Cedar Confusion

Some may like the warm smell of cedar. Some may not. I hesitate to put this smell in the “like it or leave it” category, but I believe that is where it belongs. Cedar, at least in its woody, planky form has a wonderful earthy sweet smell that does remind people of either forests or mothballs. I like the warmth that the smell imparts. Well this is nice and where, pray tell, are you going with this?
Here…
I have heard in the time that I have spent on the boards about the Penhaligon’s Blenheim Bouquet; a supposed heartless fragrance that is supposed to be a Churchill favorite. I noted when I first used the BB that the main smells were Bergamot, Cedar and perhaps a little Pine. I know that there were other citrus and woods in the scent but Bergemot and Cedar are very heady and do tend to cover things up. What I can say about this scent is that it is not overpowering and lasts for a good amount of time. The Cedar/Pine are a bit sharp, but not too much as to cause one to dislike it. The downside to this scent is price. It is very expensive, but if you can afford the scent it will be worth it.
What’s that you say, you do not have the cash for the BB. Try Men’s Pino. It is cheaper and smells NEARLY identical to BB. Of course there are some note differences, and it doesn’t smell as refined as BB, but it is also nearly one-quarter the price.
Want to go cheaper. Try Burts Bees A/S Cream and Cologne. It has a similar profile to BB but has added flowers and other profiles that distinguish it. You know this is not BB, but it is also not that far away.
Up for debate is T&H Trafalger. It has similar citrus and wood notes that are reminiscent of BB, but not as defined or nuanced.
BB is definitely the king of the Castle, but a close second would be, for me at least, Trafalger. If you like a refined, well rounded scent profile go with the BB, if you like a good well rounded scent profile without the price go with T&H.