Alt-Innsbruck Eau de Cologne

Opens up a corridor between wherever you are and 19th/early 20th century Austria. Peculiar, given that this was released in 1953. Sweetness is problematic for me in many fragrances, however; here it is charming, with a delicacy that serves as an exquisite foil to the mentholated slap you receive on application - "I demand satisfaction sir!" One can't help imagining the various Doctors of Thomas Mann's Magic Mountain smelling of this. This frame of reference would suggest a positive possibility re. layering with denser tobacco scents that lean less on tobacco flower and more on pipe or cigar notes. So, I tried this recently with Tobacco myth and the result was sublime. There is so much in this simple scent of a world that has been lost; for good or ill. The traditional barber's, the small cake shop, the tobacconist, and the clean, soft-bright warmth and stillness of life that only bourgeois fortune could acquire. An uplifting, calming classic that those who love time travel should try.

Alt Innsbruck was released in 1953 but it might as easily been 1753. The scent pre-dates any modern notion of perfumery. It simply “is.” For me, it is fairly useless to try to describe this one in terms of notes or gender. I’ve walked the streets of Alt (old) Innsbruck in Austria and wow, this fragrance gets the vibe just right: the bridges, the river, the classic stone and colored masonry, the scripted German writing on the buildings, the alpine flowers on green meadows ascending up to snow capped Tirolian Alps. Perhaps my mind wanders too much with this fragrance, but for me it perfectly evokes the feeling one of Europe’s most beautiful cities, imbued with a timeless permanence yet so wonderfully alive. For the modern man who derives pleasure from the aesthetics of centuries past, who must live in the present knowing in his heart he was born a few hundred years too late.

Dear Mature Gentlemen, You have no idea what you are missing. Do you wet shave? I mean, do you shave with anything that requires water, and isn't electric? This is the stuff you splash on after your shave. It's an EDC concentration, so it's stronger than an aftershave. There are only two notes. Tobacco flower (not tobacco) and menthol. It doesn't sound interesting I know. This is in my top 5 of all time. When I first smelled this at a wet shaving show I was blown away. It's better than 90% of all edts, but doesn't last more than a couple of hours. Soothing and fresh like a 1950's alpha-male confident movie star would smell. This will take you back. Warning, 50 years old and over, please. Sincerely, Neil ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Here are my thoughts in video form: youtu.be/C37L9tMi0Mw

I have been using Alt Innsbruck for about 40 years. I discovered it, along with Tabac, whilst living in Germany in the 80's. The scent is very simple: tobacco flower and menthol. After the dry down, the nose will start to pick up the sweetness of the tobacco flower. It's not cloying, but it's my humble opinion that this scent would not appeal to a millennial. The menthol kick is a pleasant surprise. For the wet-shavers out there, this juice pair extremely well with the, sadly discontinued, I Coloniali shave soap. They are a match made in heaven. 100% masculine scent. For the price, this is worth a blind buy. Recommended. Update: I am seeing "Mint" in the description and some reviews. It's MENTHOL, not mint.

I really enjoy this cologne/aftershave which I discovered on a wet shave forum nearly fifteen years ago. I don't possess the trained nose which so many on this site seem to have, but I definitely pick up quite a bit more than the tobacco and mint listed as the fragrance notes up above. Perhaps someone can explain to me how this works? I have noticed a number of Amouage fragrances (especially Reflections!) remind me of Alt-Innsbruck's powdery/mint notes. Over the years I have received SO MANY compliments on this cologne/aftershave. I've run into only one person who really doesn't care for it. Unfortunately for me, that person is my wife. Bummer.