Aramis Special Blend
Aramis (2019)

A woody-powdery scent, which a marshmallow-like smell flowing through it (which I think it's the result of the combination of whiskey note and tonka). From the boozy aspect, it's as if they took the whiskey from Kiste (2015) and used it prominently here. In the heart, a powdery smell that was present from the beginning is amplified.
It's not classic and it's considered a modern fragrance in the range of Aramis works. It's warm, dusty, a little bit sweet, without that "old-school heaviness". In the drydown, the more aromatic notes get a chance to expand. But to be honest, the opening was much better.

Aramis Special Blend is all about cinnamon and whiskey to me. At first I was disappointed that it wasn't more like original Aramis, which I love. Maybe it's more like JHL than Aramis. It is boozy and a bit sweet. By comparison, Aramis Classic Reserve of 2008 was quite a bit like original Aramis except it was more mellow, rich and subtle. But it was clearly an Aramis family fragrance. I get no Aramis from this Special Blend. It could have been called JHL Special Blend, but it is not as wonderfully potent as JHL. If I wear this for about six months I might even be able to tell you whether the boozy element is a bourbon, rye or a Tennessee. Right now I am getting a pretty clear sweet bourbon accord, but it is early days. It doesn't come across as Scotch (then it would have to be spelled whisky). The initial burst of whiskey accord knocks down quickly, within the first half hour, and it soon becomes something of a skin scent. Not an Aramis-like feature. I think I like this for Fall and Winter, or boys night out.

The opening is sharply green and spicy with a mature, unisex vibe. The heavy florals and tonka remind me of Black Orchid. This is an interesting, nice scent but it's a little too mature for me. It's not the usual freshie, sweet, modern scent and you cannot make a sport flanker out of this.

Feels best for cooler weather and has the performance to go with it. Good projection and all day longevity.

I am a huge fan of the Aramis line of fragrances. They are almost always very high quality scents with good performance and reasonably priced. So when I spotted Aramis 'Special Blend' I was very excited and blind bought the fragrance right away.

This is a modern take on the classic 'Aramis' by Aramis original scent, with slightly floral and fruity notes at the top, and a sweet whiskey and amber base. The opening smells very similar to Costume National Homme, so if you are a fan of that scent, you will absolutely love this.

The middle of the scent settles into a warm, boozy masculine masterpiece, with solid projection that is present without being cloying or too loud. It performs well, and being an Eau de Parfum concentration, it is thick and digs into your skin and becomes your scent. It leaves a wonderful trail but is never offensive or irritating. The notes are very well blended and lay together is nearly perfect harmony.

A base of woods, amber, and a bit of sweet tonka and what smells like the classic Aramis leather note is there and lasts for quite a while. This is the ideal fragrance for cold, winter days. You put this on with your scarf, leather jacket or winter coat and boots, and sip coffee by the fire with friends in a cafe full of stylish and attractive people.

Performance is good as it usually is with Aramis fragrances. Longevity with ten sprays (neck, chest, wrists, shoulders) is about 7-10+ hours, with several days on clothes and fabrics. Projection and sillage is heavy within the first hour, then moderate for about four hours. It lingers as a soft trail at the six hour mark until it becomes a skin scent. It is not quite as strong as the original 'Aramis' by Aramis, more of a slightly subdued version. But by no means is this a weak scent. It just has softer projection from the original version.

If you are a fan of the original 'Aramis' by Aramis or love Costume National Homme, this is a definitely must have. Powerhouse cologne lovers will also really enjoy this. This is for the mature, stylish and masculine gentleman who is 35+ years of age with confidence. Highly recommended.

Aramis Special Reserve is a bit of an oddity, like a more barbershoppy riff on Costume National Homme with a throwback opening designed to evoke Bernard Chant's original Aramis.

You're greeted by aldehydic floral and herbal notes with a blast of bitter bergamot. From there, though, it's on to something more contemporary. A whiskey is the backbone of Special Blend, but this sits at a distance from the sweet, gourmand-y territory occupied by a lot of contemporary "boozy" fragrances. It's a very literal spiced whiskey accord, backed by a rough woodiness, like you took Maker's Mark 46 and splashed it on some tree bark.

This woody booziness gradually yields to a soft, abstract, ambery sweetness with sandalwood tones. This well-rounded sweetness more closely resembles that of, say, Caswell-Massey's classic Sandalwood Cologne than it does your typical tonka-driven clubbing frag, in keeping with the overall classic aesthetic the Aramis line has been striving for the past few years.