Eight & Bob and the Kennedys

When you’re first building your cologne collection, you’re going to encounter a lot of difficult words at first that describe different styles. One of these is the “aromatic fougere”, a warm, spicy style that accounts for an enormous amount of the men’s fragrance field. But what is it?

An aromatic fougere is a fancy term for a spicy (think kitchen spices), slightly citrusy, and woody cologne. The word “fougere” is French for fern, and the original fougeres men wore in the 1800’s had bright, green accents along with the spice.

A good fougere fragrance has a full menu of great-smelling ingredients: orange or lemon citrus, warm spices like nutmeg, cedar, or basil, and a solid base of usually vetiver, labdanum, or patchouli.

And Eight & Bob’s The Original could quite possibly be the only aromatic fougere you’ll ever need. It has all the hallmarks of what makes an aromatic fougere so interesting, and even better, it comes with a Presidential pedigree.

There is a story that President John F. Kennedy discovered this fragrance on vacation overseas and requested several samples of it sent back to America, which is where the “Eight & Bob” label originates. The eight samples plus one for Bob, or Robert Kennedy, John’s brother. And to honor both Kennedys, Eight & Bob collaborated with the Robert F. Kennedy Foundation for a special edition release, donating a portion of the sales to promote the advocacy of human rights world-wide.

So what does it smell like? The top notes start with bright, sparkling lemon set against sharp energizing ginger and sweet, spicy cardamom. After the spicy hit fades, you’ll pick up delicious hazelnuts, smooth tangy cedar, and the caramel smoke of guaiac wood. The base features warm vanilla, creamy sandalwood, and light patchouli accents.

Eight & Bob The Original is tailor-made for cologne seekers who can appreciate its pedigree and incredibly smooth, sweet, and refined textures. This is an aromatic fougere to always have on hand, and one to judge many others against as you build your collection.