Clubman Special Reserve

I got this for Christmas as a blind buy, so I really didn't know what to expect. When I tried it - BANG! - memories of my childhood came flooding back. This is a very vintagey fragrance. I have smelled this before, and I think I can recall when. It was just before Christmas 1966, when my mother and I visited the apartment of a couple of her friends who sold newspapers on the corner of Hollywood and Western in Hollywood - Marcella and Johnnie. Mom was a waitress at a place called "Toppy's" on that corner and met lots of people, including stars who were filming at Desilu not far away. Marcella and Johnnie were of very limited means, and we enjoyed a dinner with them. They presented me with a little collection of scents for men in small bottles. I recall one was lime, another was spice and another was just like this - a leather. At the time I thought it an odd gift, but I have remembered Marcella and Johnnie fondly. This is a wonderful leathery/pine masculine fragrance with a touch of smoke - don't be fooled by the inexpensive price. It's only a safe blind buy if you like traditionally strongly masculine scents like Antaeus, Quorum, Z-14, Polo Green, Santos and Tsar. If you like those you'll probably also like this. Pinaud Special Reserve is what World War II veterans often smelled like when I was a boy, and that's plenty endorsement for me. Great stuff!

Special Reserve is a real leathery classic that you will either love or hate.I had to give Clubman Special Reserve about 5 times to really appreciate this fragrance. At first, I really did not care for it but again after 5 tries I started to really enjoy it. The scent is very leathery with hints of fresh cigar tobacco and old money (in a good way). This kinda reminds me of the popular colognes of the 1970s that are very very masculine with a powerful presence. The scent actually last over 8 hours and is great to use for an after shave. As I stated earlier you will either love this or hate this. Expect the same reaction from the people around you as well. For an example, without asking my fiance what she thought about this fragrance she immediately told me she really liked how I smelled one morning as I was heading to work. However, my sister on the other hand told me that I smelled like a old man and could not be around me while I was visiting her. Would I buy this again? Yes, this aftershave is perfect for the fall season. Nothing better than slapping this on and taking the hog for a ride on a nice fall day. But I would not wear this during the summer season. The Gents Score 9/10 (A Gentlemen's Classic) Clubman Rankings so far: 1: Original 2: Bay Rum 3. Special Reserve 4. Vanilla 5. Musk (Still great)

It comes in a plastic bottle, so you'd think it was cheap rubbish. And you'd be so far beyond "wrong" that the light from wrong won't reach you for years. THIS IS GREAT STUFF! Powerful vaguely animalic leather with a touch of citrus, some warm resins and enough herbal astringent and floral qualities to make it barbershop in the best way. I don't go in for gendering fragrances much, but if any scent is masculine, this is it. The leather is warm, but rough and a touch smokey. Like a work glove that has been held too close to a fire. This stuff smells like it cost 5-10 times what you'll actually pay for it. Longevity is around 7-8 hours with moderate projection for the first half of that time. This scent is for grown men, kids need not apply. If you're feeling metrosexual, reach for something else. But if you want to smell old school leather with just a hint of danger to counter its moment of florals, you can't do better than Clubman Special Reserve by Pinaud. Top tip: this fragrance will actually mellow and improve over time if you move it from the plastic it comes in to a glass bottle. That's how I store mine. If you are a man and have any affection for old school barbershop scents, go ahead and blind buy this fragrance. I think you'll be glad you did.

An old 2-story bank building with huge windows and marble floors. An airport concourse c.1977. The bar near the $50 window at the horse track. A dark old steakhouse full of smoke and brown leather. Ashtrays everywhere. Great big tubs of sand full of Mores, Kents, Salems, Carltons, lipstick-stained Benson & Hedges. Special Reserve does one thing and one thing only, but it does it so well. It doesn't develop, it doesn't evolve, it's as linear as a tramway. Hands down the manliest frag in my entire collection. Strong, too. A little goes a long way. I wear this when I'm being an old-school degenerate. This is my smoking, drinking, gambling scent. The scent of shouting for the #4 horse through teeth clenching a cigar. The scent of re-raising in position with any two cards and staring the opener in the eye like "well?". Downtown Reno in a bottle. If someone under 30 wore this it would give them tufts of hair in their ears, bags under their eyes and change their Subaru BRZ into a '79 Plymouth Volare. Like all Pinauds, SR REALLY needs to be decanted into glass from the cheesy plastic bottle. Makes all the difference in the world.

Leather, leather and leather. I didn't expect to enjoy it so much, I was thinking it would be another overhyped cheapie, but I really like it. It does give a 70s chain smoking alcoholic vibe, and I don't condone it, but there would be misogynism involved. Smells like the era of drinking beers on the work site and smoking in the car with your kids. I can't compare it to any of the vintage perfumes I have, they're all more oakmossy, and even Fahrenheits leather is really light compared to this. The closest perfume for me is ELDOs Rien, another leather powerhouse, though this is spicy, and Rien feels fresher. For $30 I was not expecting this kind of quality. The bottle is cheap, sure, but I can't complain at this price point. I have decanted some into a small spray, not sure if it's made a difference to the scent.

Smells like Little Trees Royal Pine 1:1. I beat yas to it. Not a bad thing, now I'm kinda wondering which one came first. If Little Trees original (must be aka Royal Pine I'm sure) has been around since forever and this only since 2000 then I gotta rejuvenate my air freshener with Special Reserve or just buy a new little tree that isn't Royal Pine because it's fucken insulting for your car to smell like a genuine mens' scent (I've always loved Special Reserve!). Think of the logic. A bottled scent can turn to B/O after use. An air freshener is supposed to kill musty air in the space it occupies. Best to go back to "black ice" scented air fresheners. Something really pine/conifer that stings the nostrils in a good way.

Pinaud Clubman Special Reserve... ...is a nice smoky leather after shave in eau de Cologne strength. It is indeed similar to Aramis but with a stronger smoke and leather note. I don't quite get the Über-Macho remarks made here but compared to other Pinaud Clubman offerings, it can be labelled the most masculine (If there is such a thing). It lasts a long time for an after shave and sticks with you for a while after a nice close shave. If you want to extend the scent trail just pour it in your hands, rub them together and glide through your hair. Hair is well known to be a fragrance booster.

This and Pinaud Clubman are my reaches straight out the shower when i don’t anticipate going back out. And not that it doesn’t smell good or smells dated, because I have worn it outside my home, but it’s just that there’s only 365 days in a year and i have so many fragrances to pull from, so why squander the opportunity to wear something more interesting that i paid more money for? Know what i mean? But, pound for pound, this and Pinaud Clubman DEMOLISHES fragrances at LEAST 10 times more expensive than them. The very epitome of the barbershop genre.

Dominate. That's the word for this scent if you're tired of the flowery concoctions. It's rather linear with leather and spices. Instead of a catcher's mitt, I prefer to think of this leather heaven as a shared leather sofa with your partner because they will dig this. And who orders a sample when you can get the whole bottle for $7? I also layer with Layrite No. 9, which is a dark bay/rum with strong cloves; no sweetness. Note: As another reviewer said, the plastic bottle will break down the scent. Badly. It's necessary to decant into glass.

just like so many other frags from clubman pinaud, this one is absolutely spectacular. i agree with some these other reviews that it totally smells like dr. pepper. like a leatherly herbal version of dr. pepper. the dr. pepper elements in the scent profile is probably what i dig most about it. it has really weak longevity, but that's okay because it's super affordable. you can get full 16 ounce spray bottles of it for only 12 dollars on clubman's website. so, you can spray it as much as you need to

Dandy? No. Swashbuckler? Hell, yeah! Guys, it is what it is—a no apologies, flat-out, rough-and-tumble leather. When that's your vibe, this is your aftershave. (As a cologne, it has enough oomph to wear all by itself.) I can think of no better way to conclude your wet-shave ritual on days when your mood steers you to bold leather fragrances like Knize Ten, Aramis, Gucci Guilty Absolute, or simply your own unwashed Saturday morning self.

Epic Journey Into the Bottled Yonder, 060 ------------------------------------------------------- Purchased June 2017 Excellent leather and earth this. Being a splasher you will cloy it up a little while but that's ok, it's one of the most manly scents on earth. Easily top 100 of the manly juices. Smells nothing like Aramis. Just get Phoenix Shaving's Porthos if you wanna spray something close to this rather than constantly splash.

This has got to be the greatest aftershave of all time. It smells like a cross between Hai Karate and Aramis. Whoever thought of this idea deserves to wear the Pour le Merite. Special Reserve makes you smell like a god among men. This is not something just anyone can pull off. It is a truly masculine fragrance. Some people might not like it, but if you're this sort of man then you already could give a damn what people think.

To me, this is one of the greatest of all time - on my desert island list. It's a deep, dark, rich, broken-in leather chair type of scent. A sibling to Trumper's Spanish Leather, with which it seems to share a heart note, but better and far less expensive. Not saddle leather. Maybe a hint of sweetness along with the slight smokiness. Price can't be beat, either. Very strong and long lasting, also.

This definitely needs to be decanted into a glass bottle. The plastic imparts a skunkiness that goes away when it sits in glass for a couple of weeks. Dry, somewhat spicy, leather. It's linear, and doesn't last more than maybe two hours, but I love it. great aftershave, ultra masculine. Pairs well with Quorum, Open, One Man Show Oud Edition. At 7 or 8 bucks, it's worth every penny.

Great stuff! A very sexy old-fashioned leather with some amber, and nicely balanced with floral and citrus notes. This would layer beautifully with almost any dark leather scent, or would even be nice on its own. And at this price it's an incredible bargain. How could you go wrong with this if you like this genre?

Anyone who enjoys Clubman Special Reserve should try Gucci Guilty Oud. If you remove the light oud note, it's very close to Special Reserve. Aside from enjoying the scent of Special Reserve, it's one of the longer lasting aftershaves on the market. However, it might be an acquired taste for some.

Top of the line,i was searching for this one for a while.Take Clubman classic and make it more robust with a great leather note,youreally feel like a member of the old Bourbon family.Best one.

Wow instant love Reminds me of Bic black from back in the 80s. The pine is lovely in this one Love love love 10/10 aftershave material totally masculine stuff

Wow. Fantastic.Not for young . Leather, herbal and resins notes. Longevity higher that medium aftershave and good sillage.8/10

Head-turning among the female set, this is what you slap on when heading out for a while.

I was able to get a vintage version of this, glass bottle and all. It's the 1.5 ounce gift size that barbers gave away to their customers. While there is no specific date on the bottle, I'd estimate it to be between 40-50 years old, based on the typeface / font and the picture of Napoleon on the bottle. If anyone can more accurately give me a date on this, please, send me a message and let me know. For the most part, I'm not a fan of especially heavy leather dominant fragrances. An example of one that I hate is Acqua di Parma's Colonia Essenza Oud but an example of one that I like is a more moderate mix of a leather element and Puredistance M would be an example of that. My impression of Special Reserve is that it's a very leather dominant fragrance and the old, used, oiled baseball glove reference seems to sum it up well. After I first put it on and during the dry down phase, I do smell only the faintest evidence of a powdery element but that fades into almost nothing. On drydown, there is the slightest bit of something sweet but that's about all I can pick out. Having said all of that, this is most definitely a very "manly" fragrance and one of a very few leather fragrances that I actually enjoy. I can't seem to stop sniffing my arm. For me, it's a like, rather than a love but it will get some usage from time to time. This is one of the strongest after shaves that I've ever encountered. Projection is moderate to above average and longevity is good. Bottom line: Leather dominant fragrance with only the slightest hints of sweet and powdery.

I like Special Reserve, but it is not for all occasions. My father wore English Leather when I was a lad. This reminds me of that. Strong and to the point. It should be worn in rooms of rich mahogany and leather-bound books. The smell of men with great mustaches and boots that zip up the side. Sweaty leather smell. My nose never loses the sense of it. Very Linear. It hits my nose constantly and becomes slightly oppressive. It is the most long-lasting of the Pinaud after shaves by far. Do not blind buy this. Make sure you like it. The first smell of it tells you exactly how it will smell forever. It will not evolve. So, if it is for you, it will always give you that feeling. It really delivers on the promise of leather. It is a caveman in the rain on a hunt smell. I would never wear this to work. If your significant other gets turned on by the smell of a cavalry saddle, this will light that fire. If you you are entertaining the guys, and they are old school, this would be a prime contender. Overall 6/10 it could do without the floral notes. no purpose is served. 1/10 if you want to seem sensitive 10/10 if you want to be asked to fix something

You know how in movies set during the Prohibition Era (and many old westerns), there's usually some scene that takes place in an old general store? It's usually some dimly lit place that's dusty and a little dirty, a lot of canned goods and sacks of flour or miscellaneous grain, with floor-to-ceiling hardwood plank or paneling, either on the main street in town or out in the middle of nowhere. Depending on the locale and the story, there might be some hand-crank gas pumps out front with the glass globes on top. They're the sort of places that Cracker Barrel restaurants are patterned after. This scent is what I imagine those places smelled like; leathery, dusty, and earthy, but welcoming and inviting. I like it.

A baseball glove in a bottle. The baseball glove is not a new one. It is a well worn and used baseball glove that family members have used for a few generations imparting the scents of people, places, and memories. Leather, spices, patchouli, musk and more leather. Special Reserve must be worn to be truly appreciated. It must be worn with care because excessive amounts will make others feel like they are being smacked across the face with a baseball glove. Finishing a nice shave with Special Reserve has to be one of the manliest ways to start the day. How much did I pay? $5. It would be best to put this in a glass bottle to better guard against the slight plastic smell of this leathery beauty.

I've never been a big fan of Clubman products. The Original is too "barber shop-y" for my taste. But I have been curious to the other scents they have. I think I can speak for every man when I say we'd like our aftershave/cologne to be reasonably priced, strong enough to be noticed and last all day. Special Reserve takes care of all three. My problem is the scent. It's not bad at all... I just don't think it would go with my body chemistry. It's a very in-your-face leather/tobacco. I'd even go so far as to say it's the poor mans Aramis.

Are you fed up with soft leather fragrances? Have you knelt before the fragrance gods and implored them for a strong LEATHER scent? Be careful what you ask for, this baby is no joke. Old school, retro, takes no prisoners............apply if you think you can handle this juggernaut of masculinity! Leather, then leather, then some more leather and then some spices. Lasts, projects and turns heads. This will make you walk a little taller and make you feel good in what ever you endeavor.

This is how an older, established gentleman smells like. One who reads the Wall Street Journal in his library in his tweed jacket, cotton shirt and wool pants, while smoking a cigar and drinking a cognac or single malt scotch. It's very leather and smoke forward. Lasts an entire day. Projects about 6 feet. And it's CHEAP. For real men only. I've grown to really like this scent alot. I decanted it into a glass bottle and added about 1oz of witch hazel. Perfect that way.

Gorgeous. Love at first sniff for me. Staunchly masculine. Refined yet unpretentious. Pure class all the way. For the price nothing even comes close. Suitable for styling and/or profiling. As well as the occasional kiss stealing and/or wheeling and dealing. Splash this on and smell not only like a man, but like The Man.

A great big animalic leather, it smells like a tannery or a bear skin rug. There's just enough resins and florals to keep it interesting. This stuff lasts forever and a little goes a long way. A very strong like for me.

I pick up a lot of leather, some spice, a faint bit of sweetness, and hints of cigarette smoke. It's a surprisingly interesting smell, generally pleasant. To me, it smells better in the colder months.

Somewhere down the line, someone mentioned that this smelled like an airport in the 70 ́s and old leather sofas. That ́s the absolute correct way to put it - warm, cosy and GREAT for winter!

The scent of old, worn leather chairs, decades of cigar smoke and classic men's aftershaves. Basically, Masonic Lodge in a bottle.

Anytime I splash in any Clubman aftershave, it puts a big smile on my face. I love this brand. This is has a very similar vibe to Aramis. Since I like Aramis, I like this. Spicy, resinous leather. It’s an aftershave...so longevity and projection are expected to be below average. If you want both to better...splash the heck out of yourself. Super masculine. Fantastic value. Overall, great masculine aftershave for colder months. Great to apply prior to using a leather based fragrance a little afterward.

Being somewhat of a fan of leather/wood/resinous scents, I was intrigued by the majority of reviews online that alluded to this scent being of the aforementioned ilk, so I purchased a small 50ml bottle to sample it's alleged merits... What a let down! It bears no resemblance to the juice I've read about, and I can't for the life of me imagine how anyone could ever describe this as being a "masculine" smelling fragrance; to my nose it is purely a powdery, confectionery-like, synthetically-sweet smelling concoction that smells more like a candy store. If its scent was a colour it would be shocking pink! It smells exactly the same as the soap my wife uses from the Lush shop, it's called 'Rock Star'.....and it is (unsurprisingly) pink! Very girly stuff indeed......I think I'll treat the wife to it and I'll stick with my Worth Pour Homme Haute Concentration, Mandate, or Indian Patchouli. Not impressed.

I love and respect Pinaud (love Clubman and Musk), but this wasn’t for me. Smells like cheap faux leather and flat Dr. Pepper. I tried several times but kept finding that I would much prefer to wear something else or even nothing at all. I even decanted it and then returned it to the Pinaud bottle so I could set it outside to see if someone else might want it. Someone picked it up, so I hope they have more success than I did.

I did not like it. Cheap leather not classy at all. 4/10

YuriSputnik77 Bukowski on a special occasion dress up day like after he got a taste of success. I don't even want to imagine what Factotum Bukowski may have smelled like. 🤣😂 But yes this is a great choice to just keep in the glove compartment next to the flask. Better yet don't use a flask use an empty rinsed bottle of Lilac Vegetal or something. Two aftershave bottles one with actual aftershave "sosifer om jus quie conscientiousness to my odoriferousness...issall". But really this is great stuff and like what about a dollar an ounce? "And Lo Let Thou Bring Forth Thee Of All Ages Above Twenty One With Daddy Issues"... But a lot here and I think it is blended well enough that leather doesn't really show up as a "note" actually as in aromatics. More like a leather glove was accidentally dropped into a bucket of turpentine and both were left in a wooden shack in the mountains through the seasons until it dissolved into the liquid. And the tobacco etc. for once the notes are all pretty accurate. Maybe what a 1970's x-rated movie set would smell like. But somehow innocent too. Something refreshing and unpretentious also un-precious non-Timothy Chalomet about a splash on - no thin atomizer distribution or perfumers alcohol. It's definitely good to keep some of these bottles in your collection. Really any Clubman offering is worth a look see at what they charge. And all of the Barbershop Supply web stores have other interesting old and new aftershaves to check out too. Have a lovely time!

I'm not generally a fan of commenting on other reviewer's reviews, but I cannot for the life of me understand the one below mine describing this as sweet or powdery. I purchased this as a possible A/S to layer with Aramis... it makes Aramis feel dainty. When I decanted it and some pooled out into the sink, it was a watery grey-brown, which describes exactly how it smells if you relate colours to scents... In the bottle, it looks and feels like a bottle of everclear that has had old cigarette butts floating in it... OK, that's a bit dark, maybe I'm kidding around a little -- but this stuff sure isn't. My first Proustian flash when inhaling was of truncated childhood memories of the ubiquitous cigarette butts and La Brea tar pits of late-twentieth century Los Angeles. There is, however, a redeeming quality that emerges when worn on skin. The baseball mitt and 1960's/70's airport or men's den references are preternaturally apt! As one might imagine, this is kind of comforting. The sillage (which wafts at intervals, as others have said, for a surprisingly long life span), a kind of savoury meatiness I enjoy (there are some herbal elements -- sage? Rosemary? hiding in there). Anyway: NOT POWDERY. NOT SWEET. NOT CONFECTIONARY. Not smoky, nor particularly tannic. Strong but not deep. A surface aura of dusty, porous leatheriness is how I would describe it.

Clubman SR is a unique cologne in several key ways. First off, it's a remarkably realistic leather, it is nothing more or less than the smell of a used baseball glove. Remember that smell guys? Little league, and all your friends were getting those Wilsons and Rawlings and getting their dads' or brothers' gloves as gifts (we'd try to use them and of course they didn't fit). Clubman SR elicits those memories immediately. It is a hyper-realistic rendering of cheap-chaps leather. The problem is, it's too one dimensional. It's too good at the one thing that it does. After about ninety minutes, with this scent still pulsing strong, I get tired of it, and simply don't want to smell it any more. It never smells bad, always smells good, yet some good smells are better in short bursts, usually dependent on circumstances, and unless you're a regular ball player, I don't see how this stuff wouldn't annoy you, too. Then again, die-hard leather fans should automatically add this inexpensive gem to their collection, because without any doubt this stark, woody, patchouli-laden leather reconstruction is one of a kind. One more thing: don't judge it by sniffing it from the bottle. This must be worn to get an accurate impression of it.

I can see why some members call this their favorite Pinaud. Not only does it smell like something more than 5 times its price, but longevity is amazing compared to Pinaud's other products. Projection and sillage are mild, but enough so that others will catch it on you for at least a good 8 hours. Special Reserve really is something special. An excellent fragrance in the “traditional masculine” vein of Aramis (to name just one) that is absolutely worth a try.

One of the best deals out there. For about 10 bucks you get something like 6 oz's of this stuff. Can be used as aftershave and cologne. Fantastic stuff. Starts out with sparkling aldehydes like Aramis also with leather like Aramis but dries down to this dark scent with a lot of vanilla. An amazing fragrance and amazing deal. I dont know how this is not talked about more. Blows the doors off Clubmans original and that is saying something.

I've worn this aftershave for a couple of days now and I don't get anything that smells like leather to me. The dominant smells are rosewater, perhaps some vanilla, and after dry down, a powdery effect. It's okay, but not especially manly. Maybe it's just how it reacts with my body chemistry. I'll probably try a few more times to see if this first impression changes, but if it doesn't I'll likely get rid of it.

Today I got this stuff. Wow, was my first word, when I've smelled this frag. It's semi-sweet, flowery, spicy and leathery, and very manly and potent. It's pretty longevity, because I put it about 7 hours ago and again I can feel it. Very highly recommended!

It sure smells swell and evokes pleasant images and emotions. Obviously it does not last long. This aftershave is not a bargain in some countries, and sheesh, the plastic bottle. They are not giving this away.

This is the kind of aftershave worn by a forest ranger who builds his own cabin with his bare hands and hangs out with the bears at the local bar 😁

Layer this with Zara Tobacco and Aramis Special Blend. Unbeatable combo.

This is the OG and cheaper version of Couteau de Poche Fumabat.

Preferred the original and the vanilla

Chanel Anateus in aftershave bottle