Jermyn Street Collection
Taylor of Old Bond Street

Jermyn Street Collection by Taylor of Old Bond Street (2011) is part of a house-relaunch collection that the 150-year-old barbershop rolled out to celebrate their entrance into the world fragrance stage, something they had avoided, unlike contemporaries such as Geo F. Trumper or Truefitt & Hill. Better late than never, I suppose, and with this particular scent from its corresponding grooming line being alcohol-free, it is also the most-modern of the bunch. Having most similarities with Nikos Sculpure Homme (1995), and Dunhill Desire for a Man (2000), I wouldn't call this modern for 2011, just modern compared to the rest.

Where this deviates from the compared designers is in the traditional UK barbershop finish that goes into dry wood, vanilla, clean musks, and slivers of mint. The opening is sweet candy apple and spice, bits of orange blossom provide the candy-factor, but a sharp lime and green note of cis-3-hexanol curve in the sweetness quickly. There is a rather rakish sage that also emerges, rattling with dry herbal hay notes, with geranium adding a mintiness that persists into the cedarwood and white musks of the finish. Surprisingly youthful at first, Jermyn Street ultimately smells more mature at the finish line. Performance is good, but no alcohol makes this a closer wear.

While not a strong relative of Creed Viking (2017), Jermyn Street Collection is a fragrance that does a similar dance of opposites until finishing on a cool barbershop base. I like it better simply for not being a week's pay for most people per bottle, as things which smell this way do not need to be shot so far upmarket because the marketing monkeys and their shareholder ghoul puppeteers think Bubble-Yum dipped in Sauve shampoo is what the average consumer should smell like in the 21st century. There is just enough vanilla sweetness here with the orange blossom lingering to make Jermyn Street Collection feel versatile and dynamic, but not enough to rot your teeth. Thumbs up

First review on this board with one of my favorite office colognes. Strongest notes seem to be vanilla, woody, bergamot. Excellent longevity of 8+ hours and good projection without being intrusive. I have almost all the TOBS colognes and creams but this is the BEST. Great value for well put together cologne. Also cream matches scent perfectly and is one of the best I use for wet shaving.

Smells very similar to Dunhill - Desire for Men (Red bottle). Wore it today with a local temperature of 35C and 72% humidity.... The scent lasting 6+ hours on my skin and I do perspire quite a lot. Impressive for a fragrance without alcohol.

A well-balanced, office-friendly modern masculine fragrance with top notes of lime and bergamot, a lavender heart and a long-lasting base of cedar, clean musk and vanilla. Classical British stuffiness is avoided by a fairly light structure and the addition of youthful vanilla. Suitable for smart gents of all ages. Both the cologne and aftershave are alcohol-free and intended for sensitive skin. The payoff is a 'greasy' quality on the skin which some (including me) find unpleasant (on the face anyway).