Gold Man
Amouage (1983)

This is a review of a modern formulation. This one's an all powder throw back to the likes of Arpege and Bal a Versailles. It's a lot of powder with a sharp incense core and an animalic dry down.

The dry down is really nice with the animalic aspects coming through and sticking around. While others disparage this dirty/clean, I think that this is its strong suit. I view it as an animalic Arpege. Keep in mind this is in the summer so it's a bit over the top on my skin. It's classy, and long lasting. I can definitely get the lily of the valley in the opening along the likes of Alexandria II or III though not as pronounced. The rose is really nice as well. It's almost as if they were going for a modern take on the classics. Note: I haven't read the copy so I don't know for sure.

I move back in forth with liking the super powdery and I guess I'm swinging back to it at this point. Talk to me in a few months and I'll have a different review. Most of the ones that stay have something to them. This one does for sure. The fresh lilly that lifts and the dirty civet to ground.

I like this a lot - it smells a lot like modern Opium pour femme to me in the drydown, but at the same time slightly better than modern Opium's drydown; it's smoky, balmy, slightly spicy, vibrant. But you know what, I still enjoy Opium more because I adore the spicier and livelier top & heart of it.

As the first men's fragrance by Amouage, Gold Man set the scene for just how revolutionary Amouage's scents would end up being.

A completely new theme for a men's scent in the early 80s, Gold Man bears a close resemblance to Chanel No. 5, at least in the opening stages. But do not be fooled by the development of this scent, which is so drastic, it could easily be classed as 3 scents rolled into one.

The opening is full aldehydes and florals. Jasmine makes an early appearance whilst slightly veiled by the aldehydes, but the rose that introduces the middle stages takes the scent into a completely different direction. It's almost as if the Chanel No. 5 has been spiked with roses. Some more powdery notes enter at this point, before musk and frankincense join to create an opulent and long-lasting dry down. Older bottles had a nuclear civet note from about the mid point, which contrasted beautifully with the rose. This has been neutered in more recent bottles, but the overall aldehydic, soapy, floral-musky accord is largely still intact.

A scent that is sure to turn heads (sometimes for the wrong reasons), it is one that simply must be sampled thoroughly before committing to a bottle. Ladies should not be afraid to wear this one, as it is largely unisex, perhaps leaning more to the feminine side of the spectrum.

Amouage Gold is simply all about resinous Frankincense: The opening is a fresh elemi citrusy rose, oakmoss, lavender, star anise, and carnation. Settles down as resinous aromatic Frankincense olibanum, Myrrh resin. Gold is full of character, a perfume with allure and difficult to decode as notes are very condensed into the Frankincense. Masterpiece.

Gold Man is my second bottle from the house of Amouage, the first being Epic. Huge difference and what I get with Gold Man is a very strong, animalic accord that is pervasive throughout the scent's half-life. I can't imagine that this contains real Civet, but it smells truly authentic. Jasmine is strong also and serves to tame the cat-pee smell. Truth be told, I find the Civet to be strangely intoxicating. 4 sprays to the chest will serve you for most of the day and into the evening. I am up in the air whether or not this is an office scent, but I am wearing it at the office as I type and I haven't received any weird looks...sadly, I haven't received any compliments either. The packaging is beautiful and befits the house. I would love to get my nose on a sample of the 1983 version...I'll bet it was incredible. This scent's not for everyone, but if you are a confident personality, you can definitely pull this off.

Update, 2/11/22
Just received a .5ml vial of the original formula. It should be noted that the original was an EdT, while my other bottle (magnetic cap) is an EdP.
The original juice is 3x as dark, and with a MUCH stronger Frankincense top note. They are EXTREMELY similar, but the original's Orris and Jasmine are "headier", "fuller", "deeper".
I wish I could get the atomizer off of my bottle, I would dump the contents in.
These sample vials are available on Ebay for $11.99, shipped free. I think it's well worth to try Amouage's true first entry into the world of perfumery.
Both are great, but as a lover of all things vintage, I would love to get my hands on a full bottle.
Oh...Civet lovers, the original, like the new, is Civet-heavy.

TLDR: Excellent (4.6/5). Powerful, indolic, animalic and not for the timid.

Guy Robert approached his assignment to create the first Amouage men's fragrance by throwing the "how to make a successful mid-1970s to mid-1980s fragrance" handbook right out the window.

Those who remember his original 1976 Gucci Pour Homme will know that M. Robert knew how to work within the rules for men's scents of the day (if occasionally pushing close to the edges of those rules). So what he chose to do with Good Man is remarkable. "Hey," you can almost imagine him saying, "let's use Chanel No. 5 as the inspiration for our opening.". Bold move. So why not continue with a rose, jasmine powdery middle and accent it with an incense note? The basenotes are animalic ambergris and civet with some dirty patchouli and a bit of sandalwood included to smooth things out. It is all somewhat remarkable.

This fragrance may have been typical of the fragrances found in the Middle East in the early 1980s, but I doubt it. I suspect that this scent pushed limits at that time. It still does today.

But for me, it all works very, very well. I'm comfortable with fragrances that have elements traditionally associated with feminine fragrances, particularly when they progress to a complex, animalic dry down the way Gold Man does.

I find this scent similar to Guerlain's Jicky, especially in the basenotes, albeit with incredibly long-lasting and stronger projection. This stuff is truly "beastly" and needs to be applied the way Good love affairs are conducted: with discretion and respect for those closest to you (to paraphrase Sir Winston Churchill). A little goes a very, very
l-o-n-g way.

Like all Amouage products, the presentation is well done, the atomizer is very good and the ingredients and blending are, at least to my nose, superior.

This one will not appeal to most folks. But folks who find it appealing will love it, I suspect. Sample this one first. It is something very special. because it is not universally loved, you can find it for heavily discounted prices if you search around a bit. Thumbs up.