Crown Esterhazy
Crown Perfumery (1874)

Thanks to the other reviews here for the explanations of what I'm smelling. They really helped me wrap my head around Esterhazy, though I must admit I'm not really enjoying it.

So what does it smell like? To me, I smell verbena mixed with caramelized patchouli, while an especially sour chypre mix of bergamot and oakmoss fill in the cracks. There's a pinch of civet in there, as well. In a way (and this is a gross oversimplification), this is what you'd get if you recreated Jicky with verbena and patchouli instead of the lavender, but the bottles were all old and the topnotes spoiled.

I think the mix of sourness and civet and caramel is just too much for me. I assume that the fresh juice probably smelled better, but here and now, there's no way to try this fresh anymore, so I'll just vote thumbs down...

While this genre is quite crowded, I would call Esterhazy the best in show. Many houses make a light, cheery verbena citrus type fragrance, but if you want the best and likely most historic, let me suggest Esterhazy. Esterhazy Bouquet was a well respected cologne genre like new mown hay, ess bouquet, Hungarian Water, etc. that was manufactured by mostly small, bespoke chemists in London, Paris, Parma, etc. Crown's brilliant rendition of Esterhazy is in EdP concentration, but behaves more like an eau de cologne. It is centered around lemon verbena and lemon melissa, which most people mistake for mint. A brush of lavender and rosemary add depth and brief base of light musk and woods ends the fragrance.

First of all, this rare gem, being essentially an aromatic citrus cologne, despite the Eau de Parfum strength, is entirely unisex. Secondly, you may be reminded of and feel you're smelling like a cough drop, as lemon, melissa (aka lemon balm) and verbena are very prominent. Thirdly, personal preferences aside, I'm floored by the quality of the citrus oils in Crown's fragrances , whether it's the amazing top notes of Imperial or Quinine, the green part of Spiced Limes, the bracing notes of the blenheimesque Town & Country or the refreshing zest of this citrus-centered beauty, which is very subtly framed by light herbal notes and little else. It reflects a real commitment to quality, as well as pre-IFRA-reign-of-terror liberties. Esterhazy is a perfect choice for sweltering heat and humidity, which it will pierce and alleviate with its freshness, but it will cheer you up at any time and perhaps even help heal a winter cough

Crown Esterhazy is a brilliant Roman candle of fragrance. It first shoots upward with lemon zest and mint, soaring until it explodes, sending sparkling trails of lemon blossom, alba rose, lemon pulp, rosemary, bergamot, galangal and thyme. It rests on the skin, almost effervescent, and then is gone. Alas, like the Roman candle, after its brilliant display, it too quickly fades away. Ah, but those bright moments are worth it.

I have a bottle of this. Sadly, it smells like a lemon, ginger, caramel concoction on my skin. To begin with, I don't like lemons, and I don't care for obvious lemon fragrances. I do love lime though!I will give the Countess Esterhazy one more try before I boot her onto the auction block.

Crown Esterhazy is a special scent for those of us who are crazy about citrus, and I am so disheartened that it's basically becoming unnattainable as what little supply's left on the market disappears. Boo! This is one of the most inspired hesperides I've ever experienced; scintillating lemon topnotes swirl around a heart of mint, rose, orange blossom and rosemary. If you've ever had homemade lemonade with fresh mint stirred in, then you know how eye-openingly refreshing these two can be together, and this pairing forms the character of Esterhazy. It isn't too tart or brisk either and you don't get any "bracing aftershave" effect, thanks to the rounded qualities of the rose and a little bit of spicy cleanness from the orange blossom. I've never been able to pick up on the rosemary and that's not a problem; this composition is perfect the way it is. Almost splash-like, it's made to be applied liberally and frequently - but sadly, I'm down to hoarding the last little bit of what I have left of mine. Countess Esterhazy, whomever you are, you sahll be missed!