Bacchus
Coty (1969)

Criminally underrated and made in the Brut image with an almost identical looking bottle. This beauty was launched in 1969 and contains notes of Lemon, Bergamot, Lavender, Wormwood, Petitgrain, Vetiver, Cumin, Clove, Jasmine, Patchouli, Oakmoss, Leather, Musk and Cedar. The sharp looking bottle has The Roman God of Revelry on the front as well. This fragrance, however didn't quite live up to the outerworldly hype that was assigned to it, especially when you look at all of the advertising slogans and posters saying this and that. All that aside, this is a nice masculine scent that literally costs pennies to acquire. This one sits well next to other unfulfilled greats in my arsenal. Bottom line is that it's a great fragrance that sadly sits in mediocrity till this day. I, however, think it's much more than that.

8/10

His name was Edgar, and he worked at a steel plant. He liked his Saturday mornings at the diner with home fries well done and eggs over easy, and spent his free time at the greyhound track or the corner pub. He wore bowling shirts, blue Dickies, and comfortable shoes from Fayva. He never picked up smoking, like all of his cohorts, but he loved a hot cup of coffee and thumbing through the Herald. His favorite funnies were Andy Capp and Beetle Bailey.

His white BVDs and socks were meticulously folded, and on his bureau ("dresser" for those outside of New England) was a miniature reproduction of Myron's Discobolus. His father was an alcoholic, and his mother badgered him about when he was going to finally get married, as he was pushing 40. He felt perfectly content as a bachelor, and when he was feeling lucky, he would splash on the green, bracing and spicy chypre "man's cologne" that was called Bacchus, and visit the Fens at dusk. 

This fragrance is mis-identified here as feminine; in fact it is a robust masculine, which was available in after-shave, cologne and a few other items. It is a peppery chypre, clearly in the tradition of Aramis and Braggi, although it is a lighter formulation that doesn't last nearly as long.

Presented in a green flask modeled after a long-necked Roman urn, with a gold bas-relief of the face of Bacchus, Roman god of revelry, the top notes are bright citrus (lemon, bergamot, perhaps a touch of mandarin and grapefruit) with light floral and herbaceous overtones. Black pepper and spices (cumin, clove) appear, lasting into the woody midnotes, which fade rather abruptly into the base notes of patchouli, oakmoss and musk.

Bacchus lacks the rich ambery-leathery smoothness that bridges the top and base notes of Aramis, still it is quite enjoyable for what it is. It is a mature man's fragrance --- not for frat boys having a toga party, but rather for a statesman relaxing in the Baths or discussing world affairs in the Forum, then abandoning himself to the pleasures of a Bacchanal. Caesar would have been proud!