of all time. An unbelievably interesting fougere, with nods to a number of superb perfumes (even preceeding some of them), at a fraction of the cost. It literally tells a story. And although it's certainly not as "green" as I was expecting from the name, the fact that you can still purchase it for next to nothing makes up for any shortcomings. If you enjoy barbershop-style fragrances with plenty of character, this is definitely one to own. A timeless gem - and for me, an unexpected journey. ♣
Mikael
KimJong
