Agua Brava

the first time I smelled this fragrance was a very long time ago, I was 7 years old (1970), and my father that was a heavy user of aftershaves/colognes (most of the regular ones), he decided to break the normal routine of buying the common BRUT, AQUA DI SELVA, PINO SILVESTRE, SKIN BRACER, and OLD SPICE and he went for something more "sophisticated" in a manner of speak, he brought home a 100ml of AGUA BRAVA Eau De Cologne splash bottle; I thought the bottle was very unique, the green colour and the design were two things that really caught my eye; when he wore the cologne after a shower, I've got hooked by the herbal-aromatic and dry woody chypre kind of smell of this manly and awesome fragrance, it was so sublime, unique in a way, different from the rest; it had something enchanting that I could not describe but that fragrant dry woody chypre note filled the air around like an aureole of wonderful natural scents, aromatic herbs, and mosses. So, I decided for the second time(15 years ago) to retrieve that fantastic aroma of AGUA BRAVA once again and got a 100ml bottle splash of this magnificent Eau de cologne; the memories came back straight away to my head when I wore it, I went back in time, I remembered some of those great and wonderful times of my youth that now are just stored in my memories and old photos, this fragrance was a good reminder of my great and happy past; I wanted to have this fragrance again so I ordered a 500ml splash bottle of AGUA BRAVA to enjoy this magnificent-manly-mature and sophisticated cologne that is a vivid example of how a man's fragrance has to smell; the rest is just history full of memories and good times, but AGUA BRAVA is there whenever I need to smell it for brining back those times to me; the green color and oval shape bottle represents sophistication, maturity, and self-confidence for those men out there that apreciate the good quality from the past, and this cologne keeps its image of strong-rough man that knows his gender and stands on his ground. Puig house has wonderful fragrances and I have enjoyed most of them, especially BRUMMEL and QUORUM(of which I am an everyday heavy loyal user); simply I love QUORUM as my dearest and most beloved aftershave/cologne that only ARAMIS(original) can share its place as my second beloved one. Now I decided I need no more fragrances as my time of trying different colognes and aftershaves have just gone; I keep only those fragrances that I really love and wear YATAGAN, ARAMIS(original), QUORUM, AGUA BRAVA, BOGART(signature) and BRUMMEL are my choice and I have no intention of changing as I find in these 6 fragrances that they suit and mix perfectly with my character and personality, so I do not need different ones anymore.

It's in theory, a sport version of Quorum. (Or Quorum is rather Agua Brava Le Parfum, XD) Bright mediterranean lemon and bergamot citrus pop in the opening. I don't perceive the herbs in the top except for a camphorous aspect, almost mentholated, which i guess is a nuance of the bayleaf. Holds woods into the heart, but interestingly enough, the base is not as wood or leather - forward. On my skin, the base of Agua Brava ends up smelling like an ever so slightly sweet musk, with citrus peel and a slight soap, oakmoss facet to it. Its longevity is quite frankly very average, and bear in mind the box of the 2022 formulation says "Eau de Cologne" but in the back says it has 85% of alcohol, that meaning the remaining percentage is fragrance raw material / Oils / absolutes, so, in theory, should be dubbed an EDT. Quite old fashioned for some, but i think this on summer smells just great, and if a 15 year old thinks he can pull it off, i'm sure he can try it and with even this fragrance he'll receive compliments, since they come with your image and personality being likeable, not just on scent. PD: On current formula it still has natural oakmoss, mentioned in the box as Evernia Prunastri extract. Oakmoss is not banned but rather restricted to a very low usage of 0.1% of final product in the 4th category as of IFRA's latest ammendments, which corresponds to fragrance. I'd say a safe blind buy if you want a clean scent, and if you wanna feel as if you're in a 1960's bossa nova song or movie in the beach. Blessings.

If I was stranded on a deserted island and could have only one fragrance, it would be Agua Brava. I have used it since 1971, bought my first bottle in Rota, Spain. There are striking similarities shared by Agua Brava, Pino Sylvestre Original and Acqua di Selva...but to me at least, AB 'begins' where Pino Sylvestre Original and Acqua di Selva both leave off...maybe it's the musk/leather in the drydown. There's just something "more" in the makeup of AB. And in my humble opinion, it's a genuine bargain. Now...that said, recent bottles of AB don't seem to have the strength or projection of the earlier stuff. Or maybe, just maybe...MY body's metabolism and chemistry have changed. Still, it's my absolute, all-time favorite fragrance. A tip: to get the most longetivity out of AB, try layering it with either Pino Sylvestre Original or Acqua di Selva. Since both Pino and Acqua di Selva are EDTs, they can extend the experience. Another tip: use the deodorant! It will also help extend what we all love about Agua Brava!

The negative reviews are actually the ones that drew me the most to wanting to blind buy this. “Smells like you cooked a big Italian meal and then went walking in the woods”, “it’s great if you want to smell like a 50 year old priest”, dude that sounds different and fascinating. I don’t know of anything else that smells remotely like this. It’s got notes that include bay leaf, and it’s super inexpensive. My wife loves it on me. It feels very old fashioned and distinct in an international way. This is a working man’s scent. A firm handshake, direct eye contact, a soft sonorous voice, calloused hands, a word of encouragement, dependably calm and collected. If Aqua Brava was a man, he would be all of these. I would sacrifice half or more of my fragrance wardrobe for an edt version of this. I’ve smelled hand sanitizer with better longevity. PUIG!!! GIVE THE PEOPLE WHAT THEY WANT!!! Note: I have almost 20 different scents I have to choose from and THIS is the ONLY one my wife rates a 10/10.

I saw a review of this on TikTok of all places. For the price it was an easy blind buy, and I'm so glad I did. I recognized it when I smelled it. In the early 90s, at my first job, I worked in the building that also housed offices for the Spanish consulate. Often I'd be in the elevator with one of their staff, an incredibly elegant older gentleman, always perfectly attired in double-breasted suits. This, along with cigarettes, is what he smelled like. Now, this is a very light scent, but it doesn't disappear, at least on me. It does not have any real sense of 'sillage' of course, but I still smell it on skin (and particularly on fabric) hours later - but more in the way a soap might leave the skin smelling. For something from the 60s this smells so fantastic, compared to so much garbage that put out that has no real scent but chemical abbrasivneess. If you have any interest in a 'gentlemanly' scent with a side of sexiness, this is the easist blind buy you'll make.