Yatagan begins with a hot, peppery, herbal liqueur aroma; one detects fast-forward appearances of fennel, basil, petitgrain, lavender and geranium leaves. This burst of aromatic plant aromas leads to a flare-up of artemisia (wormwood). Wormwood is a "star" in the Yatagan composition; it is a member of the daisy family and, though Caron claims no floral elements are in Yatagan, the slightly sour scent of daisies is present due to the wormwood. Will Yatagan make you smell clean? No. Will Yatagan make you feel like you’re on a living, breathing planet no matter where you are? Yes. Yatagan is a wearable piece of art that is as likely to draw in those who love the wilds as it is to push away people repulsed by, well, beaver musk. If the wild calls to you, then Yatagan will get you there. Just be warned that it will take everyone around you there too.

The gap nearly closes deep in the base, but never disappears entirely. The differences are very apparent for a long time - like at least 4-5 hours. Compared to the modern formula, the opening and heart stages of this vintage feel considerably more green (stronger galbanum and moss notes, I think), bitter and vaguely poisonous (more wormwood and/or artemesia), earthy and damp, like forest greenery and soil. It feels more "cool" and slightly sinister. The bitter mossy green tone reminds me of a smoother Aramis Devin, which is not a parallel I ever drew with the modern formula. I think there's less celery, or it's more of a raw celery vs. toasty celery salt. Uncompromising and yet not strident, Yatagan's medium projection hits that ‘just right' spot on the dial which means it can be worn and appreciated in all sorts of company – even one's own, of course. If you have a thing for feral greens in the mode of say Eau de Campagne or Coven, here's one worth trying that has a patina of refinement. The one misstep is the inclusion of some bubble-gum sweetness which it could easily have done without. For me, Yatagan is a near-perfect cologne. The wearer smells this delicious scent for over 10 hours but it stays close to the body, providing little sillage. I took a long time to make this comment. When I bought this fragrance in 2019, my expectations were very high because of the comments here (especially from @Konsalik-though thank you now!). Also because of the very combative naming...I don't have signature fragrances any more – times have changed and in the 70's when there were only a few male scents around, it was possible, but now, I have about 30 bottles in my collection – excessive, I know, but I enjoy collecting and wearing perfume – it's almost a fetish. We're getting closer to the Yatagan, only accessible by olfactory perception. I clearly perceive the green-bitter pine needle. It smells slightly animalistic, where is that coming from?" So off they went, misty-eyed with yatagan and crossing the raging river, known only as Mrs. Holle for its regularly sheep-wool infused waters. In the end, only MahatmaGandix wasn't waiting as arranged. It was probably also due to my very untrained nose at the time that I put the scent down under the category "nice and warm" when I first wore it. I wore it subsequently in monthly intervals. Whenever I was just fed up with the favourites in my collection. My surroundings perceived the fragrance differently. Commentary collection: "old-fashioned", "dusty", "for grandpas" but also "what is it?", "never smelled" and "I would like to be able to wear it", "super classic". I have to admit that Crowdpleasers don't really fit my character. I would love to wrap myself up in Gaultier Le Male, Chanel Egoist and the like. You smell really nice. From my life, character and age, "nice" just doesn't fit anymore. Neither for the people who know me well, nor for myself. With 45 you have already experienced a lot and you have also taken some scars from life with you. These scars are also the edges of my character. And my fragrances should underline this! Over the last half, Yatagan has become a faithful companion. Not to every situation. Not to every mood. There is too much polarity in the fragrance due to age and ingredients. The polarity of the fragrance is for me now the silent power that rests in it. A silent power that connects and grounds me to my own life story. It simply creates a powerful centre. And I certainly do not want to rest in my middle all the time. But life, which a few years still experience as an adventure. But the old adventurers need more moments of center and congruence from their mid-40s on. In the moment and to their own history Now how can this fragrance be described? As with all grandiose compositions, this is also extremely difficult for me with Yatagan. The individual components are so masterfully interwoven that no single component stands out strongly, but delivers an olfactory total work of art. It simply smells like Yatagan to me. Very great art. I'll try it anyway.. This is a classic scent and will appeal to more mature noses than younger ones. It’s also bold and confident. Often, others find bold fragrances off-putting because they are uncompromising.

I’ve been thinking about the wonderful yet inexpensive perfumes out there. There are many well considered, beautifully made perfumes that you can buy for a song. Cheap or pricy, though, the best perfumes must stand up to the same criteria. Is it coherent and balanced? Does it hold up over time? Does it captivate you, that is, would you wear it as your only perfume? Crucial: does it smell good? Is it ‘you’? Does it remain engaging throughout the entire day? Will it last that long? Would you want it to? Does it work for you in all the compartments of your life: At work? Cooking? Socializing? Cruising? In a class? On the subway?Yeah, that seems funny to me too. Yatagan isn't citrusy at all. The oakmoss is actually pushing through stronger and greener right now, after several hours. Also, I noticed the 5 liter splash bottles from Spain. I'll try something. But first a song: The vintage version is a lot quieter, and actually strikes me as the more versatile, well-behaved sibling. The modern version is entirely respectable, but I can't deny that my nose is naturally drawn to the more natural and well-proportioned earthy-cool environment of the vintage. Caron introduced Yatagan in 1976 and categorized it as a "flowerless" oriental chypre fragrance; it was created by perfumer Vincent Marcello. Yatagan contains petitgrain, lavender leaf, geranium leaf, pine, fennel, basil, artemisia, oak moss, musk, woods, patchouli, castoreum, labdanum and styrax ( Liquidambar orientalis). It’s both a condemnation and a compliment to say that Caron’s Yatagan (created in 1978) does its namesake justice. As soon as it hits the skin, Yatagan announces itself with a barrage of pine and artemisia, recalling a forest where the scent of trees has drowned out any flowers that might be hiding in the shadows. Cedar, incense, and an array of herbal spices are all blended underneath, yet even these are not ‘soft’ in the usual sense – they’re loud, but the strongest notes are simply louder.