Now in stock - Carroll's - Royal Briar

[brothers]

I recently purchased a large vintage bottle of this famous cologne. My wife and I both find it very pleasant. Some of the long-time SMF members indicated it's no longer in production. Not so. Carroll's (Beverly Hills) has it in stock (April 9, 2015), 4 ounce bottle $45.00. The label now reads "Carroll's Royal Briar". Except for the name Carroll's the box and the label are virtually the same as the vintage product. I had it in the shopping cart, ready to place the order, then I realized how inappropriate it would be, with a full 8 ounce bottle, slightly used, wihin an arm's reach. So I'm not buying any for a very long time. If you have wanted it, now you can have it. Here's a link. So, what are you waiting for!

Moderators, if this belongs elsewhere, please move it. Thanks.

[Squire]

At that price they must be making it cheaply hence my quandary. I'm not against cheap cologne per se (I'm told Aqua Velva Musk works well on me) but at $45.00 this one is too expensive to be cheap yet it's too cheap to be good so I'll pass.

[brothers]

. . . it's too cheap to be good so I'll pass.

Almost any amount of money is too much to pay if one's buying blind, or just on impulse. Searching the SMF archives yielded more than a few posts from guys who've already tried Royal Briar and know they like it. About half of the posts were by guys who were dismayed to find out one of their favored products was discontinued and no longer available. So they already know its good, and if the price isn't out of line, maybe they'll be happy to know it's back, offered by the company that took over from Atkinson's. I respectfully submit that the phrase too cheap to be good is inappropriate in any number of circumstances.

[EL Alamein]

Wow, Carroll's has really upped the price on this, it used to be twenty-five dollars per four ounces. The original was even cheaper than that in it's heyday but still high quality and still original.

Not to throw a wet blanket on anyone who may be looking to get a bottle of this but I have this iteration and it is NOT the same as the vintage Royal Briar. It is very different and not to my liking. It is not even nearly a clone but something very different. I don't like it.

I fear that whatever the original Royal Briar was made with has been banned and therefore can never be made again. This may have been why Atkinson's in America stopped making it. This is total speculation on my part so take it with a grain of salt. But that stuff Carroll's is peddling is not Royal Briar IMHO.

Chris

[brothers]

Thanks, Chris. I'm glad to learn this. Looks like the good cheap one really is gone forever. What a shame.

[EL Alamein]

Gary, if you have the vintage stuff hang on to it. The Carroll's stuff is different enough to warrant my description, IMHO. That doesn't mean it won't be described as smelling good by some but I just can't buy that it smells the same as the Vintage Royal Briar. They are too different. The original is gone and it's probably best we don't look back.

Chris

[brothers]

Good advice Chris. There was once a gentleman who was something of a mentor to me many years ago. He was a survivor of the Battan Death March during WWII and his name was Milton. He said many times, "never look back".

[Squire]

I respectfully submit that the phrase too cheap to be good is inappropriate in any number of circumstances.

Not if it's accurate. This is a reformulation and not the original that received favorable comments here in years past.

[brothers]

My hat's off to you Squire. You had it right.