The start: pleasant, aromatic, slightly cigar-like tobacco with a light boozy note, to which a little cinnamon, saffron and vanilla is added. Hm, wasn't that exactly what I actually wanted? A perfume with which one could identify me without problems? Something that stays true to my line, but still seems special? In a sense, a metamorphosis of my old familiar sweet favorites, only in niche? Yes, it was and is. The fictional storyline of the frivolous Mr. Sam on top of that an absolute win for my dimples. I just can't lie to myself, whether I dislike it or not. Good Wednesday to you all. Time for another Penhaligon's review. Let's all say a warm welcome to The Blazing Mister Sam! Sam is an oddity in the 'Portraits' line-up. Whilst each perfume is normally concerned with a stuffy member of the British Upper Class, Mister Sam is one of those highfalutin new-monied yanks. Appalling! According to my nose, this fragrance does not offer much change at the beginning, which will not happen in the next few hours

In fairness, however, there are some similarities to the structures of these perfumes that do create a familiar impression. The most notable is the bitter cardamom top note they both share, and it bursts forth from each of them as they're first sprayed. The difference between Halfeti and Mister Sam, however, is that whilst the former is quite green, with a rose note provided to temper some of the bitterness, the latter goes for a much sweeter route. An American abroad; in London to be precise, who spends freely, lives fast and talks loud. But his company is captivating and his conversation a delight. Nevertheless Countess Dorothea is unamused. That big grin (intrusive), that large chin,(unseemingly), those beautiful eyes (danger) and those lavish gifts(vulgar)…well…the ones for her maybe not. Even though Sam is described in the history of portraiture as being quite indignant, he comes across as a sensitive gentleman. Of course, there's nothing to say about the gracefulness of the flacons. In other words, you should get dressed up for it rather than just being dressed up in loose clothes. This noble drop should be used in style! Please? Wait a minute Is that really you or do you just like to be what you think is associated with this perfume?! Don't deceive yourself, you are far from those character traits! Wear the perfume because you like it, but don't bask in its glow as a white knight, which you are not (yet - editor's note)!"Nevertheless, the 'feel' of this opening is not dissimilar to that of Halfeti as it is very much a dry mix of spices, and I think it's this dryness, combined with the cedar base note, which is the reason why people link the two. Le Jardin Retrouvé: Citrus Discovery Set (Inc. Citron Boboli, Eau des Délices and Verveine d'Eté), Floral Discovery Set (Inc. Jasmin Majorelle, Rose Trocadéro and Tubéreuse Trianon), Oriental Sans Souci, Woody and Leather Discovery Set (Inc. Cuir de Russie, Bois Tabac Virginia and Sandalwood Sacre)

Penhaligon's: Agarbathi, Babylon, Blenheim Bouquet, Bluebell, Cairo, Castile, Changing Constance, Douro, Elisabethan Rose, Empressa, Endymion, Endymion Concentré, Halfeti, Halfeti Cedar, Halfeti Leather, Iris Prima, Juniper Sling, Lily of the Valley, Luna, Monsieur Beauregard, Much Ado About The Duke, Opus 1870, Orange Blossom, Oud De Nil, Quercus, Racquets, Sartorial, [Savoy Steam]( https://www.reddit.com/r/fragrance/comments/lm5mlw/penhaligons_savoy_steam_review/, Terrible Teddy, The Bewitching Yasmine, The Blazing Mister Sam, The Coveted Duchess Rose, The Impudent Cousin Matthew, The Ingénue Cousin Flora, The Inimitable William Penhaligon, The Tragedy of Lord George, The Uncompromising Sohan, Vaara No, not at all. Why? Because it doesn't exist in mainstream like that, period. Plus, it seems high quality, projects perfectly, and lasts easily 8 hours on up. Does it bug me when scents from niche brands are denigrated because they probably smell mainstream? Absolutely. Why? Because fragrances are fragrances and they just smell the way they smell. More important to me is the fineness of the composition and naturalness of these, which for me have a high level. It can and should not contain now times every perfume Oud, the best sandalwood or other to act extraordinarily own. So that is now times.Would I lean for this if I was going to buy a 'Portrait'? Personally, no - but that's purely because it does smell like a designer scent. I think Penhaligon's do more interesting fragrances in this style. If you're a tobacco and vanilla freak, however, then you'll probably get a lot of enjoyment out of this yankee. A solid, if unspectacular, release. You know that nice feeling which we have sometimes for a few minutes when something seems familiar to us but we do not know from where and what is it? Does he have to? Definitely not. Sometimes less is more, and that's what has been perfectly erased in this case. Nevertheless, I put my search on hold, because I was a bit disillusioned by the temporary result. But unexpected often comes and so it happened that I was recently again testing new fragrances, including some Xerjoffs, such as 40 Knots (great, high-quality fragrance). Almost incidentally, Penhaligon's The Blazing Mr. Sam was sprayed on my wrist, which I didn't pay much attention to; I was too taken with 40 Knots. As the day went on, however, I lost more and more control and was only sniffing Mr. Sam, which I had previously dismissed as an overpriced mainstreamer. More and more I liked this actually simple composition, which reminded me a bit of my favourite Spicebomb (original, not extreme). Now I started to do some research and came across the remarkable stories of the Portraits series from Penhaligon's. Highly recommended, almost comic book like. In doing so, I found Mr. Sam's story exceedingly interesting and, to my amazement, somehow applicable to my life's journey. Not the nouveau riche or playboy posturing, but the impetuous, brash, and not-always-correct-with-your-head-through-the-wall strategy. If my mother were to read the description, she would probably smile and somewhat cynically claim that this would apply perfectly to her son. The same goes for the scent itself, which according to her would be far too sweet, just like the ones I have accumulated since puberty and which she resists. But that fits yes, what else she is not used to from me. If you know and like the spicy character of Halfeti, with its notes - then Mr. Sam is the same, and if you do not know them, I can tell you that they start very strong with cardamom and almost cake like cinnamon, followed by a peppery feel and then they follow into a goodness of sandalwood with aromatic notes.