Rocabar

Every time I wear this fragrance I feel deep emotions. So I suspect, I believe to be in front of an immense artwork. Then forgive me. I usually hate reading long reviews, but this wonderful creature, perhaps not fully understood by everyone, deserves that. I believe that sometimes, where you are in front to The Perfection, you are not able to recognize it, and you maybe give to it a medium, or at least medium-hight, opinion about. It's like to watch one of those great actors who plays so naturally that you've the impression to see talking your house's neighbor, while you’re probably waiting monstrous facial expressions or big dramatic voices, and you don't understand how is difficult to be so smooth in front of a camera or on the stage, and that you don’t have to exaggerate anything to be a perfect performer. Now translate it in Perfumology. I do not feel like saying that we are facing a classic, also because to be sincere when we say classic in a variable part (+ -) we are saying the scent has some aspect vintage, daddy, or dated. Even though in some ways Rocabar do remember a classic, but in the sense of an eternal presence of men without temporal demarcations. A calm, sweet but firm peaceful masculinity, the essence of a wise young man, yes I see more a young man wearing this scent, facing the adult side of his life for the first time with a wise soul inside. I find Rocabar subtly original, without be totally outside the box (we could perhaps say this fragrance has been created from one of those niche houses that want to afford a classic composition giving obviously a distinguish side), a bit unusual and at the same time: familiar. Extremely Natural (practically bio) and embracing. Yes, wearing this fragrance gives you the impression to be constantly protected with the embrace of an older brother. Like many others say, this is a masterpiece in balance and is masterly blended. It’s fire & ice, without screams, conflicts, extremities. It is a candlefire & a glass of fresh water. A fragrance that never fails. Sometimes if I put a perfume in the morning then after the evening shower, I do not feel to wear the same perfume to go out because I had enough, but this is not happen to me with Rocabar. I do not think you can classify as balsamic fragrance or forest, personally, and like other opinions below show, you hear no pine or cypress in its raw form. It seems that these conifers have been sealed in the benzoin like a fly into prehistoric amber stone, and then become inseparable. Indeed, if I had to describe jus without knowing the notes that compose it I speak of oily nuts, delicate fruits and leaves of citrus, mostly oranges, and perhaps a pinch of fresh mint, mixed in a glass of warm milk. I bought in its date of birth, 1998, after have tested a free sample, and bought a second time, now is my third time after a pause of more than 6 year, I did not realize what I was missing, and what was great, this fragrance until I got back in my hands and on my skin! Well, I suppose I need to admit: I'm in love again with Rocabar, and now even in a strongest way, maybe I feel guilty for the long separation caused by me, as it was always waiting for me somewhere. So perhaps the words above are a bit influenced, but.. I hope to keep some sense. Ok, I think I have told you everything. for the rest I totally agree with Cassiano (below) that summarizes so well this Hermes’s creation. NOTE: As mentioned, I "reappropriated" of this fragrance, and only wearing it I realized how much I had missed, even with waves of emotion. I do not connect Rocabar to a particularly happy period of my life, so I do not know why. perhaps really a fragrance, talk of us a to us through a silent language more than the clothes we wear. The feeling is more like to a beautiful instrumental music that without words can make you cry. This fragrance makes me feel in my cocoon, comfortable, warm and protected, but osmotic, which totally does not create a separation from the outside world, as other perfumes does. As the blanket that surrounds the fragrance. Really. I found the vintage original bottle, and again: Open the box and find a bottle of perfume wrapped by somebody in a soft colored cloth, secured with a cord of blue colored pure leather, knotted at only one of its extremity, is something that really creates smile and amazement, pure love, pure poetry, pure luxury, not opulence, vulgarity and ostentation. Just with the respect that deserve some things of value, and I do not think exaggerating with these words. it's like to say: if I live this world, I want the things I do to be beautiful and accurate in all the aspects. That was the class, kindness, and love for the little things that only the great fashion houses of the past knew how to give you, making you feel like at your home, and not into a cold temple of fashion.

J'adore Rocabar. A warm, buttery, resinous, cedary benzoin fragrance with a hint of vanilla and a camphoraceous juniper and cypress. Rocabar reminds me of honey and in my mind I’ve always imagined there to be honey or beeswax in here. To my mind it’s really more of an amber than a “woody spicy” fragrance. The first bottle I ever had came wrapped in a little blanket - the eponymous “roc à barres” (striped horse blanket) in a nod to Hermès origins as a saddlery, in the mid 19th century. Just like the first edition's “roc à barres”, Rocabar is like snuggling into a warm blanket on a cold day - a resinous, woody embrace like a security blanket, an aura of comfort and safety. If you’ve ever smelled cedar resin, this note, integral to Rocabar, will be familiar. Cedar resin is a soft, pliable resin with a remarkably rich cedar note - totally different to the essential oil made from cedar wood, bark or leaf - it’s a like a buttery, creamy, resinous version of cedar, and it’s an integral component of Rocabar. It is heavenly. In addition to cedar resin, there's benzoin, balsam and a hint of vanilla. Like Bel Ami and Equipage before it, Rocabar smells amazing, classy and elegant but does NOT smell like “perfume”. The effect created by Rocabar is "soigné", or "well-groomed". It is subdued, elegant and intoxicating in its beauty - it could easily be worn by women as well as men. Although a delight to wear, performance isn't exactly stellar and it sits close to the skin after the first hour. I’ve owned a few versions over the years, and I don’t think there’s all that much difference apart from the oakmoss content, although I usually wear the original. Not just any designer - Hermès is like “appelation contrôlée” for well-crafted luxury goods and, like all Hermès products, their fragrances are always of superlative quality and a consistently high standard. Rocabar is understated, classy and redolent of dignity, quite unlike anything else, and a symbol of the heritage and history of Hermès Striped blanket by name, striped blanket by nature [that sounded better in my head]: an aura of dignitas, comfort and sublime beauty. This is the fragrance of a "soigné" gentleman of style and taste, who appreciates the finer things in life. Edit: Back in the day Hermès had a reputation for using mainly natural components in their fragrances, like Creed, an upmarket niche perfumery, and if I'm not mistaken that was actually one of the claims made about Rocabar (and Eau d'Orange Vert) - although if such a policy was ever in force it was presumably discontinued by the time of the release of Terre d'Hermès with its generous helping of Iso E Super.

Many years ago now I started my journey into the world of perfume and the original Rocabar was the fragrance which started it all. The reformulation was lovely too, but it was an echo of the original. Rocabar is a lovely, warm, sophisticated scent. Strangely, for what is undoubtedly a classic, it is a grower. It's only years later, revisiting it on a whim, that I realised quite what I had missed. I was in my early 20s when I started wearing Rocabar and that was a very brave call for a young man. There are moments of bergamot and violet, an underlying vanilla, a lovely subtle oakmoss all there, but for me it's the resin mixed with the cedar and cypress and pine that is the smell of Rocabar. It lasts. Boy, does it last on your skin. One of the glories of Rocabar is its flourish the next morning in the shower when you get a departing farewell as you wash it away. It sticks to your skin and to your clothes so you can enjoy it the next day underneath your jumper. It's more of an autumn and winter scent or a cooler evening. If Rocabar were a piece of clothing I would say it is a beautiful cashmere coat in a dark colour: subtle, refined, sophisticated, warm. If Rocabar were a person it would be calm, warm, authoritative and successful. It would be strong and kind - the type that opens a door for others without a hint of being subservient. When my bottles finally run out and Rocabar is no more, it will be a very sad day indeed. Edit: The reformulation is on the Hermes website once more but it is a pain to get in shops; even the concession stands in top department stores never have it in without you having to order it. It is £80 on the UK site for 100 ml. I suppose it is better to have an echo of something beautiful than no sound at all ... Edit 2: I can no longer find it on the UK Hermes site. I have sent an email asking if Rocabar is still for sale. Edit 3: Hermes talk about occasionally "resting" their perfumes. Sometimes this is a euphemism for discontinuation, but in the case of Rocabar it is true. It has been "rested" a couple of times for a brief period before returning to the shops. Nevertheless, I am glad that I am very well stocked up on this one with three 100ml bottles!

Balsamic and warm, smoothly blended fragrance with some coniferous notes to add freshness. Not as polarizing as Terre d'Hermes (no borderline-funky mineral notes, but similar sweet woodiness), not as generic as La Nuit de l'Homme (but similar soft spiciness), not as soapy as Givenchy Gentlemen Only (actually, not soapy at all), but somewhere in between. Good candidate for a signature scent if you don't want your fragrance to "wear" you and prefer friendly and polite scents with a bit of character. Suitable for date nights, office setting, summer, winter, you name it. To be honest, the top notes are a bit cloying and "cologne-y". But the middle and base notes sit harmoniously together on the vanilla base without trying too hard -- almost like a scented body lotion or something of a similar kind. There are a few modern crowdpleasers that convey a similar effect, but Rocabar seems to have something extra. It manages to be pleasing without being too obvious. Performance-wise... your mileage may vary, but it's not a beast mode fragrance. At the same time, I received a compliment from a female colleague, while not perceiving the scent anymore myself. Maybe it's the overall pleasant smoothness of the composition inducing nose blindness, since there are really no distinctive "edges" -- instead, you have soft layers shifting and morphing. On skin, it develops quite a bit. *** BTW, this has been reformulated indeed. At first, I got a mini bottle in the small rug thing from eBay, which had a distinct coniferous green freshness and transparency, which I really liked. There was coolness alongside resinous vanilla warmth, like two different orchestrated layers. Then I bought a whole bottle with the new cap in a good faith, but the green notes were gone, carnation was dialed down to a more modern sensibility and it had more gourmandy spices (I get mainly cloves). Top notes are still very similar, but the drydown is different. It's about 70 % similar, but these missing 30% make it a different fragrance for me.

Update: This is much better than my first impression and review, so I'm rewriting it. My favorite Hermes are the classics. Equipage, Bel Ami, and the new flankers like Equipage Geranium. are favorites in a mostly niche collection. I think I have the vintage Rocabar. When I first tried it, I thought in smelled like Chanel Bleu, or Savage. a typical good woody aromatic. But I think this may be a 90's classic. that was very refined for a piney, woody aromatic of it's day. It may be a true forerunner of the modern men's aromatics. Rocobar has taught me to appreciate ambroxan. This has loads of synthetics, but they're mixed and blended so we'll with the other woody notes and spices. This is very easy to reach for, specially now in the chilly Fall season. After my bottle had a week to breath. with some wearings, it has settled nicely. I don't see it as a typical aromatic, but a great 90's style classic. It has the pine, like the heavy macho Quorum had from 1989, but this is so much more refined... So I get a really nice base of a slightly sweet and nutty benzoin resin. with vanilla. A very nice base accord. Then I get the conifers, pine juniper and cypress. Some of my very favorite woody notes. You have the sour oakmoss, some nice coriander spice, with some light florals. There's a bit of citrus bergamot. Very well blended woody aromatic. It's fresh yet has some great woods, with the richness of benzoin. and a bit of sweet vanilla to smooth out any ruff edges. It may have smelled a bit synthetic, mostly in the opening, when I first tried it. It may have some ambroxan. But it's done in a good way. It's very different than Equipage and Bel Ami, which are timeless classics from the 70's. Rocabar is a timeless classic in it's own right from the late 90's. A forerunner to the modern day designer aromatics. Rating: 8.5/10 God bless you. John 3:16

I do not understand what some people writing here:) What's smokey?What about dry?Let me tell you my story. I love yellow-green fragrances-lemon-lime-grapefruits, love light watery as well but with little spices like Issey Miyake or Echo. Once I was shopping for perfumes in Andorra-something more then 20years ago and I bought a lot of fragrances so lady gave me some samples-one was little touch spray 1 ml from Rocabar Hermes. I though it would be ugly as I didn't like any heavy or sweet perfumes and I never smell that one. I tried this on skin with doubt-first impression-first second it is far too strong. Then it went to my skin and I went crazy. I was losing my mind thinking about everything, about music, clubbing, love and flying, never before perfumes was such narcotic impact on me. I was feeling this fragrance makes people around you attract to this smell-no matter if it was a men or women. This fragrance was CRAZY! So strong, so woody, so spicy, so much juniper, no smoke-which I hate, only spices like from India, some something inside which makes you crazy and full of energy and happiness. I found heavy and rich fragrance which I felt in love with! ROCABAR IS AN INSTANT LOVE AND PASSION, PASSION OF LIFE, VIBRATIONS OF SEX, WORM OF BODY YOU WANNA BE WITH AND YOU WANNA HUG, it will become your friend! And I found it is enough to use just a little drop to make impression:) Then it become to be discontinued for some time, and now it is in different bottle -like others Gardens of..by Hermes and fragrance is not so strong like before. Before it was EDT but such strong like EDP, now it is only EDT so you need to spray like others to feel the full fragrance. But I still love it-and I can see it is not everywhere-even in airports it is rare-if you'll find ever a flat old bottle GO FOR IT! Forget-if you find ANY bottle of Rocabar GO FOR IT!

Rocabar's opening is so damn smooth and rich it should be CRIMINAL!!!!! This scent opens like no other and really shows what a real coniferous woody opening should smell like. Rocabar like all other Hermes scents is perfectly blended and is as classy as can be. This scent is not loud nor is it big and bold, what Rocabar is, is pure french sophistication. The initial spray of Rocabar is a smooth blend of coniferous and woody notes with easily one of the best benzoin notes in the game. The cedar, juniper and italian cypress join the canadian balsam in this amazing woody opening. The cardamom peeks through giving this scent a spicy sweetness that harmonizes with that woody opening. The floral notes waste no time in making there presence felt. The carnation and violet give this scent a beautiful floral hug. The oakmoss and vanilla while juxtaposed work in unison to keep the essence of this scent intact. The base of this scent dries into some lovely patchouli and citrus, giving this scent a nice vibrant finish. Rocabar overall comes off woody and spicy, but I do not want to use the "S"word on this one (Soapy). Let just say there is a real freshness and cleanliness to this scent, and through this we get clear note separations and it is beautiful. Rocabar should feel old or dated, but it doesn't. Rocabar's quality has helped it to stand the test of time. This scent is more for the thirty and up crowd, and can be worn on any occasion and is office safe. Rocabar's longevity and note composition makes this fragrance perfect for fall or winter. Give this a few sprays when you want to feel smooth or laid back like Jean Reno as you step out into a bracing cold towards your destination.

It's a scent that requires a bit of patience, definitively not for the anxious ones. And what I mean with this is that you need to let it grow on you, not just judging it by the first minutes (altough it doesen't develop that much)... I think that only through various wearings you start getting the complexity of the composition and also start disecting the different accords (and notes)... At least that was my experience. Having said that, I do think the best part it's the opening and the first hour or so, then it flattens quite a bit and becomes more of a common cedar-benzoin skin scent. It's a quality scent but a little overrated too (blame here Kristo from YT for this ;D) ---------------------------------------------------------- Es un perfume que requiere un poco de paciencia, definitivamente no apto para ansiosos. Y lo que quiero decir con esto es que debes dejar que 'crezca', y no solo juzgarlo por los primeros minutos (aunque luego no tenga demasiado desarrollo) ... Creo que sólo a través de varios usos comienzas a adquirir la complejidad de la composición y también a diseccionar los diferentes acordes (y notas) ... Al menos así fue mi experiencia. Dicho esto, creo que la mejor parte es la apertura y la primera hora aprox, luego se aplana un poco y se vuelve más una especie de aroma común a cedro-benjuí cercano a la piel. Es un perfume de calidad pero un tanto sobrevalorado también (culpo a Kristo de YT por esto ;D)

Hermes Rocabar... Basically this is a woody, piney, coniferous, spicy fragrance with a very well behaved vanilla in the background (I hate sweetness in fragrances, and especially a strong note of vanilla) this sweetness is not in the forefront thank God and contributes to the cozy feel people talk about with this fragrance. What I get is a very clean fresh spicy woody fragrance with a very 90's feel. The top notes are invigorating and the mid and base warm things up but the composition retains its freshness throughout the duration. Basicly this beautiful fragrance manages to be both warm and fresh at the same time... Making it unique in my eyes. I don't agree with other reviewers who claim this is a generic boring fragrance. To my nose this is a very classy, mature scent and heads and shoulders above modern releases. I recommend this to anyone who loves 90's style fragrances. I rank Rocabar among one of the best I've smelled from that era. Longevity is stellar BTW it's been on my hand for 14 hours and after a shower I can still pick out the notes. Don't listen to all the hate this fragrance gets, sample it... Give it a chance, I was really disappointed with it at first and would have laughed if you told me I would one day own a bottle... But it grew on me big time. I'd much rather wear this than any of the other hundreds of unisex offerings from this house all of which do not interest me and or smell too flowery.

great office scent, non offensive ,,quality , fruity, woody pine , very pleasant smell. to me stays linear....really like this one alot, reminds me of a quality aftershave type of scent, i find my self wearing this when i can't think of what else to use, always seem to reach for the rocabar..always a compliment on just, you smell great today, that is really nice...It has a deeper opening but it does simmer down. I go a little heavier at first knowing it will calm down by the time I get to work.. smells great on your neck, spray on your hands liberally, a shot to my shirt..(has not stained me yet) a very refreshing good smelling " cologne" for a man to wear. Rocabar has been very office friendly. A definite Masculine fragrance. Hermes makes a lot of great fragrances and this is one of those. Would make an excellent signature scent. It does sort of get lost in their line for men's fragrances, I sort of discovered it by sampling from the perfumed court when I first started getting back into fragrances, they had a Hermes collection of a men's sampler, I love a lot of them and this was the first that I purchased a bottle of. Always a winner and very glad I have this. A purchase I do not regret. it does not recognized as much as their other scents.. sort of a hidden gem for me. worth sampling..

Got this at a reasonable price and am not too blown away by what it offers.dont get me wrong,it's a very pleasant smell of what I will describe as soft woody smell-not an in-your-face blast but a well balanced mixture of notes to produce an acceptable smell to my nose.not as sweet as some make it to be.I find it hard to believe it's been around for so long but it definitely can hold its own against modern fragrances.am guessing those who smelled it when it was released must have swooned over it. this is clearly an evening scent or better still the cold season.I guess that is when one can truly appreciate this.am writing this on a humid night and maybe that could be a reason why am not seeing this the way others do.will do for a romantic date or even a good nite out and will be well suited for the mature gentleman.I could be wrong though.Unless desire makes me, am not sure my drab world will allow me wear it out to be appreciated by others who might be in my company.lol I like it for its unobtrusive nature,longevity and does really stay close to the skin.If you can afford it you can get it.I only got it as the price was right.I was not going to buy a bottle for £60! Am hoping the new bottle shape does in no way mean the juice has been reformulated.

ROBERTO, I just picked mine up from the Hermès boutique in Kuwait. I highly doubt that such a refined, sophisticated masculine scent would ever be discontinued. You know, I've had an intense love affair going on with Hermès perfume for a few years now. But for some odd reason, I had never explored the men's fragrances. Silly me. Well, last night, I finally decided that I had been procrastinating on getting Hermessence Rose Ikebana long enough. The procrastination came from the notion that once I finally payed homage to a Hermès boutique, I'd trash a large portion of my collection to only wear Hermès and niche fragrances. Purchasing Rose Ikebana filled a great void. But that notion I mentioned isn't continuing to flood my mind because of that creation. It's when I decided to test the men's offerings that this notion would have new life breathed into it. I'll skip my opinions of the others (which were GREAT in every sense of the word) and get straight to the point. Rocabar captured my nose and gave me what I always wanted in a masculine fragrance. Think RUGGED SOPHISTICATION. A soft-spoken gentleman in a fine tailored-suit who's no stranger to the great outdoors. That bottle of Egoiste is looking a bit intimidated, now...

Rocabar is just cozy and sensual and masculine. There's a lot of integrity in the ingredients and the composition is masterful. And quite frankly, it's the finest that I've experienced from Hermes. In a modern perfume world full of avante garde creations and unfulfilled marketing promises, Rocabar quietly steps up and delivers. He is the kind gentleman who opens the door with genuine courtesy without the need to be thanked--the man who every woman secretly knows she should have married. The one she can make unintimidating yet intense eye contact with. Opening briefly with a classic aftershave note of lemon and sharp bergamot, coriander and evergreens then quickly make themselves known. Most discernible is cypress with its sweet lemon-balm perennial vibe. Then a little blue/green hue with juniper and carnation stems. Rocabar eventually dries down into glorious, radiant repose. Soft, balsamic honey/vanilla/hay-like benzoin, gently spiced and slightly bitter green cardamon, diffusive cypress, a touch of cool, majestic cedar and a just a swatch of cozy patchouli. Rocabar is uncompromisingly beautiful, polished, enigmatic and heart-warming. The strong, silent type with wisdom in his eyes and a dazzling smile.

Don’t go off how the bottle looks. Never thought from the bottle that this would be so fresh. This is a real ghost, meaning it stays invisible from the community, but it is truly a signature style frag for any man. This is slightly dated (in a good way since mens frags are at a low now with the sweet tonka/ambrox bombs), it captures the best of late nineties in a bottle. If more people smelled this, I am sure they’d like it. Because, it’s the same level of mastery as say Gucci PH that is now lost. This one could really be a substitute of that. Smells very familiar, I think this is like Tommy by Tommy Hilfiger, another 90s gem. This is the same crowd pleaser direction Herrera also took with the sugary Ch men later. And Fierce by AF; It’s that smooth outgoing ”hunk” scent, universal appeal with tropic fruit feel. Summery in the opening. But works in winter. Much like another classic, the boozy aspect is like The One edp by Dolce Gabbana. The quirky violet spin here also reminds me of Barfly by Scotch n Soda. And here-it is not discontinued, it sells at my local mall in Sweden. This may be equal or even top my favorite Hermes, Voyage edt.

Rocabar by Hermes is an aromatic, spicy and woody fragrance. It has a very pleasant herbal and spicy opening, a woodsy aroma is perceived with notes of juniper, cypress, carnation and cardamom. Once the initial phase has passed, the aroma becomes a little more spicy with a faint vanilla note and something similar to anise, as well as a slightly mossy tone. This fragrance is ideal to use almost all year round, in spring, autumn and winter, not so much in summer since although it is not very warm, it is not very fresh either. It is ideal to wear to work, since the aroma is elegant and distinguished, because I doubt you will find another person who smells the same as the person wearing it. Longevity is between 6 and 7 hours. with a medium to low sillage. This Hermes fragrance borders on Fougere, but in a very spicy way, at times it reminded me of two other fragrances that I had already smelled before Roadster de Cartier and especially of Lalique pour homme, perhaps because of the way they combine the floral, woody and vanilla notes.

Dear Friends, I have just reviewed Equipage which I tested last night on one hand, whilst on the other hand I tried Rocabar. I was excited at the idea of the evergreen notes, but it cannot sustain or develop the conifer, cypress notes. The dry down is benzoin, juniper and what smells like musk - I have had two showers since application some 18 hours ago, so it certainly sticks to the skin. The experience to my nose transported me to a wooden lodge set amongst a lonesome conifer and cypress forest on a cool and sunny mid september day when you are filled with a creeping nostalgia for happier bygone times of your youth and to fill that gnawing hole, you resort to stuffing your gob full of caramel buttery biscuity cookies or cheesecakes whilst wearing Mother's Dior Poison and feeling a sensation of dread when the postman comes up the path. That for me is Rocabar - a cold, pine sappy, sweet caramel floral nightmare. On me it smells like transexual pheramone spray you'd buy on-line from Sputt Ja! in West Germany, 1986.

I hadn't smelled Rocabar until last summer at the airport on our way to Corfu. It was an instant comfort during the whole flight. There's this mellow coniferous smell on top of a warm and softly blurred base of spicy and kind of ambery notes. Since that first encounter, I connect it to summertime. Maybe because the coniferous smell around the Greek beaches is stronger because of the heat. There's another familiar aspect for me: it's the pine accord of Tsar by Van Cleef and Arpels, a scent I discovered shortly before it was cut for good. Definitely more old-school, it had lots of moss, some patchouli, geranium and a heavier posture overall. Here in Rocabar, the fougere base is replaced by cinnamon and some vanilla.: not really an oriental, but somehow catching up with the trends of its time. So it's a hybrid of sorts, all at the same time pine-fresh, balsamic, woody and spicy. I understand it may look pretty much undecided to some, but for me it's that lack of definition that brings humming comfort to the wearer.

Being one who's late to the party when it comes to certain Hermes fragrances, I'm unaware of the joys of the original formulation for many of these creations. I'm having to settle for apparently pale modern approximations which sometimes don't even capture the essence of the original. Well...these originals must have been something very special indeed because I love Bel Ami, Equipage and Rocabar in their newer guises! Rocabar is a complex nutty, woody scent which is entirely manly but soft around the edges at the same time. The blending is supreme to the point where it becomes more of a singular experience rather than a journey through notes. I'd say you pretty much get a linear but rich scent from start to finish and for me that is the sign of a real classic fragrance. Cypress and cedar are noticeable floating on a resinous base with a classical spicy puff of carnation. I absolutely love this fragrance, superbly wearable and with a touch of class but nothing showy, performance was okay... Great stuff.

Rocabar is very sweet and vanillic, which at first made me discredit it. Since then, I've realized that the wood component is uniquely seductive and beautiful. In the quest for woods, I've tried Visit, Tam Dao, Rush, Gucci PH...all the usual suspects. I've found that the dark, resinous earthy wood in Rocabar, if you take the time to find it under the sugar and spice, stands above the others in a way that I didn't initially appreciate. To me, this scent like no other represents the oft-idealized december night walk through the snowy pine forest of the mind. The dry wood smell is surpisingly cold underneath the warmth of the sweeter components, and it includes the needles on the dry branches, and a bit of the soil. The only problem you'd run into with Rocabar is that some seasonal home scent products are very similar, and younger audiences might think your cologne smells like a Glade Winter Edition Plug-In Illuminated Scent Oil Pyramid, or something like that.

A long time ago, I used to smell this on someone and I loved it. So, I recently got a bottle after not having smelled it in years. I went off of pure memory. My first impression after trying it again for the first time? It is different than I remember. In my recollection, Rocabar was sweeter and less formal. Leather isn't a listed note, but on me, for the first hour, this is a citrusy leather. Which I like a lot. After this fades, the scent I remember reappears a little. It is dry, light, and woodsy with a sweet vanilla that fades in and out. Just as the sweetness becomes perceptible, it disappears, but moments later it comes back. So while Rocabar isn't exactly what I was expecting, I can't say that I am disappointed. This is pretty and polished...easy to wear for any time, any place. The more I smell it, the more I love it.

In my opinion after Eau d'Hermes this is the most interesting fragrance in the Hermes house. It starts fresh and little woody. Then thousands of spices develop with nutmeg, coriander and cardamon at the front. They are obvious but not overhelmig and not harsh at all. Than slowly cedar wood emerges and plays a crucial role. I recognize Rocabar in this moment as brother of Boise Blonde by Parfumerie Generale. Rocabar is real masterpiece. In my opinion it can be easily described as fragrance braking ideas that common an more popular perfumes are boring and not complicated. Rocabar may be classified as niche fragrance and is much more sophisticated than most of them. I also can easily say this is one of these fragrances that create history of perfumes. I hope it will be never discontinued - keep fingers crrosed.

Rocabar - an overlooked classic from the nineties. Its difficult to stand out among brothers like Eau d'Hermès or Equipage. Rocabar is considered a woody spicy one, but I think its not the point; yes it has spices like carnation and cardamom in the background and it has this modern cedary note. However , essentially its a balsamic vanilla freshie, secondly its sunburst woody. Warm and fresh at the same time, quite unique, I have never smelt anything similar. It doesnt really act like a traditional perfume, more like a pleasant aura or mood. And yes, it has some funky feel, I can see a traditional britishman rocking this in a brown checkered tweed coat. I think its an ultimate autumn signature, big love. You can get 4-6 hours longevity, quite good for eau de toilette concentration. Easy to overspray.

I keep a miniature bottle of this juice as I have very fond memories... Rocabar opens with a rather old school mix of citrus and coniferous woody notes. I like cypress and juniper and apparently Canada Balsam so that's fine with me. I would compare this phase with a gentleman wearing a winter coat outside looking all grand and mature and sophisticated and all that. A while later the coat and all the rest drops and one is left with a smooth hairless toyboy of a drydown - totally delicious and super long lasting skin scent. I can't say anything about reformulations or so but I am happy with the fragrance and longevity i get from my mini. Not a scent I would wear often as a woman although if I had a larger bottle I would probably be tempted from time to time especially as the drydown is quite unisex.

The oh too gentle woodsman. Rocabar is a good, not great, fragrance. The opening is lovely and very well blended. Lots of wood and pine, very fresh and smooth. The mid notes are a bit deeper, like you are entering into a pristine forest with no earth notes; you are high up in the pines with the branches, needles, and resins. Vanilla and more pine in the end. However, something about it is just kinda boring and forgettable. It is very respectable and nicely done, but uninspiring. I am sure that because it is discontinued and now hard to find, it will turn into a holy grail for some and a "masterpiece" for others. Yet, sometimes fragrances are discontinued because they're just not that good. Compared with the rest of Hermès's offerings, this is certainly the case with Rocabar.

I take back what I've written. I was wrong and I have no problem admitting that. Rocabar is a *very* nice scent. In fact, this is a perfect, late Fall, Advent Season holiday scent. Everything in this potion is made for the colder months. Cedar, juniper, fir and pine-needled trees, a bit of vanilla, cardamom, benzoin. This is cozy AF. Classy, a bit of holiday jazz in the background. Wine and cocktails. Fire going. Christmas carols. Cold evening with the moon out and leaves on the ground. A roast in the oven or soup on the stove. Definitely for the mature man, whatever the age. This is not an ironic throwback, but for the man who means it.

To all those saying just get Bel Ami... These two fragrances are not alike. I enjoy Bel Ami, but I absolutely love Rocobar. It lasts longer on my skin than people are describing. I have a fairly new batch. I do remember the decant I had from a few years ago not having great longevity but I decided to buy a bottle of this recently anyways. It seems to last longer on my skin than my decant did. Maybe the newer batches are better than they were a few years ago. This is a classy, beautiful and gentlemanly fragrance. Its becoming one of my go to office, casual and formal pics. It works great in many situations. I love this.

Quality timeless old school scent which to this day remains undated and a relevant scent for any age person to try in my opinion. A unique smelling scent to me which captures the feeling of the great outdoors perfectly. I love the pine woody notes when combined with citrus and vanilla notes gives this scent a freshness and lightness but there remains a beautiful earthy feel in the scent. This scent remains close to the skin with decent longevity. I get 6-7 hours from 5 sprays. This scent works well all year round in any situation. My favourite time to wear this is outdoors on a breezy Summer evening. 9/10

Great fragrance! Wasn't sure what to expect with this one, but I'm quite pleased. Aromatic, woody, a bit spicy, and ever so slightly sweet. The benzoin and vanilla are there but don't dominate, which I'm glad for -- my nose is tired of sweet men's fragrances. Rocabar definitely has that late 90's vibe. The "cleaned horse stables" descriptor is correct, but don't let that put you off -- this isn't animalic or anything to my nose. It's woody, grassy, earthy, and masculine without veering into "old school" or "barbershop" fougere territory. The current "riding helmet"-style bottle is also gorgeous.

I got this as a gift for a big purchase I made few days ago. I think it's the vintage version because the bottle is square and is nicely wrapped in a plaid wool fabric. Although I'm a woman, I decided to try two drops on my neck today. The oppening is stunning and I can easily imagine the man who wears this kind of perfume. Two hours later it's still there and is still great but the scent has developed into a dupe for Acqua di Parma Cologna Intensa. Based on notes and previous reviews I find it to be a bit weird. I really like it but I'm wondering if anyone has the same experience.

My favourite! After sniffing many fragrances, Rocabar is my number one. I met this fragrance on the boutique and I fell in love. It is different and underestimated by many. It's the intricate scent with sweet vanilla, strong cedar, smokey incense, and the calming bergamot what makes me love it. Absolutely my favourite, and never willingly to change it. Sadly it's only Eau de Toilette, so I carry a small spray with it on to constantly retouch me with Rocabar. If Hermès could any day bring Pure Perfume or Extract of Perfume. I would be at the boutiques buying as many as I could...!

An absolute beauty! right out of the bottle it smells like semi sweet pine needles. But when i spray it on skin i get a heavy dose of an old woody vibe, almost like old furniture (in the best possible way). After the initial opening the benzoin starts to take center stage turning it more into a casual direction. And in terms of longivity its quite light, so it requires you to spray alot. and in terms of seasons i would say its mostly ideal for fall, winter and spring (i would even say summer evenings/nights). Top tier quality from hermes!

★★★★★ Elegant. Reserved. Alluring. Timeless. All weather beauty. I own the newer bottle, I love it. Would love to try the vintage one too. (if anyone wants to swap or sell) I feel like Andy Tauer got inspired from Rocabar and created L' Air Desert Marocain. Nothing more to say. My favorite Hermes. EDIT: I found a vintage bottle (90s Prestige Edition) the main difference with the current edition is that it is that the former is richer and fuller. Other than that, same character and same performance (great longevity discreet sillage)

I love this perfume. To me it's more like a combination of ripe oranges, Oak moss, cedarwood, and leather. I'm addicted to it. It lasts for over a day on skin but there's a major issue for me, which is the projection. This one sits close to the skin after 10 min of spraying it, and although it lasts for ages, I wish it projected more. I couldn't find the production date of my bottle on the usual sites, it has a barcode XF2H, but I'm not able to find when it was made. I don't know if vintage bottles smell any stronger though.

To describe Rocabar simply in terms of notes is to miss the point entirely. It would be like calling Picasso's Guernica a "big, weird, painting in black and gray"; factually correct, perhaps, but devoid of its spirit and soul. Rocabar, like Guernica, is a Masterpiece that must be experienced to be fully appreciated. If, however, the foregoing is all just a bit too lofty for you, I can sum up the spirit of Rocabar in two words: Horse Stables. No, make that three: Hermès Horse Stables.

It's just pure class, that's what it is. Nothing groundbreaking or screaming originality, but rather an understated elegance. It's medium sweet, spicy (cardamom), woody, floral (carnation). Also slightly barbershoppy -- I could swear there is some lavender or coumarin in the mix. It is soft, but has quite a bit of depth, manages to be crowdpleasing as well as interesting. It's very easy to underestimate its value, but I would challenge you to find a fault in this composition.

Very versatile and high-quality scent. There is something about it, something animalic that reminds me of Bel Ami vetiver even though they are very different. It has also the fresh citrus vibe which makes it a little bit more modern than Bel Ami Veriver but they are both classic perfumes for the real gentlemen out there. Scent: 9/10 Longevity: 7/10 Projection: 6.5/10

You know... it's all about body chemistry. That's all. On some this will last a great amount of time while on others, like myself, it vanish in seconds. Really, 20 min' from application and i can barley detect it. I wish this was not the case because i looooove the smell, classy and unique. I'm enjoying it while i can smell it.

I am woman and I adore this perfume. It is sooo classy and clean, green and flowery,deep and airy. It is like Chanel 19 poudre and Sisley Eau du Soir had a baby and Vice Versa Yves Saint Laurent was the fairy godmother on the birth. Beautiful creation. I also love the other tree mentioned. All four always in my colection.

Last on my skin about 8-9 hours Update : I didn’t reapply today after 8 hours to see how long it’s actually last ....i could still smell it at 19:30 but I had to take a shower .so it was 13 hours and I could still smell it without trying to dig my nose in my skin Wouldn’t be surprised if actually last 20 hours on my skin

Mixing cleanliness and warmth, Rocabar reflects a man who is calm, assured, and powerful yet kind. Balsamic, doughy benzoin and crisper notes such as cypress, cardamom, and juniper intermingle to reveal a fragrance with astonishing depth and hidden complexity. Truly a fantastic scent by Hermes.

I know some say this smells generic and boring, but I don't get that all. Very refined, masculine classic from the 90's. Perfect for Spring and Fall, and I think you can even pull this off in the summer in a climate controlled environment. Perfect office scent! Another homerun from Hermes!

Original and timeless. Spicy, woody and sweet. An explosion of benzoin, pine/fir needles, woods and spices. A hint of vanilla. A subtle beast. Mind blowing projection. Radiates amazingly from the skin. A special scent, one of the best i've ever wore. A classic masterpiece.

Exceptionally delicate and unique fragrance that's not so easy to describe. Somehow makes me feel like I'm resting in a clean and peaceful stable. This fragrance has a very calming effect on my nervous system and I only wished it sillage was a little stronger.

Nose Note #341 Super bitter herbs at the start. Then it balances into a perfectly masculine herbal-fir-cedar masterpiece. Just what I love. I wish there was an OAE dupe of this. If you like Egoiste Platinum, Hugo Boss Hugo - you'll love this. 9/10

@weaselise, the old one smells more natural, more depth. The smell is generally speaking the same but the old juice smells supreme. Guess the ingredients are less ifra limited. Nevertheless, old or new, this is in my top favorite of fragrances.

They've changed the bottle and they have reformulated it! This has shades of the old Rocabar but lacks the wow factor that it used to possess. It's still very nice and woody, spicy and sweet, but a shadow of its former self. Such a shame!

I have a 90% flat old bottle batch code 7BAEW. I really love this scent, but I don't find many ocasions to use it. My fiancée doesn't like it to much. So, if someone is interesed to exchange it, pm me please. Thanks.

If you love the scent of conifers, this is a great one. No pine listed, but it smells like some pine here. I have the vintage, still available on eBay at reasonable prices. No issues with longevity with vintage.

Reminds me of long walk,in the canadian woods just after the rain - i'd want to go home now, and fix myself a nice glass of single malt whiskey and be thankful to what the gods have given me! 9/10

For me, this is not just the best escence of Hermes. Rocabar is the most elegant, exquisite, refined, graceful and high classed men's fragance... Take the chance to "increase your level" using it.