No. 33 - Smooth and clean and distinguished

Photo: perfumeniche

While cruising the internet a while back, I came across Badger & Blade, a blog about men’s personal care. In amongst all the talk about shaving creams, soaps, razors and beard trimmers, I saw this:

“Thread: MenEssentials - Toronto
Howdy all!
This morning the wife and I were walking along the Danforth when we stumbled across this store. I took a quick peak in and I was very impressed. They had a huge selections of soaps and creams and colognes. Anything I could ever ask for was available…..Anyone in Toronto should check them out!”

I live in Toronto, so I decided to stroll over to MenEssentials to sniff it out the colognes.

It’s a spacious little store with well-displayed grooming products and a knowledgeable and attentive staff, so it took me no time to find the fragrances; brands like the Vagabond Prince, Floris, Il Profumo and Penhaligon’s. I was thrilled to find brands that were hard to get in Canada, especially Penhaligon’s. The one I bought that day had been on my must-buy list for ages: No. 33.

This fragrance was created by Mike Parrott in 2015 to commemorate the 145th anniversary of the founding of English niche fragrance house Penhaligon’s. It’s named for the Penhaligon’s shop at 33 St. James Street in London. Here’s the back story.

William Penhaligon was a Cornish barber who moved from Penzance to London in 1889. Along with his son, Walter, he created and sold skin treatments, tonics, and scents for men, and in 1870, he founded his eponymous fragrance house. In 1874, he opened his first boutique on Jermyn Street, where gentlemen flocked for the latest grooming trends and exciting fragrances. He opened his second shop at 33 St James Street a little while later. No. 33 is named for that shop.

On me, it opens fresh, bright and citrusy, with notes of orange, grapefruit, and bergamot. The bitterness of the bergamot is echoed by the herbal bitterness of artemisia. Coriander and clary sage heightened the herbal aspect of the opening. I am a sucker for herbal openings, so I am happy to drift here for a while until a note of aromatic lavender appears. It’s fresh, floral and slightly camphorous. These aspects are heightened by notes of violet, jasmine, rose, geranium and lily of the valley. Black pepper, ginger, saffron and cardamom bring a gentle warmth to the flowers. The lavender anchors a smooth, seamless heart while smelling gorgeous. The base is dry and woody from vetiver and cedar, tempered with a light sweetness from Tonka bean, amber and vanilla, with a rich note of tobacco threading through it. Moss gives it a whiff of the forest, while musk keeps it warm and sensuous.

This aromatic fougère is a skin scent with a drydown that is smooth, clean and refined as a classic gentleman’s scent should be.

No. 33 isn’t a big, brash birthday celebration so much as it is a distinguished marking of an event and a beautiful olfactory tribute to William Penhaligon’s legacy.

Check out No. 33 in our Shop.