Bowling Green

This is my signature scent (along with Mugler Cologne) and out of my entire collection, I've only gotten backup bottles for this as well as Mugler Cologne - two fragrances I would rate as my absolute favourite fragrances. This is possibly the greatest mens' lemon verbana fragrance out there. Lemon verbana is a plant that is unrelated to the lemon tree yet has leaves that smell somewhat like lemon, but with a very green plant-like character to the scent. This fragrance starts off with a very realistic and strong lemon verbana; the lemon verbana is vibrant, green, and refreshing in this fragrance and lasts for about 2 hours. On drydown after 2 hours I smell lots of beautiful masculine greenery with leaves and moss while the lemon verbana disappears - hence the name "Bowling Green". It smells sort of like smelling a lemon verbana bush, carrying some leaves of the plant with you, and then walking in a cool forest in the middle of spring. I believe this is a masterpiece and combines the notes I love in fragrance (namely citrus and fresh green notes). In my opinion this is Geoffrey Beene's greatest creation, and far superior to the putrid (to my nose) Grey Flanel. Sillage is moderate but leaning strong (especially in spring or summer weather) while longevity is very strong at 10 hours. The fragrance also leans very masculine and has an old-world type of feel to it (in fact I bought a bottle of this for my grandpa as well). The juice colour - greenish yellow - is very indicative of the scent inside, one of green citrus, and the bottle (and even box it comes in) are actually quite beautiful with an antiquated vibe to them. The sprayer is also one of the best out of all my fragrances and lets out a lot with each spritz. And the low price on this is also unbelievable (less than $20 for a 120 ml bottle on online discounters). Geoffrey Beene should continue producing this forever. 5/5

First of all, AMAZING VALUE FOR PRICE - that if you are into such old school gems. To me it opens straight up like lemongrass, very "citral" (the sherbet-like scent of lemon, ripped from the citric parts) and of course geranium together with verbena kicking in with its fair dose of eugenol (main constituent of cloves) and lavender. What makes Bowling Green different is the cinnamon-spicy-woody accord and I'd say from mid till dry down this fragrance moves away from that so-called "outdated" profile and becomes timeless since thanks to the amber accord that is still raving hard in all territories be it cheapies, celebrity/car manufacturer, designer, prestige, niche...The amber accord smells like a vanilla-labdanum-nutmeg-patchouli type mostly famous from the oriental fougeres like CK Obsession, YsL Opium etc. With that said lavender-oakmoss combo shines alongside. Nothing is sticking out as sharp or out of place, I really can't praise this scent enough. Nothing bad to say about performance either. Bowling Green easily beats most of the designers in the same genre that are sold by big brands today. 11 euros for 120ml is just a steal. I don't find huge similarities with Drakkar Noir to be honest, if Drakkar Noir had an intense/winter version, perhaps Bowling Green would be a good fit as a flanker? Or if Drakkar Noir was mixed into Chanel Pour Monsieur and CK Obsession.

This is the second Geoffrey Beene fragrance I have: my first being Grey Flannel. Since it is not available in my country I bought it blind on the strength of the quality of Grey Flannel and the reviews here at Fragrantica. I am glad I did. Bowling Green is a masterful piece of perfumery. For me it is the definitively green fragrance. The spices, lemon, woody notes and artemisia are most predominant to me. Even though it starts off sharp, it has a rich fruitiness, which is more than just lemon: it has a real depth. As it develops on the skin and the fruitiness ebbs away the spices and woody notes predominate. What is fantastic about this fragrance is that the woodiness is not two dimensional. Its not just pine and as such is a much more sophisticated scent that something like Pino Silvestre. The use of lemon verbena means that the lemony notes continue much longer than with fragrances using just lemon itself. The vast array of notes make its transition smooth from the rich fruity start to the rich woody/spicy heart. Artemisia and oakmoss underpin this transition and almost work like a scaffolding on which the other notes are supported. It lasts for a long time and has a very robust sillage. Towards the end it still has a lot of character, and while it is more subtle than earlier in its life, it is still woody, with diverse notes. It is a pity this is discontinued.

One of my favorites. At different points during the wear and with different aspects, youre reminded of the best parts of some of the best fragrances. It has a touch of modern freshness like drakkar noir, the lemon verbena along with the overall fresh bright nature of this will remind you of green irish tweed. Yet somehow, while being pretty obviously fresh, you can pick out the treemoss and oakmoss...and theyre fairly heavy at least in my perception. And compared to drakkar noir, while these both have lavender, something in bowling green makes it come off more natural. Or to use a word i learned from a great youtuber, theres an "agrestic" touch to bowling green. You can basically wear this literally any time even though its a mostly-classic fougere. I have to get more of this, im running low lol. This is also based on the vintage version...but i dont know that ive heard alot of people complain about the new one, and last i saw that one was even going up in price. Literally anybody who loves drakkar noir would love this, and i think its even fresh enough that a young guy could wear it if they want to dabble in old school stuff.

The best green fragrance ever created followed by GIT and Green Valley. This is a true "Spring in a Bottle" masterpiece and unique from anything else on the market. I like to wear it on the first warm day like today (over 70F) in March/April after a long New England winter. It never fails to put me in the most happy mood for the longing of Spring. Although introduced in 1986, it's just as relevant today as it was back then. It was my very first fragrance back in high school so maybe that's why I love it so much. A few years ago I picked up a vintage bottle after not smelling it for over 30 years and it instantly catapulted me back to my high school days when I would wear this after baseball practice and a shower. I love it so much. To me, there's no better green scent on the market at any price. And at about $15 for a 4oz bottle it's the bargain of a lifetime. NOTE: Newer bottles have good performance but vintage lasts all day and smells more natural. But the latest release is perfectly suitable if you can't get vintage. In my top 4 of all time!

Top fragrance that easily beats any of the revered expensive niche colognes like Acqua di Parma Intensa, etc. It’s not dated at all and while the opening may be a bit harsh or oldschool for sensitive noses of current youth used to iso E super and ambroxan sweet bombs, the mid to drydown phase is where BG shines the most. Once the citruses dissipate, you are left with absolutely beautiful woody mossy base that is smooth and natural smelling and gets me to my knees every single time. The best part is it just keeps projecting, throughout the day you keep getting wafts of this superb blend of all the best things: moss, woods, fir, aromatic spices, patchouli... swirling around you and creating this bubble of luxuriously smelling gentleman. For what? 20 something Euros? This is the biggest joke ever and you hear it from someone who already spent little fortune on fragrances! This is not a “cheap alternative to” fragrance. This is a niche gold priced by a madman. Amazing stuff! Just blindbuy now and you will never regret that!

Bowling Green by Geoffery Beene was one of the best hidden gems if you enjoyed older fragrances. It is a fresch green, mildly woody, scent that really punch above its weight. It must be hard to dislike the smell of this juice even if you find it a bit old-school. Some might find it a bit syntetic when you first spray it on but it is not sysntetic in a bad way, it is a very enjoyable scent. You will stand out from the crowd when you use this. The fragrance in my collection that is closets to this is another cheap bottle, Masculin 2 Black Instant from Bourjois. Both are unfortunately discontinued now and I already really miss them both. I love this scent profile a lot. It starts out with citruses and then slowly turns more green and woody. You get a descent longevity and sillage for the price if you bought your bottle when it was available from retailers. Now you have to pay a more than I think it is worth for a vintage bottle.

First things first - amazing scent, and longevity is simply outstanding. I still can't believe that for such a low price you get a scent that lasts easily 12+ hours on skin and 24 hours on clothes. I have the latest release. Fresh, green, lemony (only at the beginning and lasting a short while), soapy, and a 90s barbershop. To me this is perfect. Good projection and something I do not grow anosmic to. I get many similarities to Drakkar Noir. It's not a clone and it smells like it only at discreet moments, but it definitely reminds me of it. I'm not sure how others view the "This perfume reminds me of..." label, but to me Bowling Green reminds me of Drakkar without smelling very similar to it. "Summer Drakkar" comes to my mind when I think about Bowling Green". 90s dad...lol - totally! - before Aqua di Gio and when you needed to play it safe and not pull out your beast mode Fahrenheit.

It is true that the very top notes have something in common with Drakkar Noir, but Bowling Green is, first and foremost, green. It's a slightly stilted name, but actually quite perfect when I think about it. The top is sharply citrusy and the base gets leafy with a little sweet spice: sort of an evolution from a vivid yellowish-green to a brown-tinged forest green. Just about every stage of it is pleasant and I don't think many people would find fault at all, which in and of itself is an accomplishment. I don't know why they discontinued it (or did they?); I think it may have been their best because it seems so much more universal in its appeal than Grey Flannel, and Eau de GF is cheap and dull. I feel like you could wear a big dose of this at the office (as I once did by accident) and be perfectly fine, or so my female coworker seemed to think.

Fantastic, just fantastic fragrance! Fresh, limey, zesty, but somehow mellow, yes it has that gin/tonic opening but also captures feeling of morning Sun rays on a perfect green meadow. First two hours are bliss, beautiful burst of smell of the most perfect lemonade ever made, so fresh, so invigorating...just perfect weekend fragrance, and possibly the best sport fragrance ever made. For another three to four hours wearer is left with the calming effect of nice sandalwood and some grassy notes, again intertwined with (now) not so fresh lemon verbena notes like it was the case in the opening, but with the lemon that is somehow matured in the Sun during the day. Perfect sport scent and a fantastic office scent too! 10/10, and yes I have the newest version, nothing, absolutely nothing wrong about it, it is simply a beautiful scent.

For the vintage cologne version (distributed by Jacqueline Cochran) A Cologne that I would have liked to meet much sooner, would I have appreciated it at its true value? Really opens with all the main notes indicated, the lemon verbena makes the opening so springy and pleasant, the lavender softens the heart and develops accents of typical fern, the oakmoss always mated with pine / fir (?) Allows a more woody version (forest) than old school and that's a plus The projection is weak / moderate even the first hours, longevity is really important for this cologne including in the middle of summer <3 ... the most special thing is that the wake is more pleasant than the strong smells that emerge as closely as possible of the skin .. take a slight distance and feel this pure wonder that is Bowling Green!

Wow, I wish Geoffrey Beene kept this & discontinued Grey Flannel!!! This is a great one. I came across a sample in my recently rediscovered treasure trove of 80's cologne samples. I always made the mistake of never giving it enough time. A sniff out of the bottle was always somewhat appealing & when first appplied it always seemed to give me an all too warm blast of what I guess is a combination of the cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, & patchoulli. But today was different...I let it sit a little longer. After about 10 minutes I began noticing the lemon, more of the green, and the pine. Yes! This is REALLY nice. Really, really nice. Somewhat casual, a little dressy but not too formal. It's very dignified, unmistakably masculine. Please bring it back.

You are standing at the edge of a deck at a country club, wearing a light colored, high end designer collared shirt with the sleeves rolled up, a vest, tan khakis, and brown oxford shoes. You are taking in the sights. It's a warm spring day. The sun is shining, and wispy white clouds drift through a bright blue sky, with an occasional breeze that kisses your skin. You've worked up a light, clean sweat from a brief jog and the warm sunshine. You see and hear people playing tennis in a fenced-in court about a 100 yards away. Pitchers of freshly squeezed lemonade and orange juice sits at a nearby table; the citrus mixing with the green scents of nature in your nose, along with the remnants of aftershave you splashed on that morning.

Grey Flannel's younger brother does the family proud! Spring is struggling to get to the Upper Mid-West and today feels like that springtime weather. Go put on a pair of linen trousers and hang out on the lawn while the sun is shining. For the first couple of hours Bowling Green surrounds me in what feels like a very real citrus/lemon verbena bubble. Make sure to drink tall glasses of lemonade. After the citrus fades the fresh green/herbal/pine comes up. Start adding shots of gin to the lemonade. Then Bowling Green morphs into florals and a woody dry down. Find a chair, sit down and just enjoy this fragrance and that winter is close to over. This is a surprising gem. A safe blind buy.

Love my old school citruses. I remember how exited I was when I saw this appear in one of my local online stores. Without any hesitation I ordered it as Bowling Green was a fragrance I have been wishing of owning from the very first days of my fragrance journey. When I got my hands on it, I was not disappointed. It smells like dusty citruses mixed with lemon sweets. A brilliantly done fragrance, which does stand out from other perfumes. Ideal for spring and summer evenings. Although I have not been using Bowling Green too often, I see how it is a fragrance ideal for building memories. I see myself using it more often this summer. Thumbs up!

We tend to like things with which we are already comfortable and familiar. But being receptive to new ideas and experiences rewards us with continual discovery and growth. So, how is this a review for Bowling Green? Clearly, the 1986 herbal-green fragrance is a million miles away from modern-day sensibilities and tastes. As such, it's easy to dismiss it without a second thought. But if you have the opportunity, spend a little quality time with Bowling Green. Bowling Green applied too heavily is cloying. Start with one light spray—no more, no less. You just might discover a new dimension of pleasure you would never have imagined.

Disappointed!! I just got my new bottle from FragranceNet so I guess it's back in production, or FN landed old stock. In any case, it's nothing like the vintage I have... not even close! I'm pissed because my vintage bottle is very low and I was excited to see it back in production, so I thought. Man, the vintage is so green and beautiful, truly spring in a bottle. The new version sucks big time. How can they call this "green." It's more like powder and floral and sweet. Can't stand it. I'd return it but for $20 not worth the effort. I'd either got ripped of by FragranceNet, or Geoffrey Beene is on crack for making this trash!

When people knew how to make scents that took you on a journey, and scents that lasted longer than the initial spray. This one is packed with a lot of country roads; a meandering through so many notes one can quite easily get lost in it's reverie of old time fragrance mastery. Pine and fir trees, non-sweet citrus fruits, lawn-mown grass, hedges of juniper berries and patchouli hipness for a young feel among it's older statesman intro. It's uniqueness stands out more than ever in today's copy-cat frag industry. This is a beautiful uplift to anyone's day. It's brilliant name doesn't cover the half of it.

Thank God this fragrance is still available for an affordable price. Simply put: amazing green, herbal, citrus fougere type. This is a men's fragrance. No ambroxan, ambrofix, etc. bs. This is a survivalist from a long gone era, when fragrances were made with heart, love, pride, and care. Hugo Boss has a fragrance called Vigorous Cologne, which is a modern fragrance with similar features and qualities, but it is selling for a crazy expensive price. If that one would sell for a sub 100 Euro price, it would become a legend like this one. However, greed soon will make it go away and disappear.

The GOAT. I’ll spend way more on backup bottles of this than just about anything. I love smelling it on my shirt at work. It’s perfection to me. Refreshing, unpretentious, herbaceous, complex, distinct and approachable. Dad energy?...maybe, so what? I’m a Dad! It’s a working gentleman’s scent. It reminds me of morning and it’s so fresh and inoffensive. Great for everyday wear. Performs really well. It’s one I never get bored of wearing. I am coming close to having 17 ounces of this that I assume will last until I die. If this were the only thing I could keep in my collection, I’d be fine.

Works off of some sort of barbershop, apothecary concept. If you've ever toyed around with the Penhaligon's scents, this is sort of in that realm. It's a complex one. A bouquet they would say. It shifts around. Every once in a while you get a little whiff of the forest vibes. Perhaps something good to wear out and about on a fall day touring. Or to a nice pub. Good way to give outdoorsy apparel some flair when mixed with casualwear- e.g. a wool bucket cap or birkenstocks with a melange sock. I agree that it's more fall forest than anything bright and sunny. Great to sip hot tea to.

So fresh. So green. So unique. It's like an aristocratic Blenheim Bouquet type of fragrance dressed down for a Saturday shopping with the wife. Or perfect for a casual Friday at the office. One of those rare fragrances that are fresh enough and light enough to cause people to ask "Are you wearing a fragrance?" rather than "What's that fragrance you're wearing?" I have a feeling that Beene discontinued it in order to clear out stock worldwide, and in three or five years it will reappear. This has already happened at least once with Bowling Green.

I love this fragrance. To me it represents everything good about a barbershop quality scent. The citrus opening is fresh yet refined. The gentlemanly attitude is delivered primarily through the touch of fruity sweetness and round vetiver. As it settles, the lemony bergamot takes control and pushes through to the lovely warm woody drydown that also has a hint of flowers. At every point it remains a charming, refined gem. Longevity is excellent and sillage is very good. I can totally recommend this as a blind buy.

I like Grey Flannel so I had to try this one once it became available again. I never have smelled a vintage sample of this but I'm very happy with the current juice. Another reviewer said it smells like a 90s dad. You're not wrong, hehe. Others also say it's like a lemony Drakkar Noir but I only see that in the very beginning. It does have an old school soapy, green outdoorsy vibe. I get a crazy 12+ hours of longevity with this and good presence. A good one to check out if you're in to classic scents.

This scent is a real blast from the past! I very much understand the ‘90s dad’ reference as this is a very classical, old school fragrance but old is sometimes the most interesting: Bowling Green really does smell like a British summer - well kept lawns, nearby trees in full bloom, fragrant hedgerows, and the faint whiff of a gin & tonic on the refreshments table. Decent but not intrusive sillage with surprising longevity for an EDT. Holds very well on a hot and sticky day. Not for the under-30s.

A most awesome fragrance. One of the most "outdoorsy" fragrances in my collection. Very potent. This is one of those frags best smelled from a distance and not with your nose right on it, at least until it's fully dried down. I have the current formulation and it is excellent! I will be stocking up, just in case it gets discontinued again. Blind buy worthy if you are into "old school" ultra-masculine scents. I think of Summertime when I smell this. I LOVE it!

Wow. This frag smells incredible for being so inexpensive. Heavy on the lemon and vanilla in the opening with a slow dry down of cedar and nutmeg. It has many complex scents in between, which is unusual for a such a cheapie. Nothing smells synthetic in it at all, at all. As it fades out after 4 hours you are left with a Christmas like, nutmeg smell. For the price, this is well worth a blind buy. Hell, even if it was $100 a bottle, I'd gladly pay.

I blind bought a vintage partial splash bottle distributed by Jacqueline Cochran. First, it held up perfectly all these years; bright yellow and strong performance. Second, it's a wonderfully blended mix of bright citrus and darker mossy notes; fits nicely into my barbershop/fougère neighborhood. I think it's best for spring, summer, and fall. I haven't tried newer versions, so I can only recommend the older juice.

Right now, I have around 50 frags in my collection, and this one is in my top 3. This is soo amazing. I really love the bright citrus, and this one really gives me plenty of that. On top of that, I get 4-5 hours from it, and no other freshies give me that, not even close. This one will always be in my arsenal, and did I talk about the price.......wow, even more amazing

Lemon lavender oakmoss cloves....Although this may be simple in terms of bottle design, the juice inside is anything but. Bowling Green is a bright uplifting scent, the melding of two genres, fougere and chypre...at least to my nose anyway. I blind bought this in the hopes that this would meet expectations. But it didn't, it exceeded them! Very happy with my purchase.

Similar to, Drakkar Noir!? Really?.. if you think that, then you think every 80's & 90's Barbershop fragrance smells like Drakkar Noir! This is a green, grassy take on a classic, distinctive Barbershop style fragrance. I feel like it is laden with Bergamot oil. This is good, really good! For lovers of, Joop! What About Adam, you need to get this!!

very strong lemon smell in the open that lasts for just a little while.the clove and nutmeg in the mid lasts a lot longer and is just as loud.the dry down lasts and lasts also and is just a bunch of notes dumped together.this bottle i have is very strong and stays until the next day.smells a lot older than an 80's cologne. huge lavender bomb.

This a lovely lemony, lavender, clove, patchouli, frag, and a soapy clean smell, a really nice men's fragrance and, it grows on you. I would class this as a woody citrus and is better than Chanel Pour Monsieur. It even gives Monsieur Balmain a run for its money! Bowling Green is one of the best woody citruses in the world!!

A bright, sunny barbershop lavender (with lemon verbena, spearmint), Indian spices (fenugreek, clove, cinnamon, coriander), and woods (sandal, cedar, fir—I'm mostly agnosic to pine). It’s wonderfully citrusy (orange peel) without any cologne connotation. It's smiling, cheerful nature has been a real gift this year.

at first i thought it was bad but its because its been reformulated into something not good. i sold my ea bottle and found a old vintage one . its so much different then the ea version more greener and better and not harsh . the ea version is horrible alot more harsh and less green . the original is very nice .

I had this in the 1980’s as a young man. I remember really liking it. I just got the after shave off of eBay. This is a fantastic scent. It’s a shame it was just discontinued. It’s so fresh that it smells like I just cut open a lemon. It’s just as good as I remember. I will probably grab the EDT.

I have the new formulation. A very safe lemon (verbena)/sandelwood soap smell. Good staying power and sillage. Inexpensive but good, not modern at all. Very good for summer or relaxed at home and if you want to smell nice for a long time and don't want a complex experience. 8/10

What a huge amount of bang for your buck! A lovely blend of lemon and lemon verbena dominates this fragrance, with nice spices and coniferous notes underlying the whole. This is one of the wonderfully complex designer fougères from the 1980s that puts snap in your step.

You could spray this one on at any time. It has the same freshness as current formulation drakkar noir but amps up the lemon and zestiness. Another one that’s perfect for out of the shower or just to freshen up anytime you walk past the bottle on your shelf.

A very strong opening a little reminiscent of Drakkar Noir before the top notes go and it settles into a beautiful mix of pine, sandalwood and spicy patchouli. Very green with its own identity and fantastic on a warm spring morning.

I love it. Classic Match Polo is similar so must be in the same DNA as OG Polo. Bowling green crushes the CM Polo though in quality and depth of fragrance. It just has the similar woody spicey DNA. Maybe 75 percent similar.

Not just for the boys. In a time when every female fragrance was overpowering and sickly sweet, I was enjoying this fresh cut grass and lime scent that settled into a soft woodsy pine scent. I adored it's freshness.

Update after some time. After an hour I was thinking what is that beautiful smell that I keep smelling. I found out it's me. A beautiful sandalwood smell. exellent and there is sillage after all. very nice 8/10

Yes there is a heaven of nature. Yes heaven is lushingly green. Yes heaven is Bowling Green. P. S. Ignore the haters. Someday will be your last on earth and I prey you smell heaven... aka Bowling Greene

One of my all time favorite green fresh fragrance. Been rocking since the 90s! I regret not getting several back up bottles...it's discontinued and selling for a high price when it used to cost $20

I think Seannmoor is right on the spot with his review. I think it will be beautiful on very hot summer days. I like some bulk so for me maybe a bit shy on the sillage. 8/10

Hands down one if my all time favorites. I would suggest wearing it through the Fall and not just Spring and Summer. On me the wood notes are always better in the Fall.

After 25 years I've opened an untouched bottle and... here's a pure, lovely, fragrance of class and elegance. IMO I love this more than "Pour Monsieur" by Chanel

This is a great cologne. I like putting this on in the morning for work and then follow up with Polo Green later in the evening. Great combo!

Ridiculously good for the money. Somewhere between Acqua Di Parma Colonia and Fougere Royale to me. No brainer of a classic masculine scent.