Sandalwood Cologne

Sandalwood. It's so natural for olfactory daydreams of Rudyard Kipling’s armpits to spring to mind. The usual associations we all share of Mr Kipling as editor of the Times of India at the height of the British Raj in the late 1880s; his hands smudged with printing press ink, the stale air around his sweating back and arm pits heavy with an overly sweet and cloying perfume of sandalwood, as his punka-wallah servant chews vanilla pods after munching his oniony saag aloo whilst pulling on a large calico ceiling fan using just two toes of his remaining one leg. Yes, so easy to form such generalisations about sandalwood. Why then did I decide to part with 43 guineas at Mr Trumpers esteemed barbershop in St. James? In part it was due to something of an epiphany whilst entering the sullen bunker of Tower Hill Underground station on Tuesday at around a quarter past eight in the morning. A tall swarthy chap with rubber soled leather shoes, an Arsenal football shirt and cheap looking short hair (vainly sculpted into hardened gel spikes), swept past me with an odour that would at the very best be described as reminiscent of an inferior composition of sandalwood (from some dreadful pharmacy body spray that young real estate agents prefer), and at the very worst, should be described as the testicular odour of a boar (a wild pig, if you will) whose pendulous scrotum has been dragged back and forth across the rough bark of the sandalwood tree in an effort to scratch an itch which cannot be appeased with pig's trotters. Struck by this aggressive testosterone fuelled sandalwood, I immediately froze to the spot as Londoners hurriedly jostled by me like ferrets down a rabbit warren. The reason for my consternation? It occurred to me, with a creeping dread, that I did not own a single sandalwood based cologne. Thus the following Friday, I resolutely resolved to obtain said cologne from Trumpers (whilst picking up a tube of rose shaving cream for my imminent holiday in Tobago). I sprayed the back of my hand in the boutique and with my voice cracking in urgency, I confirmed my intention to purchase a small atomizer of it. For the entire journey home on the underground, ignoring the bizarre looks of fellow passengers, I repeatedly raised my hand to my nose and deeply inhaled the powdery arboreal scent like a man sucking in oxygen on Mount Everest and mumbled aloud my thoughts on its composition: “floating notes of carnation ...and jasmine plucking the strings of the sandalwood like a cello, the vanilla dancing.... only to quietly fade... into the embracing petals of the rose”. This was indeed just as Mr Trumper promised on his packaging, a superior cologne from a place called “Mysore” (wherever on earth that is in India, probably a high end department store for high-net-worth upper-caste Brahmins without an outcast in sight). Immediately I was transported to the Kiplinesque Story of “The Man who would be King”, a tale of India, Afghanistan and Kafirestan where Peachy Carnehan and Daniel Dravott set out to be Kings in the days of Queen Victoria and the British Empire – immortalized in John Huston’s classic Movie from 1974 starring Connery and Caine. So there I was, smouldering with sandalwood, sauntering around like a British Sargeant Major of the Raj, a King amongst commoners. That night, alone as usual, I ordered a home delivery from the Bengal Clipper, and as I opened my door, the waft of chicken madras and pappadoms greeted me. I was suitably Victorian in my sandalwood inspired British tones as I demanded to know from the delivery boy on my doorstep as to when the Tiger hunting season was to begin, before sending him away with a harsh word and a cuff around the head and certainly without a tip. Ahhhhhh....dining alone. Warm sensual Sandalwood and an imperious cold uptight arrogant manner – Hoorah! Another first for Britain!

The first thing to note about this fragrance is it is sweet (and I mean properly sweet)! It becomes marginally less so later on in the dry-down, but it still retains a creaminess. So, the opening: Think of upending a lemon sherbert straw (for those of you the right age to remember and have partaken in such things) whilst simultaneously opening cans of heavily shaken cream soda and old fashioned lemonade in a slightly sawdusty room whilst someone nearby applies some hairspray. If that sounds busy, that's because it is. It's not subtle either. This is very easy to overspray, and if you do then everyone within your half of the house will know about it for a good 5 minutes after you've passed through. The sillage on this within the first 45 minutes is pretty huge. After that it fades to a much closer scent, becoming a skin scent (on my skin anyway) after about 1.5 - 2 hours and staying that way until around the 6 or 7 hour mark, after which it's more of an indistinct aura. Once the opening dies down a bit, it becomes more like an echo of the opening, with all the business still discernible but slightly less full-on, and with the lemon and vanilla very much to the fore, the herbs and spices acting as a subtle undercurrent, the florals wafting gently through and a slightly sawdusty and creamy sandalwood both underpinning and somehow interwoven through everything. For me it stays much like this until the very end of the dry-down when it becomes a very smooth, pale sandalwood with a hint of vanilla. As you can probably tell, I really enjoy this scent. It makes me think of a warm and bright clear blue midday in late May or early June, somewhere with a gentle breeze and plenty of sun-baked (but not dry) grass, maybe in the south of England. That said, it's not without its problems. I often wish the longevity was slightly better, its definitely a more mature (although not necessarily dated) scent, and I can see why some people either only like it or actively dislike it, as I can imagine the bold jumbled opening and overall sweetness may not be to everyone's taste. If compliments are your thing, I'd say you may want to try something a bit more mainstream as this is unlikely to pull them in by the shedload. You may want to try and sample it rather than blind buy it, because while it's not the most expensive it's also certainly not the cheapest either. For the price though, I think you'd be very hard pressed to find something either as unique or as obviously high quality as this, and if my description above has made you go "Ooh, I like the sound of that" then I'd definitely recommend getting you nose on this sometime between now and next summer, ideally in the spring.

Geo F Trumper Sandalwood cologne is probably the best sandalwood fragrance I've ever had, owned, or smelt! Right off the bat, I can tell you that this is a masterpiece that easily deserves a 10/10. Geo F Trumper Sandalwood cologne is elegant, refined, aristocratic, and luxurious. Despite its name, it's not really a "cologne." The "cologne" designation is probably there for marketing purposes to evoke an era gone by. In reality, Geo F. Trumper Sandalwood Cologne behaves more like an eau de parfum, which lasts easily on my skin for 7-10 hours, with an excellent and outstanding sillage and projection the first hour. One of the most versatile fragrances available today on the market. Can be used in the summer heat, can easily be worn by a CEO in a boardroom, can indeed be used for clubbing, night outs, and romantic dinners, can indeed be used and worn by politicians and real royalty, and can absolutely be worn on Christmas Day. Very versatile, can be used day and night, formal, semi-formal, and informal events, and all four seasons. How would I describe Geo F. Trumper Sandalwood Cologne to a person who has never smelled it before? It's light, airy, fresh, floral, citrusy, watery, positive, and upbeat, yet has some depth to it, owing to the sandalwood, spices, vanilla, and leather. It's light, airy, and "fluffy" yet "creamy," sweet, and woody at the same time—if that description makes any sense. It's luxurious and regal, yet versatile enough to be worn on an everyday basis. In the top notes you have lavender, citruses, and spices; in the middle notes you have roses and other floral notes; and at the base you have sandalwood, vanilla, and leather. Basically I'd call Geo F Trumper Sandalwood Cologne a citrusy, floral, light, watery, and spicy sandalwood-vanilla scent with a prominent leather note. It's a very affordable niche scent that punches well above its price point and can easily compete with the very best niche fragrances from storied niche houses such as Creed, Penhaligon's, Floris, Acqua di Parma, and Houbigant. A signature-worthy scent and a masterpiece! Final score: 10/10.

Trumper Sandalwood is a very classy, very elegant fragrance - it feels like luxury in a bottle, with powerhouse performance. The name is a reminder of the days when ladies wore perfume whereas gentlemen wore cologne, as this is a veritable "Gentleman's Cologne" with the potency of an eau de parfum rather than an eau de cologne . A pedigreed gentleman’s cologne built on Indian Sandalwood, the preferred fragrance of Victorian gentlemen that conjures the image of the Raj from the days when the sun never set on the British Empire. The presentation is a stylish homage to the heritage of this beautiful George Trumper cologne. Trumper Sandalwood is fairly linear - as soon as it’s applied it presents as a sophisticated blend of notes that persists over its many hours of longevity with a slightly sweet, spicy, woody dry down. As others have pointed out there is definitely a resemblance to vintage Chanel Egoïste. Trumper Sandalwood features an exquisitely beautiful, rich, traditional Mysore Sandalwood note, in a blend. Unlike, say, Villoresi Sandalo or Lutens Santal de Mysore, which emphasise sandalwood and really bring it to the fore in what evolves as a kind of olfactory tribute - the sandalwood in Trumper remains part of the orchestra, like a violinist in a symphony - you can hear the violin within the music but it never takes the spotlight to perform a solo. The symphony, however, is nothing short of magnificent. Best applied sparingly at first, as it is very potent, and its longevity is nothing short of legendary: In Winter it easily lasts eight hours on my skin. Surprisingly versatile too - it’s friendly and work-safe (if applied with moderation) but also romantic and seductive. Trumper Sandalwood feels like a niche fragrance of superlative quality and considering how much bang you get for your buck, it really is excellent value.

Breaking down the four main elements I get from this fragrance. They all blend together quite nicely. 1. SPICES - This is a soft spice. A bit similar in style to Five O’Clock Au Gingembre from Serge Lutens in the opening. It is almost cozy spicy rather than blistering or pungent. And I get the impression of maybe nutmeg or cinnamon. 2. CITRUS - The citrus here isn’t overtly juicy. Rather, it is a nice lemony glue to accentuate and brighten the main scent profile. 3. FLORALS - The presence of lavender and a bouquet of other fresh florals provides the airy aromatic freshness of the fragrance. I have to say I don’t quite smell any rose. (There are probably people here who know more about specific flower smells than me.) 4. WOODY BASE - Oh God, it is really nice. Give it some time to come out! It gets better, and better, and better, and better as it dries. Its like a fat greasy sandalwood that smells so opulent and sweet; yet still remains civilized and respectful. Amber and leather is listed as well. I don’t get any resinous or animalic notes from this, really. I would hesitate to put this in an ambery or leather category. Rather, this is a fresh aromatic gentlemanly fragrance with a sweetened creamy base of luxurious and realistic pale woods. You could classify this as an oriental fougere. Leans toward the mature masculine direction but I think it is still easy wearing. Can elevate this to a suit and tie but just as easily wear with a clean white t shirt. Classy yes, pompous no. This is top shelf stuff. Smells like it was made by someone who really cares. 9.1/10