Stirling is one of my favorite soapmakers in the wetshaving world. I have lauded them for many years for a few important reasons, and no, it is not because they are "elite" in any way.
1. Price
When we talk about artisan soaps, price has to be a consideration. At $14.25 as of the time of this writing, Stirling is cheaper than nearly any other artisan. On top of that, the tubs are listed at 5.8oz, as opposed to the 4oz of Barrister and Mann or Noble Otter, which means that you're getting more product as well. There are cheaper soaps, like Arko... but... that's just the smell of beef and lemon.
2. Variety
It isn't cheap to maintain shelf space for as many scents as Stirling currently does. I am so grateful for the available sizes and scents that are available. I believe it is more than anyone, save for Van Yulay (One of the most toxic-culture soapmakers in the whole community), so I won't count them. While there are quite a few frag dupes in the bunch, I will never complain. Stirling has made many of them much more accessible and has helped me spend my money in buying the "real-thing" after living with a designer scent for a week or two.
3. Performance
Stirling's soap base is not stellar, but it is good. By this, I mean that Stirling sets the baseline for soap performance in Artisan soaps. Nearly all of the "traditional British soaps" fail to meet the "Stirling Threshold", as I like to call it. The soap can take hard water with ease. The soap doesn't require a ton of water. The lather is dense and slick. The protection is good. If you're new to wetshaving, Stirling is the place to start, NOT Taylor of Bond Street.
Stirling Gentleman is a non-dupe scent from Stirling that falls within the fragrance dupes of their lineup. Stirling hasn't done many originals like this from what I recall and they executed this well.
Scent
The scent is listed as being: Tobacco, Vanilla, Amber, and Musk. All of those notes are certainly present in this warm, nearly gourmand scent.
The tobacco note is what hits me first off of the tub and is present as a top note throughout the shave. The vanilla and amber are blended well, forming the middle notes, while a lightly sweet powdery musk remains in the post-shave. There are only four scent ingredients here, so it isn't overly complex, but simplicity can be good when we're talking about heavier scents.
The sweetness is not overwhelming from the vanilla and amber, but should be a consideration in seasonal use. For me, this is much more of a Fall/Winter scent, but since I've paired it with Dolce & Gabbana's The One, it actually works really well in the summer heat.
The scent strength is what I would consider average, lingering on the face for maybe 15-20 minutes after the shave. I would consider this as a masculine scent, and it is suitable for the workplace. I have not tried the aftershave/EdP, however.
Performance
Read above. This isn't elite stuff, but it isn't designed to be either.
Overall
Stirling Gentleman is a good "frag-style" scent that is balanced and suitable for the workplace. I appreciate that Stirling has made some of their own scents and hope that they craft more like this in the future. I can't say that it stands out in any noticeable way from other scents in the same category, but honestly, sometimes that's a good thing.
Would I buy another tub? If I ever manage to work my way through nearly 6oz of soap, yes, I would buy another.
I received no compensation in any way, shape, or form for this review.