Patou pour Homme (1980)
by Jean Patou

This is a monument to the artistry of perfume making. It is very hard to review such a nearly-perfect product. There is something about the hot pepper note in Patou PH that is a complete stroke of genius that makes this unequalled, and that would leave one wondering: where ever did he think of that?! It is iconic, unique and supremely sophisticated and masculine in a way that few, if any, fragrances today could ever be. It is rich, slightly warm, incredibly complex; sweet only for a moment, and the moment's gone. Too great to last, it is sadly gone, and like Garbo, all the more alluring for its absence. You can catch a hint in samples, and see its name mentioned, but to get a lot of this, enough of this, well, that's not really possible is it?

Can you say "Damn this is good"? If you can, then say it multiple times.

The top notes on me are softer than for other reviewers, yet they hang in there a long time !!! Soft & peppery with a begamot and galbanum introduction. Then comes a boozy patchouli note that is awesome. The sandalwood holding up the bottom is top notch. All in all, a beautifully constructed scent that is a 9.5 out of 10.

It's a shame that others who have grown up with aquatic scents have pidgeon-holed themselves into believing this is a dinosaur frag. But...that's okay with me. That leaves more of this juice out there for admirers of it to track down and purchase.

Why on earth this isn't resurrected is beyond me.

I ordered a sample of this from TPC, and I could swear, the top notes were turned off a bit. It really did smell very unhealthy indeed, so guys, be aware if you`re going to buy a full bottle. We know it isn`t cheap, so it could be a disasterful suprise.
I presume this was discontinued a long time ago, and naturally the bottle should have been at least well stored, otherwise the time could have done some damage.

Judging by note sample I have, this is to me one of those, should I say, "overrated fragrances" which has been getting it`s status mainly because it is so rare.
OK, it is rich and highly aromatic Oriental, but is it really that special after all..??
No, if you ask me.

I think Patou pour Homme is slightly overrated here at Basenotes, but that doesn't mean it's not a great fragrance. I don't find the opening as loud and herbaceous as others, on the contrary, I think PPH is one of the few fragrances that seem to be very smooth from start to finish. I love its slightly "oily" character, noticeable especially in the opening, which is probably responsible for its smoothness and which also gives it an expensive, sophisticated feeling. What I like a bit less is the smoky, incense-like note which may add masculinity to the fragrance, but it diminishes its luxurious aura. The drydown is truly a high-class smell: woody, smooth, rich, refined, intellectual, stylish, elegant and again, expensive.
Overall, PPH is a wonderful experience, one you may not discover in many other fragrances. One of the very few scents that come close to perfection, yet they don't really achieve it.

Patou pour Homme is one of the finest men's scents I am fortunate enough to own. It starts out very herbaceous and loud. I'm not partial to the opening personally. It seems to die out almost completely when it reaches the carnation phase and then out of nowhere the woods (excellent sandalwood among them), mosses and labdanum rise up like a phoenix from the ashes. This final phase lasts for hours and hours on me. FYI, if you like this one, you may want to find a bottle of Maxim's PH and see if it doesn't suit your liking as well.

As a novice, I have little to say that will sound as intelligent and informed as the other posters here....but perhaps my opinion will be of use to those similar to myself, a child of the 70's who knows what fragrances he likes, but lacks the erudition/practice to identify the notes!

Based on the glowing reviews here, I just HAD to order a decant from the Perfumed Court...and I am greatly underwhelmed by what I received. What I smell is "L'eau de 1980's," evocative of hairy-chested men wearing gold-chains.

The initial blast that slapped me in the face upon first spray was decidedly Brut 33-ish, and the drydown smacks of Old Spice. I like it, but only in a really odd, nostalgic way. In fact, upon first whiff, I had a rather Proustian moment of recollection in which I was taken back to my elementary school lunchtime. From Kindergarten until perhaps sixth grade, my father (bless him) would lovingly pack my lunch for me in the morning, before I would leave to meet the school bus. The thing about my father is that his morning bathroom ritual ended with his shave and an extremely liberal splashing on of either Faberge's finest (i.e. Brut) or Old Spice. Following this application of such copious amounts of the skin stinging aftershave, he'd proceed to immediately make my sandwich--with the invariable result that the bread he touched would retain more than a slight taste of the cologne itself. My whines of protest never changed this habit of my father's. Thank you Jean Patou, for bringing me a slice of my childhood!

But I digress. As a now geeky, 30-something male seeking to inject a bit of style into his life, I'll look for subtler, more complex scents than this in the future.