The Grudge

Beautifully done work. I will review all three of these new Force Majeure scents from Beaufort, which are in my book all solid successes. This is the best one and the most challenging one. The Grudge might be the most oceanic fragrance I've ever smelled. Call me Ahab, but I've been searching for this. This is a viciously blunt scent which in no way whatsoever resembles a "perfume" or a "cologne". What we get here is a massive crashing wall of bitingly frigid ocean air, in all of its naturalistic, salty, funky splendor. There are no apologies and no concessions being made to "freshness" or "aquatic" vibes; this is just straight cold ocean. No one will ever compliment you on this. This is a single monolithic accord, brilliant in its non-perfumery. I can see why people would make a comparison to Megamare here: philosophically and conceptually, these scents are aligned, but where Megamare smells like an aggressive blast of blue-themed port-a-potty cleaner, The Grudge smells like the literal jaws of a sperm whale; a leviathanic exhalation. So, how is The Grudge constructed? - Ambergris Primarily, ambergris. Ambergris dominates this scent from the gate to the drydown. It's a dirty, stinky, animalic ambergris which reminds me of Ramon Monegal's Ocean Oud (but less challenging) and Zoologist's Squid (but darker) – however it's not so dirty that it's unwearable. It has a bit of effervescence to it, but it's not as sparkly as Squid. It is legitimately salty. I love the ocean (grew up next to it; live by it now) and I've found very, very few fragrances which successfully replicate its cold, bitter, mineral scent. Oftentimes they try to use piquant and bitter herbs to approximate saltiness (a la Acqua di Sale and a slew of imitators) which to my nose has very little to do with the ocean at all. While this type of animalic ambergris doesn't smell precisely like ocean water, it comes closer than many other fragrance notes do. It has a strong mineral, metallic facet to it, which evokes the scent of water vapor. Like cold ocean spray on a beach of cobble stones. - Seaweed, resins, oud The ambergris note is enhanced by some supporting actors. They are in the background, blending into the accord. There's a bit of vegetal seaweed wafting in and out like a ghost. The sour tang of oud lurks like a distant foghorn. And the colder smelling resins – frankincense for sure, and apparently copal, and maybe some labdanum – form a supporting structure. Amazingly, I don't think there's any calone (or like molecules) here at all. So, no fear of a shower gel scent with The Grudge. This is raw nature. It's like the skeleton of so many other "marine" perfumes I've smelled. Strip away all the pleasant florals, woods, and whatever floofy accords they've added to make them palatable for the masses. The Grudge is the raw, haggard, and bleached bones of a marine fragrance, and just what I was looking for. Total aggression; but an elegantly silent, deep, and watery aggression of cold indifference. Smells like a ghost ship disappearing into a thick fog. Incredible art, somewhat challenging to wear. Easily one of the best Beauforts. 91%

When I was younger, my family and I used to spend entire days at the beach. My brother and I would go off on little adventures, swimming along the coastline and looking for hidden spots — small beaches, sea caves, and grottos. Especially those dark, damp sea caves had a very specific smell, and the moment I sprayed The Grudge by BeauFort London, it was exactly that. Instant nostalgia. Now, describing this scent in terms of notes is almost pointless. It’s much easier to explain what it feels like. A lot of people say it smells like damp caves, musty cellars, or seaside grottos at night — and that’s spot on. It’s marine, but not in a fresh, sunny, uplifting, or breezy way. It doesn’t smell like the sea itself. It smells like things that have come out of the sea and have been sitting undisturbed in a dark, damp cave — seaweed, old wood, maybe even something like a forgotten rope or a waterlogged chest. It even evokes the smell of a place where bats live... or the bats themselves. What makes it fascinating is the balance. It’s somehow pleasant and unpleasant at the same time. Clean and dirty. Strongly present, yet thin and almost ghost-like. You’ll think it’s gone, and then half an hour later, it comes back in little waves. This feels more like olfactory art than something I’d wear regularly. It’s quite avant-garde and conceptual. I probably wouldn’t buy a full bottle to wear on its own, but I could see it working as a layering piece — or just something to revisit every now and then for the atmosphere and the memories it brings back.

First scent I've tried that doesn't sugarcoat the true essence of the sea, and embodies a beautifully dark, rugged, and rogue coastline. Begins with a bite of barnacle and algae, and then grabs with that musky, tobacco incense, melts into subtle sweetness, and hits you with cold seaside breezes. There is a very prominent salty metallic note that reminds me of being aggressively tumbled by waves, and the salt water suffocating your sinuses. Something quite natural and mineral. The most enjoyable quality is the cool woody menthe aroma from the wormwood- a pleasant surprise, but initiatory. The Grudge is not an inviting marine scent, nor a hot, bright day at the beach. This scent's presence is felt in a deeply imminent way. When wearing this, I'm immersed in a suspense of standing on a dark beach with impending storms of rolling clouds and sharp, salty sea breezes. Evoked the feeling of being watched and filled with frozen fear- the scent of something dangerous. The Grudge is undoubtedly malicious. Unconventional and addicting, 10/10.

Seaweed washed up along the jersey shore during low tide. Gulls squawking and pecking at bits of dead crab scattered along the coastline. Barnacle-encrusted wooden posts from structures long demolished rising up from the water like monolithic reminders of a lost civilization. What a gorgeous oceanic scent. Nothing synthetic here. No “perfumey” interpretation of the beach, no unnecessary coconut or citrus — just the brine of the saltwater and the cold, hard slap of the waves against the jetties. The most evocative marine fragrance I’ve smelled. Great longevity, too — I can easily detect this scent on my skin after 10 hours of wear. The one and only fault I find with The Grudge is its intimate projection. If I could smell this at arm’s length, it would be perfection. Regardless, this is a masterpiece. I blew through my sample in record time and now own a full bottle.

The Grudge and me were made for each other. I remember my first sniff of this beautiful fragrance, Ministry of Scent in San Francisco, I felt my heart chakra burst open. What is that, ohhh I love you. I sprayed it on my clothes and took home a sample as I loved it so much. Went back two weeks later and bought a bottle, great presentation. The Grudge, is musty in bright way, like wet clay, its damp yet poetic. Mossy, wintery, and during the day every time I catch a whiff it brings me joy. My skin loves the Grudge, thank you Euan McCall, you are so talented.