Much Ado About The Duke

#47 of My Fragrance Journey - Penhaligon's Much Ado About The Duke: A Brief, Seductive Audience You don’t just meet Duke Nelson. You’re granted an audience. He’s an eccentric man, everyone says so. Unusual. His whimsical airs keep London society whispering behind teacups. They say his marriage remains unconsummated - though with that knowing smile, who can tell what’s rumour and what’s delightfully true? Flamboyancy isn’t a sin, he once said. Fancy that. When our paths finally crossed, it wasn’t in a smoky drawing room but in a sunlit conservatory brimming with orchids and gossip. The air shimmered with warmth and expectation. Then — he appeared. Elegant. Ambiguous. Entirely himself. Before a word was spoken, his scent reached me first: a bright crackle of pink pepper and gin, like a perfectly chilled Negroni served with a raised eyebrow. It’s refined but teasing — modern, yet touched by nostalgia. There’s wit in it, and charm, and the faintest glimmer of scandal. Behind the polish, there’s unmistakable mischief. Then comes the rose. Fresh, green, and quietly seductive — never cloying, never old-fashioned. It’s intimate, almost disarming, a rose that doesn’t ask permission to be masculine. Beneath it, woods begin to hum — vetiver and cedar, low and smoky, steadying the floral brightness with a grounding warmth. A scent of contradictions: floral yet grounded, delicate yet self-assured, elegant yet suggestive — as complex and magnetic as the Duke himself. But to truly know him, you have to come closer. He never shouts; he whispers. The scent lingers near the skin, a secret meant to be discovered, not announced. To stay in his presence, you must lean in — dangerously close. And just as you begin to fall for him, he slips away. Not gone, just... retreating — back into mystery, leaving behind only warmth, intrigue, and the ghost of a smile. And perhaps that’s the whole point. He’s not a performance — he’s an encounter. A fleeting exchange of elegance and desire. A scent that doesn’t fill the room, but the space between two people. A brief, exquisite connection that fades just as you realise how much you want it to stay. Much Ado About The Duke isn’t merely a fragrance — it’s allure incarnate. A moment when confidence flirts with charm, and danger wears a tailored suit. Eccentric, ambiguous, heartbreakingly brief — a quiet scandal, bottled with grace. More scent stories and visuals on Instagram - @lavendercloudsjd

Really interesting set of releases from Penhaligon's this one having a similar nature to the feminine focused rose one but in truth I think all four are unisex. This is due to the careful blending of notes in each composition and it's no mistake that Penhaligon's fragrances have this quality across the board, regardless of perfumer. Another thing I've noticed is that all of these four have an explosive opening the Duke being no exception. I really like the smell, it's kinda got a vibe of Dior's sublime Amber nuit about it, a kind of fresh, clean but still warm balsamic rose. The key difference is rather than amber you get pepper, woods, leather coming across but with that quenching vibe of a G&T. This also gives it nods to the Liquides Imaginaires line in that there's a boozy champagne/wine sort of quality to these four creations too. It reminds me of Bloody wood a touch also. The drydown of this is a sensual woody rose which is top quality and although not massive in silage and I thought at first longevity either ...this quietly lasted. I never actually asked how much this was but without hesitation or the usual rigmarole of begging, I was furnished with some samples, Thanks to my local Penhaligon's shop for that. I believe further wears are necessary but I doubt I will be buying for this price. Despite all the positives I see in this fragrance as a novelty stopper or bottle at best but despite the comparisons to great fragrances I own, I think Duke would still have a place because it's refined and different enough in it's own way. The only restriction for me is price and the fact that if I had to own one of these it would be Lord George because of the amazing stag head stopper...The fragrances are both very enjoyable.

I absolutely adore this fragrance; one of my all time favorite scents. I just can't get enough of it, I always want more! That always wanting more leads me to the performance. This scent does not really have much performance to speak of. After maybe 45 minutes to an hour this is a skin scent or nearly gone all together. Really makes me so sad because I love this scent dearly and much much more than the similar offering from Le Labo. Although very similar, this one gives me a much more masculine appeal that I can't get enough of. My girlfriend loves this on me and it makes me feel like a mob boss when I wear it. A very wealthy and successful man in a nice linen outfit is what this reminds me of. This is one of those scents that is understated but you can tell the person wearing it doesn't F around. This is a scent for those that did the hard work when no one was watching and are now enjoying the fruits of their labor. Like I said, one of my all time favorites and a truly impeccable fragrance. It might not be the most unique; but this will make you smell like you are in charge. I love Penhaligon's and I will continue to buy their fragrances despite some of the performance issues I've experienced with them. Also, $315 for a 75ML of this is pretty steep. Especially with the performance issues; if this was around the $250 or $225 mark; I would have a stash of 10 bottles of this stuff. It's that good!!!

Oooooh, what a surprise that perfume turned out to be. On paper I got a cold, crisp rose with animalic undertones - not bad, but not very interesting either. Then I sprayed it on my skin. Immediately I got a blast of piney, boozy, aromatic notes that are pretty obviously gin-inspired, followed by an immediate wave of cumin. After a handful of minutes, the perfume settled on my skin; the cumin became less obvious, the gin notes more balanced, and the rose started peaking through. Cumin, rose and juniper doesn't sound like a combination that should work, but somehow it really, really does: the rose acts like a bridge between the vegetal-bitter and sweaty-animalic facets of this perfume, but without losing its own floral identity. I can't tell if I'm pulling it off - you do need to be a certain type of person for this to really work on you, and I don't think I'm it - but I think as a perfume this is a resounding success. I find it interesting that the gin note seems to be mostly absent from other reviews; in my opinion they are what truly distinguishes this perfume from Le Labo Rose 31, and also justify the price difference between the two. I assume their unfolding is probably very dependent on your personal chemistry and the local weather, so definitely get a sample before buying to see if you'll get them or not.

Well British houses do typically reflect that characteristic English cultural trait of understatement. Part and parcel of their concept of the gentleman ideal. Penhaligon and Floris are known for understated performance. And Much Ado About the Duke is understated in performance all right. As far as scent profile, I don't know, it sort of reminds me of a toned down Maison Martin Margiela Soul of the Forest with some D.S & Durga Radio Bombay mixed in, which is great because I have bottles of both and hold them in high regard. It achieves that similarity with different notes than those two, and with the fir, maple, and incense of the Margiela toned way down and the sandalwood of Radio Bombay turned way down, and with gin added, but that's about the overall effect with much subdued performance. Oh, and the rose accord should not be listed as the second most prominent accord as it is here as it is very subdued. But at any rate, Much Ado about the Duke is a great scent profile, enough so it's one of my full bottle buys. With its pleasant scent profile and understated performance it'll be a great addition to my "Office Scent" collection. UPDATE: Much Ado About the Duke added to the new Penhaligon's The Dandy is a fantastic layering combination! I call it my "Dandy Duke" combo.

This gives me ambiguous feelings. Maybe it's just the batch I got (it was a blind buy so I don't know if this is how it has to be) but the silage is some half a meter for the first hour or so. Later it settles down to become a skin scent and after some 5 hours it's basically gone. Maybe I should spray more? I usually do a couple of puffs on my forearm. As a side note, the atomizer is really nice and feels very soft while pressing it. As for the scent, I feel rose all the way through. Leather? Maybe but it is well hidden not to be too noticeable. Gin? Depends. Sometimes it's there, but more often it doesn't show up on my skin. In a drydown, I get a hint of honey but no idea why. In sum, scent is unisex and gorgeous but the fact that it is so weak kinda upsets me. On the other hand, real gentleman doesn't scream with his perfume, right? Update: sniffed a tester from "Scent library" - much stronger initial smell and the peppery is very much present for the first 5-10 minutes. Hmmm 🤔

If you are looking for an unusual rose fragrance, that's it! Need to admit I don't like Penhaligon`s at all. This one, however, is real beauty. Rose, heady sexy rose! With nothing waxy or overly balsamic. It's spicy, cool with heady alcohol touch. First time I've tested it I smelled something boozy and that was quite unexpected, so I immediately went on fragrantica to see the notes and yes!Gin is there. Cool, a bit piny and seducing. Love it! And it is very special indeed. I honestly can't think of any other rose scent that would be as fresh and elegant but at the same time as sexy as this one!Oh, and absolutely unisex. I find that men and women would love to smell it of opposite sex. I am judging a sample. The projection is quite moderate. It's noticeable but not too much. Best Penhaligon for me:)

This was my first leather fragrance. It has a delightful mix between spicy and woody and a more fresh and fruity scent. Upon applying it the top notes of rose and pepper have a strong yet pleasing scent, which quickly starts showing traces of gin. It finishes off with a strong woody, leathery scent with a hint of cumin to top it all off. I prefer to wear this during the day although I have worn it at night on more than one occasion. I bought this specifically to be used during the Fall / Winter / Spring Seasons. It has a moderate sillage with a long lasting smell. Price is on the high side but this is applicable to all Penhaligons scents (especially the Portrait Collection), although I can honestly say it is worth the money.

Daphne makes the best perfume. The first sniff of Rose 31 was so surprising and Tonka 25 was a love at first sniff. And now it's the Duke. It wasn't quite pleasant to my nose with gin among as its top notes, but after it dries down, a subtle, non-disturbing, non-flamboyant rose emerges, together with calming woody notes (only detected on my skin, not so much on the testing strips/ Penhaligons handkerchief), it becomes a magic moment. It smells very much like Rose 31 in the dry down, both subtle floral and mild woody. Even it is marketed to be a male fragrance, it's great for both genders. But if you ask me which one I prefer between this and Rose 31, I'd pick 31 to avoid the gin note and it's also less rosey.

A true beauty. In fact, I can wear it as a woman, no problem. Longevity is somewhere up to 7-8 hours. The projection is noticable, first. Later it turns into the skin scent. At first, you truly get that pepper and rose, but in the most delicate way. After an hour, it turns and stays fainted rose with some milky, face creamy, jasmine facet, which gives it a depth and roundness. Somewhere in the background some green notes play their music. The whole composition is an art and I find it very appropriate counterpart to the Duchess. Which is more effervescent and sweeter. This is one of those fragrances that make you feel happy and sophisticated at the same time. It's just lovely.

Finding a fragrance that is both beautiful and unique can be a challenging task, but this one seems to tick all the right boxes. Despite being categorized as a male fragrance, I find it to be feminine, with a simple and beautiful scent pyramid. The combination of rose and gin creates a delightful aroma that's not overpowering but lingers just enough to leave a lasting impression. While the performance could be better for the price, it's by no means the worst, and the overall quality of the fragrance makes it worth the investment. All in all, it's a stunning fragrance that I would recommend to anyone looking for a unique and elegant scent.

A nice spring scent. The pepper and Gin are the most noticeable notes on me. However, the wood adds a nice twist which keeps it interesting. It does have a tendency to bring out allergies when applies and it makes me sneeze when I put it on. Overall, I like it a lot because it stands out, but not in a bad way. The spice is great during a warm spring day and makes me feel like I am outside even when sitting in front of a screen in the office. It is also one of my dog's favorite scents which makes the dog topper quite fitting.

The duke has got me on a choke holdddd. This is such a great unisex fragrance. This blend with the peppery yet fresh spice mixed with the rose somehow brings out this unique grounding white musk scent. I have never smelled anything quite like it. This perfume reminds me of a single vibing and thriving parent who owns a white yacht in Croatia. They also are the type to empower you with the most wittiest and mindblowing affirmations. Literally feels like a royal scent. Zodiac Trio ⬆️Libra ☀️Capricorn 🌜Scorpio

I have a sample of this gorgeous fragrance... what can I say, I am totally smitten, in love, in heaven. For me this is unisex and timeless. I can definitely smell gin, pepper, rose and some woody notes. So so delightful. I can't stop sniffing my wrist as I type and the more I sniff the more I convince myself of buying the full bottle. This fragrance is so well balanced; spicy, warm and very slightly sweet. I would say I can wear this throughout the year, day and night... yup, I love it that much!.

This smells like like a quintessential British gentleman's fragrance. I don't recall trying a lot of others with gin besides Rake and Ruin and Bond No 9 Brooklyn, and this is much better than those imo. The rose isn't prominent but it's there, and it has a green streak that is more apparent. Smells like a well groomed and well dressed man on Savile Row. But it's also not so astute that I feel I'd feel awkward wearing it casually. Scent 9.3/10 Performance TBD

Duchess Rose is a pretty classy lady, while her husband, the Duke is the biggest whore in high society. Deep, rich pepper seeps into glossy, gin-dewed rose petals. The leathery wood is such a sexy touch imo, adding a hearty note the feminine leaned rose. The Duke walks into the study, naked, nothing but his calf-lengthed socks, being d-cked down next to the fireplace while her ladyship soundly asleep in their master bedroom.

Surprised by the review saying this doesn’t last! I can smell this on my wrists on my train ride home after a day of work and it staying in my coats for days. This is probably my more favorite and interesting fragrance. Just feminine enough for a woman to wear and masculine enough for it to be interesting and attention getting. It’s sweet, spicy and easy to wear year round.

Это один из самых моих любимых парфюмов ( и самый часто засираемый моими друзьями, которые говорят, что он пахнет старым мужиком) Он горький, травянистый и свежий, немного мыльный. Я чувствую здесь кумин, хотя он не указан (возможно в этом причина почему многим он не нравится и кажется «потным») Я ношу его, когда устаю от своих парфюмов и хочу просто подушиться для себя

I may enjoy many fragrances over this one, but nothing is a more fitting choice for a charcoal grey suit. This fragrance is perfect for the dapper gentleman, and in penhaligons style, it’s not obnoxiously strong. You will certainly be making the statement of how distinguished you are by wearing this fragrance

Very soft skin scent: citrus in the top very prominent but combined (gin) with rose and a woody/soft oud note. This reminds of some of the rose ouds on the market but not as sweet. This has the soft creaminess like a Jul et Mad Amour de Palazzo. A nuzzling scent. I love it but expected more from the Duke.

I hate le labo 31 but I really love Duke. They are not similar in character at all to me. Duke is sort of straightforward, the pepperish and woody note open to your face without reserve. Le Labo is a scent which is sophisticated, a little dirty and a lot more masculine.

I love this. It's so comforting to wear and so unusual that it has quickly become my everyday signature scent - when people get close they realise that the fragrance is coming from me, not a room filler by any means, more of a fragrance aura

My favorite Rose fragrance at the moment. Wish it lasted longer, but for a few hours youll smell floral-clean. Not a powdery Rose, thankfully. The Gin gives it a nice crisp finish. Worth picking up for sure. All year round scent.

when i saw the notes i was like meh, but when i actually tried it i was pleasantly surprised. i have never smelled a rose like this one..boozy peppery and masculine, surprisingly addictive. i legitimately love this so much

Another one Cant's judge the note but better than what you best when you sniff ! Beauty with the brain and the Man who is unique and does everything like he wanted! For me on me 10/10 (my signature)

Gin cocktail with rose lemonade. Spicy from the pepper. Very nice but doesn’t project or last that long. My mum wears duchess rose and my partner wears halfetti...both beasts compared to this.

I love this. It's church incense with a good bit of rose, but it's not at all oud-y. It looks like it's positioned as a male cologne but it seemed more like a traditional female perfume to me.

Unique, elegant, fresh rose with gin and tonic... as someone finds rose too stuffy and associates it with old soap, this is one of the best rose fragrances i've tried... absolutely unisex

The gin accord makes this quite fresh, the leather is smooth and supple, it has a very regal smell to it! Signature scent worthy for a bespoke gentleman

One of my favorite rose fragrances so far! A must try for all rose lovers. Very masculine and very unisex. I blind bought this and I'm so happy I did!

I have a sample from the Portraits scent library. Roses and incense but somehow rather light. It fades on me too quickly or I’d be wanting a bottle.

I didn't know I would wear a rose-based fragrance until this one. Masculine and super wearable.

yh. after many attempts, I got addicted to it

Amazing and beautiful scent!!!!

This review is based on a sample from the official Penhaigons 'Portraits Scent Library'. Much Ado evokes thoughts of the Shakespearean play and the Elizabethan/early Stuart period that obsesses some people. Elizabeth I was a Tudor. The Tudors were Welsh and claimed the English throne through war. Elizabeth died childless and her English (and Welsh) throne was inherited by the King of Scotland, James VI. James became James I of England. As king of two countries, his political task was preventing hostility between his subjects. James' courtiers invented a concept of a 'United Kingdom' and this developed into 'Britishness' as the United Kingdom increased its world empire. Shakespeare created plays which helped Elizabeth and her Court build up the fantasy of 'England' and suppress the Welsh identity of Elizabeth and the Tudors. He then helped James and his Court invent the fantasy of the 'United Kingdom' and suppress the Scottish identity of James and the Stuarts. On these fantasy 'national identities' the bigger fantasy of 'Britishness' (which also appropriated and then disavowed all identities from across the Empire while valorising a supposedly unchanging unchangable 'Englishness') was constructed. In case you are wondering, England has not had an English monarch since before 1066. These issues of identity, sovereignity, nationhood are hot political topics today. Calling a perfume 'Much Ado' is knowingly stirring this pot. I call that risky. Just in case nationalism were not controversial enough for you, Much Ado is also a play that focuses on gender identity, the fluidity of gender, and the social conflicts, dangers, and comedy that gender issues can bring. And so to the fragrance - Much Ado opens with a blast of rose-scented vinegar and cedar-wood shavings. It then quickly cools to a salty, papery, peppery, vague, confused swirl of notes. I have two mental images - the first is of an Elizabethan pomander (a citrus fruit such as an orange or bergamot stuffed with cloves and other spices and carried about in the hand to be sniffed at for the fragrance and to protect the health - disease was thought at that time to be spread by inhaling foul odours thus inhaling sweet odours was a kind of 'vaccination'). But there is no citrus in this perfume (maybe some mouldy old orange peel in the waste basket with the cedar wood pencil shavings?) so it is a pomander without its fruit - just old spices then. The second mental image is of the British street food 'fish n chips' where hot fried potatoes and fish were liberally sprinkled with salt and malt vinegar and eaten from paper wrappings by the seaside and in other holiday locations. But in this perfume the chips are of cedar wood, the vinegar is made from roses, and the seasonings include sea salt and - I cannot identify the exact spices but something like - cloves, cumin, cinnamon? The impression of cold, salty seaside and dry, papery newsprint is quite strong. The marketing blurb suggests this perfume is about some kind of conflict between the desirable (to whom?) Duke and his indifferent (because?) Duchess. The hint is towards Virginia Woolf and 'Orlando' and gender-bending bed-hopping through the Ages. But what I get is not romance or plain sex but a confused olfactory portrait of 'England'. Much Ado evokes the nostalgic olfactory experiences of 'English' Elizabethan pomander or 'English' 1930s seaside holiday food but mixes them up together into an Elizabethan holiday or seaside pomander. I get the impression this fragrance pretends to say something but it over-reaches itself, has lost the plot, and just settles for a vague mess because the designer ran out of time and ideas before reaching any real conclusion. A confused mess is actually a pretty good portrait of both 'Englishness' and 'gender' in contemporary Britain. Maybe I am disappointed with this fragrance because it fails to resolve the contradictions. But if politicians and theorists and activists and everyone else cannot sort out our mess why should I expect a perfume to do so? Verdict: decent quality, uses the same old notes, breaks no new ground, feels generic although I cannot identify a perfume it reminds me of. Unisex. Not sexy - this Duke keeps his socks on. Long-lasting, low silage. It is worth sampling. Not sure it is worth a full bottle as it is just a 'work in progress'. Or, if you are intrigued by the politics of identity, gender and nationhood, this might be a fragrance to wear while you think through the enigma. It does not offer answers but at least it poses some questions. If you go to see Shakespeare at the theatre or go to one of those outside events where people dress up to re-enact Elizabethan times then this would be the ideal fragrance to wear. Unless you have some sort of season ticket, a sample will be enough for those uses.

Much Ado About The Duke opens with brief fresh citrus, and immediately reveals a tart, red rose, covered with fiery, woody black pepper and cumin. The cumin here adds an earthy warmth, but doesn't appear explicitly sweaty or too sharp to my nose. The fragrance doesn't undergo any dramatic change. The ruby rose and woody pepper are always the dominant forces, and they interlock even more with time. The rose develops a dry texture by absorbing the woody pepper, while the cumin gradually recedes into the background. While undeniably woody and spicy, the fragrance maintains a certain transparency, modern and slick in style. The far dry down about 8 hours in, even the woody pepper disappears, leaving only a faint, clean, musky wine-y rose skin scent behind. The sillage is relatively close, and the longevity is close to 12 hours on my skin. Much Ado About The Duke is a lovely woody spicy rose fragrance, and I'd recommend giving it a try if you happen to looking for a streamlined, modern take in this genre. However, I do find it very similar to Le Labo Rose 31. The main differences that I can perceive, are that, in comparison, Much Ado About The Duke feels a bit brighter and fresher, with the rose being slightly more prominent than woody pepper (this aspect sometimes makes me think of Iso E Super), while Rose 31 has more emphasis on woody elements with the addition of vetiver and guaiac. But overall, they're quite close in scent to my nose. Therefore, I'd also suggest giving Rose 31 or other similar and less expensive options as well, before committing a full bottle splurge.

Purchased Penhaligon's Portraits Scent Library Discovery Set recently and what a true treasure of a house. After having smelled Duke this time. It reminded me of an interesting soap. Something definitely I've smelled before in the past, but my memory doesn't serve me at this point. But think of an older barbershop/shaving cream and an extremely masculine scent. After initial spray. OMG NO! was my reaction. That is because I didn't test this properly. I was spraying the scents on strips one after another and sniffing frantically to quench my thirst for finding a new signature scent to add to my 50+ collection.... After I became conscience of my actions, I decided to just take a shower and give this a full wearing as I did the groceries. This is a mature scent. My 0/10 score suddenly changed to more of a 7/10. I like it. Don't love it. It's dry, woody, commanding, comforting and clean with a big touch of 'old smelling'. It smells dated, but in a good way. Any season, any reason. But this shines best in colder weather. Both day or night. For me it's an 7/10 on the drydown (about 30 mins in) Another scent I appreciate, but also recognise it's not for me. To my nose it's masculine, even though there is a rose note.

The Pros at the top of the page are not wrong. "Unexpected and unique" hits the nail right on the head. I was expecting the rose to come on strong and floral like the others in this collection. Yes the rose is there but the pepper packs a strong punch. I don't like how rose in fragrances really dominates but the pepper ,gin , woods and leather stay pretty balanced with the rose . I will say that as this does dry down the powdery of the rose does come out a bit more but only if you have your nose right on the skin. Smelling it from an inch or 2 away still gives you a bunch of the wood gin and pepper notes. This is something different and I really like that . A little more pepper and gin and this would have been a mega banger . But it's still very good. This works year round night and day. Performance , it will stick on the skin for a solid 5 to 6 hours . Projection 2 to 3 hours . This is not a good blind buy . The pepper will throw people off. It's strong like cracked pepper at first then mellows out to whole fresh black pepper . I'd say it's pretty unisex for a rose forward fragrance Scent -7.5 Complexity - 9.0 Quality - 10.0 Performance - 7.0 Bottle 10.0

Much Ado About the Duke is a surprising, unusual scent. A masculine take on rose, I expected a watered-down Middle Eastern-style rose-oud. Instead, this is something quite unique. A sheer freshie while being primarily a peppery rose scent, it is surprisingly cohesive. Its performance is limited, which is the main drawback, but there is much to admire here. MAATD opens with a surprising juniper note, bracingly fresh and slightly green. The opening booziness alongside the dewy texture brings it firmly to gin territory. The rose follows, shy and dewy, complemented nicely by peppery spice. It works so well alongside the gin note. The leather base emerges after a little while, smooth and softly musky, subtly grounding the peppery rose. It remains very lightweight, fading quickly to become a skin scent. Sillage is moderate at a push and longevity is weak. It is a spring/summer daytime scent, masculine-leaning in my opinion. Elegant and discreet, as Penhaligon's tend to be, MAATD is a creative yet wearable scent. A great warm weather masculine that manages to be different. Pity about the performance-price ratio. 4/5.

A relatively overlooked perfume from the Portraits Collection. Those that overlook this are not missing out on much. This perfume is not very exciting, seductive or captivating - but, it is appealing. It starts of with a lot of gin and rose, and a faint bit of leather. There may be some woody notes but deep in there, so much so that you have to whiff extra hard for it to be noticeable. The dry down involves the aforementioned strong notes fading to a harmonious balance with the rest. It then lasts about 7hours or so before fading away. The projection is moderate provided you spray more than a few times. Nothing too noteworthy about this scent, and for most people it would definitely not be something worth spending £200+ on. Nevertheless, it is one of those nice, clean smells that sits close to the skin, where you would be happy knowing that you got it on you. Perfect for a relaxing Sunday at home.

This is difficult to describe ... The pepper is there and it feels good, the rose is there but it is unusual, sweet but not too much. The woody notes are firm, austere and sober. Because of a hangover I hate gin but it does not bother me here and it sounds good to give a fresh edge to the leather goods. As for the sex I changed my mind three times so in summary I think it is unisex.We are in August and on my skin dries quickly and accentuates dusty and masculine. On the other hand, the whistles I take at a distance are mostly animal , feminine, almost fruity. I saw the price, I would say that it is suitable for a couple's use. All in all it is versatile in quality and leaves a good memory. Nice portrait! Suitable for day, evening, summer, winter, indoors, outdoors, elegant, sports tonic, etc. This has character!But I prefer others in this line.

The opening spray reveals a fresh, cool gin aroma that immediately catches the senses. This is quickly complemented by a dry, peppery rose with a masculine touch, reminiscent of the rose in Le Labo Rose 31. After a few minutes, subtle hints of wood emerge, though they remain a minor note overall. Ultimately, this fragrance offers a fresh and peppery rose scent. In terms of performance, it falls short. Expect projection only for the first hour, and after that, the scent becomes close to the skin. By the fourth hour, it’s hardly detectable. While I agree that this fragrance exudes a mature, masculine rose aroma suitable for any man who appreciates the note, its price does not quite match its performance. For a similar scent with better longevity, I recommend trying Le Labo Rose 31, which offers a slightly woodier profile.

Received a sample of this the last time I was at Saks. At the very opening I picked up some citrus. Rose and woods are the most prominent. Pepper adds another dimension to the woods. Interestingly, I do smell the gin. I have a few bars of Le Labo's Rose 31 soap and while the Duke is similar Rose 31 is drier with a definite oud note. This is a nice unisex composition that leans masculine. Sillage and projection feel about average. Lasts five hours tops. Seems appropriate for any occasion; all seasons aside from summer. The bottle is cool looking. While I enjoy this it doesn't interest me enough to justify the cost. The quality of the scent is apparent but it should last longer at this price point. I'm sure I could find something comparable that is much cheaper.

A really beautifully dandified Anglosaxon Cool Britannia Rose! This Rose is definitely pre-Brexit and celebrates the good olden and golden days! I am thinking 60ies and 70ies, either 20th or 19th century. Very nuveau-retro, very wearable, vey ON TREND and very good indeed! Reminds me a bit of Czech & Speake 88 but more emphasis on the rose. The story-telling of this collection within the brand is very much an homage to L'etat libre d'orange, mixed with that crazy brand of the many thousand plus Tuesdays..... Let's make Britain great again with outstanding perfumes instead of Brexit! Verdict: Good! 7/10

My favourite from the portraits lineup, so unexpected! I’m a rose fan and this one is just perfect, the femininity of the floral is totally made unisex by the black pepper and juniper from the gin making it feel so classy yet modern. I also detect a slightly cumin note. Day or night I think it would make any occasion feel special. Performance and longevity is underwhelming, especially considering the huge price tag. Mostly paying for the bottle design I guess. I’d be interested to compare this to le labo rose 31 as I’ve heard it’s similar but with far better performance.

One of my first "niche" fragrances. The perfume is akin to that of a walk through a park in September. Wilted, yet still sweet floral scents mixed with wet wood slowly drying in the cool air. The spice of a peppery and hearty soup accompanies this scent. A most delightful smell. The longevity is passable, but the sillage is most disappointing, people had to directly sniff my skin from 10 inches away or less to even get a hint of it. Boosts personal confidence, but not something to impress others with.

Initially tried this one for the gin note, which you do get immediately due to alcohol being present. Floral gin fades into a more traditional rose scent. It is fresh and clean and pleasant. Unisex leaning feminine, but might be nice for me anyway. Sillage is skin at first, but improves. Fully expected it to fade in an hour but didn't. Settles down into a somewhat sour woodiness, making it feel slightly more masculine than it did at first. Pleasant fresh scent.

Opening is pleasant, settles in with a lot of Rose, fresh spices, and a little woody. Its a good blend between vintage and modern with the rose being ever so slightly animalic. Unfortunately, like the majority of Penhaligon fragrances, this will need to be reapplied every 3-4 hours as it becomes a skin scent after the 3-4 hour mark. I can see this being someone's signature scent as it can be worn year round. 8/10, not taking performance into account.

Such a regal, gentlemanly fragrance and that's no surprise considering this is Penhaligon's. It's a pleasant rosy scent with slight aromatic woods in the background. I get a lot of the spicy pepper in the opening as well. So warm and cozy and luxury clean. Like a rich person’s soap you use in their super ornate, 19th century bathroom. It leans masculine to me, but can definitely be a unisex fragrance! I think I'll give this sample to my husband.

I like this. Starts with a (very pleasant) big dose of Rose and pepper, with the gin in the back, and the woody notes even further back. I don't get the leather note. Nicely done. I don't care to much about beast mode scents, and this is perfect, but I do care about longevity, and MAATD doesn't last on my skin for more than a couple of hours. With a better staying power, maybe I'd consider a FB.