Review Australian Private Reserve - Review Thread

Korbz said:
Favourites so far are Alfredus' Choice and General's Ledger (yet to use coconut which I think is great). Very impressed with all of them :)
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I am still astounded that people are not raving about the 'Pork Chop'!

I mean it's the beginning of summer and the heat and humidity are rising exponentially... there really is nothing I would rather apply to my face than a deep, brooding, earthy damp forest scent like Vetiver... come to think of it, perhaps not :p
 
todras said:
I am still astounded that people are not raving about the 'Pork Chop'!

I mean it's the beginning of summer and the heat and humidity are rising exponentially... there really is nothing I would rather apply to my face than a deep, brooding, earthy damp forest scent like Vetiver... come to think of it, perhaps not :p
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PC is next on my list ...
 
todras said:
Yeah, it is a good one and I am not at all surprised you are considering it tbh ;)
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I have only smelt the PC at this stage (have not yet used it) but it smells awesome! Only issue is that SWMBO is not keen at all on Vetiver (possibly good to keep her away if I feel that way inclined).
 
PC – Un côtelette de porc – Pork Chop
Composition: Haitian Vetiver, French Oakmoss Absolute, Virginian Cedar Wood, Italian Bergamot, French Lavender, Australian Sweet Orange (NO), French Ginger


WAF (y) (nice, can't recall yesterday for comparison! :eek:)

Face Feel: Slightly more burn than previously on first application the then quickly soothing. I presume that this is the result of the underlying (close) shave as I doubt the formulation is different.

Scent Intensity: Again this has the 'wham' factor which I like, I know I've applied an aftershave.

Scent Longevity: Too early to say after an hour - will update late. EDIT - yep 4-6 hours. Stronger early on than the GL for mine.

Scent Complexity: Once again there is a lot happening but in the coordinated alluring way - not a chaotic miss-mash! The combination works really well - like an orchestra playing in harmony.

Scent Characteristics: Warm, earthy and rich. Bergamot and Lavender are there as well with the occasional hint of the Orange and Ginger. I'm SURE I can smell bacon - but that is probably my imagination drawing inspiration from the name.

Would I wear it regularly: again, most definitely yes! This could be my 'go to' winter aftershave quite easily!
 
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Mark1966 said:
I'm SURE I can smell bacon - but that is probably my imagination drawing inspiration from the name.
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That would be the 65kg of Pork Chops I distilled to make 25ml of pure pork-chop absolute, I stirred the mixture with only a 18mm boar brush the whole time to ensure the purity of the oil!

/this is a joke, just in case anyone thinks it is serious ;)
 
Used the "Pork Chop" combo today. From the bottle the Vetiver was quite strong. No problem here from me but the lady of the house who is not a at all a Vetiver fan thought it smelt horrible and screwed her face up )this was several days ago). Upon application the accompanying scents really came alive and the Vetiver settled down in to a wonderful rich scent with earthy, woody scent with a touch of lavender and Bergamot. Without mentioning what it was to the lady she indicated that she found it to be quite agreeable. I was concerned that the scent was not going to las very long but was pleasantly surprised when I could still smell it several hours later. The balm is a milder version in terms of scent and once again I finds that a small amount goes a long way.

Over the course of a few samplings I have noted that for me it takes some time for the After Shave to be absorbed in to my skin (we are talking several hours here) and leaves a slightly oily feel. Personally this is not a issue for me. I did initially believe that I may have used too much but I find that I am using very little and still getting a similar result. I believe that this is helping with the scent longevity and also means that my skin feels fantastic all day. I do wonder how much of the balm is initially being absorbed though and feel that some of it may be drying on top of the after shave before it gets a good chance to work it's magic. I should point out that whilst I do not have oily skin it is far from being dry in any way. When I was younger my skin was a little oily and this of course has changed a little with age. In some ways I am probably quite lucky. That being said I believe that the after shave will be particularly well suited to anyone who has skin that is either dry or somewhat dry. Not saying that you have to have dry skin to enjoy it quite to the contrary but if you do then this combo is really going to help.

Once again the balm is fantastic. Nice and thin and not at all gluggy. You can tell by feeling it in your fingers that it is a top quality product. A tiny bit goes a long way.

Once again my hat is off to you @todras you have done a fantastic job here. It is amazing to consider that this is a first attempt as well. Looking forward to see what you come up with in the future!
 
Did someone say bacon :p:D I mean EXTRA bacon :p
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SA – Suitably Attired Australian (Balm)
Composition: Ambergris, Indian Mysore Sandalwood, French Violet, Spanish Lemon, Rosemary, Australian Sweet Orange, Fragrance Oil.


WAF (n) (I did this last but it confirmed my view)

Face Feel: My first use of the balm. A little is certainly all you need but no oily feeling for me. Moisturising and nourishing - although I probably still tend to prefer splashes generally and the APR splashes are a really great combination.

Scent Intensity: Again this has the 'wham' factor which I like, I know I've applied an aftershave, although maybe a little more subtle than the splash.

Scent Longevity: Too early to say after an hour - will update late.

Scent Complexity: This one is, for me, less complex and more straight forward BUT I suspect after reading the ingredients that based on my description I'm missing something. It is also the first balm I've used which may mean they are different to the splash in characteristics.

Scent Characteristics: Lemon Myrtle. Lemony with a hint of eucalyptus - but then I read the ingredients and think I'm clearly mistaken - my brain is playing tricks on me again! This is probably proof positive that I should not do scent reviews :( Certainly this was the description that immediately strong to mind for me and has been the single dominant characteristic I find in this balm

Would I wear it regularly: Well for the first time I would say probably not. This is not to say the scent is unpleasant - just not my cup of tea.

I noticed in @nsavage's review above that he
It is amazing to consider that this is a first attempt as well.
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and this is a good reminder. It is hard not to use these products and presume that a lifetime of experience and a team of expertises in a lab somewhere has not developed them and they are now released after extensive market testing. I echo Nick's comments about looking forward to what the future holds - I think that this is a gift.

EDIT: OK, an hour or so later and my hand just brushed my face, I get warm, rich, deep, sandalwood and something else, a little sweet but not sickly, the 'lemon myrtle' has gone and been replaced by something far more complex and alluring. I might have to backtrack on the earlier comments. Jury is still out on this one now for me ...
 
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nsavage said:
Over the course of a few samplings I have noted that for me it takes some time for the After Shave to be absorbed in to my skin (we are talking several hours here) and leaves a slightly oily feel. Personally this is not a issue for me. I did initially believe that I may have used too much but I find that I am using very little and still getting a similar result.
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Well, PC is pure essential oils and absolutes so the oil you are feeling is the essential oils. In many perfumes of same ilk the feeling is much more noticeable due to the higher percentage of oils. To explain why you are aware of the feeling I would say it's due to the fact that a vast majority of wet-shaving splashes on the market are around 2.5 to 4.0% essential oil or fragrance oil per 100ml, I went with the correct and traditional aftershave strength of 6% so that people would get the longest scent time possible (without elevating an aftershave to an EDT or perfume strength which is 8%-16 and higher).

Another factor that is relevant is the purity of the essential oils I use, there are 3 main 'grades' of 1.very expensive and very pure, 2. Commercial - expensive, but below standard levels of ketones, terpenes, etc and 3. Dilute or 'cut' essential oils. The latter 2 categories have less low volatility (heavier) oils and more lighter oils - less oilyness but also much less purity and therefore scent. In all cases I went with number 1 on the list, I don't like impurities and personally I will have the highest purity of desired compounds possible whatever the cost

The notes I talk about, in regard to being high, middle or low are actually a measure of their volatility which is a concept from both Chemistry and Physics that defines the tendency of a particular substance to vaporize - i.e Bergamot and citrus scents are high volatility, they vaporize easily while Sandalwood and Vetiver are low volatility and tend towards resisting vapourisation and therefore last longer as a sense of smell, and on the skin as an oil so as the Pork Chop contains a high percentage of Vetiver essential oil the duration of the oil being present on the skin, and the duration of the scent being detectable by you (and more relevantly by others) is extended.

@alfredus of @TomG can further explain the concept of volatility in chemistry I am sure and of course correct me if I have misspoken :)

I could have saved a bit of money and reduced the overall percentage of oils in the alcohol solution too and therefore the amount of oil present, but that would have cut the duration of the scent being detectable and the silage (pronounced see-yaz) which is the French concept and word for 'trail of scent'. It is a metric used in Perfume to measure the detectable distance and longevity of scents.

It is important to remember another facet of scent, in that after 20 minutes or so your olfactory sense becomes saturated with certain accords of the scents, therefore you effectively cease to smell many of the heavier notes while the top ones remain. Others though can detect them readily providing they too have not become saturated.

Fantastic feedback and review of PC @nsavage , thank you very much man!
 
Disclaimer: I really suck at writing any reviews. :)

First of all many thanks to @todras for doing such a great job for creating aftershaves and balms and for offering them to us for testing.

I haven't tried balms yet because it was a bit too hot and humid here in Sydney in the last few days.

CS – Coconut Sandalwood
This is one of my favourite scents. I really like the Mystic Water 'Coconut Sandalwood' and this AS was a perfect addition to the soap. Not very long lasting scent - around 2 hours, but it's good for aftershave anyway.

SA – Suitably Attired Australian
This is my second favourite scent. While it has similar notes with GIT/'Irish Traveller' (do not have 'Sharp Dresses Man') they are still different. Not a big issue as they still paring quite well. Also easily to pair with Charky's 'Success'. Long lasting scent - around 4-6 hours. Good level of alcohol - nice low burn.

WG – White Tea & Ginger
This is my wife's favourite scent. Initially when I sniffed it from the bottle my very first though was: "Why white tea and ginger? It doesn't smell like that at all." However because the smell was nice and fresh I could easily pair it with one of my PAA soaps. But when I applied the scent opens and there were quite intense white tea and ginger. Long lasting scent - 6 hours. I didn't feel any alcohol in this splash at all - zero burn.

AC –choix Alfredus - Alfredus Choice
Very nice, complex and multi-layered masculine scent. Cannot say anything about longevity yet - too early as I'm wearing it today. Good level of alcohol - nice low burn.

PC – Un côtelette de porc – Pork Chop
Haven't tried yet, but looks too woody for me. I'd say cedarwood is a bit dominating to my taste. Don't mind having a soap with this scent, but not sure about aftershave. Anyway will try on the weekend.

GL - les généraux du grand livre – The Generals Ledger
Haven't tried yet. Probably tomorrow.

All aftershaves nicely moisturise the skin. Post feel is good. The only thing I found when applying it on a wet skin it gives some white residue. It disappears once you work it out or it dries completely.
 
Mark1966 said:
Face Feel: My first use of the balm. A little is certainly all you need but no oily feeling for me. Moisturising and nourishing - although I probably still tend to prefer splashes generally and the APR splashes are a really great combination.
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I only noticed the oily feeling with the after shave, as the balm is thin and not gluggy or sticky I would not expect that you would notice any oiliness or tackiness from it.

todras said:
Well, PC is pure essential oils and absolutes so the oil you are feeling is the essential oils. In many perfumes of same ilk the feeling is much more noticeable due to the higher percentage of oils. To explain why you are aware of the feeling I would say it's due to the fact that a vast majority of wet-shaving splashes on the market are around 2.5 to 4.0% essential oil or fragrance oil per 100ml, I went with the correct and traditional aftershave strength of 6% so that people would get the longest scent time possible (without elevating an aftershave to an EDT or perfume strength which is 8%-16 and higher).

Another factor that is relevant is the purity of the essential oils I use, there are 3 main 'grades' of 1.very expensive and very pure, 2. Commercial - expensive, but below standard levels of ketones, terpenes, etc and 3. Dilute or 'cut' essential oils. The latter 2 categories have less low volatility (heavier) oils and more lighter oils - less oilyness but also much less purity and therefore scent. In all cases I went with number 1 on the list, I don't like impurities and personally I will have the highest purity of desired compounds possible whatever the cost

The notes I talk about, in regard to being high, middle or low are actually a measure of their volatility which is a concept from both Chemistry and Physics that defines the tendency of a particular substance to vaporize - i.e Bergamot and citrus scents are high volatility, they vaporize easily while Sandalwood and Vetiver are low volatility and tend towards resisting vapourisation and therefore last longer as a sense of smell, and on the skin as an oil so as the Pork Chop contains a high percentage of Vetiver essential oil the duration of the oil being present on the skin, and the duration of the scent being detectable by you (and more relevantly by others) is extended.

@alfredus of @TomG can further explain the concept of volatility in chemistry I am sure and of course correct me if I have misspoken :)

I could have saved a bit of money and reduced the overall percentage of oils in the alcohol solution too and therefore the amount of oil present, but that would have cut the duration of the scent being detectable and the silage (pronounced see-yaz) which is the French concept and word for 'trail of scent'. It is a metric used in Perfume to measure the detectable distance and longevity of scents.

It is important to remember another facet of scent, in that after 20 minutes or so your olfactory sense becomes saturated with certain accords of the scents, therefore you effectively cease to smell many of the heavier notes while the top ones remain. Others though can detect them readily providing they too have not become saturated.

Fantastic feedback and review of PC @nsavage , thank you very much man!
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Very interesting read @todras and explains perfectly what I am noticing. I knew that you had used high quality EO's but to be honest really had little idea what that really meant (except of course cost).

Once again as mentioned I have no issue at all with the After Shave, it is fantastic all around. Simply an observation that I had made. It would be interesting to hear some comments about skin types from some of the other testers. Everyone is going to have a different experience with anything that they apply to their skin. We all have different skin types and this is going to make a difference in our experiences.
 
AC –choix Alfredus - Alfredus Choice (splash)

Composition: Ambergris, Venezuelan Tonka, French Oakmoss Absolute, Indian Mysore Sandalwood, French Ginger, Virginian Cedarwood, Nutmeg, French Lavender, French Violet, White Grapefruit, Italian Bergamot, Basil.

WAF ? could not get a response one way or another!

Face Feel: Great as always, moisturising and nourishing.

Scent Intensity: Again this has the 'wham' factor which I like, I know I've applied an aftershave.

Scent Longevity: Too early to say after an hour - will update late.

Scent Complexity: Strong sandalwood base with other stuff there but definitely secondary. A lovely combination but less separately identifiable parts to my nose.

Scent Characteristics: Sandalwood + would be my initial description. Based on previous experience lets wait and see if I change that!

Would I wear it regularly: Maybe. It is very nice and in the absence of other aftershaves would be great. It just might not make to my must have list - I think I'm spoilt for choice!
 
Mark1966 said:
Scent Characteristics: Sandalwood + would be my initial description. Based on previous experience lets wait and see if I change that!
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General Sir, that would be the three varieties of Cedarwood Sir. But if it you get a Sandalwood note from it, I'm not going to argue as my job is done (y)

The Sandalwood is in the base accord and should be barely detectable...

Thanks again for the feedback on AC, it is really helpful and educational to get a broad variety of experienced 'hands' lending their view on the scents.
 
todras said:
General Sir, that would be the three varieties of Cedarwood Sir. But if it you get a Sandalwood note from it, I'm not going to argue as my job is done (y)

The Sandalwood is in the base accord and should be barely detectable...

Thanks again for the feedback on AC, it is really helpful and educational to get a broad variety of experienced 'hands' lending their view on the scents.
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See - what would I know!

I say Sandalwood, you tell me it is Cedarwood, you are probably correct, I'm simply identifying 'wood'! :)
 
WG – White Tea & Ginger
Composition: French Ginger, Venezuelan Tonka, Fragrance Oil.

I've used the WG splash and balm for the last two shaves, and I'm very impressed. I've not used the Mystic Waters soaps, so I can't compare the fragrance.

There's no sting or burn from the splash, but there is a slight whiff of alcohol when first applied. The scent I would call a citrusy ginger, really nice, and a very subtle hint of tea that I notice every once in a while.

The balm is also very nice, light, and easily absorbed. Great face feel, and non-greasy. The scent seems to last a few hours, but I've noticed if I wash my face later I get a very faint scent from it, so there is some staying power.

I'd happily buy this for a daily driver.
 
WG – White Tea & Ginger (splash)

Composition: French Ginger, Venezuelan Tonka, Fragrance Oil.l.

WAF (n) (Houston, we have a problem)

Face Feel: Great as always, moisturising and nourishing.

Scent Intensity: Again this has the 'wham' factor which I like, I know I've applied an aftershave.

Scent Longevity: Eight hours now and a wet hand across the cheek will prompt a fresh release. Good staying power!

Scent Complexity: Once again I'm not sure I would describe this as 'complex' - I think that the better word would be 'complete'. It is a balanced whole rather than an inchoate wannabe. In fact the process of reviewing the aftershaves from @todras is making me think harder about what I want in a scent (aftershave, EDT or cologne). I'm coming to the view that balance and symmetry is as important as complexity and certainly to be valued over chaos. While I think I will still enjoy 'journey' scents that take me on a ride while they develop I think I'm also appreciating a scent that just 'is' but in being is complete and needs no journey. Sounds a little pretentious and I'm not sure it is clear - but this is making sense to me.

Scent Characteristics: citrus, ginger, earl grey

Would I wear it regularly: I would say yes, my wife would say no - thus the problem Houston!
 
I've done it again and missed this thread; hence been posting my thoughts on my SOTD.
I consolidate my comments below to keep things in the right place.


SA – Suitably Attired Australian (splash)
My first use of an APR aftershave splash. I certainly experienced the initial scent "blast" that others have mentioned. To me, the scent is very similar to Stirling's Sharp Dressed Man, but superior in terms of longevity. It also seems fresher and more natural. I really like it. Face feel is pleasant, notwithstanding the alcohol sting I get with any alcohol-based splash. This is a brilliant effort from @todras!

The only negative feedback I have at this time is that the initial scent blast has quite a strong alcohol component. This fades quickly to leave the delightful residual scent notes, but this initial alcohol blast may be off-putting for some.

SV – Sandalwood, Lime, Verbena (splash)
Tried another APR splash - the Sandalwood, Lime and Verbena. This scent combination is very impressive. The blend is skillfully matched, such that the sandalwood is in good balance with the fresh citrus notes of the lime and verbena. The scent has good longevity and sillage. I am repeating myself from the last review, but I like it very much indeed. Again, the only negative feedback is the initial alcohol note to the scent when first applied, but it fades quickly. Again, a really impressive effort, @todras. Congratulations!

PC – Un côtelette de porc – Pork Chop (splash)
The alcohol note is far less noticeable in this fragrance, maybe due to the interaction with the more potent ingredients. I initially get a blast of multi-layered cedar wood, with vetiver and some black pepper. As it settles down, I notice fresher notes lurking in the background, but I can not identify them. A quick check of the ingredients gives me the answer - lavender, sweet orange and ginger. I would describe this fragrance as dry wood, and the closest fragrance I have to this in my locker is the DR Harris Marlborough cologne. Having said that, I find the côtelette de porc more complex and interesting. It would suit a formal or business occasion. I am not big on dry wood fragrances, so this is not for me. However, it is another classy effort from @todras. If you happen to be a fan of dry woods (and there are plenty out there), this just might be right up your alley.

AC –choix Alfredus - Alfredus Choice (splash)
Finished with Australian Private Reserve Alfredus Choice. Whilst the Pork Chop was a bit too full on with the dry woods for my taste, this was right in my sweet spot. The balance between woods, spices, and maybe some citrus notes was spot on. @todras - another very impressive effort!

CS – Coconut Sandalwood (splash)
This reminds me of summer and holidays. Its simplicity is its strength - you can almost reach out and touch the Pina Coladas and surfboard wax. Coconut is not my thing for fragrances, but I reckon this will be a winner for many others.
 
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