Not what I was expecting, but very satisfied with this quality product. A Very Classy interpretation of Neroli in a men’s cologne. A universal fragrance that can worn out for the day or evening in summer,spring,and fall. Business and formal. High quality is written all over this cologne. I have Creed Neroli and enjoy it very much. While Castle Forbes Neroli is very different, it takes no backseat to their own rendition of neroli cologne. 5 Stars! Read more
There are only a few reviews on Castle Forbes' Special Reserve Neroli. A couple are on here, a few randomly online. You have to dig for them. So if you're reading this, you're more of a fragrance lover than the average Tommy Bahama fan. Put simply, CF Neroli is not a popular EDP, nor is the brand. You have to know some things about fragrance and have a specific knowledge about neroli itself, to have come searching for Castle Forbes version. This is how I came to know this brand and EDP myself. My view is that it's not worth the cost of 160USD. That's a lot of money for a 3.4oz. bottle. CF has a nice brand image, the EDP presentation is great, and the quality of the materials used are outstanding. However, the scent alone falls short. Neroli Reserve starts out wonderfully: crisp orange and neroli, combined with greens like pine, grass and hedges. You feel like you're at the beach, sitting just where the sand dunes meet a lush forest. This lasts for about 20 minutes. Then the "woody/musky" basenotes kick in, and this is where CF got it wrong. It deteriorates into a powdery, barbershop, very British scent. It's something your grandmother (not grandfather) would have worn if she lived in London in 1865. Designer houses today try and replicate this a bit, usually just producing a floraly, loud, baby powder vibe (see MDCI Invasion Barbare). This basenote scent is what then dominates for the next 10 hours, more if you've sprayed any arm/chest hair. The woods aren't masculine woods, just faint tree bark really. The EDP strength is phenomenal; this stuff lasts. The only problem is whether or not you like to smell like a woman, particularly a powderpuff with flowers. I do get some faint whiffs of neroli, but it's overpowered by the floral powder. I would not recommend this for a man, and unfortunately, would recommend Tom Ford's Neroli Portofino over this. A different vibe for sure (more aquatic), but TF's neroli sustains. Overall, 3 of 5 stars just because the ingredients are so good, but the scent isn't as much neroli as it is the musky amber that CF used. Bummer. Read more