Murdock seems good at what they do: creating a simple genuinely urbane line of traditional British gentleman’s colognes of the ilk that used to be common when The Crown Perfumery, Penhaligon’s and Geo F Trumper were all common names on the high street. Unfortunately, many of them relied on oakmoss bases and so got the axe when it came time to choose between paying up for the low-atranol stuff or just discontinuing the scents out of frugality. Vetiver (2011) released right on the cusp of the huge restriction on atranol found in oakmoss, so it was mostly future-proof anyway, and serves in place of now-dead fougère varieties with it’s dry lavender top, semi-nutty/creamy vetiver middle, and tree moss base. The scent of Murdock Vetiver will likely appeal to those who want a brighter, more citric treatment of vetiver without all the smoke, and has enough complexity to avoid being a single-track mind of a vetiver scent like many from the barbershop fragrance realm, but probably won’t appeal to the hardcore vetiver fans that want the nutgrass to smack them right in the face.
The opening is all bergamot and English lavender, with a dry citric and medicinal smell that reminds me a lot of how The Crown Perfumery Sumare (1925) opens, aka “properly British”. The vetiver doesn’t take long to appear and in some ways reminds me a lot of the much more-expensive Roja Parfums Vetiver Cologne (2019) from the fellow British perfumer extraordinaire, but without all the complex blending or litsea cubeba to extend the citrus-like tone into the core of the scent. Instead, the citrus recedes and the vetiver teams with the lavender, providing an earthy almost woody facet to the composition which brings Vetiver by Murdock closer to being a fougère scent than “just a vetiver” fragrance. The base is tree moss and little else besides a puff of musk, but that’s all anyone really needs because the star of the show has already been established by then and all the base does is need to sing in harmony. Wear time is about 6 hours which is the only let down, but this is a cologne so I can’t be too mad. Sillage is also mild after the first 30 minutes, which further asserts this as a real cologne.
For a casual use vetiver cologne of sophistication unexpected at this price level, Murdock offers a really good alternative to something in the niche realm that could cost several times more, but is still much for a barbershop scent with a price tag over $100. Still, joy knows no budgetary constraints and this is quite the happy vetiver, so I see nothing wrong with paying the retail price for someone looking to buy what is essentially a vetiver-focused barbershop fougère made within the confines of IFRA/SCCP regulations. I am a bit perturbed that much of the Murdock line has been put to pasture because oakmoss restriction, and I’m not usually one to obsess about it because I like many things that don’t even contain the note, but Vetiver by Murdock is almost a fair trade. People who want more gusto with their vetiver are still better sticking to classics like Guerlain Vetiver (1961), and someone looking for zestier formats may want to check out designer offerings, but for a light and balanced take, the Murdock has it dialed in just right. Very reserved but also very nice.
