Fathom V

This was an unexpected love! I bought the Hell or High Water discovery set (5x7.5ml) and this is the last one I got around to trying, mostly because I expected not to care too much for it. Flower shop, funeral lilies... not my thing. But there is so much more to this than that! First of all, that first spray- it gave me a vivid mental image of someone taking a fresh bouquet of flowers that's still in the wrap and passing it into my outstretched arms. I have heard people talk about the flowers "leaves and stems and all" on so many fragrances and then NOT had the same experience. But with this one it is so spot on it almost took my breath away. As interesting as that was, I would not want to smell like that all day, and happily this doesn't. As it settled in it retained both the green and the floral, with floral part thankfully kept well in check. There's something there that is lightly sweet and almost minty to me. And there is bitter green, earthiness, and salinity- all of it just such a lovely progression that keeps drawing my attention. One really interesting observation I had- I wore this while doing a task that required me to go back and forth between a warm humid room and a cool dry one. When I re-entered the warm humid room the lingering scent was light, lofty, and floral. Sweet, but not cloying- like stargazer lily with the syrupy thickness removed- like a powdered version of a lily- but without being "powdery", plus a little bit of chrysanthemum. And then, when I would enter the cool dry room the lingering scent that greeted me was damp and green and pleasingly bitter- almost a humid jungle type smell. It was as if the perfume had been deconstructed and half was sprayed in each room, and it was very different from the experience I was having within the scent bubble that was traveling with me where both sides were dancing together. I guess the point of sharing that is to say that this may leave a very different trail depending on the weather conditions- and what others smell might be quite different than what you perceive as the wearer- if that kind of thing matters to you. All in all I find this to be a fascinating creation. Truthfully, the whole Hell or High Water set is captivating. I will use all of them happily, but this one and Coeur De Noir will be the first two bottles to run dry.

28F. Got a 5mL sample of this from a decanter, and can say without a doubt this is the most uniquely atmospheric scent I've come across so far. Fathom V is so potent I could smell it through the vial when it arrived. The scent from the vial read to my nose as "green, briny, melancholy". First-time wearers should brace themselves for the opening on skin – the initial spray launches a wet soil bomb with a STRONG enveloping indolic note, like the crushed petals of aged white blooms on the verge of decay sinking into upturned earth after heavy rain. Not what I'd call pleasant, and certainly not what I'd typically want other people to smell on me – I almost scrubbed it at this point, but since I was spending the rest of the day alone at home I decided to stick with it to see how it would develop. And what an evocative experience I was rewarded with – almost cinematic, as another reviewer put it. This is a fragrance that transports you vividly through dark aquatic environs. Past the intensity of the opening, its subtleties take turns adding new elements to the scene. You're the POV character in a gothic adventure novel. There's the salt-encrusted wood planks of an old grey dock. There's the twisted green kelp tangled beneath the murky surface of a brackish lake. There's the dank mineralic air of a submarine cavern. I felt like I was in the world of Brett Helquist's illustrations in the A Series of Unfortunate Events books, specifically those around Lake Lachrymose and the Grim Grotto. Or as though I were traversing the foreboding undersea city of Rapture from Bioshock in a bathysphere. Only at the very end of several hours of wear does this trail off into passably safe green floral cologne territory, but if you wanted "safe" you wouldn't reach for this in the first place. Its genius lies in its atmospheric mastery, not its ability to please a crowd. In summary: As a perfume to wear in the conventional sense, Fathom V is challenging. Developing appreciation for it is not a passive undertaking, and I wouldn't advise anybody to blind buy this without getting a sample first. But as an olfactory experience for the imagination, it's deeply enthralling and one of a kind.

I had to run some work related errands today, so to the annoyance of everyone within five feet of me, I wore Fathom V by BeauFort London on my left wrist and Synthetic Jungle by Frédéric Malle on my right wrist. With Fathom V, the experience is raw and unsettling from the very beginning. On my pale Celtic complexion skin, the opening is sharp and almost overwhelming. It's a clash of bracing herbs, juniper, salt, and a moist soil accord that immediately conjures the image of decaying Easter lilies sinking into water on Antipascha Sunday. As it develops, there’s a strange tension between the delicate florals and the darker pull of moss, vetiver, and incense. The saltiness persists, binding the fragrance to an aquatic space that I would not describe as refreshing. It feels more like standing on a weathered dock in north Maine surrounded by brackish water and moist wood. Synthetic Jungle, by contrast, strikes me as a controlled and polished vision of greenness. Where Fathom V is chaotic and elemental, Synthetic Jungle feels sculpted and almost purposely architectural. The opening is crisp, dominated by a hyper-green lily-of-the-valley and Hyacinth [Bouquet not Bucket god rest her soul today], sharpened by basil fawlty [please someone wrap him in bubble wrap]. Its structure is clearer, the florals arranged in a way that brightens rather than suffocates. As it moves into the heart, the green continues, but the weight lightens and the patchouli planted in soft moist earth serves only to anchor the composition, never dragging it down. One leans toward chaos and moist earth while the other toward order and botanical brightness. In choosing between them I feel I am really choosing between confrontation and refinement. So why are these two my favourites after 27 years of collecting hundreds of bottles? That’s a beautiful question and one that cuts deep into how fragrance works emotionally, physically, and symbolically. There’s a melancholic beauty, like remembering a place I’ve never actually been, or I place I've been many times. When I catch a whiff radiating up my shirt from these two, I feel both soothed and unsettled, which is a balance I secretly crave.

The inspiration for the name of the perfume is Shakespeare's Ariel song from The Tempest, where the father lying five fathoms deep in the sea and his body is transformed into something rich and strange. And that is exactly what Fathom V is for me. The beginning reminds me of my grandmother. She picks chrysanthemums and lilies in her garden bed, the roots of which remain damp dirt. And it's as if I can smell the minty lubrication on her knuckles. The beginning is quite sharp, the aforementioned flowers along with the menthol attack you full force, after a while the damp earth joins in, the scent calms down a bit. And suddenly I'm in a cemetery, the autumn sun is nice and warm and I'm taking in the typically cemetery smells of flowers, fresh dirt, juniper bushes growing against the wall, and a whiff of incense from a nearby church is added. It puts me in a pleasantly melancholic mood. After an hour or two a saltiness emerges that transports me back to somewhere on the seashore. But not to the warm-smelling Mediterranean, rather somewhere on the cold Atlantic coast. A fresh wind blows in from the sea, mixing with the smell of a very old leafy, mostly oak, forest behind my back. The distinctive 'funeral' flowers still dominate, as if someone has dumped an old bouquet on the shore, some of the flowers are beginning to rot slightly at the stem ends. However, combined with woody notes, whiffs of spices and subtle incense, the fragrance moderates and smooths out, settling pleasantly close to the body. The projection is very pronounced to sharp at first, but soon enough it transitions into a very decent average. Longevity is excellent plus eight hours, even longer on clothes. What to say in conclusion? A great unusual fragrance in a combination of sea, earth and flowers blended from natural ingredients without oriental sweetness, which is a distinct advantage for me.

First of all - it’s just... a clear masterpiece, a perfection! Fathom V was my first from BeauFort London’s fragrances and, thanks to it, - I’m going to buy more from them. It’s a funeral home on the cold waters. It’s my personal chilly lullaby. I really use it when I go to sleep to calm myself down and to have needful dreams. Fathom V is sweet. I hate sweetness and try to avoid it as hard as I can. But here... It’s THAT kind of bold masculine sweetness. It’s not vulgar in any possible way. I smell pure chrysanthemums. This fragrance is like a painting of pale chrysanthemums swaying on the waves of the sea. The water is deep and dark phthalo. Diving into this scenescape, I can even hear how almost chill water washes the gross wooden ship. I was told to try this fragrance as it reminded one user of Dracula’s trip to London. And it’s exactly that picture! Tho it’s a Netflix’s Dracula’s vibe. It’s clear and pure. And gloomy. It’s an end of the night painting, early predawn scenescape. You can FEEL that flowers over the water, you can almost hear that water! Also you can find here a bit oily soil notes. It sounds like if someone accidentally strewed some soil on the ship’s deck and then the rain wet it down, mixing its flavour with fresh-oiled wood. Lilies are certainly there, too, but as far shade. Fathom V is really about cold water and chrysanthemums. The odour is strong, but close-to-skin. I find it kind of a really intimate for my personal usages. It doesn’t last for too long, ~6-8 hours. I’m not disappointed as I don’t use it outside of my private places, tho. I sadly can notice some feminine vibes here, but it’s for sure a mostly masculine perfume anyway. I’m really enjoying it every night and even not trying to mix with any others (even with my certain Zombie for Him by Demeter!). I think I’ve found a scent of paradise...

Fathom V embodies the tenderest catharsis of grief in a bottle. What might you ask how would a fragrance do that, and moreover, why would someone want to be reminded of grief? Grief is an inescapable part of life. Beauty and unconditional love is borne out of grief, it is the contrast that makes joy shine; without it, experience is flat. Fathom V is bereavement green. This is the green that is still detected during the waning autumn, the chrysanthemums just before they ripen and wilt, the leaves as they decay. Or it could be the very earliest thaw as spring commences. The smell of warming earth, crocuses and snowdrops, life unfurling from dormancy, the first bees retreating from their hives. Death. Birth. Darkness. Light. The most pronounced notes are this raw, vegetal, stemmy, somewhat bitter green, the smell of funereal lily, and the soil from which everything grows from and decays into. A mimosa note and ginger just manages to prevent the experience from being so morose so as to be hard to stomach. Cumin is in the background, imparting a warm soul to temper the cold and the melancholy. An aqueous element seals it all. While in the dry down, a salty, rooty, somewhat metallic base is unearthed. Impermanence is the only constant. Apparently, the brand presents this as an ode to "Ariel's Song" from The Tempest: "Full fathom five thy father lies; Of his bones are coral made; Those are pearls that were his eyes; Nothing of him that doth fade, But doth suffer a sea-change Into something rich and strange. – Ariels Song" Such sturm and drang is rarely encountered in a fragrance. This is not for those who avoid introspection. If you dare to try it, you may just find how remarkable something so stark can be.

Wow! Yes, the "Come Hell Or High Water" series delivers again! This is a Spectacular green and earthy fragrance. Very much reminding me of "Amouage, Beach Hut Man", but without the mint note that overpowers "Beach Hut Man". This Is Exactly what I wanted Beach Hut Man to smell like since I first smelled it. Dense, fresh cut foliage. Like grinding down all the leaves and plant stems into a paste, and smelling it. Very photorealistic. Underneath there is another perfectly photorealistic accord. This of earth and soil. This is completely blowing my mind. The realism is second to none. It makes me feel like I'm working in a garden, tilting soil by hand and being surrounded by densely planted green plants everywhere. There is more to it, of course. I definitely get the blackcurrant. A scent I know well from my youth. Florals makes the fragrance not just be a green and soil scent, and adds lift and grace to an otherwise grounded fragrance. I don't get a lot of salt on my skin. But it's there. As the fragrance nears dry-down, the green and earthy soil accords are reducing in strength, and the florals are becoming a bigger part of the whole. It smells clean, but dirty at the same time. A truly spectacular artistic way to show light and dark at the same time. Personal score: 10/10! This is my 5th perfect 10/10 ever, out of the hundreds, probably close to a thousand fragrances i've smelled so far. I LOVE green and soil scents, and This is the Perfect green foliage and soil fragrance for me. Calming, natural, and familiar. I ordered a full bottle in a hurry, of course.

Fathom V is pure olfactory poetry. A masterpiece that is very emotionally moving... melancholic and grounding all at the same time. It's important to note that this glowing review is coming from a certifiable white floral hater. I'm not sure I can do this fragrance justice with words, but I'll try. The first whiff smells a lot like the dirty water inside of a vase of flowers left as a graveside tributary, and I mean that as a compliment! I can smell the heady lily blooms themselves, the dewy aquatic scent of water mixing with bits of grit and phloem, and the crisp green of the plant stems. As time goes on, the aperture on this zoomed-in snapshot of a bouquet expands and includes the entire cemetery environment. It is morning in summertime and an overnight rainstorm has left the graveyard wet. The soil on a recent burial plot nearby is moist and fragrant. Your body is a bit sweaty from walking over here and you taste the salt from your upper lip. You kneel in the grass without sparing a second thought for your damp pants in order to feel closer to your friend's grave. Closing your eyes, you can almost hear her laughter weaving in and out of the birdcalls and insect sounds around you. The bundle of lilies begins to wilt in the heat as a reminder of life's impermanence. I coincidentally tried my sample of this perfume for the first time just a few days before my friend unexpectedly passed away. It has been incredibly comforting to wear as I process the loss. 10/10. Beaufort London continues to impress me.

It is fantastic how sometimes artists (in this case perfumers) manage to communicate accurately their messages, without a word... Indeed, many previous commenters are referring to "death" and "funeral", probably without knowing the meaning of "Fathom V". And it is indeed about funeral: the fathom is an imperial navy unit, and 5 fathoms correspond to 6 feet, got it now? In order to bury a body in the sea, it has to drown by itself, a process that starts at fathom 6. Thus, fathom 5 is the last step before the body drowns. Anyways, back on tracks: this is one the greenest fragrance I have ever smelt, on the same shelf as OP Viride (even if not similar), and sharing strong similarities with UL Apsu. It is quite linear, with a duo of a green salty note and a lily accord, with a support of earthy and peppery notes, giving nearly a balsamic/minty impression. Hard to describe, but for sure a work of art, totally unisex (even if it leans a bit feminine imo, despite being dark). Performance is really great in the first couple of hours, then becomes soft without transitionning at a moderate level. Highly recommended if you like the greenness, even if Beaufort's price tag ($150/1.7oz) is a little bit steep imo, even for a very creative fragrance. If you can, go for it or Viride. Should you be on a tighter budget, Apsu is also great - but doesn't have the genius salty twist - and offers twice more juice for a 30-40% lower price tag. Your call! Spring 25+

This is a fragrance about the feeling of when I close my eyes in the shower and I get the chilling feeling that a ghost is standing in the room with me, and could be visible as some dark, shadowy entity when I open my eyes. This is a fragrance about dark liminal spaces. It is haunting and eerie. Black ocean waves crash ferociously against rocks during a lunar elipse. Somewhere very far away, a witch whispers a solitary incantation into the night. The wings of a jet black corvid beat freezing night air as it advances away to who knows where... Fathom V manages to evoke a sense of both the natural and the supernatural at once. The dead space between the stars; the slumber of closed flowers, storm-soaked organic matter over a long-forgotten grave. This is an extremely cold fragrance. Organic, oceanic, green, and earthy, but also with a slight leathery note to my nose that gives it an edgy kick. This makes you smell intimidating and expensive, but in a natural, effortless, and wild way, not in a conceited way. Btw this is an absolute powerhouse. Huge projection. One small spritz and I'm still nervous about sufforcating the cab driver as I get into the car. Longevity on me easily lasts into 12ish hours.

Despite the Tempest-inspired name, Fathom V isn’t really a marine scent. It’s a classic 60’s-style green floral chypre, in the same vein as YSL Y (1964), L de Loewe (1972), or contemporary retro-style green florals like Tom Ford Vert de Fleur or Vero Profumo Mito. In other words: ladylike garden fragrances, spring-fresh and dewy-green, yet somewhat heady and nectarous, with a darker mossiness around the edges. Fathom V doesn’t smell at all like lily to me – I would have sworn there was a crisp, breezy orange blossom in the opening, and a lot of hyacinth in the heart. As green floral chypres go, it’s not on the extreme ice-cold green side like Chanel No. 19; there’s more emphasis on airy, tender florals and dark mossy depths. (Though there is indeed a pleasantly sharp sparkle of leaf-green galbanum in the opening.) And it’s got a modern sensibility, so there’s none of the heavy, formal aldehydes that make many vintage floral chypres feel too dressy to wear. Fathom V is just breezy, dewy florals and shadowy green depths all the way down. Beautiful. Maybe not as original as the marketing would suggest, but an excellent example of one of my favorite fragrance genres.

I'm a midwestern forest scientist. I'm familiar with the scent of restored prairies, remnant fens, oak-hickory stands, etc. Fathom V is a dewy, pristine glade at 7am. The sharp, harsh sun is merely peaking out over the horizon. The scent of nearby eastern redcedar gildes in on the wings of a painted bunting. Moss and lichen cling to the limestone beneath your feet. Deer sense the salt of your sweat and wander over. Death is present, but less rot and more regeneration, nature's endless cycle. Flowers, grasses, and forbs you've rarely seen before, if ever, present themselves in a scattered array along the hillside. Meditation and oneness with nature offer themselves freely. I don't perceive the darkness or heaviness that others do, but I also have a unique relationship with nature that requires me to experience it almost daily in summer, and to attempt 'objectiveness' before I reach any (scientific) conclusions. This year, for various reasons, I'm doing much less fieldwork than in prior years. Fathom V, however, takes me right back, as I hunch over an unknown Carex with my hand lens to uncover its identity.

Someone mentioned this perfume smelling like a little flower store hidden in an alleyway and I totally agree. When first sprayed, it has a distinctly damp, green scent to it, almost like overwatered lilies sitting in a vase in a poorly lit kitchen in a house that was vacated weeks ago. As it dries down, the spice begins to really come through and at the end it settles into a slightly spicy warm wood scent. This perfume exudes confidence, in the least traditional manner. It smells like something you would smell on a well dressed mystery person at an event who you just know you'll never see again but will waltz through your mind every now and again for years to come. The scent is fresh, but not crisp in the way that so many other aquatics are. As a disclaimer, I have a special love for deep dark scents like Vie et Armis and overly sweet gourmands like the initial smell of Bat 2020 and despise most florals and aquatics. This scent takes my love of rich, overly "something" perfumes and turns it into a wearable warm weather scent; the only such scent I truly enjoy wearing.

White flowers at nighttime after a warm day with Sisters of Mercy Marian playing. Beautiful but so linear and long lasting.The most feminine Beaufort. My daughters (who have a better sense of smell than me) say it is definitely masculine. The clean sophistication of this scent is perfect for black tie evening dress - maybe even white tie and tails. After a year of eking out my sample I’m now 6 months into my full bottle. Now I can really splash it on I’ve discovered the elusive saltiness, barnacles and seaweed - they only show for me once my nose has overdosed on the indolic flowers. At lower volumes though it does feel like you’re in a florists (although perhaps one that has a sideline in Christmas trees out the back). Leaves a great scent on clothes. I thought at first it was all about lilies but I’m not so sure now - one day I’ll visit a florists a work out which other flowers are in there. So funny that Jonathan Ross thought he was smelling like a pirate - “ooh argh me hearties - sniff me flowers...”

Uber green perfume. Quite powerful with excellent performance stamina, and the longer I wore Fathom V the more I fell in love. Like others noted, Fathom V Opens with a wet, photorealistic flower shop scent. As the scent enters the heart of the fragrance, Fathom V turns more powdery, likely due to mimosa, then the scent becomes more balanced with salt, incense and spices entering the foray. The base is where I feel it turns into an aquatic scent. I have over 200 bottles in my collection, and this is unique. I see that some people voted Beach Hut Man as similar, and I agree that this has a bitterness to it which is the same as BHM. But I think Fathom V is quite different with the addition of the cumin, ginger and pepper, notes you can actually pick out in the composition. It takes a lot to move something into the buy category, I know I would wear this often if it was within reach. Best green perfume I’ve ever smelled.

“Under five fathoms of sea your father lies. His bones are already coral and they are pearls, those that were his eyes" Ariel's Song - Shakespeare The name of this incredible fragrance takes inspiration from these verses of the work "The Tempest": Fathoms are in fact a unit of measurement designed to indicate the meters of depth of the sea depths. Here we have a green, fresh, flowery perfume, but also with earthy and woody notes, to indicate the contrast between the surface of the sea and its deepest and darkest part, in an incredibly perfect correspondence with what our being is: light in surface, but dense and deep inside. It is impossible to explain a Beaufort through notes, here talking about sensations is fundamental. This fragrance is a marvel, truly, magnetic for me. The work that represents it for me is Waterhouse's “Miranda, the Tempest”, a rough, strong, unstoppable sea, as our emotions very often are.

Approaching BeauFort London's Fathom V, known for its daring and polarizing fragrances, I braced myself for the unexpected. True to form, it opened with a striking intensity, but this time it was a vivid green explosion. Soon, a floral ensemble took center stage, with lilies in the spotlight. The fragrance is undeniably dark and solemn, invoking the funeral home and cemetery associations often mentioned. What stands out is its remarkable longevity and performance, a rarity in green scents. Personally, I appreciate its uniqueness and its ability to transcend gender and seasons. Fathom V is a fragrance I'd wear for my own enjoyment because its bold character might be unsettling and perplexing to many. In essence, it's an enigmatic journey into uncharted olfactory territory, making it a captivating addition to the world of perfumery.

I have a sample of fathom. I wasn't too sure about it initially, it had such a strong, green opening with the already mentioned iris to the fore. I did find myself constantly sniffing my wrist as it dried down though. It seemed to sweeten slightly and spicy notes seemed to develope somewhat. Wether I knew what to expect the second time I applied it I can't say, it still had that strong, almost stark opening. But it just smelt so good. I would say this is quite a unique scent. It actually lasts on my skin for eight to ten hours which is unusual. It also projects well, leaving a noticeable trail too, which seldom happens with me! I will be buying a bottle of this masterpiece very soon. I have been searching for a scent for my upcoming wedding. I think this may be it!

I would describe this scent as walking into a florist asking for a funeral bouquet arrangement. It is a very realistic dewy green scent, kind of like freshly watered flower stems. However, on my skin I quickly get lilies poking through that; I'd also say there are other white flowers in the arrangement. But, despite how melancholic and calm this scent feels like, there is this dark side to it in the back. The soil accord creates this feeling as if the flowers were put on your own gravestone. It is not very noticeable, it's mostly in the back or after dry down, but I get this interesting uneasy feeling from this scent after some time. This scent is great for layering with soft incense fragrances for a true cemetery experience.

Fathom V is stirringly beautiful. This fortifying fragrance opens with watery, stemmy greens; crisp, almost metallic like bitter celery leaves. As the tide starts to flow, rich minerals are overturned; peppery, leathery herbs take root; a toxic juniper wood sap begins to ooze forth. A dense fog rolls in, shaded with cold, grey salt and full of static that is subtly infused with tannin and clarifying menthol. The sweetness of the floral air is a soft, yet masculine beckon of a merman to the siren of D.S. & Durga's Peacock Lily. He calls her with a deep, melodious, penetrating timbre. *Congratulations to you below stonecabin. I think this will be a beautiful wedding scent*