New Haarlem vs Bleecker St
Side by side. Scored honestly.
← Compare different fragrances
No shared notes — these two land in very different territory.
Side by side
Comparing the originals — price, breadth, listed-note depth.
Opens with dark-roasted coffee cut through by clean, slightly medicinal lavender — an unusual pairing that reads more barbershop-meets-café than straightforward gourmand. The heart softens as praline and vanilla start building a caramelized sweetness, while sandalwood provides a creamy, woody anchor. Patchouli is present but restrained, adding depth without going earthy. The dry-down is rich and skin-close, projecting moderately before settling into a warm, sweet, woody sillage that lingers for hours — best suited for cold-weather evenings and anyone who wants something edible but not cloying.
Bergamot and grapefruit open clean and bright, lifted by pink pepper that keeps things from tipping into generic citrus territory. The heart is where it earns its price — iris brings a cool, slightly powdery softness that blends into cedarwood with real elegance. The dry-down settles into amber and musk, warm but never heavy, leaving a smooth woody skin-scent with decent sillage and moderate projection that fades gradually over several hours — best worn in cooler months or transitional weather by anyone who wants an understated, polished daily driver.
How they overlap
New Haarlem and Bleecker St share no notes in common — these two fragrances target very different olfactory territory, and the comparison is a question of which direction you want to go rather than which version of the same accord.
The buying decision
New Haarlem is the cheaper original at $195 compared to $275 for Bleecker St — about 29% less.
Recommendation
These two land in genuinely different scent territory — there's no "better" answer, just which direction you want to go. Read the scent descriptions above and pick the one that sounds like you'd want to smell.