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

I`m a fan of smoky perfumes and this is in my top three favorite . It`s quite heavy. The word here is "prominent". You don`t have to search for it- it`s right there. Prominent sweet smoked timber- sweet I mean travelling from gunpowder to smoked meat/ham. Prominent sharp citrus peel. I don`t like the term "sea" note in general as it usually means just a cold aftershave. Here it is less noticeable and makes up the balance. The perfume is very smoky, heavy, and unconventional even for smoky perfumes. The only thing that can put you off is the smoked ham/BBQ note.

Starts off smoky as all hell, then goes through a repugnant smoked kipper phase, then finally settles down to a more tolerable, realistic chipotle. Certainly different. Gonna give it a full day's wear today to see if I'll be making a full purchase. I only wear fragrance for myself; I don't care about the opinions of others. Edit: Very pleased with the performance of this one, and it'll greatly complement the gloom of the great British autumn and winter. I really don't find it disgusting at all, but more challengingly beautiful. Full bottle arrives tomorrow.

This is certainly not as "out there" as some reviews below suggest. It is in fact rather wearable and feels like a coherent perfume rather than an olfactory art piece. It is dry, smokey and salty but the smoke is not sharp or like from an open flame, its more like the scent of a smoldering coal or something like that. The performance is above average but not "eternal". I think It would fit right in on a cloudy and cold morning walk in the forest right after the first frost has set on the ground.

I know it’s a very divided opinion on this fragrance, but I absolutely adore it! Truly. I can never get enough of an actual real, lasting, smoke fix. I use it as a layer scent because it is so very intense, and I can handle intense but it’s a bit much on its own. I layer it underneath Rook by Rook which is my signature scent. The two go together beautifully they enhance each other. Thumbs up from me. Will absolutely buy again. Bravo Beaufort!

This fragrance is incredible. This is drinking booze around a campfire in the woods. I would love to be able to pull this off as a femme scent, but only in a black leather jacket, combat boots and dark lipstick. When I initially smelled this I pictured an older, sexy gentleman in a suit coat with a pipe in his pocket. But underneath the expense of his wardrobe was a hide of scars and incredible delinquent, adventurous stories. Mmm.

The sprayer is top notch, mercifully, meaning you can apply carefully and enjoy the wonderful BBQ wafts and smokey complexity. Smells unlike anything else (I haven't smelled any other Beauforts). Everything everyone says here is true, but I love it. Update: I've smelled loads of other Beauforts now, and many of them have this same smoke overload going on, but I think this is the least harsh of the smokey range.

The citrus brightens the smoke and gunpowder significantly. I was expecting something extremely dark and confronting but was pleasantly surprised how balanced it feels. Super wearable for me. My skin seems to eat smoke and bring the sweetness forward. Within an hour the brandy and amber are the most detectable notes. It becomes seductive and sappy with a hint of minerality and I absolutely love it.

Holy cow, what an amazing scent this is... Fully blind bought so I was a little anxious about it, but man this is wonderful. Smoky salty, a little tart, can absolutely feel the gunpowder here. The fir balsam makes it a little metallic and sweet creating an unbelievable balance. What a masterpiece Edit: Its not that long lasting, and doesnt have a big sillage, but its absolutely amazing

the opening might scare you at first, as it hits you harshly on paper. try it on the skin and after 10 minutes it should lighten and you'll start smelling the lime. the smoke is a beautiful cold metallic smoke, not a heavy warm incense smoke. I do really enjoy wearing this, and if it weren't for the lime note, it would be unwearable honestly.

The most realistic burned wood smell in a fragrance, I mean, this smells exactly like my fireplace when the wind is in the wrong direction and fills the house with smoke, after I put down the fire because the smoke is getting inside, instead of outside, the linger smell in the house, this is it! Amazing in an artistic way.

It is a unique blend of citrus and smoke. The combination is a little off-putting at first, but once the sour scent of the citrus calms down, it smells like a campfire on the beach.

Clearly the best piece from Beaufort! Get out of the sea coming out of the bottle right into reality. This is a magnificent work of art. Thank you Leo :-)

If you haven't guessed already from reading any other review...you either love or hate it. I love it! Go easy on the sprays this lasts for ever.

Meats cooking on a wood fire grill, poked and prodded with metal tongs, marinated in a salty sauce with a whiskey sour to wash it down

absolutely love this, let me know if anyone wants to sell their unloved bottles , smoky ashes from a wood burner, thumbs up from me.

Are the current batches having 82% Alcohol (18% oil concentration) ??

horrible, I have nothing more to say.

Let’s get one thing out of the way: particularly during the opening while the citrus note is the most intense, there is a sweet unctuous quality, oily and cool and earthy herb note, and a massive amount of smoke, it does smell like charred sausages. This perfume is loaded with dihydromyrcenol, which pushes a citrusy lime facet, a sweetness, a lavender-like quality (not far off from the sage or fennel you get in sausages), all of it backed by a black-wood-smoke cypriol note. And yes, it stinks. Though, I’m sure BeauFort would prefer to say something like “chaotic”, which, yes, it does smell chaotic - like a disaster at a backyard barbecue. Once the opening calms down and we’ve moved into the heart and base layers, we get to see what Tonnerre is really about, and it means to be a smokey, marine, fir scent. It is tempting call the citrus facet still present in the heart and base layers the “lime” note from the dihydromyrcenol earlier, but that’s an unlikely material choice. Pine and fir and other types of resinous evergreens naturally have a citrus facet to their aroma; with fir it leans a bit towards green citrus (lime or bergamot), and with pine it leans a bit towards yellow citrus (lemon), as examples, in my opinion. But this fir accord is definitely green citrus forward, instead of earthy resinous forward as it would be more naturally. The cypriol is still billowing smoke at the heart stage. I cannot say that I am smelling anything metallic or “blood like” but there is a slight fruity woody underpinning that could be the brandy note the brand states. The final skin scent once the smoke stops billowing, and starts wafting instead, is more convincingly a very piquant green resinous amber that is strong aromatic woods forward. Tonnerre is going to test your boundaries of “smells good” versus “art”, of “chaotic incoherence” versus “compelling disharmony”, and BeauFort doesn’t seem to care how many people live in either camp. They are perfectly happy to create a perfume that is highly polarizing, and challenging to any or all. Though the accords of Tonnerre have naturalistic links, like green citrus and fir, and smoke and woods, BeauFort intentionally breaks those links to push every facet to an extreme outlying position to the point where they almost seem to have nothing to do with each other. And only, finally, do they restrain the perfume at the skin scent to be passably, and acceptably, willfully obstinate. I have no idea if I want to wear this ever again, but I do have a soft spot for ardent contrarians.

Well, hello there, sailor. Sorry, Admiral. Astonishingly impressive and strange, but perhaps a bit hostile for actual use. I have the same reaction to this as you would to the real 18th-century British Navy turning up in your town: don't know whether to salute it with respect or run away in panic. This is a striking, masterfully original thing, but may not be all that practical. It's sort of repellent yet absolutely compelling. It plays seriously rough. Even my ravenous appetite for smoke is sated here; and I don't smell burning wood, either, but rather the very sharp, chemical, metallic, aromatic whiff of real gunpowder. This does not do the usual chem trick of mimicking smoke with cade; there's nothing *at all* incense-ish or even timber-y about it. This is not a "spicy oriental" or a "natural woods" type of scent in any way - it's industrial smoke and soot, not campfire and charcoal. The 'scent story' here is not just pretentious b*lls - this is all too clearly a good part of what a real, bloody sea battle might smell like. But kind of perfumed at the same time. And that is honestly rather exciting. It's intensely macho yet I (female user) didn't feel it would be unwearable for that reason; it's certainly spiky and difficult, but so are lots of other things I love. It's also bizarrely aquatic/mariney - a family of 'fumes I don't normally like - but that aspect works really well here (at least at first) with the lime somehow bringing the real scent of sea water to the mix and letting a bit of air in between the screens of smoke. So for a couple of hours I vacillated between sniffing my wrist incessantly, then deciding I hated it, then sniffing again and reconsidering and thinking I could ride it out, then being repelled, then having to sniff again and again. Think I could have warmed to it in the end, except for the final kick in the tail ... far from mellowing out as it dried down, this got darker and funkier and sharper and sweaty as a bosun's manly armpit (dirty patchouli maybe?), so I could not imagine sharing berth space with it any longer without being driven to mutiny. It's insane, in other words. But very definitely worth a try if you want something wildly original and maybe a bit intimidating, whatever your gender (though I think, like many a ship, this is more for the chaps than the chap-esses in the end.)

This is a little bit insane, because of all the notes I am getting just smoke - no blood, no booze and no amber - with a tiny tiny whiff of lime, mostly up top but really staying throughout. So this should be a no-brainer: although the smoke is a complex and attractive smoke, it's not particularly fragrant or incensey and doesn't need to be paid for at this rate. And yet. And yet. I keep smelling it. I keep picking up the strip (which I sprayed last night and it's still there late morning) and sniffing my wrists (where I reapplied this morning). So, it's just smoke but it's somehow compelling smoke. There is something really sexy about it. Like a dark, sullen boy who leaves your bed in the middle of the night to walk the abandoned ruins, and you follow him because he's as much about adventure as about sex. something redolent of wood but also metal, something that rasps in your throat but you grow to like it. This could be absolutely magnificent if the smoke was toned down and the rest of the notes turned up a bit, but it's still strangely, strangely compelling.

Tested Tonnerre looking for a gunpowder scent. Gunpowder is there, but it's also well blended with other notes, mainly smoke, so you won't be smelling like your hands after a couple hours at the range. The gunpowder + smoke is somewhat metallic and salty. I do not get a BBQ or smoked meat scent. Even though I didn't get the pure gunpowder scent I was looking for, this is a pretty awesome, testosteronic fragrance. Performance is great with excellent longevity, projection and sillage. This ain't no date night or office fragrance. I'm getting a bottle of this one and saving it for when I meet up with my buds at the bar to shoot some pool. More of a night time scent and any time of the year, but not when it's hot. Correct note pyramid from the BeauFort website: TOP: Lemon, Gunpowder, Brandy, Sea Spray, Blood, Bergamot, Ginger, Cypress MIDDLE: Lime, Grapefruit, Bergamot, Blond Wood BASE: Dark Amber, Fir Balsam, Atlas Cedar, Birch, Cistus

BL is making me reconsider my position about aquatic and marine notes I really can't stand, usually. But the CHOHW line, which is very generous of watery notes, uses them in such a unique manner that I can't help but appreciate them - or even love them. Tonnerre is the most vivid "by the fire" experience I've tried so far. Reminds me of smoked salmon as well, which brings me to the Christmas eve - where salmon is the king of the dinner. Do I like it? YES Would I wear it? I don't know. As noted in many reviews, this is not a crowd pleaser, it's a niche experience reserved to the person who decides to try and wear this incredible fragrance. BTW, I think everyone should try this one because we've all been there at least once in our lives. By the fire, smelling the smoke on ourselves when the fire is out.

An artistic creation that tells a story. The smell of sinking wooden ships whose flames are being doused by crashing saltwater waves. A scent you’ll keep wanting to come back to and people will talk about. This is the kind of thing that gets regular folks thinking about perfumery in an elevated way. Smokey as can be, but not in an annoying way. I wish they sold this company in the States. Ben from Talking Scents does some great reviews of their stuff on YouTube. Update: I have 3ml travel atomizers I bring to work, and I layered this (two sprays from a carded sample) with two sprays of Encre Noire Á L'Extrême, and the rest filled with Encre Noire. It's like if Encre Noire is the wet forest floor, this layered version is the forest floor after a rain the morning after you had a campfire on it.

I'm not sure what I can add to this that other people haven't already said better. The storytelling in this frag is phenomenal. As a history nerd and reenactor, when I came across this, I knew I had to get a sample of it to huff. What can I say? I'm able to pick out all the notes in the description. I think the 'gunpowder' note is more of a fantasy scent than realistic. But I get why they did this, because who wants to stink of sulphur? Their version is very peppery and salty. As a woman, I wouldn't wear this out and about, as it's far too masc and the projection is too powerful to be polite. However, it's great to have the occasional squirt of it at home and enjoy the story it tells.

I've wanted to try this for many years because of the inspiration of sailing vessels at war (cool concept) but I'd never gotten around to it. Well today I finally tried it and it's true to it's description. It smells like you're smelling smokey blood mixed with gunpowder while you're on the deck of a ship being sprayed by seawater. In other words, it smells like war. However, you only pick up these nuances in close. In the air, it smells like burning mesquite wood. This is very cool artwork but not wearable unless you're camping or hunting because it's smokey as hell. Would also pair well with a Halloween costume of a firefighter or a pirate ☠️

Definitely a favorite of mine among the Beaufort London line of perfumes. Not easy to wear perhaps, but not unwearable. I get a strong kick of lime at first and it's too much, but when it settles down it's more ambery, smoky metallic (gunpowder) and the sea note is apparent too, making it a very interesting concoction indeed. Doesn't smell like sweat to me, but I can understand how certain deodorants combined with human sweat can smell this way. I still feel it would be unfair to draw a parallel here. Thumbs up, definitely worth a try.

A lot has been said on this one, so I'll keep it short: this is pure perfumery art, but totally unwearable (consider that it's a smoky/burnt/tobacco/incense/animalic/barnyard addict who is speaking here). I'd love to get a bottle for myself, to wear when no one is around, but the price tag is a little bit steep for that use... will have to beg for a sample I guess haha Ideal for Xmas dinner at Dracula's, 30+ weirdos (that is: me). Ps: should anyone hear about splits of Beaufort, please reach out to me!

This is a must try for smoke lovers. It blows other smoke dominated scents away, such as Naomi Goodsir Bois d'Ascese or CDG Black (although love that one). Cannot understand the huge dislike for the fragrance, as this is a piece of art and for own enjoyment only. In my opinion the lime and marine notes contain the smoke/gunpowder note and it is actually quite nice to wear, without being overwhelming. Especially when sprayed under the t-shirt. Looking forward to try other scents from the house.

Tonnerre is an artistic scent with limited wearability for me. Relatively linear, Tonnerre is an odd but fun combination of bacon old-fashioned, lime cordial and gunpowder tea. The opening is strong, punchy and savoury to the point of being able to taste the smell. The scent profile remains similar but more approachable as Tonnerre dries down. Very unique scent, definitely worth a smell, though this isn't something I can see myself, or most people, wearing with any frequency.

This captures the smell of a spent shotgun cartridge. However I find the lime increasingly dominates and synthetically jarrs with the gunpowder. After 5 years of perseverance I’ve finally stumbled on how this can work best for me - I dilute it massively with vodka. It becomes a weak cologne and has all the great character without the synthetic pummelling that was giving me a headache at full strength.