Dr. Jon’s “Savannah Sunrise” Shaving Soap Review
Just when I think I know what to expect from Dr. Jon’s, this outstanding soap company goes ahead and throws me another curveball. I feel like a batter, sitting on a full count, with no idea what pitch is coming next. With Anne Bonny, I knew that soap was Dr. Jon’s take on a bay rum. With Classic, I knew what to expect from a “barbershop style” fragrance. With the Big Green Monster, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, but I knew it was going to be bold. But with Savannah Sunrise, my assumptions were completely wrong.
From first glance, the giant peach on Savannah Sunrise’s label screams sugary sweetness. At least to me. Of course, I’ve been known to judge books by their covers before. Maybe I just chose to selectively ignore to words written around that giant peach: Jasmine, Gardenia, Orange Blossom, Honeysuckle, and, yes, Peach. This is not a sweet, summery shaving soap. This is a deep, rich, and floral shaving soap perfect for winter and spring, and the fragrance is much more enticing than I was expecting. The sweetness is there, but the florals really shine.
Prior to the early twentieth century, most men’s fragrances were floral. While rose was the predominant scent, many florals were used in production. In fact, many of the notes we might consider “perfumy” started out as masculine colognes, like Penhaligon’s Hammam Bouquet and White Rose by Floris. Dr. Jon’s Savannah Sunrise is a throwback to that era.
One of the characteristics I’ve noted about Dr. Jon’s soaps is that they typically run a little softer than some other soaps. Savannah Sunrise is the hardest of the Dr. Jon’s soaps I’ve tried. This soap isn’t as hard as some triple-milled British soaps, but it’s hard enough to make loading a brush a little easier (provided you bloom the soap first).
Lather and performance are as outstanding as the other Dr. Jon’s soaps I’ve reviewed. In fact, if you missed it, I named Dr. Jon’s Big Green Monster my top shaving soap of 2015. This soap, however, is all about the fragrance for me. Reminiscent of a time long gone by, I was really surprised by this one. I highly recommend picking up a tin. For those days when you are craving a little more elegance and class in your shave, this is the soap to use.
Regards,
