Biehl – GS02 eau de parfum review

GS02 or The Lonesome Cowboy is one of the most famous perfumes by the artisanal and unusual German niche brand Biehl that appeared on the market in 2007. Biehl is a kind of an olfactory gallery in which the creator and his work are at the forefront. The entire visual moment is minimalistically naked. All for the essence, and the essence is in the perfume, unnecessary elements are stripped down. The packaging is simple, and perfume names are simplified to the maximum. They are comprised of coded names – initials of perfumer and number of his work…all for the sole purpose of focusing just on the perfume itself. Let the fragrance speak. An approach so simple, but so refreshing in the cluttered, modern perfume industry in which the fragrance itself is in the back of people’s minds. Everyone’s attention is focused on superficial things like presentation, packaging, name, and advertising.

From Biehl they say about GS02:

Charisma. Determination. Arrogance can be erotic, after all.

And more:

My vision of modern masculinity: independence, enjoying life to the full. An urban cowboy. More likely to be found in a leather armchair in a bar than a saddle. Fine cigar, strong drink – not for show, but pure pleasure. This was the basic idea for ‘lonesome cowboy’, which later became gs02.

The edgy, distinctive headnote is cultivated by bitter-fruity Campari orange and spicy absinthe. Elegant woody notes combined with tobacco leaf absolute conjure up the presence of cigars. Castoreum and the leathery-balsamic base add depth and a virile, animalic character. Very sexy…

GS02 is one of those perfumes like Chinatown by Bond no 9 that transcend superficiality, kitsch, which are the dare and indispensable elements of modern man. Maybe GS02 is a joke of a kind? A bit frivolous and irritating, but there is something underneath that is undeniably attractive and seductive. GS02 skilfully conceals its complexity and depth from those who are willing to rate it with just one flair. Like the book The Name of the Rose by Umberto Ecco, the prize awaits only those patient enough.

The perfume composition of GS02 is leathery, and the opening is very juicy, refreshing, composed of fragrant notes of Campari and Absinthe. All lovers of liquors and spirits, even without tasting it, will be able to conjure up a well-known blend of red (bloody) oranges and wormwood, which form the basis of these liquid treats. Shortly afterward, first quietly, then more and more strongly, the dominant rumble is composed of a bold, distinctive mixture of leather and castoreum notes that you cannot ignore. Castoreum, now banned, as well as other fragrant notes of animal origin like musk, civet, and ambergris, is sensible in GS02. Its naturally animalic, leathery, spicy, slightly dirty, and erotic scent dominates both in nature and in the perfume because that is his essence. In life, it serves to mark the territory, and I think that the creator of this perfume, Geza Shoen, had it in mind when he created the Lonesome Cowboy. And that is to make a perfume that would help modern cowboys mark their territory. All this is rounded off by the warm, thick notes of tobacco, amber, and vanilla that gave acceptable and civilized allure to composition otherwise dominated only by primal forces, urges, and notes. GS02 is truly a perfume for modern cowboys, of both sexes, who do not give up a distinctive cowboy spirit that defies rules and norms.

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT FANTASTIC LEATHERY FRAGRANCES: unapologetic Aoud Cuir d’Arabie by Montale, flamboyant Fucking Fabulous by Tom Ford and sexy classic Bandit by Piguet.

Perfume creator is Geza Schoen.