The box for Quorum states that its contents contain alcohol of "vegetal origin." A funny thing to mention, but I guess some folks prefer organic perfumes? Or, perhaps perfumer Sebastian Gomez, who also authored Carolina Herrera's eponymous 1988 feminine, prefers them?
Anyway, this is yet another masculine aromatic from the early 1980s that has zero presence in the blogosphere, and I must ask: why? What is preventing people from writing about this scent? It's from a reputable house, it's 44 years old, and it's still around for a whopping $15 a bottle. For many, Quorum falls into the unofficial "powerhouse" category, i.e., it's a fragrance with tremendous sillage and longevity. There are rumors that the original (now vintage) formula was quite aggressive in the air, but at its current prices, I can't see forking over extra dough just to compare. Quorum is one of the best deals in masculine perfumery, and smells like it could cost twice as much as it does.
If I had to summarize the scent of Quorum in one sentence, it would have to be: it smells like burnt grass in September. The first few seconds yield a synthetic grapefruit citrus note, intermingled with a light touch of bitter cigar tobacco and a heavier dose of pine. At the three-minute point, the grapefruit recedes, and the pine steps forward, along with a very spicy arrangement of carnation, cyclamen, patchouli, cumin, and oakmoss. This lasts for the remainder of the scent's duration. The overall effect is one of sun-singed greens mixed with expired evergreen, akin to the aroma of long-dead pine needles wafting up to greet you as you stroll on a path in a forest. Only the ravages of rainless summer months could yield this effect, and usually it's the first few crisp autumn days that amplify it. As a woody chypre in the Polo family, Quorum celebrates when some greens turn yellow, red, and brown. Two or three sprays will give you an arm's length of sillage and at least eight hours of gentle longevity, but stack on additional sprays, and you'll clear the office.
When applied judiciously, Quorum has excellent balance and a nice, dry-green aura. However, the artificial grapefruit gets super-sweet and cloying if you over-apply. If the citrus was handled better (perhaps made with better materials), Quorum would be a five-star masculine. It shares with things like Old Spice and Green Irish Tweed the gift of situational duality; you can wear this at home, at work, or at play. As it stands, it could use a little freshening, but I enjoy it as a worthy addition to my autumnal rotation. Everyone sniffs things differently, and you may or may not get a leathery vibe from Quorum. I don't really smell leather here, and I'm glad. I'll take a musty pine over leather any day of the week. This is a good one, and well worth owning. Just don't overdo it.