Aqua Quorum

People will surely regret their initial judgments when this fragrance becomes extinct in the next few years. The prices are already soaring, despite its consistent affordability of $10-12 for a 3.4 oz bottle over the past 25 years. Given its modest pricing and stylishly simplistic bottle design, it appears to be following a similar fate as Pino Silvestre Sport, another beautiful and straightforward flanker that I deeply regret not stocking up on. However, it is crucial not to be deceived by comparisons to other widely marketed fresh aquatic fougères from the mid-90s. Aqua Quorum is far from being a basic aquatic, even though it might attempt to present itself that way. If one can overlook the initially marketing-friendly openings of Polo Sport and Coolwater, Aqua Quorum blossoms into a fresh gasoline-like honeysuckle floral citric aquatic, surpassing the ambitions of Polo Sport. The transformation typically begins within 20 minutes of application. The masterful blend of freesia, geranium, and lavender results in a luminous, waxy grapefruit floral aquatic experience. Initially refreshing and sharp, it gradually reveals subtle complexities in the middle and base notes. Transitioning from a damp mossy essence to a sweet, ambery natural leather, it achieves a delicate yet intricately layered composition. The oakmoss and lavender impart a gasoline-like sweetness that carries the florals and amber. This fragrance is truly magnificent and suitable for every season. However, I believe it has been discontinued, as its availability is rapidly diminishing across all markets. I recommend seizing the opportunity to acquire it while you can. For enthusiasts of enigmatic fragrances and aquatic fougères, this gem deserves a place in your collection. It is destined to be regarded as a cult classic in the years to come, showcasing its subtly unique characteristics and overall mastery within the realm of fresh aquatic scents. With medium sillage, 3-5 sprays should project its captivating aroma over six feet for approximately seven hours. When caught in a summer breeze, the scent, although somewhat familiar and clichéd, mysteriously transforms into something ethereal and undeniably beautiful. It evokes the image of a damp forest adorned with sweet flowers and surrounded by natural gas deposits near mossy pools of water. The fragrance exudes a remarkably natural aroma, accentuated by a distinct haunting note of honeysuckle and lemon. In my opinion, it deserves a rating of 9.5 out of 10. If you know, you know.

What the..!!! Did I just got a better performing brother of Polo Sport? I need to give it some time but from initial sprays side by side, wow! Aqua Quorum indeed smells like Polo Sport a lot! I have used Polo Sport both during original formulation and then the reformulation. I recently got again the original Cosmair bottle of Polo Sport. I also owned Calvin Klein Eternity, which I totally get how people may find certain notes similar. Opening: I think here it's the hardest to make a distinction between AQ and PS. They both open zesty fresh blast with citruses and levander. The prominent mint note in PS makes the only difference. Mid: In 5 minutes, their directions start to differ slightly. Aqua Quorum keeps its simplicity, getting a wee bit warmer, rounded probably leather and amber playing a role here. The ginger, rose and artemisia in Polo Sport (hard to detect when smelled alone but easy while comparing to Aqua Quorum) gives a slight sourish note to the scent. I think at this point I am impressed by Aqua Quorum (keeping in mind as the underdog), it's sweeter and warmer, and believing this could be where people get CK Eternity vibes. Funny enough, I even get hints of A&F Fierce somewhere here...Maybe Versace's Dylan Blue too...Hidden in the deep, I get Cool Water notes at the same time. Drydown: Is similar to midnotes in AQ, linear. All notes are now settled down but it still feels like a perfect blend of Cool Water, Dylan Blue, A&F Fierce and CK Eternity. THere's nothing sour, sharp, dirty - it's just warm and fresh, very clean. Polo Sport on the other hand, dries down woodier, muskier and that sourish note still lingering, I believe it's still rose, rosewood and the artemisia note (like licorice, anise)! I never noticed this until comparing with another fragrance like AQ. Very interesting experience. At this point I can't say they are similar anymore, but still comparable. Overall, do not buy Aqua Quorum with hopes to get Polo Sport for cheaper. They are very similar in the opening, but then not so much which is the bigger portion of the journey. Polo Sport is simply way too complex and makes Aqua Quorum very linear in comparison. If you need to make a choice, even though Polo Sport would be "my" first choice (as I have emotional bonds, being my first ever fragrance) I say go for Aqua Quorum. You can't get this for this price out of anything else.

Every now and then we find one of those scents that completely transports us to a different time. Usually it's not something super artistic or deep, but something that drags out old memories that we didn't even remember we had. For me, this is one of those scents. It takes me back to lazy summer mornings, sunlight streaming in through the windows, days when I had comparatively fewer cares in the world. It gets compared to lots of things: Eternity, Cool Water, and most correctly, Polo Sport. It's got Harry Fremont's name on it so it shouldn't be a surprise. Alberto Morillas is attached too and I wonder if two perfumers with a "fresher" resumé weren't brought in to help the original Quorum's co-creator, Mateu, on the project. Aqua Quorum opens with an absolute blast of dihydromyrcenol. You know, that metallic combination of grapefruit and lavender that's in Drakkar Noir, Cool Water, Green Irish Tweed, and every laundry product or dish detergent ever made? It lets up after 20 seconds or so and gets into a nice freesia accord. Imagine a flower that smells like almond or ripe fruit and that's freesia. Oakmoss is there giving a starkness to the lavender and leather, like an eau version of a late 80's fougère. The leather isn't that dusty old study leather of its predecessor, just a faint hint of a shoe leather or an old wallet. Think Ferragamo pour Homme's leather. The freshness is the main attraction, but there's more backbone than you'd think. There are two notes in Aqua Quorum that I feel are missing from the pyramid. One is mint, which I think fuels some of the Cool Water comparisons and the other is pine, which makes it feel more related to the original Quorum. There's a salty sea accord swimming around in there too, but I'll chalk that up to the "amber". At any rate, most will probably find this perfume generic or a sign of the early 90's that's nice enough but not anything to write home about. But to the right people, just like that little hangout that isn't there anymore or the friends we have fond memories of but lost touch with, it's something to be cherished.

Aqua Quorum is a fresh/fruity fougere that manages to be fun, youthful, outdoorsy, laid back, and energetic. It's a familiar aroma, and upon smelling it you realize that this is essentially what every designer has been trying to do for the last 30 years. Puig's rendition is perhaps one of the best, up there easily with Cool Water. However, whereas Cool Water smells like itself because it is so ubiquitous, Aqua Quorum takes on a kaleidoscopic element, making you think of a huge array of "blue" aquatics all at once. This is perhaps it's only flaw. The grapefruit and lavender gleam and sparkle out of the atomizer in an over the top fashion, however it doesn't come across as dihydromyrcenolic to my nose, although there is no doubt this compound is present in the formula in atleast some amount. Maybe it's actually in a higher concentration than Cool Water's (20%) amount, I'd have no idea because it's so well blended. I get a bit of calone, as well as a crushed green pine accord which has quickly become one of my favorite scents. Eventually, a huge slug of ambroxan comes out, proof that the likes of D*** S****** or Bleu de Chanel didn't pioneer an overdose of this stuff. Puig's offering, just like Vapor Trail says, doesn't smell dated at all. It smells like it could've been released a few months ago by Versace. Here's the difference: With Aqua Quorum, you're getting an obscure 90's "proto-aquatic" fresh fougere that has essentially zero marketing, pulled straight out of the era in which this style was originally conceived, for 1/10th the price of it's imitators today, and directly from the manufacturer themselves. You really can't beat that. Amazing juice, highly recommended to anybody who comes across this review. Edit 10/08/19: After wearing this for a few weeks, I can definitely smell the dihydromyrcenol. There's a quite a bit, but at first it's drowned out by the calone which imparts a super fruity, ozonic watermelon-like nuance.

Personally I think anyone who thinks this smells like Cool Water’s ‘ad their brains scrambled. And I ain’t sayin’ that because I hate Cool Water. I love Cool Water, this just don’t smell like it. I DO get the Polo Sport comparisons, but call me a philistine, I like this cheap shit I bought from the weird pharmacy next to the good pharmacy better. I normally don’t get on with freshies. I own ‘em, an’ I wear ‘em, but I’m one of those blokes constantly chompin’ at the bit for it to get colder so I can wear me more dense and interestin’ stuff. This is a freshie that don’t bore me to tears, which straight away gets it ten house points. It opens like an over-chlorinated outdoor swimmin’ pool, which I know don’t sound appealin’ but it evokes properly vivid an’ specific scent memories out of me. Good ones. They make me smile. This thing makes me smile. As it dried down it goes to a weirdly dark place for a warm weather frag because of the oakmoss an’ leather, which gives it a bit more of a hairy-chestedness than a lot of the stuff it’d be shelved next to. I ain’t Basic an’ I don’t need to smell like I’ve wrestled a bear at every moment to feel like a man but the fact that this even looks in that direction sets it apart in its genre. It might not smell like a typical freshie but you pretty much are gettin’ standard freshie performance from it. Five-six hours before it’s a skin scent an’ about ninety minutes hard projection before it starts drawin’ in. On me it stays a skin scent for a good long while though, an’ it’s a nice one. A good “Arms Round Each Other” skin scent if not a cuddle one because leather just don’t lend itself to that, at least not off me. Cost me £11.95. For that price it’s astonishin’, an’ if you’re like me an’ you like the IDEA of smellin’ nice and appropriate when it’s hotter but most of your options make you wanna cry, grab it an’ keep it at arm’s reach.