"Vintage" Tabaróme
Creed

This for me is the pinnacle of fragrance. There are plenty of reviews that should give you all an idea of what to expect. I'll simply add that this is my favourite. Guerlain Derby is my second favourite, but some distance back. Would I ever buy more to boost my last 10mls? let's be real, no not a chance. Not even at a quarter of what it currently changes hands for.

Creed Tabaróme (1970) or "Vintage Tabaróme" as it's sometimes known, is the original tobacco offering from the esteemed house of Creed, and part of the vaulted eau de toilette series that represents re-creations of what were once claimed to be past commissions from their historical clientele. Creed have since retconned most of that unverified history, and most of these old "gray caps" stay in the vault now, never to be seen again. In most instances, the claimed resurrections of past commissions really just smelled like Creed's take on popular designer tropes claimed to be older than what they resembled a la Creed Orange Spice (1986) compared to Yves Saint Laurent Kouros (1981) despite both being Pierre Bourdon creations, but in some cases like Fleur de Thé Rose Bulgare (1980), do smell like something that could have once been commissioned in old times by a monarch or some such person of means. In regards to original Tabaróme, I can see why it was eventually replaced with Tabaróme Millésime (2000), as this is such a dark and uncompromisingly masculine scent in such a base and crude way that it goes strictly against the sort of upturned noses and frilly lace shirts bullshit Creed was selling as market copy at the time, until a more modern sense of haute bourgeoisie took over into the 2000's and necessitated a move away from baroque interpretations of elitism Creed had favored when still operating from a single boutique in Paris. As for me, I just like things that smell good, and I ignore the hubris in the market copy, I just can't ignore the price.

The opening is pure aldehyde kick, but darkened with the anise and spiced orange vibes of mandarin and clove. Bergamot is here too, and stronger spices like black pepper and pimento come along as well with birch tar smoke reminiscent of Hermès Bel-Ami (1986). Some of the "brown" feeling into the heart also reminds me a bit of another Hermès, the older Équipage (1970), but an even closer comparison would be to the mail order discount house Avon with their fragrance simply called Leather (1966). This comparison really makes sense into the dry down, as a "boot leather" and virile amber quality enter with the oakmoss and slight Mousse de Saxe vibe, finished up with some vetiver and a bit of tonka. I'm guessing the tonka is the link to tobacco the scent is going for with a name like Tabaróme anyway, but this is definitely more of a leather chypre with a heavy clove element and an animalic amber vibe. Some people like to say this smells the most like Clubman Pinaud Special Reserve (19??), but that scent is far more about clove and a dry brown shoe leather than the heady mix here, which has more in common with the aforementioned Avon Leather but does get closer to the Pinaud far later. Wear time is about eight hours or so and this doesn't scream on my skin, but it is quite the shockingly hirsute fragrance for a brand known most to make pretty ambergris floral citric things that make all the nouveau-riche boys crazy. Best use for me is in fall through early spring, and you're going to turn heads smelling like you wrestled a bear once.

When I initially smelled what replaced this, Creed Tabaróme Millésime, I was pretty disappointed at the distinct downplaying of the tobacco note in a composition that is named after the stuff. However in "Vintage Tabaróme", I can also see that tobacco is ironically not the star player here, even if the fragrance is more to my liking than Tabaróme Millésime. Overall, what you can expect from Tabaróme is a stiff old 20th century leather chypre full of aldehydes, isobutyl quinoline leather, birch tar, and a Mousse de Saxe riff running straight through the heart of it. The stuff is pretty grand but also a challenge to modern noses used to more deliberately "pleasant" smells, while Tabaróme takes no prisoners as a full-on masculine chypre assault not unlike a number of drugstore/high street leathers from the 1940's through 1960's. Since Creed Tabaróme is like thousands of dollars for just a taste, while you can fill a bathtub with Pinaud or vintage Avon and still have enough money to pay your mortgage, credit cards, the car payment, plus even have money to sock away for Timmy's college fund after splurging on fragrance, I see zero reason to get excited about or even recommend this to anyone, period. That said, I can see why old Creed heads who bulked up on gray caps or their associated cloth-covered flacons back in the day went nuts over the switch between this one and Tabaróme Millésime, since this is like switching out a vintage Jaguar XJ6 for a Ford-built Jaguar X-Type and saying it's the same thing, then wanting to charge even more money. Thumbs up.

I get just a hint of that "turned vintage masculine" vibe in the opening, before it's overwhelmed by what I'd swear is aldehydes. It's soapy, powdery, clean-smelling, dry & kind of "white" in tone. Ten minutes in, it all settles into smoky, peppery woods with a faint touch of bergamot. Sniffing up close, there's something vaguely mentholated, then half an hour late there's leather. Ninety minutes in, it all sweetens slightly, & at the same time there's a crisp, papyrus-like note running through it. After three hours, there's salty ambergris & moss, & later a metallic twang, which could be vetiver. There is a vaguely gingery note here too, if I search for it, but at this point it's become a skin scent. It's still going softly seven hours in.
I don't get tobacco here at all, & this isn't something I would wear, but I appreciate having had the chance to try it.

This one doesn't suit me. I get an image of a sink of dishwater after the dishes have been washed, right before draining the sink. It's harsh and unwearable for me.

Trying this again a few months later, I had forgotten my review, and I was coming here to give it a thumbs down, and see it's already done. Today, this one reminded someone next to me of "Dollar Store potpourri," which didn't sound wrong.

The "newer" Tabarome Millesime has always struck me as an intense, tobacco-leather and spice experience. Trying out the "Vintage" version was interesting, to say the least.

It happens to be full-bodied, with the presence of controversial oakmoss to add its lichen-like earthy mossiness. Definitely leathery and suited for older, more mature wearers; there are plenty of Creed scents that younger wearers can appreciate (e.g. Viking, Erolfa, et. al.), but this may not be one of them.

The newer Tabarome has a gingery presence which "Vintage" lacks. Patchouli is another note that I really catch in the newer one as well, not to forget the legendary ambergris accord; "Vintage" relies on regular, albeit nice, amber resin instead.

Between the two, I have been so used to the 2000 Tabarome that "Vintage" (from 1875) just feels a bit rigid and dated to me in comparison.

Stardate 20171231:

It is a decent fragrance. One of the few decent Creeds. The leather is that of K10 type (which I dislike). But creed made it muted and that works well.
Pretty linear and nothing remarkable. I do not understand the hype.
Clubman Pinaud Special Reserve has the same leather accord up top and much better drydown. And at $7 a much better option than this overhyped unicorn.

Pass