Alright guys... the dust has settled, the votes are in and The Gourmand Wars have officially reached the Final Four!! We started with a full field of sweet heavy hitters, dessert kings and edible-smelling troublemakers, and now only four remain. On the vanilla side, Giorgio Armani Stronger With You Intensely pushed through the designer bracket with that rich, sweet, crowd-pleasing swagger, while Parfums de Marly Althair stood tall in niche with its smooth, luxurious vanilla game. Over in chocolate, Guerlain L’Instant EDP kept things classy and refined in the designer lane, while By Kilian Black Phantom came through the niche bracket like a dark, boozy menace with zero interest in playing nice. That means the road to the crown now looks like this: Vanilla Final (3) Giorgio Armani Stronger with You Intensely vs (1) Parfums de Marly Althair Chocolate Final (2) Guerlain L'Instant EDP vs (2) By Kilian Black Phantom At this point, there are no weak links left. Every fragrance still standing has earned its place, and now it comes down to what kind of gourmand experience hits hardest for you. Do you want smooth modern sweetness, upscale vanilla luxury, refined cocoa elegance or dark decadent danger in a bottle? What say you, guys? Which Final Four fragrance has the best chance to win it all? Which matchup feels tighter: vanilla or chocolate? And which fragrance that got eliminated are you still defending like it got done dirty? Love to hear from ya'!

Think I may have just found my favourite old school scent. This is also first Chanel to break into my top five. It's name comes from the Greek demigod who drew his strength from the Earth. It was one of the first major creations by Jacques Polge, who had recently become Chanel’s in-house master perfumer a role he held for over 30 years.It arrived in 1981 at a time when men's fragrances were moving away from the fresh & light and toward the bold beastly. This is a an edt, but a powerhouse of a woody Chypre. It's loud & long lasting. It opens with a herbaceous punch.Unlike modern scents that use blue or watery notes, Antaeus hits with a dry, herbal blast. Clary Sage & Myrtle: give a fuzzy, tea like, camphoraceous start. A citrus blend Bergamot, Lemon & Lime are present, but they aren't juicy & act more like a cleaning agent to cut through the heavy base notes that sit underneath. It finishes of with a Spicey/woody coriander which bridges the gap between the fresh top the floral heart. As the herbs settle, the fragrance reveals a surprising gentlemanly core. Damask Rose, the secret weapon of Antaeus. It’s not a sweet or femine, but a dark, spicy, thorn" rose with a velvety texture. The Jasmine adds a touch of slightly fleshy sweetness. With a savoury combo of Thyme & Basil to balanc the floral notes & keep the rugged, earthy vibe. The base is the beasts lair. You get Oakmoss for that bitter, damp, forest-floor aroma. Patchouli & Vetiver which add a dry, woody, dirty root like smell. Cistus Labdanum is a sticky resin that provides a balsamic, amber like warmth, tying the animalic notes to the woods. Then the secret weapon that gives Antaeus it's growl, Castoreum, is a synthetic, originally derived from beavers, it smells like oily leather, smoke & warm skin. While the modern formulation is slightly cleaner & less aggressive than the 1981 original, due to the Restrictions of certain ingredients, it remains one of the few true 80s survivors that still rocks. Despite it's edt designation, this juice packs a mighty punch, even after wasking I can still pick it up on my skin, easily an 8 to 9 hr scent. Protection is also a big hitter, with a heavy scent bubble for the first 3 hrs and a trail to match. I'm still experimenting with this one spray wise. Less seems to be more. This is Alfa male in a bottle. More of an older guys fragrance. But I would recommend all gents to at least try this one.

Quick post today in the ongoing ATH marathon. I’ve talked about this frag a lot. It’s what TF Oud Wood will never be. If you like the scent profile of TF OW then this is your frag. And cheaper. At least it was when bought it. TF performance sucks. Morpheus takes 3-4 sprays and lasts three times as long. I remember back in the day I had Oud Wood when it first came out and it was a 6-10 spray necessity. Where is the value in that? As my usual statements, Quality over Quantity. Be well brothers on a beautiful 70deg day in southern WI.