Cologne Imperiale 1853

So: Is a scent from 1853 still worth bothering with?

Yes. That's the simple answer - yes. I was surprised when I opened it up to discover just how pleasant it is, in a very pared-back elegant way. Top notes of bright, smooth bergamot and citrus that melt swiftly into a herbal, grassy, slightly spicy and warm middle stage and a rich but mild wood-and-grass (with perhaps a hint of dry leather) drydown with a faintly animalic quality on the longer haul.

The one caveat I have is that the initial freshness is extremely fleeting, even by cologne standards - but that too is part of its charm, and since it isn't being sold to wear but for base uses and historical comparison, it doesn't really matter. If you want to up the duration of the hesperidics, well - good luck, they're hesperidics - but you can always try to do that yourself.

But, with that said: You can absolutely wear this in 2024 if you want that pared back elegance. In fact, I liked it so much that I've reordered specifically to have a good stock to wear as well as tinker with (do I feel like a valet in the 1870s doing so? Yes: In a good way!) I also debuted it at a small gathering as a historical curiosity, and the response of everyone present was positive, with two of the five surreptitiously dabbing some on. Sometimes a simple and pleasant classic is all you need, even in the era of the superambers and the unshakeable dominance of the Grosjman accord.

The CI 1853 is an aromatic gem. It captures the historical impact that this essence had when first introduced to people of tha era. It is a superb aromatic weaving of the light, citrus, floral, slightly herbaceous bouquet that captures beautifully the spirit of that era and effectively transports us back into that era of aromatic elegance. Wow!! I sincerely hope you will continue to offer these period masterpieces as evidenced in Chypre and Fougere for they are not only perfect expressions of an aesthetic attitude that existed at a particular moment in time in Europe but also formed a basis for many classic perfumes to come. Perfume, when well done, is a type of Aromatic Time Machine that allows us to, in an instant travel to other times and other places on the wings of imagination presenting us a window into history that is unique and sublime while at the same time filling our hearts with inspiration and perception of art in a nonverbal way. A million congratulations for all that you are doing to educate aspiring perfumers, novice and advanced. Christopher McMahon/retired from White Lotus Aromatics

I've been familiar with Guerlain's traditional Colognes (Imperiale, du Coq and Fleurs de Cedrat) for decades. This artisanal version of Guerlain's first true Cologne is an interesting experience, because of the significant differences compared to the current Imperiale versions offered by Guerlain.

Dipped on a scent strip, the opening citrus-herbal notes fade away extremely fast. Too fast, actually. After 20-30 minutes, I barely can detect any citrus. This feels a bit strange to me, because (non-distilled) citrus oils last considerably longer, at least a few hours. So, with regard to citrus, Cologne Imperiale 1853 (CI 1853) is somewhat disappointing for me.

Another difference to Guerlain's current cologne is that CI 1853 displays a rather prominent ambergris note reminiscent of Jamie's "Absolute Ambergris". This ambergris note, which is accompanied with some coumarine and a soft cedarwood touch, remains on the scent strip for hours quite strong. Even after 24 hours, I can smell this ambergis-coumarine-cedar easily.

In my opinion, CI 1853 (at least this very batch) feels somehow unbalanced. Having in mind Guerlain's Imperiale (different batches), there's either too much base materials (ambergris) and/or too little citrus oils for my taste. However, this is a lovely (ambergris) Cologne, but it's quite far away from Guerlain's offering.

Very good vintage-y cologne (Guerlain still produces a "Cologne Imperiale") that works on its own. Going to try to use it to build more complex perfumes or even just to use it as a sort of study tool to study the effects of other materials that cannot really be figured out alone (e.g. musks)

This is a lovely, bright cologne in its own right. Absolutely love the Jicky-type formula using this cologne as a base.