Derby

Update: I'm descovering new wonderfull things about Derby with each wearing, it seems. After the opening, Im getting an exquisite carnation note. The full and beautiful essence of what I remember carnation to smell like. An expensive tincture must have been used! I understand how some say they get no leather. When I first tried Derby, I could clearly pick it out. Now I guess, I smell it more in a fragrance accord with the aldehydes. Leather is treated with birch-tar. So that's the smell we associate with a leather smell. Birch tar is in Derby, and it's done really well. After a few weeks of my Derby bottle being able to breath; the birch tar or leather seems to have gotten more intense, almost a kind of burning. Birch tar is a gum resin, maybe this is a birch-tar dominant fragrance, ah-ha ! I think one thing I found about great frags like MFK Lumier Noir PH; they blend contrasting notes so well. Derby has that. There is a darkness and depth to it, yet its light and zesty. I think it is right to think of it as fougere, with geranium vs lavender. Equipage vintage is my favorite classic. It's timeless in its beautiful composition: A classic masterpiece. This 2012 reformulated Derby is similar in that sense. But Derby is a different animal. It has a nice distinct leather with geranium in the heart. A nice peppery note. Then a great birch tar, with beautiful dark woods in the base, with a noticable patchouli accord. There are some soapy aldehydes, but not overdone. They add a nice effervescence. This fragrance smells like some of Roja Dove fragrances that go for $500/ 50 ml. This Derby has just as good quality of notes, blending, and performance. I must have gotten a fresh decant from an eBay seller, because I get the orange and bergamot citruses now in the background. So this fragrance masterfully blends these contrasting notes. Its dark woods and leather, yet stays fresh with the geranium, pink pepper, and citrus nuances. This is similar to Knize 10, but its smoother and more elegant and refined. Very masculine. Greetings and thanks to Kristo, who praised this on his YouTube channel. I just pulled the trigger on a good deal from eBay. This is like a leather fougere, whereas the vintage is a leather chypre. This has more weight than most fougers, but its fresh enough for about all seasons, except hot Summer days. PS: My bottle came in, and it is a 2013 batch. The citruses are a bit flat compared to the 10 ml I reviewed from. Try to get a newer bottle, ask for the batch code on the bottom. Rating: 9.25/10 God bless. John 3:16

Update: After a month now, of using my 5 ml, this is better than I thought. I love great classics like Bel Ami, Equipage. This is quite different than those, but in the same class. Even this reformulation smells vintage, and rich, great woods, spices, not a dominant leather, well blended and refined. In the past few years I put together a colection of 50 best fragrances for me, classic, niche, designers. I dont want to add to it, but I'm looking for a good deal now to cap off my colection with Derby. I have Knize 10, and vintage Bel Ami, This is way better than Knize 10, and is close to Bel Ami, just as rich, but has more fresh notes than Bel Ami. Now that the chilly Fall weather has begun, Derby comes alive as a great Fall and Winter fragrance. My rather neutral review below, was done durring Summer months, when I wadn't quite as impressed by it. I was exploring many of the classics when I first got into the hobby. This seems to be a benchmark classic, I'm glad I finally tried. I have vintage Equipage, Bel Ami, Habit Rouge. But Derby was one I had not tried yet, to see if it is special enough to spend the $200./ 100 ml. And the answer is no. It is a very nice chypre / fougere, the carnation or geranium is dominant, I would have guessed lavender. The leather is not distinct like in Bel Ami, it is part of an accord that blends into the whole. The two things I thought of when I smelled it, first impression is SOAP, and then dated. Derby is great, but it's dated feel is a bit cloying to me. Vintage Equipage, Bel Ami are old compositions, but they have a timeless beauty to them. Like the lines of a classic Porsche, perfect form, perfect fragrance composition. So if you love the old classics, and are a colector of them, this may be a must have. For me, I will enjoy my 5 ml of Derby, but it's not special enough for me to purchase a bottle. I don't care for cinnamon, and it is the dominant spice, making a well blended accord with carnation and leather. Upon 2 nd wearing, I'm picking up a lot of aldehydes, which is why Christo on youtube likes it I think. Derby has an anamalic civet like note, now it's reminding me of Kouros and Delon's Iquitos. Maybe this was the forrunner of more modern day classics like YSL's Kouros. Performance is close to beast mode. This is some potent stuff, I am starting to like it more, but I have Iquitos and Knize 10 which have similar vib. If you want to get your nose on this great classic, it may be worth at least getting a decant, I'm glad I did. Rating: 9.2 5/10 God bless you. John 3:16

I have to say after finally getting a decent sized sample to try, I do have some of the original, had taken about 3 minis to build a small atomizer. I love the original derby. but I have to say I love this one too. maybe as much. it is still a wonderful delightful scent. I would wear this with pride. two very nice comments right out of the gate. love to get a compliment on a fragrance. I will have to take a little time and actually compare them side by side. my observation is this is fantastic. an automatic love for me and in no way to me is a step down from vintage derby. kudos to the original, but this is nice. wonderfully aromatic and pleasing to me. guerlain is such a fabulous house and one of my favorite houses, I have loved many of their offerings. bottom line, this is a masterfully blended scent, as the finest of scotch whiskey's .a fragrance that takes you on a journey as the scent truly becomes part of you. it smells even better to me two hours into it. sorry guerlain, I never should have doubted, I presumed too much, this is different to me but in a good way...I will always love the original as well. spicy, masculine still maintaining an old school vibe. leather and smoky I guess, it is quality and projection was excellent for me.. so far longevity is not an issue at all. alfarom's review of this is spot on for me, among some others of course. the ones that did not care for it surprised me but ok but maybe expectations were different.. one thing I have learned it is really a personal viewpoint and I try to keep an open mind..just glad I sampled it. only makes me wish I had more of it. prices are very high for this but maybe not out of line for its quality?.. open to discussion I suppose. you truly need to try some and judge for yourself, maybe think of it as a new fragrance? or the fragrance it is now.. what bugs me is all of the journeys and monies I have spent trying different fragrances when perhaps I would have ahead of the game if I had just purchased this?.but you get caught in this vicious circle of exploring scents..it is an addicting hobby for me. thumbs up,, way up for me.

The original 1985 Derby was built on a powerful, castoreum and oak moss base that has, in the current version reviewed here, been IFRA'd to near oblivion. This mandated change has fundamentally altered the nature of Derby. This is still a leather fragrance, but now the leather accord is a product of the interplay between the remaining traces of oak moss and smoky birch tar. The big, powerhouse fragrance that was has vanished with the castoreum that once gave it such an animalic base. In its place we have a smoother, less challenging and more versatile fragrance that is still beautifully blended from top quality ingredients. So what is left of Derby today? Quite a lot and all of it is good. There is a citrus/carnation opening. The carnation here is lifelike and as good as you find in current perfumes anywhere. The heart features a woody spice blend that is smooth and clove-forward. Fans of Chanel Egoïste and Creed Bois De Portugal will find this blend familiar and on par with these well regarded scents. The spicy woods are joined in this mid stage by a very nice geranium note that has a trace of mintyness. As the heart notes fade, a dark patchouli bridges the scent into the birch tar and oak moss derived leather accord. It is all very elegant and refined. The gender tags are masculine; the projection is considerable and the longevity is extended. This fragrance is easy to overspray. The bottle in which the current version is presented is attractive and interesting with the wood surround that is shared with all of the Guerlain Les Parisiens line of boutique exclusives here presented in black. This is a lovely fragrance that works well for mature men in fall, winter and early spring. It is hard to find and expensive, but well worth seeking out. As it stands, Derby proves that reworking of great fragrances need not always yield disappointing shadows of the classics. Recommended.

A MACHO MASTERPIECE!! If Kouros by YSL is the ultimate (gay) bodybuilder's signature, this one here should be considered the classic 80ies straight, butch, heterosexual macho fragrance. However, it is not of a slimy gel-based Italian machismo origin of an Italian's Adriano Gelentano or Austrian's Falco, more like MAGNUM (Tom Selleck) or for our German-speaking peers, think SCHIMANSKI (Goetz George). If this fragrance was a famous singer, it would be Tom Jones at his peak in the 70ies-80ies, riding onto the video film set on a 17 hands tall German Oldenburger bay horse, while whistling (football style) his Rottweiler to heel. Upon dismounting his pedigree stallion, his golden cross pendant gets tangled up in his hairy chest. OMG, another childhood crush is just unfolding in front of me: Pernell Roberts playing oldest son Adam in Bonanza. I was so madly in love with him. A spiced and amplified carnation with tons of horse-sweat marinated bridle leather, suede gloves, while trotting over fresh wood shavings and ducking one's head under the fragrant branches of the orange trees, hanging low with the heavy burden of ripening yet still green oranges. It is truly a joy to smell this on a beautiful masculine man. I would tell every 20/30-something to piss off from this! This is a true man's scent. Even I would feel terribly outplaced wearing this and I am 46 with a manly belly, lol. Verdict: Masculine Masterpiece for the outdoorsy go-getting womanizing, macho-equestrian with a quest to take on the parent's farm and grab the bull by his horns. 10/10

Here we go: the legendary Derby. Opens with a beautiul carnation note, supported by a spice blend (mostly cloves) that will then take the lead in the heart, and then closing with an old-school brich tar (giving the impression of leather). It is simple, but definitely well blended and fine tuned, even if far from being unique. This one is now only available in the luxury line of Guerlain, with limited distribution. Thus, the usual question: given that it may be a blind-buy for many, is it full bottle worthy? Obviously, everyone will have its own opinion on that... This one stands in the middle of other "vintage floral/leather" fragrances, which are noticeably less expensive like Knize Ten (3X less), JD Grand Cuir (6X less), Etro Gomma (3X less), Hermes Equipage (3X less), Chanel Cuir de Russie (similar), Versace L'Homme (10X less), Dior Jules (3X less)... My personal choice would go with Etro, or poosibly Versace or Hermes not because they're cheaper (or wayyy cheaper), but simply because these are my favourites. OK, Derby is a bit more refined and the smokiness of the drydown is heavenly - I admit - but not worth the price tag difference in my book, as it gives a very similar level of pleasure, and Derby's modest performance doesn't help a lot standing out. If I had to spend Derby's $ amount, I'd opt for Chanel's any day (or possibly SL Cuir Mauresque, but it's a different style). Still, if your wallet permits, get them all! Colder days, 35+

Imagine finding your straight laced father had a gambling addiction. Wow, I love this. I never experienced the original but based on the reviews it is somehow superior to this? I can only imagine it being what legends are made of. Sadly I can only speak on this variant. It’s great. It’s masculine but like any guerlain suited as a unisex. Oh, the guerlinade... so prominent and wonderful. Like a slab of wood from a country you never heard of was covered in oranges, limes and grapefruits. Bergamot on top, not just a little either. Woody in the middle, almost wet and mossy, floral and reminiscent of “five spice” seasonings. This is all the first hour before it settles down to leather, smoke, wood and top of the line incense. Nag Champa stored in a leather box. Discontinued since LVMH acquired the brand. Thankfully have a full bottle. Also thankful to live in South Florida so there aren’t a ton of opportunities to wear this. Its strong. Not normal strong, but strong for a Guerlain. It hits you, and it doesn’t hold back. It’s in your face and rugged yet rich and sophisticated. Made for someone who paid the whole tab for dinner but didn’t take the credit. Anything short of a shower and you will smell this until the next day. On an unwashed coat it will linger until next year. You had better have personality for this one boys. She will be expecting it. tl;dr Holy Guerlinade! 9.5/10 only because it is pricey.

One curious anomaly, a glitch in the matrix, a wrong to be righted if you will, well it has finally been put straight...I've tried Derby. In my years as a perfume fan I've tried rare vintage Chanel's and Guerlain, Coty etc... from the 1950's and earlier and yet this alluded me. Four main reasons why it frustrated me so much... 1) I love Guerlain (who doesn't?) 2) This is a 'Men's' release 3) It has a prominent carnation note (my favourite floral odour) 4) Even the non vintage release has a fantastic looking flacon. The reasons I couldn't try it are purely due to location and having poorly stocked Guerlain counters in my area. Well I just visited Amsterdam and gorged on this collection wallowing in three classics not least of which was my favourite....Derby. What a fantastic scent. I mean it's simplistic in some sense but you can take more from it if you want to, being that there's actually layers of complexity within Derby too. I get quite a lot of lavender and geranium underpinned with a mild powdery carnation note. There's a touch of oakmoss if you ask me and the leather listed in the notes is more of a gentle floral, flesh, like an orris or iris leather. Light, but lasting, classy men's business, you can't go wrong with this stuff. I think it's fantastic and I will maybe even try to acquire a vintage bottle but if I don't manage to find one this modern version will do just fine. Superb.

There are rumors of a re-release of Derby. One of the notable YouTube reviewers mentioned that. That would be great because I've never smelled it and I don't want to have to contemplate spending many hundreds of dollars to do so. Update: I got my nose on a decant of the vintage juice. Fantastic. Delicately balanced Spicy Leather. I can smell the superficial similarity to Hermes Equipage, but Derby diverges. Derby is in some ways something of an Equipage and Tiffany for Men hybrid. Or maybe even a Tiffany/Equipage/Bel Ami tribred. Its eminently wearable. Nothing challenging about it, and nothing like the nasty Dior Jules. Update: I tested Derby against the combo pair of Hermès Equipage and Tiffany for Men. Derby on the left wrist and the Equipage/Tiffany for Men combo on the right wrist. They are pretty close. So the combo of Equipage and Tiffany for Men will fairly well approximate Derby in scent profile. Not exact but a fairly decent approximation. I spray the combo on separate patches of skin, next to each other, and not one over top of the other. Update 05/17/26: Wearing again and the smoky leather chypre characteristics are coming across a bit harsh this time. Context is important in each wear. Maybe its because I had worn the Citrus Aromatic John Varvatos Artisan Pure just prior.

Oh Derby, where oh where do I begin with this beauty - it struck me in the heart and refuses to let go. The epitome of masculinity, the embodiment of a refined and mature gentleman who refuses to show any signs of femininity; toxic masculinity of the 80s. This leather Chypre is to die for. It’s lead by this wonderful note of carnation, which is warming and spicy in its own right, with its clove-like undertones; and yet even more spice is added on top. The leather itself is bold and unapologetic, very loud but not hyperrealistic- it shares similarities with the birch-heavy Russian Leathers of the early 20th century, however lacks the floral element. And so, the leather is soft and rounded, with no sharp edges despite its loud character. It blends beautifully into a green, mossy, chypre base which is at once earthy and dense, yet beautifully creamy. I can see why this one gets so much love, it’s a master stroke of masculine perfumery. Its discontinuation is heartbreaking, and the cost of getting a bottle nowadays is shocking. The miniatures of the 1985 version are easier to get than the 2012 version, which I have not tried. Perhaps I will have to hunt one of those down.

Good Lord, where do I begin! I have been dying to try Derby ever since I read Luca Turin's 5 star review of it. It is actually in his Top Ten masculines of all time list. This has been one of the hardest Guerlains to find because it was discontinued for a long time, then brought back as an exclusive to the Paris Guerlain Boutique and then finally making it's way to other exclusive Guerlain retailers. Finally I get hands on it and even though this is not the original version but the re release, the hype is real folks. Leather, spices and carnation are the main notes. A dash of Citrus notes right at the top to freshen things and some woody notes and birch in the heart and base add depth. But a classy leather n spice frag is what this is. If you like stuff like Bel Ami, Equipage, Chanel's Cuir de Russe, or even modern niche frags like HDP 1740 or even something like Davidoffs Leather Blend, do yourself a favour and check this out. Thank me later. Worthy of being called Classic indeed and one of Jean Paul Guerlain's best. PS. Thanks to Mohit Khatri at Projekt Perfumery India for getting this for me. It's been on my wishlist for the longest time.

Although I haven't seen the vintage version of Derby yet, I believe that the one I have on my skin is very similar to the characteristics of its first version, due to the fact that it is a fragrance that, right from the start, has an ultra old school feel, very different from what is currently located. Citrus opening, somewhat difficult, with a stuffy and somewhat confused aspect, something that is a little dusty and not well defined; for a rustic man who dresses well and rides in a classic imported car. When drying, it is spicy and better defined in the notes of Madeira, with a dusty floral accord that, even if it is close to the skin, its evolution is perceptible when moving. At the base he is very manly. Very heavy and somewhat dirty tanned leather, damp wood, earthy patchouli that stands out among the other notes and something with an aged stem smell, which exudes an elegant and ultra lordly aroma of the 10th century, at most. Rustic to the extreme! I waited for more of its evolution. It sets well, but its projection leaves something to be desired, even when used at a mild temperature. Life goes on!

This is not my favorite leather perfume, but it's the one I rate highest. Honestly, if someone put a gun at me and tell me I can only keep one perfume........I'll smash his head with this weapon grade bottle. Alright, about the scent itself: I get a “soapy” aldehyde opening, but nothing sharp or medicinal, it’s something smoothy like shoe wax. Combined with lime/orange hint, the opening has a bit of tonic water feeling which disappears quickly. I also noticed something inky seeping our from bottom, possibly due to musk or oakmoss. Then the dry, smoky leather hit a nice balance with flesh-y warm spice (perhaps carnations?). A certain kind of spice always gives me this "savory" impression: cardamom, clove or nutmeg? I've yet to find out which. The smokiness of leather plays a subtle but important role, making the perfume less..."greasy". Another gloomy wet-tobacco like notes also appears, remind me of old sweat——not those pee-like animalic musk, this one is softer, like some old lover’s T-shirt forgotten in your cabinet. The woody ground lays a solid base for this leather-spice concertos.

What a strange, unique little concoction! I've never smelled the vintage version, sadly, but this is still an outstanding work, in my opinion. Guerlain's masculine offerings are interesting in that many of them don't adhere to the classic core note structure Guerlain is famous for. No vanilla, tonka, jasmine, or civet here... and I think this fragrance is all the stronger for it. The first spray is rich leather and smoke with a luscious bloom of carnation filling in the dusty dryness of the smoky leather. The pepper-patch-citrus accord then filters through and creates a lovely sharp contrast to the opening notes. Altogether, a very complex, sexy, rebellious fragrance with a vintage-modern vibe. Though more masculine than Chamade pour homme, I still think this could be a pretty unisex scent for a daring lady. After the first couple of hours, everything but the smoke, leather, and patchouli fade, and you're left with a rather pleasant dirty smoke that lingers for hours.

The only thing better about this version as compared to the vintage version is the prominence of carnation. The vintage version had much better performance and was more animalic and leathery. In fact, the performance of the vintage derby was so much better that the contemporary derby could be worn in colder summer nights. But most people nowadays seem to hate animalic scents with a burning passion (and this is coming from a university student) so I understand the rationale behind the reformulation. BUT, despite all that, this is still a phenomenal fragrance. Why did Guerlain have to discontinue this??? This is such a nostalgia-inducing fragrance and is perfect for cool and humid summer nights in urban areas. At this point, I'm no cap going to hire someone to perform a GC/MS on this so that I can create a homemade blend of this juice. Also, my grandma used to wear this for some reason so I feel kinda gay wearing this but not in a bad way lmao.

I like to read the "pros" and "cons" here on fragrantica. A very simple and accurate description is given: It is a spicy leather, carnation and nutmeg fragrance, basically. This version is very good and classic smelling. I've had most of these Parisian collection. I'm not a leather guy, so Derby was not a favorite. Now, wow! My bottle has aged and maserated a while. The leather feels richer and darker. The carnation, beautiful and subtle greenness. There is a smokyness, it's mossy, creamy. I had not worn it for a while, but was extatic about how exquisite it is this morning. The leather does not dominate. It has that great classic Guerlain blending. Never tried the original vintage Derby. I highly recommend this one if you can find it. All from the Parisian collection are great. I just never tried Frenchy.

This first liner is probably the best male Guerlain in existence. A classic green leather, shadily smoky with lots of carnation and nutmeg, which creates an eminent spicy freshness that is very enticing. The woods take center stage in the heart and it all ends in an earthy chypre tonality of great manner. The whole composition is bold and tenacious and the overall wear epitomizes male classiness. Don't just save it for "special" days but better enjoy it everyday. It is the perfect gift for a male with fondness for perfume. If you are a perfumista you simply haven't reached a rounded collection without it. Masterpiece.

Masterpiece is thrown around too much to describe fragrances but (if you like older style gents fragrances) I think this is one of them. It has a richness to it with its slightly smoky amber patchouli base but the freshness and substance of the carnation and spices blend in really well to give this warm yet clean soapy feeling, then when you're not expecting it a touch of mildly animalic chypre familiarness from other classic scents jumps out to surprise you like it's just there on the edge of the other notes. I could only find a decant of this but if I ever spot a bottle at a decent price it's a no brainer buy.

Guerlain Derby (1985/ Re-issued 2012) - fougere oriental - #thierrywasser relaunches this 80’s classic. Starts with citruses that resemble a fougere-like opening, then transitions to Clove, Pepper, woods, and Carnation. Then, the Guerlinade kicks into gear - first, the mossy Patchouli mixes with a Leather accord. The spices at the top mixes with ambers, resins, vanilla and incense to create a freshness with a lot of depth. Technical marvel how these elements compliment and how each one takes its turn in the perfume’s journey. One of the best masculine leaning perfume released.

A stunning aromatic leather chypre from this venerable French house. The scent has a brief opening of bergamot, lemon and peppermint. The heart showcases a lovely carnation surrounded by artemisia, mace, pepper and pimento. The perfume settles into a powdery leather base with hints of patchouli, sandalwood and vetiver. Reminiscent of an elegant well groomed distinguished gentleman of an era gone by. The masculine leaning scent has moderate to strong projection and very good longevity. Another timeless classic from Guerlain. Enjoy!