Pirates' Grand Reserve

Such a beautiful and surprisingly balanced and smooth scent, and while I can attest to it smelling "pirate-esque", I very much agree with the reviewer Mordrod below me, in that it smells and feels like the image of a slightly exaggerated 'Romanticised Pirate'. It opens up on my skin with a potent blast of Rum and Bitter Cacao with some woodiness, but while both of them aren't bitter enough to be off-putting necessarily, they're definitely not as sweet or as smooth as some younger people may expect/think going in. Nonetheless, as it gets past the opening it becomes a delicious, extremely smooth and well blended cacophony of (on my skin); Rum>Cacao>Vanilla>Cashmere in that order making up the main notes/profile, with the secondary/back up notes being clean musk's, a chocolatey-woody patchouli, a subtle woodiness reminiscent of Oak Barrels, and a nice touch of powdery sweetness from the Heliotrope, (a note with so much potential but frankly I feel its so underrated, and I wish it were used more to this fragrance's degree), and this scent profile remains the core for the rest of the wearing, as it slowly dissipates it gets a little woodier but remains the same for the most part, which is a Boozy-sweet Rum, delicious almost gourmand vanilla, a bitter but refined and slightly chocolatey kinda dry Cacao, a smooth cashmere and sweet-powdered and airy musk's + Heliotrope, with an Oak Barrel feeling base. And all these Notes while having an order of strongest to least strongest on my skin, are SO well blended together (and I mean that in the most literal sense), that going into smelling this just looking at the notes alone and no reviews, I anticipated that the Rum was going to be very bitter, that the Vanilla-Cacao combo would've smelt sweet, unrefined and bittersweet, but I was pleasantly surprised, as the Rum has no sharp edges at all, and neither does the Cacao, you virtually get all the inoffensive positives of the Rum (boozy, slightly sweet, pairs well with spices, and a good pairing with vanilla), and of the Cacao (chocolatey, Sweet, semi-gourmand, Bitter in a good way when not done too much, also pairs well with Vanilla), with all their negatives being not present in the slightest, and on top of that, they're elevated by the Rich but tame Vanilla especially, but the Heliotrope-Cashmere-Oak Barrel woods also help to smooth things over. I got a very firm medium projection on my skin which is interesting, as my skin for some reason makes weak or medium projecting scents weaker, and usually makes strong(or nuclear) fragrances even stronger, but this retains a pleasant scent bubble and trail that's just shy of arms length but its not dense enough to be overbearing, but good enough to turn heads. Longevity i got a nice 8 hours out of which is roughly what I expected from this, but it retains the Cacao and Rum for a lot longer than I expected it to, I'd say its good for all year outside summers, especially down here in Australia, as for wearability it feels unisex but leans slightly masculine (in my opinion) from the slight bitterness and the way the woods/musk's are done, but I can see women also enjoying this fragrance. in that line of thinking, this is perfect as a casual fragrance, and honestly even formal occasions if you carry yourself with confidence, but might be a bit much for office wear if it's a strong projector on your skin. Honestly it's definitely up there with my favourite Boozy fragrances and a possible contender for my favourite, also, i have no source, but come on; Captain Jack Sparrow from the first 3 Pirates of the Caribbean movies mostly certainly the inspiration for this fragrance, and I think it reflects that in the notes and the way this fragrance converys itself, only this when you're asked "where's all the Rum gone?!", you can simply reply 'I'm wearing it'. objectively I think its closer to an 8-8.5, but enjoyment wise its high as a 9/10 for me or sometimes more depending on the mood.That's got to be the greatest Pirate (fragrance) I've ever seen.

This wasn’t what I was expecting. To be fair, however, I like this more than I’d anticipated I would. The name conjured an imagine in my mind prior to receiving this delivery - one of a thick, heavy, robust, powerful fragrance, one that is dark and boozy. To my nose, that is not what this is. At first spray, the rum was strong, but it was relatively sweet in a manner that didn’t make this a boozy rum scent that would make me question, “should I wear this before driving?” I’ve got a few boozy fragrances that I’m hesitant to wear out if I’m driving just for the notion wearing them makes me paranoid if I got pulled over by the 5-0 that they’d not believe I hadn’t been drinking. I rarely imbibe, when I do it may be a robust hearty beer or two once in a blue moon, but dang, some boozy fragrances are so heavy on the booze notes, they dang near make me feel tipsy just smelling them. The rum in this just feels so well blended with the other notes that it doesn’t overwhelm but falls in the “just right” category for me. I‘ve got to be honest, after about 30 minutes, I’m not quite sure what I’m smelling with respect to the various notes. What I do know - it doesn’t smell like any others in my collection, and it smells luxurious. I do get some powdery, some light floral, and like some others have mentioned a leathery / rubbery sensation. Where I am, roughly an hour drive west of Boston, the temperature today is hovering around 70 degrees f and I can see why this is mostly rated as a fall / winter fragrance, but at the same time, to my nose, this is an all season, all hours offering. Typically, I’d agree that boozy fragrances are best for fall, but this one sits light, the leathery / rubbery aspect is also quite light and the powdery floral aspects round it out in a manner that I can see wearing this year round. To me, this isn’t Captain Jack Sparrow half cocked, slurring, and running from authority; rather this is a former pirate who’s advancing age has induced retirement from setting sail, and hindsight inspired wisdom that pillaging, violence, and theft are both destructive not to just the victims, but to oneself, not to mention culturally frowned upon and simply old hat - a new guard has taken hold, there is an air of refinement, and he’s embraced wisdom gained from other cultures, and when and if he sets sail, it will be to embrace other cultures he may once upon a time have brought a scourge toward. This is beautiful and mature. It’s refined, elegant, and though there’s little, if anything, tropical or beachy about this, for some reason it does conjure up a feeling in me about being near the sea with the sun rays warming me. This is a 10/10 for me.

Pirates' Grand Reserve is easily one of the most pleasant and cozy perfumes I’ve ever come across. The moment it hits the skin, you get this rich mix of rum, milk chocolate and whiskey that feels warm, smooth and instantly luxurious. The opening reminds me of wine or cognac barrels, and the whole scent has that polished, old‐money vibe you’d expect from someone heading out for a date night in Beverly Hills. It’s a real compliment‐getter too, especially around people who appreciate more refined or niche fragrances. I’ve worn it to restaurants, nights out and even on the golf course, and it holds up surprisingly well. Sweat doesn’t seem to dull it much, which is rare for something this cozy and gourmand. Season-wise, this is a late‐autumn and winter fragrance through and through. It has no freshness at all, but instead gives you this soft, balm‐like warmth that feels like it coats your senses in the best way. Because of that, it’s not something I’d wear in the scorching summer sun, though it can work nicely on cooler summer nights, especially for bars or dinners. Even though it’s marketed as unisex, it definitely leans more masculine. The woody, boozy and cacao‐like notes give it a strong, confident character. If you enjoy old‐money, elegant scents, this one fits perfectly. Personally, it’s one of the best perfumes I own and easily one of my favorites. I had been hunting for it for months and ended up finding it on clearance for 125 euros, which felt like a steal considering the usual 200‐euro price tag. Honestly, even at full price, it feels worth it. That said, I wouldn’t recommend blind‐buying it. The scent is very specific and unlike anything else I’ve smelled, so it’s better to try it in a store first. Final rating: 10/10

I have to admit, I've chosen it by its cover. Actually, by its name. I wasn't really expecting much, probably something cloying and very masculine. It is, indeed, very strong and boozy. At first, I could swear it is all about honey. Maybe it reminds me of something that is based on honey, don't know. Anyway, it is delicious. For me, it is very familiar (I love Santal Majuscule, maybe this is it), but unique at the same time. It has really nice character, it is independent but soo warm. It surprised me, because I thought I am already fed up with warm, gourmand fragrances and I definitely don't like them during summer. But this one made me so happy. On me, it is really strong, especially at first, it is definitely not too sweet, I would rather say heavy and dark with a powdery vibe, which makes it alive. Also, it is probably woodier on my skin than on someone else's, because woody notes always dominate on my skin. I love it, because it has woody, gourmand, musk, boozy, flowery and powdery stages, all in one fragrance. Very, very nice surprise for me. Although I know and own a lot of fragrances with similar notes, Pirates Grand Reserve is something very special, very niche and stays interesting. (btw, I only applied one spritz on my wrist, I imagine more than that would really be overwhelming. Also, I had Love In Idleness on the other wrist and must say, what an interesting combination!)

Edit: I bought the full bottle and I'm in love with this boozy, leathery, chocolaty, Sauna Infusion scent that turns into a powdery goddess. It is so unique and calming. Much love for this masterpiece. 🤌🏻♥️ I bought a decant of it, since I did not know if the Rum Note will be the one I am longing for in a fragrance. It's not. BUT, this fragrance is stunning. It somehow reminds me a lot of Ballistol Pet Care Oil in the beginning. But when it starts to dry down... Wow. It's Amber, it has some warmth/sultriness which remind me of a sauna infusion. Overall it has a feeling of a powdery, essential oil infusion made of pine, wood, amber and what not with a powdery compound. It's leaning on the masculine site, but it's soft and sultry, which makes it definitely wearable for me as well. Intoxicating, comforting, calming. Absolutely lovely. Unfortunately there is no Rum Note detectable for me here. I was hoping for that artificial sweet type of Rum which is used in some candies or at least a more boozy fragrance in general. But it's not there for me. Although this is missing, I'd definitely buy this. The sillage is amazing as well. I just sprayed the tiniest bit on my wrist and it feels like the scent is coming up from my wrist like steam from a diffuser. Ahhh, I'm in love with it.