Joseph Abboud (Original)

Been meaning to try this for ages and just got a 50ml 80% fill (still readily available from certain online megastores for ~ $30) so finally indulged my curiosity with a blind buy. First impression: Magic potion. Herbal elixir. Majestic. Cedar. Very aromatic, captivating and sumptuous with a ginger-bergamot-orange rind opening and a fresh, invigorating, camphoraceous cedar (reminds me of cedar oil I use as at home as an insect repellent). Linear. As the citrus fades, becomes beautifully woody and vetivery. Smells like an essential oil blend. Pleasant and fairly potent at first. Ideal fragrance for someone confident who values style over fashion - a rich and complex blend that’s unpretentious, classy and whose quality is self-evident. Others seem to like it so it’s definitely a crowd pleaser and performs well. Update: Surprisingly addictive as Jerre suggested below. Intoxicating. Multifaceted. The cedar-sandalwood-vetiver is sublime. There’s also a very realistic ambergris in there - slightly sweet and velvety like a chunk of white gold ambergris. A remarkably beautiful blend. Niche quality, natural, botanical. Very enjoyable to wear. A sensory delight.

When Joseph Abboud came out in the market, I was working full-time for 4yrs. After many years and acquiring a lot of the classics, I had to have Abboud. The aroma is very distinctive and unique, it couldn't be mistaken for another cologne. At first spray, if you've never smelt cedar, you would know how it smells with this cologne. Very much a clean vib with a slight herbal/sweet almost tangy aroma from the mix of vertier/pepper and orange. There's a prolonged aroma of cedar/woodsy base..I almost get a hint of petroleum almost kinda like Dior Fahrenheit..this could be me my nose meter and how it reacts with my skin. Longevity and Sillage is above average...excellent quality for a non niche product. This is most definitely a fall/winter cologne. Whoever finds a bottle, you don't need to spray it several times to get 6hrs out of it. One good spray is plenty. I have two 50ml bottles and I will keep them. This is a keeper in my collection. 8.5/10

Joseph Abboud 1992 ... A pleasing and peppery array of citrus, ginger and spices that's warm, multi-faceted and rather 'Mediterranean,' albeit originating from an American designer house. Joseph Abboud's eponymous original is their Italian-esque blend of bitter spices, warm woods and florals that evokes centuries-old European vineyards. The opening is a brisk tango between strong orangey-citrus and stark pepper, which evolves nicely into a warm woodsy afterglow of cedar and the softest of vetivers ... with the ever-present ginger adding interest. I'm reminded of the movie 'A Walk in the Clouds.' I find this less high-profile and more of a skin scent ... but what a lovely skin scent it is. Not well-known and now discontinued but Joseph Abboud 1992 is easily accessible at various online retailers for reasonable prices.

The initial burst of citrus notes is nicely blended with the more lingering warm, wood notes of the drydown. The initial burst of citrus is well rounded-out by warm and mellow spices – quite a catching opening accord. There is a slight sharpness but the very real and comfortable warmth of the scent holds true with the combination of tepid spice, sharp flowers, and pepper. The pepper accord is very strong and takes a dominant place in the opening and into the middle levels, and adds that elegance that pepper accords usually provide. The middle also exhibits the appearance of a strong, rich wood accord... It's a very beautiful scent that reminds me of classic Italian blends.

I don't know what it is about this frag. I find it completely addictive. It is smooth and actually calming. Its almost as if I am getting umeboshi. A Japanese fruit that typically adorns the top of the rice of a bento box. Sort of a pickled cherry. This scent stays from start all the way through dry down. Such a curious and fantastic ORIGINAL fragrance. I am going to have to put this on the top shelf. I got a good 7-8 hours performance, The sillage is pretty lowkey after the first 2 hours but every now and then I would get a waft of the umeboshi vibe all through the day. Such a pleasant surprise and a blind buy for frag afficianados.