Cooper Square
Bond No. 9 (2010)

I'm really enjoying Cooper Square.

It makes me think of the concept of a "dub" in music production, where a producer removes a bunch of elements from an existing song, reducing it to its basic rhythm structure, tweaking that, and then peppering in little tidbits and blips of the original song, but with all kinds of echo and reverb on them, so that they can fill the empty space left by removing the meat of the song while keeping the listener interested.

To me, Cooper Square is like a "dub" of a masculine powerhouse chypre.

The star of the show is a juniper berry note, which smells kind of like pine, but is also common enough in old powerhouse scents that it alone calls to mind the genre. This is paired up with a boozy alcohol vapor note, like vodka on its own, or clearly gin when paired with the juniper berry. This duo provides most of the fireworks, as it varies constantly from woody to mineral to retro to booze to aldehydic.

This would be good fun, but what makes Cooper Square a real standout is that there's an entire chypre structure here as well, but thanks to chemical trickery (probably lots of iso e super?) it hovers in a cloud around me, smelling great when I walk around, but somehow separate from (but enhancing) the juniper berry vapors.

Hours in, everything melts together into a complicated waxy, metallic juniper incense smell that will likely appeal to fans of Terre d'Hermes, though this is not a TdH clone in any way. This is one of those scents that's both a work of art AND an example of complex chemistry know-how. Thumbs way up!

EDIT:
I ended up buying a bottle of this (it's discontinued, but still available cheap online, at least for now) and it's become my signature scent, the one I reach for when I'm not in the mood to test something new. It's strong, so it only takes a single spray, and it's a compliment magnet. Thumbs up even more now!

No cognac in here, there's more of a grain alcohol with juniper berries ("genièvre"). It has a turpentine like volatility and smell on the opening.

Cooper Square is fresh like Kölnisch Wasser 4411, but without the herbs and citrus. Notes that are listed but which I do not perceive: Lavender, cognac, patchouli, vetiver. They definitely wanted a transparent EdC vibe for this. It's refined in the middle and base. Musk, myrrh, labdanum. All are ultra clean and non-earthy, non-animalistic.

Just not my thing. The only masculinity in it, is that it's strong in the beginning. Men could wear it to work but risk people thinking it's some niche fabric softener or aftershave cologne.

This makes more sense for classy older women.

I get a botanical vodka accord. Not cognac, as listed. Juniper berries crushed with dried lavender, as if ground in a cold, marble mortar. Yes, it all seems cold, at first. Crisp... And then, it turns into a bar of soap, or a shampoo. Fresh, clean skin smell. How fun!

I get a little dose of resinous stuff. Nearly balsamic, without any buzz; like a piece of old wood. Only a tiny glimmer of vetiver hovers above the skin. A little more clean soap smell with only a hint of musk.

Simple. Nice and friendly fragrance. Fresh, out-of-the-shower goodness. Nice to sample - sure wouldn't spring for a bottle at these prices.

If there ever was a barbershop accent this would be it. Very clean and masculine, but not something that a man under 30 could wear. Also this tends to work best in cold weather OR in the evening time at a formal event. Not something to wear casually. I like it, but......don't find myself reaching for it nor have I received and compliments while wearing it.

First thing I noticed was a feeling of warmth and comfort...someone spilled a little booze on the wooden floor of my favorite barbershop...the juniper gives it just the nicest liitle accent of fruitiness, but retains it's yang aspect...fragrances are genderless, so, rather than masculine/feminine, I see them as being yin/yang hard/soft...this has a classic/retro vibe with a modern twist to it...getting some nice incensy/resiny/patch flavoring too...i get the same feeling of a nod to past greats as I do with Bond's Great Jones...somewhat aromatic and ever so slightly soapy...but a very luxurious/foamy soap....for me, a pleasure to wear and full bottle worthy...closest, in the same ballpark vibe, that springs to my mind is Bois Du Potugal...

boozy and Woody, with good sillage and longevity