1805 Tonnerre

This is pure "Pirates of the Caribbean" No I don't mean the Disney ride, or the movies. Though I do think you could make a case for it, as at least I consider the first movie an amazing contemporary swashbuckling adventure in the vein of the old Cary Grant swashbucklers. But no, this is a step back into history itself. Its a fragrance that conjures a specific image / scene in time. Maybe not an actual historical event, but a romantic general feel of an era long gone. Its a battle. A maneuverable schooner manned by privateers of ill repute has gained upon a slower but less armed trade barque. The Jolly Roger is raised and cannons begin to fly. This is it. Its all or nothing. Will the dastardly crew of ne'erdowells make their mark? Here you have the woods. The cedars and other woods that represent the lumber that ships of that golden age of piracy would have been built from. You smell the pungent scent of the gunpowder, smoke and tar. The battle is raging, full on and feverishly. Cannons fly and muskets fire. The deck is burning. You have rum and lime notes. Sure the official note is "brandy" but i do get the rum.. Rum, that most precious of cargo, almost as precious as gold itself, is what hangs in the balance. And the lime, essential on such long voyages as these trade ships required the vitamin C in order to stave off the scurvy. And of course the sea notes which represent the oceanic battlefield that this struggle is unfolding upon. Maybe I'm being dramatic. Maybe I'm a weird pirate enthusiast (I dont think I am? Though ill admit the golden age of piracy is undeniably intriguing). But I've never smelt a fragrance quite so evocative of such a specific place in time, history, and geography. Its certainly a romantic notion. I've had whiffs of scents that evoke an Irish countryside, a mountain meadow, an Italian coastline. General pleasant milieus. But nothing quite like this. Would I wear this out? Actually I don't know. I dont think it's a particularly enjoyable scent in the sense that one could wear it out and about and not garner some weird looks. Even the manliness and classiest of Sean Connery-esque males would be better off with some other offerings, even from Beaufort's challenging collections. But dear lord I can't stop smelling this, closing my eyes, and drifting into a fantastical long gone age.

I'm getting slightly irritated with the amount of smoky fragrances out there, whether it's intentional or not especially the ones that smell of food or BBQ sauce. Tonnerre however is pretty stunning to my nose and despite the huge amount of thick birch tar and realistic smoke in here I actually get a overriding freshness and metallic citrus too. What a fascinating combination of notes, the smoke is very very apparent in the opening and I actually thought would be the only thing left even after a very short period but that's not the case at all. It's actually the smoke that dies back on my skin. It's still there but giving way to more of a prickly gunpowder smell and slightly boozy woods and even a marine/aquatic suggestion. It really does have a brandy or whisky note in there, I often smell my whisky before drinking and it's reminscent of inhaling the warming vapours. It reminds me a little bit of MiN Moon dust and equally divisive scent but this is nicer in many ways. I like this a great deal, it's kooky in a good way I smell like I'm wearing some fresh citrus/aquatic and I've been sitting by a campfire for 2 hours. Oh the smoke does remain and looms large again as the rest of the notes die back in the deep drydown. Update: This stuff lasted very well on my skin and kinda smelled like aqua de Loewe EL a bit of bonfire and that flint like, wet stone, gunpowder note which is an acquired taste but to me totally captivating. Update 28/09/22 Well it appears I've truly come full circle with this one. I'm not annoyed by the tenacious smoke, and I stick to all the broadly positive stuff I said about Tonnere and it's mixture of flinty, BBQ meat smoke and dark old ship, salty sea spray and aquatic limes. HOWEVER... There's an element to that metallic, musky, biting aquatic accord which no longer sits well with me and I just can't let this go without expressing it. I once called 212 Men Surf one of the worst pieces of shit I'd ever had the misfortune of smelling because of this said same, 'DEATHLAC' bug spray note within that perfume, well surprise, surprise, because it exists in Tonnere too. Not quite enough to put me off the good stuff, the creativity and narrative building but enough to make me never want to purchase this perfume or ever wear it again. So there's that.

Opened this bad boy up after 2 weeks of waiting, I couldn't be more happy, this is everything I wanted in a heavy smoke fragrance and more. It opens with a pretty heavy birch tar note alongside what seems to be gun powder? but I get this metallic/lime opening instead; the lime note seems to be more of lime peel so it is extremely bitter making the opening really harsh. After 10 minutes it settles down and you get that insanely good gun powder accord mixed with that birch tar note and it's to die for. Don't be fooled by the lack of notes and think this is pretty linear because it's a literal journey from pirates taking off in thir ship for a voyage then having a shipwreck occur to the final moments being a drowning ship into the endless abyss that is the ocean. I was shocked when the one hour mark hit and all of a sudden I got this nice aquatic woody notes kicking in taming down the heavy birch tar and smoke notes. Trust me, as weird and as unappealing as aquatic may sound on a smokey perfume, just ignore that and take my word, whatever aquatic accord they have blended, it is working wonders for the perfume, it's so dang addicting. Right after 2 hours the fragrance really settles into the skin and sadly turns into a skin scent (tho this is from a 1ml decant bottle, so performance could vary due to them using a really poorly kept version of the bottle so don't think that's the actual projection and longevity you will get from a brand new bottle.) As it dries down those marine/aquatic notes disappear and you're left with a subtle smokey birch tar amber note with what seems to be ambergris? since it does seems a tad bit salty. In conclusion, this is a real experience and it's honestly so addicitng, any fans of a city on fire or T rex by zoologist needs to get this on their collection. I can't really say it's unwearable because I would wear the heck out of this.

I’m a huge BeauFort London fan and I planned to test this frag for half a year. I’ve read some reviews and didn’t believe that it can smell like ham. But... Let’s begin from the start, okay? First of all, it’s a recognisable BeauFort London’s masterpiece. From the first seconds you can tell it’s from their house. Secondly, at first it really smells like bacon. Sincerely, in first seconds I got pure gunpowder and brandy with salty notes, but it all turned into a bacon within a minute. Like, roasted to a crust bacon, marinated in brandy and some pure natural spices (salt and pepper). Thirdly, I caught the smell of a wet wood and thought of a campfire, but in a few seconds I’ve realised it’s a ship’s deck, wet of salty water ‘cause of the raging storm! And here comes the meaning of this frag’s name - “Tonnerre” means “Thunder” in old French. So, this “roasted bacon” appears to be kinda burning flesh of sailors full of brandy, I guess. Fourthly, more and more I wear it on my wrist - more and more I realise the depth of the picture behind this frag. Indeed, another artpiece. It’s a dark journey of a sailing ship which found itself inside of a deadly thunder. It’s full of wet shipboard wood, gunpowder ready to explode, salty water over the ship’s hull, full of pain and heavy emotions, full of burning flesh and screams, full of dark raging thunder and death. “1805 Tonnerre” shows us a picture of a peaceful journey of drunken sailors who got into a deadly trap of an untamed element. Every frag from BeauFort London shows us a full scene, an art, a pure masterpiece. If you smell something strange at first - just wait a little and give it a chance, as their frags are really complicated and can’t open fully in one second. You don’t have to like BeauFort London’s works, but you can’t disagree with their gorgeousness.

This is Great. It didn't wow me, like "Vi Et Armis" did. But it still has an impact. There is less happening here, and that could be why i didn't quite have the wow factor. It's supposed to be a scent image of being in battle on an old war ship in the start of 1800's, with cannons firing and the smell of wooden ship and the sea. And I get it. I actually thought "Vi Et Armis" was more "cannon fire smoke" like than "Tonnerre" (I got an official sample of the whole "Come Hell Or High Water" series). Lot's of pure black gunsmoke, which i love. Fir is also clearly present. The sea water note is also all over the scent, giving the marine location of a warship. A metallic note also lingers throughout the scents lifetime. Some lime is lingering in the background, neither sweet nor tart, but a nice middle ground. I however can't detect any brandy, amber, or cedar. But what i get i really like. I Love that smoke accord. It's my favorite type of smoke note. Not cigarette/tobacco, burning wood, or incense type based. There is a hint of "old sweat, dirty cloths on a man" note here in the background, depicting the crew on the ship. Remember that this is Not a crowd pleaser focused fragrance, but an artistic fragrance. Once in a while, I get a "hotdog water" smell. Very smokey hotdog water. It does calm down pretty quickly on me, and becomes quite pleasant and wearable after a little bit. Wearing this would be quite nice, if sprayed a little bit before leaving home. Personally, i like the opening to, so I'd spray right before leaving home. Personal score: 9/10. Interesting. Worth trying, worth buying. Wearable for winter and fall, so, yeah, i'll buy it if i find it, even at retail.

WARNING: I wrote the following review, sung badly, in my head to ABBA's Waterloo I was defeated, you won the war . . . . that’s basically how 1805 Tonnerre announces itself the moment it hits skin. One spray in and the cannons are already firing: gunpowder smoke, salt, char, a metallic tang that feels less like perfume and more like standing too close to history while it’s still exploding. Napoleon did surrender, oh, yeah. The history book on the shelf; is always repeating itself . . . . this is not a scent that negotiates. It doesn’t ask if you’re ready. It advances. Smoke rolls in like fog over a battlefield, followed by scorched wood and that eerie, cold mineral note that suggests iron, blood, and wet earth. You don’t wear Tonnerre; you surrender to it. I tried to resist, but history has a way of repeating itself. I was defeated, you won the war And yes, at the place where destiny waits, you realize resistance is useless. The composition is brutal but precise, promise to love you forever more, nothing decorative. Every note feels intentional, as if mapped like super trouper movements. There’s beauty here, but it’s the severe beauty of discipline, loss, and inevitability, not florals and comfort. Knowing my fate is to be with you By the drydown, mamma mia, the smoke softens just enough to let the salt and woods breathe, like the quiet after the noise stops and you’re the dancing queen left standing, stunned, knowing me knowing you, the battlefield outcome was decided long before you showed up. Finally facing my Waterloo, I waved the white flag somewhere around hour six. Ooh-ooh, Waterloo. Wa-Wa-Wa-Wa-Waterloo.

I think other people might find this repugnant or at least unwearable but I am a freak and I love it. This is not a traditional scent by any means. It's like if an 18th century naval battle was sexy. This would be a good scent for anyone who thinks pine tar should be a cologne (I am one of these people). Really strong on the smoke and the lemon but also surprisingly the woody notes, which, as someone who's worked with 18th century sailing vessels before, makes a pretty decent approximation of pine tar for a little while. I do get a sense of the gunsmoke but not in the uber-realistic sulfuric way (which honestly is almost a bit disappointing), which makes it realistically wearable. I definitely feel some marine vibes but not in a way I can really identify, which I suppose is sort of how it goes with a lot of marine notes, but we'll see. I also haven't gotten any sense of the meat/BBQ notes some people complain about. Overall much more wearable than I expected it to be and definitely more complex than just smoke as some reviews say. Definitely a masculine scent, but not in a traditional way at all, and not aggressively so; I find the citrus gives it a really nice brightness that I think is necessary for any scent trying to represent the open ocean. For a war-inspired cologne it's not brooding or skulking at all—it makes me feel adventurous more than anything else; not dark, but dashing. Honestly? It's like a cologne wearing a cologne—like if you were a well-groomed, well-perfumed gentleman officer who just happened to step off the Napoleonic battlefield.

Just decided to go for a full bottle of this one. I get sea spray, tar, gun smoke and vivid images of tallships back in the days of pirates and discovery heroes. But most of all it ́s a very "outdoorsy" scent, very masculine and navally inspired. The fresh air that bursts upon you on the northern seafront on a stormy day, brisk and invigorating. At the same time it quite sexy; like sniffing the neckline of a bearded, strong helmsman coming in from the stormy seas. I ́m actually very impressed by Beaufort and their unusual approach to perfumery. These scents are not "for the feminine budoir" or just the conventional "nice", they are somewhat brutal and represent a different set of values. The fragrances appear to be created by men who seem not to have found an appealing philosophy in the already existing perfume market. Beaufort is the answer to this, a different way of thinking of fragrance. I find it very attractive, well done and full of integrity. This review is written after coming back to the brand one year after I first tried their first three scents. At the time I was intrigued, but not fully convinced. Now however, after learning so much about fragrance over the last year and really finding my way and becoming A LOT more picky, I truly appreciate the high level of perfumery in this brand. Gentlemen; it ́s time to try a different approach to smelling good. This may very well suit you more than you think!

Found this one while on holiday in Byron Bay Australia. I had never heard of the house before and made the mistake of inhaling the fragrance off the tester strip like a seagull downing a hot chip. It nearly ripped the back out of my nose with the smoke. I couldn't get the smile off my face and had to test it on skin. For the rest of the day i wandered around with it on the back of my hand. The smell was so foreign that you couldn't ignore it and it truly lasted all day. The thing with this fragrance is the duality of the pungent smoke and the sweet citrus. Its almost like taking capsicum spray to the face it hits that hard. This is NOT for everyone and I would not buy without testing. In fact i wouldn't bother smelling it unless you were wearing it as the tester strip will not give you all the story as it unfolds over hours. This is a very personal indulgence fragrance as i revel in it but to be honest it will not get you many positive comments. This is the sort of fragrance that i can use on a boys poker night or at the pub if i want to be alpha. Scents like this are the gems that keep me collecting.

You wanted smoke you got smoke now WEAR IT. Exquisite, breathtaking cold smoke scent. Cold in the sense of that first truly cold day in November, when you catch a whiff of burning in the atmosphere, dry brush and wood smoke. At first, smelling on paper or just after being sprayed, the word that comes to mind is evil. It smells chemical, aggressive, not unlike poppers. You panic and think for god's sake I'm going to have to shower. Within a minute you catch it opening up. I think our noses are just not designed for such an assault, or whatever aldehyde synthetic is layered in there. It becomes glorious, fresh wood smoke, a touch of turf smoke, smoke in a kind of country, tweed environment. It reminds me of Christmas in Ireland. This will forever be my ultimate smoke scent. Do not expect it to bend to you, being made overly appealing. This is not an incense, resinous smoke that none of us encounter in real life, or outside of a church. It's wood smoke. And it's beautiful. 10/10, don't wear at the office or you might be pinned as a pyromaniac.

The journey of 1805 Tonnerre by BeauFort London is truly remarkable. It begins with a bold explosion of smoky and burnt notes, reminiscent of a barbecue. This initial intensity quickly transforms into a distinctive gunpowder aroma, evoking memories of New Year's fireworks and lingering smoke. After two hours, the fragrance mellows into a captivating blend of dark sea, subtle gunpowder, and damp wood—a contemplative and evocative driftwood at sea essence. As time passes, around the six-hour mark, it transitions into a comforting, warm, and slightly saline sweet amber, ultimately settling into a delightful skin scent. This fragrance is an artistic olfactory journey, a testament to its complexity and evolution. A pro tip: apply it directly to your skin, as it truly unfolds and develops its unique character in contrast to paper or clothing, where it can remain stuck in the BBQ-like opening.

Growing up, I always wanted to be a pirate. Now I can, at least, smell like one! Extreme birch smoke that hits after the top notes of burnt electronics and copper wiring coated in rubber has settled down. The top notes are very challenging (so much so, that you should NOT smell on paper - this is fragrance only works on skin). But as mentioned, the steely, electric top notes do settle down after 30 mins or so, and when they do, the smoke really helps to balance out the fragrance. The body is a smokey, boozy, concatenation of pirates and bikers - which is to say, I think there is also something a little leathery with hintns of tobacco there. As for the base notes, I haven't been awake long enough yet to experince these... I can still smell the smokiness on a jacket I wore over a month ago (needless to say, the longevity is insane, and do NOT spray on clothing!)

Tried it, had to have it, this is period war with boats and tassles and ridiculous proclamations. As mentioned, this has been updated, it is now called Tonnerre (Both a commune in France, and a line of French Naval vessels), and comes in a more fitting dark bottle, much like the one seen for the new Lignum Vitae release from the BeauFort house. The packaging and presentation is very nice, though the sprayer just looks/feels a little cheaper than everything else, albeit it works fine. The thing that made me love this immediately was the opening, the lime really shoots the sea, and the gunpowder, and the smoke up your nozzer with a flash. The rest of the drydown, etc, I need to explore at my leisure, but overall, the aftermath smoke lingers, something woody, dark, rounded, and strangely comforting(to me) persists. I think it's a bit of a new fave for me.

First tried this a year ago now when I was very new to artist perfumery and absolutely hated it. Today I saw the sample sat there and thought id give it a wear again. The first 30 second were very very intense almost sickening with all the smoke and a strange metallic note that persists the whole time (it's not noted on here but after looking elsewhere Its definitely the blood note that mixes amazing with the subtle lime). From here it's an beautiful fragrance that will keep you sniffing it through the day perfectly capturing a smokey battle over a cold rough ocean. The smokes an interesting one it's much more realistic than anything else IV tried and comes across in a very cold sort of way (probably from the metaly blood). It's one of the few I'd never wear to college but nonetheless I'd consider buying a bottle especially for winter

I got Tonnerre as a Christmas present, and honestly, and it was present with a bang. To be precise, as a gunpowder bang. There is something masochistically good about this fragrance. It is powerful so do not overspray it. What I ended up doing is I was layering Tennere with other things I wear like Hermes Agar Ebene or some citruses, but Tennerre is beating them all. Sometimes when I am in a bad mood, I spray it and enjoy the power and beauty of raw smoke, wood, and salt to uplift my spirit. I loved Comme des Garcons Incense Avignon, but Tennerre is totally different beast. If you layer Tennere with something amber-like, then you get to Avignon's mood. I thought that I used it a lot but now I checked my bottle only 5-7ml is down. I have a feeling our journey has just begun.

I have a bottle of the original, bought from Bloom in Spitalfields when they were first released. As a vegetarian I’ve chuckled at the amount of references to ham and bbq here. To me this is a huge and complex smoke and metalic bomb. It is a dramatic after battle scene. It has amazing projection and I wear it when im feeling my inner goth. For autumn and winter when you wear black leather and eye liner. Out of context it could be horrific but my partner loves it too and I honestly understand it’s divisive but I find it very wearable and it’s associated with some great nights out. I will treasure this original as I understand it might not be the same now, will have to get a more up to date renamed sample.

Wow! Guy Fawkes in liquid form. Sensational juice. The only problem is that I couldn't wear it. It's fire and gun powder. It's the way I imagine live cannon fire to smell. I'm transported to the deck of the Victory at the Battle of Trafalgar. There is complete mayhem on the deck in the midst of battle. Screams, blood, sweat and tears. Nelson has been fatally shot and his officers run to his side to carry him below deck. He is given a sip of brandy. The air is thick with smell of gunpowder and the sea. It also brings to mind that Nelsons body was preserved in a barrel of rum or brandy. This is it in a bottle. Good sillage and longevity.

Another stunning fragrance from BeauFort. At the beginning it had assaulted my nose with gunpowder, which then transformed into a smoke, and then... just salty air with some dry whisky and woody notes... So masculine, so swashbuckling... Like a sailor arriving the long-lost home port on the deck of Nelson's flagship. No room for sweetness there. It remains so long on the skin and at the same time is not aggressive - destined just for this very special woman who pillows her head on your arm. EDIT: After several hours the scent changes into something like clothing exposed to the bonfire plus some bacon notes. Still intriguing.

I just got a sample of 1805 Tonnerre. I thought Iron Duke was a beast, but wow. This makes me think of a Buccaneer crashed on an island who just survived a shipwreck , but is getting reading for a flintlock pistol duel with a British Captain. It is the smokiest scent I have tried ever. Even bigger than Zoologist Tyrannosaurus Rex. And that is a bold scent by itself. 1805 Tonnerre beats it. I only wish Beaufort London would make 100ml bottles instead of just 50ml. If you enjoyed Beaufort London Iron Duke then try this. I shall also try Vi et Armis and possibly Rake and Ruin.

I could say that it has a shocking beginning, almost vomiting, but after the first few minutes ... well, it is clear that the lime, the smoke, the gunpowder and the note of the sea have little in common. but afterwards they blend well. it is certainly the most difficult to wear. the notes on the drydown seem to be less strong and in fact the perfume becomes linear and develops little and the opposite of vi et armis does not transform into a pleasant sweet scent although strange. it is more linear. it develops less. but it is always a masterpiece that I will buy. 9/10