The inimitable William Penhaligon, the smell of a true gentleman

William Henry Penhaligon was the founder of Penhaligon’s fragrance house.He started his career as a barber in a hammam, a man-only turkish bath in Jermyn Street, London where he got the inspiration for his first fragrance: Hammam Bouquet, launched in 1872.Hammam Bouquet is a legendary fragrance, and at the moment is a rare find in my hometown.

This scent not only launched the newborn brand Penhaligon’s, it also made Mr. Penhaligon famous all around London.

His charisma and manners had to be celebrated with a scent in the most prestigious Penhaligon’s line: the Portraits Collection.

In 2020, Penhaligon’s house launched The inimitable William Penhaligon, whose formulation has been assigned to the fragrance master Alberto Morillas.He created a scent based on simple, yet impressive notes. It has a refreshing opening of bergamot and tangerine, brightened by a small beam of jasmine light.

Going on with the evolution of this scent, we notice a haitian vetiver core. This type of vetiver is a mixture of pepper and slight grapefruit notes, with a green shade of grass. It reminds me of a natural ecosystem, where each participant’s action completes the others’ life.

The ending of this fragrance is dominated by the dance between ambroxan’s soft woody side and a milky sandalwood note. This union creates a charismatic path for the fragrance, that we can feel since the first seconds of its evolution.

It’s not a fragrance for everyone.Even if it‘s part of a collection named “portraits”, The inimitable William Penhaligon is more of a frame than a picture. It’s the perfect frame for an already formed personality, whose high standards and gentleman values speak for him.

A fragrance for a true gentleman.