# Comptoir Sud Pacifique — Vetyver Haiti

> Vetyver Haiti is one of Comptoir Sud Pacifique's earliest fragrances, originally launched in 1977 as an EDT in the brand's signature tin/metal-can bottle, and it is unusual within CSP's vanilla-and-tr

## Essence
Vetyver Haiti is one of Comptoir Sud Pacifique's earliest fragrances, originally launched in 1977 as an EDT in the brand's signature tin/metal-can bottle, and it is unusual within CSP's vanilla-and-tropical-gourmand identity: it marries the house's sweet/creamy sensibility to a vetiver centerpiece. The original is less a classic dry vetiver than a soft, spicy, creamy-vanilla-tinged take on the note, with a boozy rum-and-tonka drydown - "Habanita meets Mitsouko," as one wearer reports reviewer put it. It was reissued in a reformulated EDP in 2016, which is a markedly different, purer and smokier vetiver. The 1977 original is the discontinued vintage; the catalog entry refers to that original.
## Scent Profile
On the original (the discontinued 1977 EDT): a light lemon/bergamot citrus opens, sometimes with a saline edge, before the vetiver takes over - but allied to a creamy vanilla and spice (reviewers detect cinnamon-like warmth, possibly from carnation/clove) rather than presented raw. It is "both soft and creamy, but also somewhat dark, spicy, and earthy," strong on application but "not at all sharp like Route du Vetiver." The drydown is the distinctive part: tonka, vetiver and "lots of rum," a slightly dirty, grungy, tropical-rainy-day impression. A long-lasting lemon note threads through for some wearers. The signature accord is creamy-vanillic vetiver, which polarizes: one wearer reports reviewer found it "screechy and sharply metallic" before it softened. By contrast, the 2016 EDP reissue is described as a nearly pure earthy/smoky vetiver with citrus - "extremely smoky... like a wet ashtray full of stubbed-out Turkish cigarettes" to one wearer reports critic.
## Performance
Performance evidence is limited but positive on longevity. A wearer reports forum user reported "at least 6 hours without losing projection" from a single application of the (EDP) version with "good projection." Original-formula reviewers also describe it as "quite strong when first applied" with "pretty longevity." For a CSP - a house notorious for weak-lasting scents - Vetyver Haiti is among the better performers. Reasonable reading: moderate-to-good longevity, moderate projection; the wearer reports wearers sillage/longevity averages sit in the mid-range.
## Wearing Context
A versatile unisex woody scent. Reviewers lean it toward warm/mild weather and summer ("a like for summer, but only if sprayed lightly behind the knees," evoking "a humid tropical forest"), though the smoky 2016 version reads as more cool-weather-capable. It suits casual daytime wear and vetiver lovers wanting something off the beaten path. The creamy-vanilla original may feel too unusual for those expecting a crisp green vetiver; the 2016 reissue better serves purists. Practical reading, given modest review volume.
## Comparisons & DNA
Within the vetiver canon, reviewers explicitly contrast it with the sharp/savage style of Route du Vetiver and Vetiver de Puig (it is softer than both), and with synthetic-vetiver Lalique Encre Noire (the original CSP reads more "natural, less pungent"). One detailed wearer reports review draws a vintage-DNA line to Molinard Habanita and Guerlain Mitsouko via the vetiver-vanilla-and-creamy-base interplay. wearer reports forum users have cross-shopped it against Etat Libre d'Orange The Fat Electrician (another vanilla-vetiver), and the 2016 EDP was likened to Diptyque, Givenchy and Buxton vetivers. DNA: a soft, creamy/sweet vetiver - distinct from the dominant dry-earthy-smoky school.
## Reception
Reception is genuinely split and low-volume. Vetiver enthusiasts find it "a surprising vetiver scent, rich in spice notes... somewhat boozey... very interesting" and "unlike any I've tried before," prizing its creamy, unusual character. Detractors find the vanilla-vetiver marriage off-putting - "screechy and sharply metallic," or, in one harsh wearer reports verdict, "straight from a failed lab experiment... verily I hate thee." The 2016 reissue drew its own polarization over heavy smokiness.  Blind-buy verdict: a try-before-you-buy curiosity for adventurous vetiver fans, not a safe crowd-pleaser.
## Versions & Reformulation
Two clearly distinct versions. (1) The 1977 original EDT, in CSP's tin/metal-can bottle - the vanilla-leaning, spicy, rum-tonka vetiver; now discontinued and vintage-only. (2) A 2016 reissue/reformulation as EDP in a clear glass bottle, launched alongside Coeur d'Ylang and Rhum & Tabac and announced by CSP (via Now Smell This, March 30, 2016) as "the revival of one of the most important perfume from Comptoir Sud Pacifique," with the "original formula... improved to exalt the main ingredient... Vetiver." The 2016 EDP notes are lemon, Italian bergamot, vetiver and cedar, and it is purer/smokier than the original. wearer reports even lists "Vetyver Haiti (2016)" as a separate entry. Sold in 30 and 100 ml EDP at reissue.
## Acquisition Notes
The original 1977 EDT is discontinued and found only on the secondary market - a wearer reports reviewer cited vintage EDT bottles around ~$35 on eBay France. The current reissued EDP retails around ~$110 (per the same wearer reports reviewer, who judged it overpriced versus Diptyque/Buxton/Jovoy vetivers and said they'd buy at ~$50). Note both price figures trace to a single user review rather than an official price list, so treat them as approximate. The EDP remains available via CSP's own site and niche retailers in 30/100 ml; decants/samples circulate. Confirm whether you're buying vintage tin-can EDT or the modern glass EDP, as they smell substantially different.
## Notable Facts & Lore
- CSP was founded in 1974 by Pierre and Josee Fournier - who are, notably, the parents of Pierre Montale of the Montale brand - and the house built its identity on tropical and especially vanilla-centric gourmands inspired by the founders' Polynesian travels; original scents were "preciously sealed in metal bottles, miniature replicas of those used to ship essential oils."
- Within that chronology Vetyver Haiti (1977) is among the very earliest releases - roughly the third or fourth, after the 1975 Vanille/Vanille Passion and 1976 Vanille Mokha - and is explicitly an early outlier from the vanilla template.
- CSP positions it as drawing on the vetiver fields of the Caribbean (Haitian vetiver oil), and the brand itself calls it "one of the most important" perfumes in its history.
- CSP changed hands in 2010, later led by Valerie Pianelli.