Rhinoceros

This stuff is heavy duty. Of the three Zoologist perfumes, this is the one thats the most immediately exciting and complex. Not as accessible as Panda, but not as uncompromising as Beaver. Rhino's opening is profound. Strong naturalistic rummy booziness, powerful astringent leather, warm tobacco, some mildly sweet floral elements, an almost barnyardy oud and a heavy brooding darkness provided by a whole melange of detectable woody notes. The animalic leather/oud combo is so thick and aggressive that it initially almost borders on fecal but never goes all the way into unpleasant territory. The most exciting aspect of rhino for me is how It's somehow everything at once. It's boozy, sweet, bitter, woody, floral, balsamic, but it's not jumbled or over ambitious. It's masculine in a playful, whimsical way. There is a lightheartedness to the composition and brand that make it much more interesting than the yawn inducing "austerity" of other masculine-marketed niche offerings in a similar vein. The dry down is less arresting, but still quite unique. I pick up a whole bunch of immortelle, providing a slightly uric mapled sweetness underneath the opening's musty oud that kind of gives this an old dusty library vibe. The booziness fades away revealing a sandalwood/cedar combo that provides something more accessible to grasp on to underneath. The leather dries down in a very peculiar manner; normally in heavy leather fragrances the opening has a super powered realistic facsimile that eventually dries down into something more pleasant and powdered (see: tuscan leather, cuir ottoman, monotheme, ADG Leather), but in Rhinoceros, it seems that the leather looses all of it's pleasant facets and embraces the most bitter and challenging side of leather in the drydown. For me, the whole composition hits a certain sweet spot between pleasant and challenging that makes it exciting. Definitely worth a sniff, probably the strongest from the brand. 8/10

I recently got a sample of Rhino and couldn't help but buy a full bottle (which I have now, and man the presentation/bottle are gorgeous). Rhino comes across like it is going to be overbearingly strong, yet it somehow feels light and clean at the same time and never gets cloying (almost has a soapy/fresh vibe at times... which is really awesome). I get mostly a dry/well worn leather out of this with a nice dose of gunpowder smoke, could easily be the smell of a leather gun holster from the wild West that has seen lots of use and has absorbed that gunpowder smoke smell from the gun as it rests in the holster after being fired. Of the insane amount of expensive fragrances I have smelled via samples or purchasing, this one is totally unique (one of the big reasons I bought it... nothing else out there smells quite like it that I have found). This is an awesome cold-weather fragrance, but It could perhaps work well in warmer days too, which is almost unheard of for most of the other classic uber masculine smelling scents on the market. And make no mistake, this is as masculine as it gets. Nasomatto Duro and this fragrance are in the same category as the most masculine fragrances you probably will ever smell (note, both are VERY different smelling, but have a similar ultra-masculine vibe). But perhaps the biggest redeeming quality about this fragrance, is that it isn't a sweet-bomb like pretty much every other leather fragrance in existence (especially ones nowadays). There is very little sweet going on here, this is almost as dry as it gets. But it still has a tiny tiny pinch of sweetness to keep it from going bitter (which could be from the tobacco influence). Sample and/or buy this while you can if what I have said above appeals to you at all. And even if it doesn't try it anyway, you might be surprised. I know I was.

Rhinos are dangerous. Short-sighted, bad-tempered, and often lethally aggressive. It makes sense to be afraid of them. At least until you have seen a baby one, gambolling about, having fun, playing naughty and seeming, for all the world, like nothing more threatening than a slightly more leathery and overgrown piglet. Then they're cute and almost gentle (for something that makes the earth shake a bit when it capers.) And so is this. The opening is indeed bold and big and butch, with leather and oud and rum, which I was expecting from this one's big-beast reputation. I love so-called 'manly' leather scents with notes of booze and wood anyway, so was ready to handle any amount of heavy-duty, hard-charging, thundering weight of these ingredients. But Rhinoceros the scent is so much lighter than that - yes the sillage is big and the longevity very good indeed, but it's not at all the huge macho juggernaut monster I was braced for. Instead, after about an hour, it's ... a FLOWERY rhino! A friendly, gentle and petite one, bedecked with garlands of blooms (I really did get very intense, natural geraniums) ... and softened even further with lavender. And I'm normally a lavender-loather, but here it works just fine. Overall the effect is harmonious, not overwhelming, and its strength just adds to a sense of calm and centred-ness, not the sort of thing that clears room or trumpets its arrival. I'd certainly call it unisex and far far more manageable than its reputation or some reviews here would suggest. So: you think it's going to be a terrifying trampler, but instead this is a cuddly, well-mannered, affectionate little beast. I want to hug it and love it and give it carrots. Another beautiful thing from Zoologist, and one I'll be more than happy to share a cage with.

This is the first powerful wood perfume I've enjoyed wearing. The wood is combined with geranium to create the illusion of a really vivid, bitter leather. This 'leather' has the quality of an illusion in that it shifts in and out of focus for me—sometimes all I smell is the wood, sometimes the leather. Oud + geranium = leather—who would of thought? Maybe it's this shifting quality makes it seem natural and supernatural at the same time—the rhinoceros as a real animal but also a magical, impossible beast. As if you were to just stumble into a clearing in the woods, and there it is—this enormous, powerful, dark, still, impossible thing. (Rhinoceroses are savannah animals, but this one lurks in the pine forest somewhere in Canada. Creepy.) Something warm and sweet—I assume it's the immortelle—enriches the leather effect, and this warmness and sweetness intensifies as Rhinoceros dries down. At the end, the bitter wood is mostly gone, and you are left with just this spicy warm deliciousness. Rum, if you like. In the opening: yes! -- it smells just like the fertilizer section of a feed store—specifically like the rock phosphate component of organic fertilizer. Smelling like a feed store is manly, but also womanly—lots of women are into gardening. It's very distinctive and evocative, and I like it. Either way, its an outdoorsy perfume, both because it smells like pine and gardening and leather, and because it is so big. Not office friendly, I would say, though I don't know how far it carries. I'd sure like to own some of this. Maybe a small portion, as a little goes a long way. More of a special occasion perfume, than everyday. It's perfect for late fall or winter.

I Am Done with people stating that Zoologist perfumes are unwearable - Baloney! They are opinionated, interesting, statements. Some incorporate notes I don’t love and they - like Francesca Bianchi and Dawn Spencer Hurwitz - have convinced me to understand, even enjoy and wear those notes. Zoologist has not released a bad fragrance yet. I can’t wear all of them due to quirks of my own skin and preferences. But - as also with Dawn and Francesca Bianchi - I’m delighted to try every one of them, and they always fascinate and impress me. This first iteration of Rhinoceros is gorgeous. I’m cranky it went away and resistant to trying the new one but, no doubt, that too will be lovely. Another point I’d like to make; yes there are unusual and animalic notes and no, I’ve never yet found a Zoologist fragrance I’d call gross. Not one. Rhinoceros the First? A gorgeous, subtle leather. It’s a teensy bit in the Bvlgari Black court, but more the mod leather of Mark Buxton and Tom Ford. Realistic, a leather (not vinyl but LEATHER) jacket. It is simultaneously dry (in that the leather is a dry, but not bitter version) with glorious bergamot/geranium floral touches and a waft of incense. But it’s also sweet in that it nests in amber, rum, dried fruit. This is really beautiful, exquisite quality (as always with Zoologist), and lasts forever, but with a soft waft, not blasting - unless you overspray. Please don’t overspray. Gestalt? The beautiful, classic leather of Gomma (Etro), Cuir D’Oranger (Miller Harris) but lifted to more of a top note and slightly sweetened. Glorious.

Strong, unapologetic, exotic, heavy, respectable and dangerous. That is how I perceive rhinos and let me tell you, Paul Kiler managed to bottle the animal’s essence 100% in his perfume creation. I love T Rex and this is another Zoologist release that sets you on a rollercoaster journey of truly niche perfumery. It starts with very strong boozy opening that packs you a punch of exotic rum, followed by leathery mid. And when I say leathery, I do not mean this imaginary leather concept accord that smell nothing like a real leather. Here you get pungent leather hides hanging in the tannery, almost medicinal, but still beatiful and very sexy. Later on, herbs start to push through - piney, green, bitter. And with every passing hour the mix gets nicer and nicer, blending together in gorgeous musky drydown. It is absolute pleasure, but clearly, it requires a bit of trained nose to fully appreciate. Very dry, almost scorched with very little sweetness, manly herbal quality. You will feel like a Victorian admiral on the label sipping absinthe in dark leather sofa. Performance is above average, it lasts good half a day if not more, but sits close to the skin, which is actually a plus as it is so special and unique, it could trigger some less experienced noses if too pervasive. I heard it may be reformulated - if so then hurry up and test this old formula, as I fear if anything would be changed on this perfume it would not be for better. For me it is 10/10, multifaceted unique creation that almost feels out of this time and space.

What a fascinating perfume! First I got hit with a ton of buttered rum, it was absolutely delicious. It lasted longer than I expected, so I reveled in it's ambered warmth. I detect some artemisia, which provides a certain kind of tang, similar to citrus. It aids in giving me the impression of a lot of green; not like a forest but of arid African grasslands with yellowish, light-green grasses, an impresssion I have only ever received from Timbuktu. While I dont smell much in the way of musk, specifically, there is definitely leather, front and center. Makes me think of a rhino's skin--rough. My daughter and I go to the zoo and watch the magnificent rhino kick up dust. It's a good zoo that's more of a conservation & rehabilitation center. The poor rhino lost his horn and would not be able to survive in the wild. We absolutely love him. This perfume makes me feel like I have just hugged him. Intense woody notes grace the heart. I notice cedar and sandalwood, not so much pine, although I do smell it in trace amounts. Oud too, but it's difficult for me to tell where the oud ends and the leather begins; or maybe they are one in the same. The drydown smells like something creamy, and it mingles with warmed leather and semi-sweet/semi-bitter tree resins. Gorgeous! While I considered Rhinoceros to be a fragrance I would only wear for myself, the moment my three-year-old daughter smelled it on me, her eyes lit up, and she exclaimed, "Flowers! It smells good!" I shall spritz on Rhinoceros for our next zoo adventure.

I spaced on perfume news and missed that this was being reformulate, resulting in a mad dash to find a bottle second hand that is now safetly nestled on my perfume shelf. I got a sample of the new formulation which is... fine. It's actually quite good! Unfortuantely I had the original scent for comparison and the original will always win in my books. Like with many of Zoologist's musk scents: be warned not to spray above the collarbone. This perfume has the weight and size of a Rhino behind its sillage and a little goes a long way. This is such an interesting, layered, and evocative perfume (something I say in almost all of my Zoologist reviews). This smells like a boozy, old world, big game hunter's study. It's lived in, homey, rich and luxurious to the point of excess. Plush leather chairs, a cigar in one hand and a whiskey in the other, laughing in front of fire. The rum and florals, which I see many people saying reads medicinal, on me it just reads as the sweetness and lightness that makes this scent so interesting and wearable on me (a female presenting person). But I'm also excited to share the bottle with my partner because its hard to deny the confident swagger that comes with wearing this perfume. It's something special! edit:// My partner is trying to get better at recognizing my perfumes and this is the only one that he recognizes every time, without fail, and goes back for a second hug to get a second sniff.

This is more a personal story about this other than an actual review. To begin with I have been interested in this zoologist line for a few years but where I live in the U.K., they aren’t the easiest to locate in a store to smell. Last week I was on a trip to NewYork where I planned on getting married. During this trip I had my heart set on finally getting my nose on the zoologist line but especially Rhinoceros!! After some digging I discovered a nice small niche store in lower Manhattan that stocked the whole line so I was desperate to get there. When I did arrive I immediately grabbed a tester bottle of Rhinoceros, sniffed the nossle and fell in love. That beautiful rugged animalic leather note blew me away from the word go, without spraying it on my skin I just knew I had to get it. Out of curiosity I sniffed most of the line and really enjoyed several but none I wanted more than this. In the end I actually wore it as my wedding perfume at the city clerks office the next day and my wife found it very sexy. Be warned however this stuff is strong when first sprayed and sometimes actually burned my nostrils a bit. If used carefully this could make a great night out cold weather scent for many. It’s definetly not mainstream and will prove challenging for those used to typical fresher scents. In the dry down it definitely smooths out but that leather will stay with you for hours.

I simply found my favourite masculine fragrance with this one. I wish they did bigger bottles, definitely worth a 120ml. The first time I wore this fragrance was on my way to see black sabbath live, I thought a big concert area, people of heavy metal persuasion, and night time, it's the perfect opportunity to try it. Well I could still smell it in the areana 4 hours later under my jacket, and no one seemed annoyed by the smell not that I really cared, if you're looking to please everyone this isn't for you. I could also still smell it as a skin scent the morning after. My girlfriend liked it but prefers interlude man by Amouage, she said it's hard to find you Smelling like a Rhinoceros sexy. I can understand that, but for me, that instant rush of Whiskey smell which smells very different to bay leaf or rum to my nose, mixed with lavender and leather arrrg! Drives me crazy in the best way. Makes me feel a certain way and puts me in the mood and mind set of I'm the boss. Any fragrance that can bring up such strong imagery and mood enhancing its worth every penny. Plus Zoologist and victor wong is a great new company I can see releasing many more great smells. I would love to see an aquatic shark fragrance, an uplifting fresh woody eagle and even an invigorating musky lion!

The OG rhinoceros is what got me into perfume. When I was probably 12 years old, I remember my dad would bring out his sample box of hundreds of perfumes every week, and I was never super interested in fragrances at that time. However, he always smelled like the most unique, well crafted, and complex scent ever. The main scents that I remember him wearing back in the day is the OG Naxos formulation, kiste (the super jammy peach one), and one from nishane that I can’t remember now. Anyways, he would buy a sample of every new zoologist perfume that was released, and rhinoceros pulled me in. The OG (I haven’t smelled the current formulation) smelled like an EXPLOSION of burned saffron. It smelled like the scent of hot printer paper right out of the printer. It was unique, it was strong, it was sharp, it was weird... and it was perfect. I still have the OG sample from like 2016 or 2014 or something, whenever this came out, and although I have drained it, it’s very strong from the cap of the sample still. When I think of my childhood, rhino is the first think that comes to my mind. I hope I can find an old bottle

Rhinoceros is very strong, straight forward and pleasant. I'm always surprised how accurately Zoologist captures different animals! This starts off with strong, animalic, slightly medicinal leather. The animalic note is there but it's not annoying or weird, it just really works well for the leather. Then it tries down to a much, much smoother and cleaner leather. It instantly reminded me of the smell of a new car with leather interior. The scent doesn't change much but it doesn't have to! It lasts forever and smells very pleasant. The leather it just lovely and easy to pull off at it's not cloying or weird like some other leathers. If you like leather and just leather, nothing else, then this is for you. I find it hard to find a leather fragrance that truly captures the essence of leather but this one does so very, very well! Good job, Zoologist!

Other than the harsh first few seconds, this turns out to be a lovely meditative, leathery, woodsy and slightly camphorous scent that is truly wearable even for a woman like me who generally does not do well with very leathery or woody scents. Unlike some other wood notes that are so dry and solid, this wood is nicely blended with the leather and transitions smoothly.The wood drydown reminds me of the dryish woody resins in a sauna so it's kind of calming to me. I can't stop smelling my hand. I bought the travel sample set but I will get the full bottle of this as it's quite unique to my collection. Edit: Wow after several hours the real drydown is amazing! There is a very lovely strong saffron powdery sweet resinous wood. It really warms up and gets slightly ambery sweet. Unexpected and very nice.

Reviewing Civet I said that I found it to be the best Zoologist offering for women this one imo is the best fragrance for men from the line. I really like some masculine scents as well but this one is too manly for my taste. The scent is exactly what it claims to be. But it keeps playing with my nose. It’s very interesting: of course it has a strong leathery base but it’s so much more than that! It has an intense smoky quality,like sage burning,then pine is really strong while it has a gourmandish boozy tobacco phase sometimes. I would really like this on a man. It’s needless to say but it is long lasting with strong sillage. Beautiful,a masterpiece. I can imagine a very confident,definitive person wearing this ,who’s used to making though decisions ,giving out orders and being responsible.

Rhinoceros, the juggernaut of the jungle. This one gives me a strange sensation. My dad has a welding kit for wires. Well, this smells like if you put a hot welding tool into a bit of amber to check the heat, and then start welding some wires or some motherboards. Strange discription, I know, but that is what I get. The pine reminds me of that heated amber piece, however I have no idea where that heated metal smell comes from. I like it, very masculine, but quite difficult to wear. I do love the opening though, that initial blast of rum is amazing, too bad it's gone from my skin in like 5 minutes. This and Bat are the most daring scents in the Zoologist line and difficult to wear. Great artistic value, but I would not get a bottle just for the occasional personal enjoyment.

Much has been said on this one, so I can only state my opinion. I ordered a sample set of Beaver, Rhinoceros, Hummingbirg and Panda (shame Bat hadn't been released yet) thinking that Beaver was going to be the star of the party; while I was really pleased with Beaver, Rhinoceros just stomped on me. Unlike Beaver (which deserves its name because somehow it manages to evoke the animal itself) Rhinoceros does it because It feels like a stampede: since the very first spray I could feel the Oud, leather, rhum and tobacco...then the sandalwood and amber showed up too. It gave that warm familiar feeling that I love specially when going out to work in a cold morning. This is truly a Rhinoceros but indeed a solemn and powerful one, like the one on the picture: a marshal Rhino.

Zoologist rhino- original formulation Traditional masculine opening amplified to the point of being dark mixed in with various aromatics and sweetish rum giving a medicinal vibe to it, under this the beast is present a heavy dark rough leather which edges are cut by the aforementioned rum and a tobacco note, just cause its being tamed doesn’t subtract that this is a huge leather the kind to hit you in the face unapologetically, overtime the leather slowly calms down and hints of amber and musk come out amongst the empty fumes of a rum bottle. This scent oozes masculinity, only “challenging” to those who become lost to current push of faceless fresh and clean scents and sugar bombs.

Pine, Floral, Oud Sandalwood, Vetiver I love the way saffron is blended in there. Blast of sweet freshness. Smooth not harsh like Panda. Its going to nudge you once in a while as you detect more notes. Easily a day or evening perfume. Plan to wear this for long time. Note: This has pushed other more renowned perfumes out of my list (thanks to reformulation, Fahrenheit is now a crime to buy) ---12 HOURS past--- clean neat constant .... Sandalwood, oudy, pine, vetiver Floral very less so, thankfully. Saffron is still strong. Its subtle, its there. Top class sweetness. It has mellowed down now to being a close encounter perfume. Gives thoughts that are .. Soft smooth creamy

I find this to be a great and original interpretation of a leathery scent for men. Strong opening which explodes with a blast od Rhum. I loved it. I also loved the dryness that this fragrance maintained throughout all stages. It's sunny in a way. It settled into transparent oud, leather, sandalwood, amber, artemisia & pine. I can not compare it to any other scent. Very wearable and classy. Clean. Contemporary. Wealthy. Wise. Sexy. A woman can pull this one off as well, but I simply see it as more masculine. Very good longevity and moderate silage. The beginning is loud, but it settled quickly in a classy daytime frag. Tested from a sample sent directly from Zoologist.

This really took me by surprise when i first sprayed it, a huge blast of rum! It smell so authentic, but lasted for a minute it settled down but still smelled of rum. Than you smell the leather in the back round, as of its waiting to take over the show, and it does after about 20 or so minutes. This is not a leather jacket type of leather, more of a raw right off the back of a rhino leather. I feel like i want to hate this fragance, but i cant, i cant stop smelling it, and thinking mmmm that smells lovly! I blind bought this, and im glad i did. Do not wear this to get compliments, it probably wont happen but atleast you will love the way you smell.