Guerlain Derby

[The Nid Hog]

I have a memory of picking up a bottle of Derby back in the 80s, but I don't think I ever got around to using it. Strange, isn't it?

Anyway, since I like to develop an interest in things that are almost impossible to obtain, I've been thinking about trying it out. What do you guys think? Any recommendations on sources? I don't have any trips to Paris planned, and it doesn't seem to show up in any of the stores I frequent (I do occasionally get to ritzier places than Dollar General). What about any of the Crystal Flacon folks?

[jakespoppy]

You can get Derby at Saks and Neiman now, but I've heard it's reformulated and not nearly as rich and good as the vintage version. I had a bottle a few years ago, don't remember where I found it but I sold or traded it away, as it wasn't my cup of tea. I should try the new version again, just to see if my take on it might have changed.

[tehtimmeh]

Yes, you can still get the current version in the wooden framed box at Saks or Neimans. I'd imagine the Vegas boutique has it as well.

Now if you are looking for the 80's vintage, good luck on sourcing that one.

Reviews go both ways on how it compares. There seem to be about as many that speak volumes on how much better the vintage is as there those that find the current version not too far off the mark. I've only tried the current and assume there is probably a slight difference, but I would doubt it is night and day.

Someone who has tried both may weigh in. Cough the Chandos... Cough.

[Schad]

There is a decant guy on Crystal Flacon who sells it (strifeknot). I'm sure Surrender to Chance has it took. Have had good transactions with both.

My wife HATES Derby and said it smelled OLD.

[tehtimmeh]

There is a decant guy on Crystal Flacon who sells it (strifeknot). I'm sure Surrender to Chance has it took. Have had good transactions with both.

My wife HATES Derby and said it smelled OLD.

Your wife hates everything just like mine does... You'll soon learn to wear what she likes when spending time with her and wear what you like the rest of the time.

[UngerWoo]

I have both the vintage and the newer and I think they're close. It's actually one of the few times I may prefer the newer version to vintage.

I think you can try out both versions with samples from a place like The Perfume Court or Surrender to Chance. I got my sample of the vintage from TPC.

[The Chandos]

Someone who has tried both may weigh in. Cough the Chandos... Cough.

How did I miss this thread?

Let it be known that Derby might be very well my favorite scent ever, just depends on what day you ask me. Guerlain made a very prudent and wise decision in not reformulating Derby earlier. I think there would have been a disappointing version of it somewhere between the original EdT (in the "Eagle" bottle) and the current EdP but instead the differences are minimal and the transition from one to the other is nearly seamless. Emphasis on the word "nearly," however, for I find the vintage slightly mossier and a with a touch more leather. That might have something to do with deteriorating top notes for all I know. The current EdP is a bit richer but there is no loss of character between the two - the current EdP is unmistakably Derby, without a doubt. My suggestion is to try them both but if you're hankering for a larger blind buy stick with the current version - last I saw 50mL bottles of the vintage were going for around $500! I know strifeknot and he's a respectable seller but I'd recommend bbBd on crystal flacon. He's a better acquaintance of mine and someone who I often go to for really nit-picky questions about Guerlain - he really knows Guerlain and has some pretty rare stuff.

[tehtimmeh]

Let it be known that Derby might be very well my favorite scent ever

Your bottles of Vetiver all just got emo suicidal and will not talk to you for the next few weeks...

[The Knize]

I have both the vintage and the newer and I think they're close. It's actually one of the few times I may prefer the newer version to vintage.

I think you can try out both versions with samples from a place like The Perfume Court or Surrender to Chance. I got my sample of the vintage from TPC.

How did I miss this thread?

Let it be known that Derby might be very well my favorite scent ever, just depends on what day you ask me. Guerlain made a very prudent and wise decision in not reformulating Derby earlier. I think there would have been a disappointing version of it somewhere between the original EdT (in the "Eagle" bottle) and the current EdP but instead the differences are minimal and the transition from one to the other is nearly seamless. Emphasis on the word "nearly," however, for I find the vintage slightly mossier and a with a touch more leather. That might have something to do with deteriorating top notes for all I know. The current EdP is a bit richer but there is no loss of character between the two - the current EdP is unmistakably Derby, without a doubt. My suggestion is to try them both but if you're hankering for a larger blind buy stick with the current version - last I saw 50mL bottles of the vintage were going for around $500! I know strifeknot and he's a respectable seller but I'd recommend bbBd on crystal flacon. He's a better acquaintance of mine and someone who I often go to for really nit-picky questions about Guerlain - he really knows Guerlain and has some pretty rare stuff.

Wow! I did not realize that the current Derby EDP was thought of as nearly back up to snuff to the vintage EDT. As I recall--and I think I recall this very well, for lots of reasons--vintage Derby EDT is the holiest of Luca Turin's holy grail scents. And Chandos is correct that bottle of the vintage EDT is a rare and precious item indeed. LT also villified what must have been the current, at some point, version. I would be/am very, very happy to know that what LT was so down on was some failed transitional version, now banished, because I have basically refrained from even trying the now current EDP version based upon LT's say so. So foolish of me.

Normally, because vintage Derby is so rare, I would not even talk about it. I do not want set folks yearning for something so hard to get, and chasing vintage frags can be disappointing, for many reasons!--folks worry about counterfeit and stale current frags! take that to the nth power--and is almost always expensive. And LT, Chandos, and my holy grail may be your old man/old lady scent.

But since folks are willing to vouch for the currently available version, I am willing to say that at least for the vintage version, which is, again, the only one I have tried, I pretty much weigh in with LT, Chandos, and I assume UngerWoo. At least that was my impression the times I tried it, I do not know, "years" ago maybe. Who knows, maybe last time I smelled it was with stars in my eyes--an awkward metaphor, when talking about scents. I know I still have a small amount of the vintage that I think I have hidden from myself so that I do not know if I can find it! I do not hoard many scents. I hoard this one! I can see that I need to get some of the current EDP and try it side by side with the vintage!

[tehtimmeh]

Wow! I did not realize that the current Derby EDP was thought of as nearly back up to snuff to the vintage EDT. As I recall--and I think I recall this very well, for lots of reasons--vintage Derby EDT is the holiest of Luca Turin's holy grail scents. And Chandos is correct that bottle of the vintage EDT is a rare and precious item indeed. LT also villified what must have been the current, at some point, version. I would be/am very, very happy to know that what LT was so down on was some failed transitional version, now banished, because I have basically refrained from even trying the now current EDP version based upon LT's say so. So foolish of me.

Normally, because vintage Derby is so rare, I would not even talk about it. I do not want set folks yearning for something so hard to get, and chasing vintage frags can be disappointing, for many reasons!--folks worry about counterfeit and stale current frags! take that to the nth power--and is almost always expensive. And LT, Chandos, and my holy grail may be your old man/old lady scent.

But since folks are willing to vouch for the currently available version, I am willing to say that at least for the vintage version, which is, again, the only one I have tried, I pretty much weigh in with LT, Chandos, and I assume UngerWoo. At least that was my impression the times I tried it, I do not know, "years" ago maybe. Who knows, maybe last time I smelled it was with stars in my eyes--an awkward metaphor, when talking about scents. I know I still have a small amount of the vintage that I think I have hidden from myself so that I do not know if I can find it! I do not hoard many scents. I hoard this one! I can see that I need to get some of the current EDP and try it side by side with the vintage!

Channing I'd like to hear your thoughts if you are able to get some of the current formula vs. how you feel about the vintage. The current is pretty great and I have not tried the vintage but have wanted to. I don't own more than ~2ml of the current or I would send you some just for the purposes of furthering this conversation.

[Aaron01]

You can get Derby at Saks and Neiman now, but I've heard it's reformulated and not nearly as rich and good as the vintage version. I had a bottle a few years ago, don't remember where I found it but I sold or traded it away, as it wasn't my cup of tea. I should try the new version again, just to see if my take on it might have changed.

They did reformulate it. I know I posted something about it before so let me ^c^v it

(In response to how different the versions are) Depth of the leather note mostly. I actually like the reissue, I feel they kept much of the original's underlying attitude and class, however it feels maybe a bit too restrained and timid. I would suggest trying it and definitely splurge on a sample of the original as well. Derby was a scent I had wanted to try for a long time...and am glad that I finally did...

**Added for clarity**

Chandos is pretty spot on in his assessment, though I would imagine so since he's worn it far more times than I.

My wife HATES Derby and said it smelled OLD.

Though I had a 24 year old girl fawning over how great () the reformulated version of Derby smelled on me. So, gents shouldn't be afraid that all women will think that you smell like an old codger wearing piled tweed and arthritis cream.

Normally, because vintage Derby is so rare, I would not even talk about it. I do not want set folks yearning for something so hard to get, and chasing vintage frags can be disappointing, for many reasons!--folks worry about counterfeit and stale current frags! take that to the nth power--and is almost always expensive. And LT, Chandos, and my holy grail may be your old man/old lady scent.

Agree here as well. When I first read of Derby it was before the reformulation came into more broad circulation and was only available at Champs-Elysee (circa 2007). Derby was most definitly the white whale of the fragrance world and owners of bottles of it, or - gasp - multiple bottles, were looked upon as gods among men. I subsequently put the dream of owning Derby on to the back burners (perhaps for the days with a Jag in British Racing Green), and explored scents that were easy(ier) to find. By the time I got to Derby I had lost all of the lofty notions about what it would be and could approach it with a tabula rasa; for that my experience was much increased.

[The Nid Hog]

Great discussion guys. I'm going to see if my local Saks has the new formulation. If not, I'll take your advice and see if I can order some new and old from the Crystal Flacon. In the meantime, I'm still wondering where my unused bottle went back in the day. A mystery for the ages.

[Schad]

For the record I think it smells GREAT even though my use of it has gone down dramatically as not only my wife but my mom also hated it (FWIW). You get enough people around you saying something smells bad and it affects how you perceive a scent (one really shouldn't care, but it'shuman nature).

It is definitely worth sampling and I think generally speaking the BnB crowd who hasn't tried it would like this one...it is an amazing masculine scent.
I have only tried the reformulated version. Also if you are in Las Vegas Guerlain store and NYC at Bergdorf I'm sure you can sample it for free.
Last time I was in NYC and went to Bergdorf it was a great experience as they had all the exclusive Guerlains.

[StylinLA]

Well, I haven't really smelled the old formulation. I'm sure it was better in the minds of many. While I'm certainly a frag head, I'm not as discerning as most in that regard. Now had I bought and worn the original, maybe I'd have a different opinion.

I do have the new formulation and to me, it's a fine scent. Very unlike any contemporary designer offerings. For me, it lives in a place of manly elegance not unlike Vintage Tabarome. Sort of a masculine "perfume" to in the same vein as The vaunted Patou Pour Homme.

Can be a bit hard to find, but it is out there. I've noticed with a lot of Guerlain scents, you have to go to the women's Guerlain counter to find them, which probably doesn't help sales. The Saks here in Bev Hills is where I got it, but the guys at the men's frag counter had never heard of it or Habit Rouge. Both were kept with the women's scents. The only Guerlain available in the men's section was Vetiver.

I find it interesting and admirable that Guerlain resurrected this one. Yet they don't seem to push it much. It's a high end scent, and perhaps the practical reality is that though Guerlain is more or less a "designer" scent house, Derby is nonetheless kind of "niche."

[The Chandos]

I've been doing some research and actually it looks like Derby WAS reformulated in 2005 and it suffered. At least I think so. Released in 2011, the EdP brought redemption to the classic. Luca Turin's beef is that the 2005 reissue lost a lot of the "brawn" that the original had. Not only did it have more of that '80's "oomph," I think some of the original ingredients were banned, which forced the reformulation. The newer EdP seized the opportunity to use some of the more modern synthetics that are better than earlier versions that were used to replace banned materials. The bottom line is to stick with the current EdP - you can't go wrong - in fact, in some ways, I prefer it. I'd definitely splurge on a small decant or sample of the vintage at some point but find a trusted source first.

[The Nid Hog]

I went to Saks today and looked for it, but no luck. In fact, they were completely out of all Guerlains. I guess I'll have to ponder ordering a decant or waiting until I'm in LA in March.

[tehtimmeh]

I went to Saks today and looked for it, but no luck. In fact, they were completely out of all Guerlains. I guess I'll have to ponder ordering a decant or waiting until I'm in LA in March.

If you've sniffed it before or if you are confident going in blind, you can order it online from Saks or Neimans or call the boutique and have it shipped.

Between your affinity for Vintage Tabarome and unhealthy interest in Dunhill '34, I'm pretty sure you will dig Derby.

[The Nid Hog]

I haven't smelled it since the 80s, and I really can't conjure it up at all, except I remember I liked it. I think I'll stick a toe in first, just in case, before I spring for a bottle. Although you do have me pegged with the Tabarome and Dunhill.