The 7 Best Colognes for Dads

Leave it to niche perfume brand D.S. & Durga, who are known for their twisted, irreverent fumes (as co-founder and perfumer David Seth Moltz calls his creations), to take the idea of the traditional Dad cologne and make it younger, cooler and ultra modern. This new collection of three colognes are shockingly lightweight and wearable, yet inspired by classic Fatherly tropes. There is our personal favorite Golfjazz, an homage to the fresh chypre scents of the 80’s with notes of fresh lime and green grass anchored in smooth earthy leather. Grey Blazer, inspired by, you guessed it, the perfect grey suit with notes of spices, hedgerow flowers, virgin wool and tea is a surprisingly cozy and subtle scent with a slightly crisp airy bent. Rounding out the collection is Rum Bay Rum, a twist on one of the oldest of old school colognes (your classic Bay Rum) with a smooth base of sandalwood layered with west indian bay, lime and neroli that smells a little like your grandpa but much cooler.

This cologne is literally the tale of two Dads. Partially inspired by Arquiste founder Carlos Huber’s own father and sultry nights he spent in 1970’s era Aculpulco discotheques (you know, the shirt open down the navel, gold chain, dancing under the stars type of places), this cologne is deep, musky and animalic with just a hint of sweat. But it’s also inspired by uber-Daddy Tom Selleck in his Hawaiian shirt and short shorts Magnum P.I. era and has a hint of fresh spiciness from notes like Moroccan rosemary, Egyptian geranium and vetiver. Not for nothing, this the cologne I spray on when I want to feel my most Daddy—and it never disappoints.

You know those cool dads when you were a kid that had the sports car in the driveway, were the first ones of your friend’s parents to get a cell phone (the brick-sized kind) and always hosted the best pool parties? This is what those dudes smelled like. This nostalgia-laced scent harkens back to the aquatic fresh colognes of the 90’s (you know the ones) with top notes like bergamot and lavender but dries down to smooth sandalwood and manly musk at the base. It might take you right back to your childhood, but somehow it smells just as cool today as it would have back then.

If it ain’t broke, why fix it, am I right? Essentially unchanged since this classic cologne debuted in 1973, not only is this musky masterpiece ultra budget friendly, but it’s one of the most iconic Dad scents around. It’s incredibly long lasting, thanks the to the heavy hand of musk (seriously, this is musky AF), but it’s not oppressive thanks to other notes like carnation, Amalfi lemon, lime, lavender and amber that help to temper the musk and make it smoother and lighter. Make no mistake though, this is a musky juice that amplifies your natural skin scent into something very appealing and nostalgic. We guarantee at least one dad you know wore this at some point in his life—and some might still to this day.

This deep, dark, traditionally masculine cologne is for the elegant Daddy. It’s very much a leather fragrance, and some say has a sharp gasoline quality (also very polarizing). It’s sharp at first but dries down quickly to a leathery, musky, warm skin type scent that’s bold but not overpowering. It’s the type of cologne you can imagine an 80’s Wall Street power broker wearing on a night out (which makes sense since it was released in 1988) and honestly, who doesn’t want to harness some of that energy every once in a while?

In many ways, this classic 1980’s chypre, a musky-fresh-earthy vibe, is the most classic dad cologne on this list. I’ll let Esquire commerce editor Luke Guillory explain: “My grandpa, we called him Pops, wore this as an aftershave back when Coty produced the fragrance, and it was more herbaceous. You can buy new old stock bottles on eBay, but I’ve just transitioned to the new stuff. The new stuff is sweeter, but still has that old man earthiness. It lasts way longer than a cologne should. It’s not for everyone, but it’s classic American man, like Pops.”

This ultra masculine scent is for the Daddy with a dark side. It’s incredibly leathery and smokey and takes those notes right to the edge without crossing the line into aggressive. Those notes are tempered by woods and incense, giving it a smoother, slightly spicy air that makes it feel elegant but still dominant. We’re talking more Daddy than dad here and that might be polarizing to some people because you can’t shy away from this cologne. It is the type of scent that announces itself and demands to be noticed, like the snap of a leather belt. This is by far the cologne that I personally get the most comments about so I’d say wear it with caution, but then again, does a Daddy need to be told what to do?