Yatagan Caron for men

dirty animalic
pine laurel and artemisia with some dust.
only for winter
aggressive

Аромат не мальчика, но- мужа...

Wow! How do I describe this sample from The Perfumed Court?
Initial impression: herbal, including basil & something else…
@ 5" in, I'm picking up another vegetal note- a clean celery (IFF's Vertofix?). No lavender yet, & no pine yet at least not of the resinous, evergreen, unless, just a whiff of dried, seasoned pine lumber.
@ 10" Perhaps there's also a hint of the celery morphing into wormwood or vetiver. I also get memories of Hugo Spirit with a touch of Ungaro pour L'Homme III. Is there an unlisted cumin or curry note?
@ 20" I'm picking up additonal notes that remind me of the scent of the bark on the Live Oak in my back yard
@ 30" the same
@ 60" no change
@ 2 hrs no change except projection fading
I don't get it- after multiple tests over several days, it's another nice Caron. What's there to say "Yuck" to?

This is considered an oriental chypre. The overall chords for me are incense, conifer forest, and warm spice. My colleagues at the office say it's subtle and give it a thumbs up. For me personally, I like it, but I'm not thrilled with the slight food vibe. Good projection and decent longevity. Nice fall day fragrance.

i have been hearing about this one for some time, i am a fan of caron fragrances, especially 3rd man. in the right settings and occasions it is exquisit..caron por homme, so non offensive and pleasant, especially after a shower. but yatagan i got a sample.. just cannot get into. it is a quality fragrance as all caron products are. it is just not for me. i like masculine fragrances and sometimes you want that attention.too weird a smell for me. if someone knows a good masucline fragrance that is not too offensive but makes a good impression.please give me a suggestion. not a young guy scent.right now i wear terre de hermes parfum,too expensive to wear everyday so i want a fragrance that suits an above 40 man can wear, that women will like. ladies please advise.thank you.

I’ve been thinking about the wonderful yet inexpensive perfumes out there. There are many well considered, beautifully made perfumes that you can buy for a song. Cheap or pricy, though, the best perfumes must stand up to the same criteria. Is it coherent and balanced? Does it hold up over time? Does it captivate you, that is, would you wear it as your only perfume? Crucial: does it smell good? Is it ‘you’? Does it remain engaging throughout the entire day? Will it last that long? Would you want it to? Does it work for you in all the compartments of your life: At work? Cooking? Socializing? Cruising? In a class? On the subway?

Let’s look at perfume criticism. And let’s not start with the accepted classics, the greats, the grandes dames. Let’s start with the commonly-available, inexpensive yet extraordinary perfumes, since this starting place is troubling to the notions of exclusivity and refinement baked into commercial perfumery by virtue of its long-standing affiliation with fashion. I hesitate to use the word “great” in perfumery. I recognize perfumery as an art form, one of my favorites. But greatness as a notion comes from more accepted genres of art and established forms of criticism, when what we need are new vocabularies and systems to consider perfume. Think of greatness as an aspiration or a standard of the Old School. I would hope that the New School in perfumery and criticism would promote quality, creativity and analysis, but not hold out judgment and arbitrary thresholds as principal goals. Greatness seems to me to connote a feigned objectivity, or at least a socially agreed upon judgment, when it is in fact fundamentally subjective. Greatness is cited when we’re looking for the dividing line: high/low, good/bad, worthy/crass. Let's find words that assess and characterize, words that can speak both to objectivity and shared subjectivity and foster a less removed esthetic of criticism.

I’ve commented on some of the brilliant, inexpensive perfumes available. Azurée, Grey Flannel, Ivoire, Tocade, Troisièmme Homme. There are still many I hope to get to: Tommy Girl, Bulgari Black, Halston I-12 and Z-14. I might have mentioned that they’re inexpensive, but on reflection, I really want to focus more directly on the associations (or their lack) of quality, creativity and price. Dissociating cost and excellence is an important step in taking a discerning look at perfume. Divorcing notions of status and aspiration from the sale and use of perfume is a tricky prospect since perfume and fashion are historically and commercially enmeshed.

Still, while perfume and fashion are bound in the marketplace, perfume doesn’t necessarily have to be viewed and debated in the same light as fashion and design. Looking to other art forms, music is probably the most commonly used analogy. How often is a perfume described as orchestral, loud, harmonious, shrill or dissonant? We could just as easily consider perfume as performance, borrowing the language of dance and theater. Additionally, the recent recognition of the perfumer as auteur allows us to look at a perfumer’s body of work over time just as we might that of a visual artist. Add to these perspectives the scientific advances in chemical analysis and synthesis and perfumery looks ripe for a new if not radical form of critical thought.

OK, so Yatagan. It smells instantly, recognizably botanical---moss, wood, herbs. All bitter, all dry. But Yatagan’s trick, its value is the scale of its components, its abstraction. To read peoples’ reviews, Yatagan is the black box of perfume. To some it is a spicy woody, to others, a definitive leather, to others still, purely herbal. And I’d be negligent if I didn’t note that nearly every other review mentions underwear. I usually fall in pretty easily with the drawers and jockstraps crowd, but in this case, I’m entirely in Caron’s marketing department’s camp. Flowerless oriental chypre. So perfectly, hollowly evocative. It is instantly familiar to the ear, like flourless chocolate cake, but is also an easily decoded intimation. Flowerless = not pretty (read: the troubled masculinity of 1976.) Oriental = what else can we call something spicy and resinous while tediously leaning on the stereotype of the inscrutable East? Chypre = green, bitter, mossy and, importantly, sophisticated. I imagine Caron might have been scared of Yatagan’s distinctiveness (to me a gorgeous part of its allure) and attempted to use classic fragrance language to come up with a catch-phrase to comfort and flatter its potential buyers.

Caron may have been encompassingly vague in their marketing language, dimly offensive in their oriental allusion, but fortunately direct and brave in their fragrance. Yatagan has that striking balance of starkness and richness found in the best and most distinctive of perfumes.

So given its quality, why is Yatagan so inexpensive? Some factors I can loosely understand: economies of scale over time, brand recognition obviating the need for specific product marketing, possibly lower composition/production costs, clear profit margins assuming the initial investments in the 1970s have been returned. But rhetorically, why does Yatagan cost so much less than the weekly iteration of men’s designer crap fragrance? And why does Yatagan cost literally one-tenth the price of some directly comparably, high quality fragrances like those from Serge Lutens and Amouage?

I believe Caron must put the following caution on the box of this fragrance:

"Caution ! Test well before buying" :)

Strong odd perfume not for everybody . Never blind buy this one!

Couple of weeks ago I tried it and would have thrown my wrist to the bin if that was possible. Heavy sweaty leather and massive vetiver. Not a pleasant scent. Scary. Pungent.

I tried it again today. The opening is still like this. But what develops after 30 mins is very different and very nice: santalwood, artemisia, just the right bit of vetiver. Elegant and unique.
Up to you. Can you take the first 30 mins ? Then you get the reward.

Really a benchmark fragrance; too good and too cheap not to own.

Does not go well with a freshly showered body. Bitter as hell, woodsy, herbal. Best one of those things appreciated out of the corner of your eye; it's economy is genius, but is especially 2-D from certain angles.

Not meant to be scrutinized as the art that is it, this is a high-quality and surprisingly wearable accessory. Unique, dry, amazingly modern for a fragrance made in the 70s, you'd be surprised how well it goes with gingham pearl-snaps and the local hipster dive.

well i got this yesterday and couldn't wait to open the box after all the raving reviews.
The opening is definatley not for the faint hearted.
( my tom cat kept hissing at me when I got anywhere near him)
Having said that it tones down after 20 minutes and becomes rather bitter. I am still trying to separate the smells but its difficult to sniff through the tobacco, for me anyway.
This is not a gentleman perfum. Too brutish if you like But its growing on me. Maybe I use it when I need space on the London underground during rush hour.
I am going to give it another try.

gave it another try and starting to adore it. the dry down is quite spectacular stays close to my skin and I am loving it

I like this fragrance because its so different from everything else thats out there , I love the scent of dried pine ,unfortunately I find yatagan difficult to wear & I'm really not sure when and where i could wear this one because the scent is so out of place in modern suburban settings but what I do is is layer this one with puigs Agua brava and I get this wonderful rich fresh herbal scent and I wear it to work . I do like this fragrance a lot but agree its not for everybody! :)

Herb Heaven or Herb Hell, depending on whether you're a sabre wielding herb hero or not. There's nothing sweet here. Some sweat perhaps owing to the castoreum and moss. Longevity on me is lacklustre. Yatagan is purported to be a bit of a powerhouse scent, but it suffers from erectile dysfunction compared to other cheapies like Quorum and Trussardi Uomo. This blunt sword neither intimidates nor impresses. I doubt whether anybody's going to ask you what you're wearing...

I like this one, because it smell - like in my coutry sold very cheap aftershave - "FARAO", which is from ´70... and which was used by 30% of mens in Czecho-Slovakia until ´70 -´90,....and it costs 3 USD :o)

A kingdom in an absolute bottle
This perfume is not a classic one which everyone like it, even some of classic fans have problem with it! It’s something made for special tastes, special people and those who are distinguished. It’s like nothing else. Only Caron can release such a masterpiece like this; definitely a luxurious Caron fragrance.
Unlike 70’s perfumes this one is not a chypre one or a musky aroma, smells deeply oriental and spicy; hot, erotic, dry, deep and powerful. The only factors which link it to classic perfumes is harsh aromatic odor and the date it has been released!
Herbs and spices are on top at the opening and the just calm down a bit after a while but still are rebel and radiant. Super chic and ultra luxury, it’s proper for only ceremonial and formal dresses.
...and the kingdom never fails and never goes out.

Longevity: no need to say, 10/10
Projection: overpower, shuts other perfumes down easily, 10/10

Ok, I'm a lady and I love to wear men fragrances. This was another blind buy after I read all the reviews and comments about Yatagan. And guess what? I love it!

Thank God I didn't get this cat pee, armpit, BO or any other nasty smells. All I get was this herbal-mossy and earthy notes at the beginning. It's bitter, quite strong and sharp I must admit, one must be thinking " Oh! This is very awful strong cologne!". But give it some time. It settled down to a warm, musky, woody and earthy scent lingering (on my skin). The lavender note kind of giving me this relaxing effect. After almost an hour, I cant stop sniffing my arm and wrist. It's so addicting, I'm not sure what it is. But somehow, Yatagan reminds me of L'Eau Bleue d'Issey Pour Homme (just a little) minus the sweetness.


Yatagan is a dark, masculine, bold, slightly dirty and very sexy IMHO. I don't think any man can wear this, unless he has a distinctive personality or character he DEFINTELY can carry Yatagan nicely. Use it in moderate amount, Yatagan has a Godzilla size sillage and potent enough to knock down people or make them run away from you. Since it's not like other boring typical/mainstream sweet - floral - aquatic fragrances which you can find on the market nowadays, always expect the unexpected. You never know what you'll get.


I guess I will try this at work, like I did before with Opium Men, Carolina Herrera Men, Body Kouros, Envy and Encre Noir. But I don't think it will be my everyday office scent like Herrera Man. Probably when I need 'extra kick' or something that can make me feel more individual, Yatagan will be in my list to be grabbed for.


Yatagan is a disgusting or very putrid smelling cologne? No, I don't think so. It just need right body chemistry and time to let you know the real him. But this is real classic stuff, I wasn't even born when it was launched. Not many people know Yatagan nowadays, I guess. Im glad I have Yatagan with me now ;-)

Must admit couldn't expect Yatagan to be so brutal, harsh, savage and strong. Composition as i felt it is close to bitter chocolate with cognac + herbs + distinct woodsy (guess even coniferous) notes. Pitiful, too masculine, age-dependent fragrance, even though i follow the rule: "It drives you, take/use it", still i doubt whether i should augment my Caron male collection with this thing or it's better to do it later, when i get older))) The more i smell it the more i like it. It's wonderful. Though in the beginning it was too sharp and brutal as time goes by it appears to involve into something herbal, woody, clean, innocent (like nature) and at the same time it keeps its virility, chastity (immaculacy), lucidity. Magnificent. Excellent as Turkish sword. Powerful and unsparing on the surface, soothing and steady in the heart. Try it if u dare. Face your masculinity

its same to aramis devin but yatagan is too bitter than aramis

Picture yourself in the deep woods, on a hill. You observe an area where a bunch of paths come together. Then you hear a shriek and see a figure coming out of the woods, near that terminal point. It is a man, apparently, covered in mud, pine needles, and who knows what else, and he is flailing about with his arms, yelling and snorting. He sees the paths, and decides to run down one of them. You have no idea what that was all about, but he apparently does. Soon, you can barely hear him, though you never understood anything he seemed to be trying to communicate.

That is Yatagan to me. I don't know what this is, and it quickly becomes a one-dimensional, though "manly" skin scent. By contrast, the original Polo is one of my favorites. It lasts and has excellent projection/"sillage," has great dynamism, balance, note contrast, and naturalness. I can't wear Yatagan without thinking that I'd rather be wearing Polo or another fragrance that is somewhat similar. It seems unfinished, like the perfumer was fired and they decided to go with what he had been able to do up to that point. I keep expecting it to reveal a new dimension, but it never does, a kind of "one hit wonder" (I've sampled it perhaps 7 or 8 times over the course of about 3 years). Now if this is what you want, it's certainly all "masculine" and natural smelling (as well as a great price), but it lacks the kind of dynamism and complexity I'm seeking in this kind of fragrance.

An initial aromatic blast not to be confused with the one you would get from an aromatic fougere: of course, the lavander is listed but I'd say that is presence is morphed by the pine and the basil... I cannot detect the galbanum, whose smell is dominated by that of grass and soil. As time passes, it turns into a fresher scent, maybe due to the fact the pine and the menthol present in the lavender oil takes over the blend, the oakmoss' presence in the mid notes becomes obvious after this freshness. Finally, the castoreum and the woodsy notes predominate into what I would call a blend that is quite faithful of the decade it was launched: I don't have grounds enough to state this in a conclusive, taxative fashion, but it does recall to my mind and nose other blends developed during that decade. Let's see, I am thinking of Equipage, Z-14, Jacomo de Jacomo, Vetiver, One Man Show, in which you find aromatics and woody notes - such as in E&C's Sienna's.

It is not an easy scent specially for those accustomed to present day frags for it is at odds with them, it lacks the feeling of fresh / light / crisp scents so in demand today. At the same time, this might be the reason why it is called a "bomb", believe me, it is not: compared to A*Men and Le Male, this is, for sure, discreet.

Beautiful, IMHO; but a must try before buying it blind.

Yatagan, are holding a miniature of this perfume, and the reviews I've read on this page tell the true.Just put a little on your wrist, there is a strong smell of rum and tobacco, as if you descend into the hold of a pirate ship where they stopped thousands of liters of grog along with bales of leaves tobacco.Later on the perfume seems to become more bitter to the point of remembering the green that surrounds the walnuts in the fall it would fall a lot in my yard from a neighboring plant . From these nuts is obtained a liquor of the same color Yatagan too strong as the scent.
Although it was produced in 1976 still has a lot to give and not give them this aura of legend rob anyone.
Genuinely sincere
For every angle +10

Good descriptions below, this is a great fragrance; intense and attention grabbing.

I had a sample bottle for a while and tried to get on with it... but it was just too strong for me. However, a friend of mine loved it so I gladly bought him a bottle and he was as happy as Larry.

Most of the Caron range is inexpensive (including Yatagan) so if you think you can handle it go and grab yourself a quality bargain.

To wear this amazing fragrance is like walking into a fall forest...smoky tones swirl arround with pine notes...i even get a french oak aroma, like in the barrels where the wine is aged; masculine in a relaxed but firm way; warm and sexual without being loud.

95/100

j'avais mis une fois sur mon poignet (sa a toucher le bracelet de ma montre ...et bien l'odeur est rester 2 mois!!!!!!!

One of the best colognes in the world. It's very classic and very bitter.
I like it so match. You can test it!

یاتاقان از جمله ادکلنهایی است که مخصوص سلیقه خاص پسندان تولید شده است. تلخی بینظیر این ادکلن هیچگاه مشام را خسته نمیکند.

Yatagan is indeed an old leather shoe, but this shoe has been left outside under a pine tree to collect drippings of sap, dirt and other earthy feral smells. Ad odd blast to be sure, but I LOVE this on my husband. I request him to wear Yatagan "yet again"!

This is absolutely endless! A (really) uncompromising all time classic and surely one of the most distinctive male fragrance ever created, Yatagan is dirty, sweaty, almost disturbing and kinda nasty, but totally addictive. Anytime I smell it or wear it I get drunk as it's sooooo intoxicating (in a very good way). In the drydown it gets a bit dated recalling a fascinating version of a rancid barbershop cologne mixed with a shoe rack filled with old leather shoes and neglected in a dark, wet forest, but still I can't stop smelling it. Many times I wished a lot of the newest perfumes, smelled original and unique as Yatagan! A masterpiece.

Let me spend a few more words talking about the bottle and packaging. A great combination of "naiff" eraly seventies turkish-franco-russian graphic and design. Indiscriminately ugly but hypnotic in their minimalism!

Rating: 10/10

I had read such awful reviews of this fragrance along with some glowing appraisals, that I was afraid to purchase it. I finally got up the nerve to buy it blind online and I'm glad I did. It's a masterpiece. Totally unique. The dominant note for me is celery, but there is so much there: leather, pine, caraway, and animalics. The drydown is sublime. Every so often I catch a whiff of it on myself and find it absolutely intriguing. Not for everyone, and I would recommend it for the more mature man. I think it would smell wonderful on women who like orientals such as Opium or Cinnabar.

Superb! After a long time, I have managed to smell it. Thanks to my dear friend.
This one requires special attention. I had a chance to try it out of its original, old bottle. When I saw that old bottle, I told myself that this must be a heavy stuff - and it is! Just a few drops were neccessary to fulfill the entire room. The opening began with a herbal-earthy notes, which opening lasts for a few minutes. After some time when it settles down on a skin, I can recognize the sophisticated smell of Yatagan. There was nothing of herbal opening. The smell of horses, heavy leather, worn saddle and excrete mixed up with ginger and woodsy notes. The perfume for a horse masters. Perfume really reflects a motive on which it was built - Turkish rider with saber. Excrete is not unpleasent. It doesn't rebound from the composition, it surrounds the composition and makes it a perfect whole. Very strong, unusual and deep. The drydown is very pleasent. Strong notes weak after a while and in the highlight of the composition comes wood, musk and that weak excrete which makes it a very good and nice ending. It lasts for ages...when you sniff it, the smell stays in the nose. Perfect perfume. Its true potential will reach during a winter time. The silleage is big and strong...true masterpiece and a brave composition. The perfume requires self confidence and elegant look of wearer..;)

This is an arid, saw-dusty, peppery fragrance. I would like to purchase a bottle, the only problem would be the occasion to wear this beast. I like the scent, but i'm not sure i'd buy a 125ml bottle.

Once a time I had it, and I test it just few days ago to restore some memories. It's so sharp for these days. It smells a bit like hashish! I still love it, but I don't use drugs! It's too masculine but like many manly perfumes a woman can wear it easily. I just remember that its longevity and sillage were perfect.
Yatagan is named after famous Ottoman poniard which its blande is in its inner side (swords, daggers and all the other knives in middle east are in arc shape; instead of Yatağan, others are sharpened on their outer side).

It’s like nothing else. One of the most strong and sharp colognes ever. You may love or hate it, but not indifferent at all.
From 1978, it could be the last hero of a dynasty!

Very nostalgic for whom used to play in farmyards among felty germander plants, in childhood!

این شبیه هیچ عطر دیگه ای نیست
به شدت بوی برگ گیاه کلپوره یا به گویش بعضی جاها "بومادرون" میده
یک عطر خیلی گرم و تند که نظیرش رو جایی نشنیدین

I wanted to get my man a totally different fragrance so I used Luca Turin's Perfumes A-Z Guide as a reference. We both took one sniff and could not get past the disgusting cat pee and licorice mixed with a camel driver's armpit smell, so I never got the chance to try it after dry-down. Revolting! I was very pleased to on-sell it.

I honestly don`t know what can I add after Robert White`s review, the man said it all.

But I can`t keep it inside either. As a cartoon character said - "I must proclaim my love from the top of someplace very high."

I am using it myself and I find it extremely attractive and addictive. Yatagan is way ahead of it`s time - I expected something more skanky, heavy on oakmoss and musk. Instead, Yatagan smells like a Russian sauna (banya) to me - hot wood, short steamed oak brooms to slap each other with, sweet sweat. Bitter wormwood enforces the aura of witchcraft around it.

That`s how the house of a medicine woman from Lapland in HC Andersen`s Snow Queen smells like.
If you are not afraid to be labeled a witch, go for it - it is simply wonderful.

a classic i haven't had this since high school and that wasn't that long ago only 10 years , but it reminds me to much of my hs days that i can't wear it anymore it is strong, and wonderful the stronger the better

Yatagan is an olfactory slap....in a wonderful way. The wormwood is addictive, and it's so strong, so projecting, and so unapologetically unique that I cannot help but crave it.

Probably not the world's greatest office scent, but oh, for evening and romantic use, it's beautiful, from opening notes to drydown, until it disappears 16+ hours later.

As much as I love it, I wouldn't recommend a blind buy with this one....nothing is compromising in this fragrance and you will most likely love it or hate it with a passion. Get a sample first.

A love it or hate it scent mainly due to its top notes, of which I can get something around pine mixed with cardamom in such a way it feels like a blast. It even feels like some sort of cost Yatagan wearers have to assume in order to get to the mid and base notes, which are, as most have said, wonderful.

I purchased Yatagan solely on the merits of curiosity and my own Turkic heritage. It was my first (and until recently, the only) sample from the (apparently modest but respectable) house of Caron, so I didn't know what to expect from my purchase. Indeed, the name only was enough for me to decide to have this fragrance. The myriad of opposing views here and everywhere, its supposed use for a particular occasion, notes, reviews on more dedicated perfumers' blogs - which I usually refer to before blind buying (most of my) fragrances didn't really matter then for my purchasing decision.

So my long awaited package came. Opening it to reveal the simple, minimalist bottle reminiscent of those Soviet-era eau de colognes (mostly marketed and used as an aftershave there and then) I released a spritz and thought to myself "what the f#$% I bought!!". My English is too limited to describe the initial impression. Too loud? Savage? Harsh? Whatever it was, it hardly gave me any willingness to explore Yatagan further, so I put it on a shelf to give it to my Dad (not in a sense "whatever doesn't work for me is yours" but simply thought it'd be a better fit for an older person). However I sampled Yatagan few times when I felt brave enough to wear it out or to work. Each time I felt a barbaric nomad standing naked in the middle of a downtown business district.

Just before sending it out to my Dad, I was wearing it at home at my own privacy, and I was surprised to discover that each time Yatagan had projected differently. The untamed and wild essence was still there, but there also was a more mellow, not so obvious, somehow seducing facet that I haven't noticed before. I kept sniffing my wrist over and over the whole day.

I still can't remember I even liked Yatagan - but I think it didn't even try to be liked. It doesn't have those positive adjectives we usually attach to scents we like - it wasn't pretty, sophisticated nor elegant. But it has a character that is not found in anything else, that not everybody can handle. One of my close friends said it was brutal, another total stranger said she loved it. I wish I gave myself a chance to understand Yatagan better, but it's in my wish list again. Luckily, it's pretty accessible and amazingly affordable, and the fact that it doesn't appeal to most people makes it very appealing to me.

This is a masterpiece of perfumery for men. It is dry, stark, oily, piney, incense-laden, and unlike anything else on the market. Wearing Yatagan is a testament to a true perfume-lover's knowledge of what is possible.

If someone writes that YATAGAN is similar to Gucci PH or anything else, I find it hilarious. Guys! There is nothing alike YATAGAN! NOTHING! It smells strange and odd. What I am smelling here is first and foremost salted celery. Not much more, sorry. Sometimes it's hard to bear it. I bought it and don't use it. I suppose that artemisia, galbanum and herbs made it a vegetable perfume (a little bit like QUORUM). Anyway - very original and odd. Hard to like and to use for me.

I can't believe I haven't already reviewed this one! I was sure that I'd reviewed it not long after receiving it - what an oversight! I never really perceived this as a 'dirty' fragrance until I recently compared it with Polo by Ralph Lauren. In my mind I had considered these to be similar to each other (and in fact part of a group of similar fragrances I own including: Yatagan, Quorum, Alfred Sung Sung Homme and Polo). But really it is much richer than any of the others.

Upon examination a revelation: artimesia is the note common to all of these fragrances. In fact it is also in Lapidus pour Homme, Giorgio Beverly Hills Red for Men and Kouros - which are four more of my very favourites.

Anyhow, to the review:
Compared with the crisp greenness of Polo, Yatagan is animalistic and, well, dirty. It has a dried sweat accord to it which I only detected by comparing it with Polo. It is not the 'rancid' sweat smell, rather the sort of odour one gets from sweat which had dried rapidly on the skin on a very hot day.

The pungency is almost too much...almost. There is a sourness to it, which I have experienced before in old leather samples I have in my shed. The richness of the wood is something to behold. The variety of woods present are complemented by the rich herbs and animal notes. This is what Juicy Couture Dirty English should have been and makes it seem insipid by comparison.

Imagine a leather satchel filled with herbs and sawdust, buried in a peat-bog for a number of years...that's Yatagan. It is long lasting and has good sillage. It is without a doubt a unique fragrance, well worth experiencing.

First thing out of the vial was the best rendition of freshly grated ginger that I have ever smelled. I normally don't care for ginger in perfume, but this blew me away. The ginger note lasted for 15 minutes of so. then segued into a lovely vegetable scent with pine, sage, basil, and celery or cumin seeds. The pine was not the usual cleaning product smell, but a scent like longleaf pine needles that have been freshly crushed. The scent lasts for many hours, ending on a woody, slightly animalic note. I like the progression from fresh green stuff through wood and found this scent enjoyable all the way along. I might have to get a FB one of these days, since it's not outrageously expensive. A truly unisex fragrance.

Parched celery in a desert landscape- one of the best scents ever made...

Brilliant! The last couple of weeks I have been on a quest for something that was going to satnd out and also take me back to the heady days of Schiaparelli's Snuff, Monsiuer Lanvin, Jules by Dior and the like. Needless to say, I purchased a bottle yesterday and I dont think it is going to last very long. This is sex appeal in a bottle! I have lately shied away from men's fragrances, always looking for something different for me and gave found it. I detect some of the bitterness of Snuff, which over time deploys to something warm and sensual.

Punch in the gut bitter, as if you've gone on a long after-dark hike in the deep, dank and moist northwest woods, tripped over a rotten log and landed face first in muddy moss and lichen.

You're covered with sweat, need a shave and you've tied your leather jacket around your waist.

Ah, Yatagan. Artemisia, galbanum, styrax, pine, leather, vetiver - what bitterness does this NOT contain? Delicious.

When I imagine a man wearing this I blush as I see myself, without shame, growling as I rub against him, scratching my face on his cheek as I push my nose behind his ear and lick the sweat from his neck.

Many of the things I like are like licorice: dark, twisted, and not very popular, but irresistable to those who have a taste for them. (However, I do not like licorice) Yatagan is like that. I love it. Finally (even though it's been around 30-plus years), an addition to the small list of male fragrances that don't smell like every other male fragrance. I've never smelled anything like it. The overall smell is spicy/woody, with a touch of bitter citrus, right from the top, but under the smell of the Silk Route, there is a filthy, nasty(in a good way), unwashed body smell that only a Frenchman (or a deranged American Europhile like yours truly) could love. In fact, it's what one of my week - old Ramones t-shirts would have smelled like, pulled from the bottom of the dirty clothes pile, left there for a long time to marinate and ripen after a sweaty, paranoid, twenty-four hour cocaine binge in 1986. If that hasn't revolted you, read on. The funkiness dies down after a few minutes(come to think of it, fresh marjoram, sage, and oregano have some of these sweaty overtones...ever notice that an old dirty (man's) shirt can smell a lot like a pizza? Great, now I don't think I can eat a pizza for a month. Sorry.) The drydown is a strong peppery, cedary exotic wood, with just a trace of animal skunkiness to make it interesting. (Hey, there's another herb that smells like a disgusting animal secretion...) I find this fascinating...it was created in 1976, and I truly hope that they don't discontinue it...This is clearly a love-it-or-hate-it experience, and it's everything (I think) that Etat Libre d'Orange aspires to. I hope that they can live up to it. I'm wearing this to Single's Night. If a woman can't like this on me, she probably couldn't handle my personality, anyway.

Yatagan is a very arid and brawny fragrance. It is a parched landscape, virile and anti-floral. The binary opposite of sweet. Silage is noticeable, but not tremendous. Use with caution at the office. It shares similarities in the top notes with Quorum Silver, although it is not as fresh and certainly not citrusy as QS. Best when mixed in with a little sweat, but only if you've showered in the past 6 hours!

Well,
I've just search for something taht could remind my #nose" of Marc'O Polo nr 1 fragrance, and in fact it's a kind of it, but necessarilly not so much patchouly in it.
It's for sure one of the most known fragrances of my whole life!!!
Thanks God for that.

Yatagan is definitely in a class of its own. It is extremely spicy and "dirty" smelling, without the slightest bit of sweetness. It smells like pine needles and spice mixed with leather and patchouli, all mixed in a bucket of sweat and urine. Sounds nasty, but in fact is one of the most crude yet elegant fragrances i've ever encountered. For those of you trying to imagine what this smells like, try this: take Creed's Bois du Portugal, remove all traces of sweetness, then add a large dose of civet and sage to transform it from being dandified to flat out irreverent and raunchy. It smells like an animal in heat, but has some sophistication because it's very multi-faceted and complex. Although definitely a virile scent, Yatagan would smell awesome on a woman. Most reviewers talk about Yatagan being "loud" and overbearing, but I actually find it to be rather subdued and discreet after a while; after the first half-hour, Yatagan blends nicely into my skin and mellows out into a warm, herbal scent, with just a hint of spiciness. The sweaty, animalic bottom note (I think it's civet), however, is always present, which gives Yatagan its filthy edge. Although it's not a fragrance for everyone, Yatagan is an absolute classic, bucking every perfume fad that has and will come along the pike. Every perfume fan must smell Yatagan once before they die. It is one of the greatest masculine fragrances ever, and is one I'd bring with me to the proverbial desert island.

I love this one and I love it on me. Yes, I am sure it can be masculine and fearless, but it is great for women too.
A very counterintuitive choice for a pink sweater set and pearls? I'm not sure I'd use "oxymoron" here, but iconoclastic.

The artemisia and lavender are omnipresent throughout the scent and the lightly leather, vetiver, and very mossy drydown make it a treasure. A wild treasure, a spiky forest green treasure. An herbalist's chypre.

I finally received this in the mail this morning. I must admit that I was preparing myself for something that I might dislike, but I highly doubted that seeming that I enjoy most male fragrances.

Yatagan is indeed a very distinctive and unique scent, and I'm happy to say, one that I absolutely love. I considered wearing this myself, but I decided that it was risky because this fragrance is so very masculine.

Spicy, woodsy and mesmerizing. Even just sniffing from the bottle makes me sigh. I'm really surprised that some men refuse to wear this. In my opinion it would make a man so much more appealing through it's darkness and sensuality.

It actually reminds me of the Australian bush because it has a note that smells rather similiar to Eucalyptus oil. It also brings with it sentimental value through the distinctive pine needle scent. As a child there was a giant pine tree that grew in the corner of my yard, and many a time I would play under that tree and collect the pine cones like they were little treasures and hide them in my room. Yatagan brought this memory back to me today and I'm truly grateful for it.

This fragrance is indeed very strong. One spray and the room is shrouded in a cloud of this deep, mysterious and exotic aroma. I cannot wait to try this on my man. I do believe I will be paying him a visit very soon.

I am the lucky owner of a big bottle of Caron's famed and infamous Yatagan since yesterday. Now I think, for those looking for the quintessential macho fragrance, this is the real deal.
It is arresting and intoxicating, and extreme in a good sense. I'm not an alcoholic, but Yatagan's camphorous herbal notes, dominated by wormwood, make it so deliciously boozy, it's irresistible - quite simply, it smells like vermouth rosso. The rich, resinous chypre base is evident throughout, full of tarry, woody and ambery nuances.
I agree that it is acquired taste, so try before buy is imperative in this case. But if you are attracted to bittersweet like me, I have no doubt you will get hooked on Yatagan.
It's very rich and long-lasting, and different from almost everything else out there, although it has a well recognizable chypre character.
If you are a man who's bold and fearless, or want to boost your confidence, or just want to indulge in its booziness, go for it! If you don't like it right away, you'll grow to love it, trust me on this.

I got a sample today and I absolutely adore it. A rich warm bitter scent of a herbal liquor, the one with pine needles and gentian root.

It reminds me of my parents' house: there are still remnants of my former herb garden and the smell is totally me on a hot summer day picking something to dry up or soak in brandy. Only the soil there wouldn't let gentians survive. Or maybe it is my association with hiking in the mountains above the tree line, with the scent of various resins lingering in the air, and actually finding the gentians that grow on the meadows?
I don't know whether gentian is even used as a component in perfumery but this one just screams it to me.

Indeed, this is daring!! You have to be daring to wear this. Vile and weird! Turkish sables?? No other male perfume can be compared to this aroma, nothing. You either love it - or hate it.

It is a work of art, a genuine masterpiece, it is polarizing indeed. I personally find it abominable on myself, but could tolerate it on others.

This is a very special fragrance for me - classic because it's been around since 1976 (not 1978) and sexy/intimate, because it's so masculine and warm.

I have read so many wonderful and glowing reviews about this fragrance and it's obvious to me that the complimentary ones are from true parfumistos.

This is not for the faint-hearted, sweet-smelling aficionado; but for those who dare the challenge of the unusual, the avant-garde and the iconic.

I just bought my third bottle for my perfume collection and I think it will definitely be a staple like KOUROS in my wardrobe.

I also just realised that it smells a lot like the rare 'Jules' by Christian Dior.

This also happens to be a very dirty fragrance; so watch out where and when you wear it!

Similar to Gucci pour homme specially the 2007 edition, not to everyone's liking.

Wow! I'm surprised to see flowers (??) listed in the notes. I don't smell them. I definitely smell rosemary, and since the notes list "artemisia," I'm guessing that's really what I'm smelling. Pungent hardy perennial that "repels fleas and moths" is right! It's made "for men," but yes, a woman can wear it. I did. But, would she want to? It makes for a great olfactory oxymoron, so if you're rebellious, I'd say yes!