I've found a few .com's that will ship cologne samples. But for the more esoteric ones (Boellis Panama 1924 comes to mind), their standard response is; "Well, that's a limited edition and we don't do samples."

All fine, well, and good. But in this economy, with most of these fragrances costing upwards of $150.00+, I'd like to try before I buy. I don't pay any attention to the descriptors on their web sites, nor should anyone else, IMHO. These scents ultimately have a different response on everyone when worn.

My sister works on panels for P&G in Ohio whose members are chosen for their olfactory and taste abilities. I recently ordered five samples of colognes I thought sounded interesting. She was able to identify a lot of things that were conveniently left out of not only the descriptors, but the top notes as well. Things like known allergens and irritants.

FWIW