New York Sandalwood

#836 in my "Tour de Fragrance" This is the fifth Bond No. 9 fragrance I've sampled, the second I've actually liked and felt performs with the longevity and sillage I expect of an EDP, and the first I am actually going to spend the money to own. Yeah, I love this juice! The note combination is perfection and is thus far the best sandalwood focused composition I've encountered. I don't smell Gris Charnel at all. I bought that scent for a girlfriend back in January and this is not that black tea dominant scent, nor does it smell remotely like Nasomatto Duro. Makes me wonder if those folks are on the right page. Of the scents I own this comes close to Dunhill "Indian Sandalwood" if you trade out the bergamot for fig, and the same with L'Orchestre "Piano Santal", though this scent's sweetness makes it sexier than either of those. This scent is criminally underrated. I know some people find scents like this too oriental for their tastes. It does kind of hint at the incense in a cathedral or temple. I love those environments. I was surprised to see some sites sell this as a women's scent as the sharp opening comes off masculine, but the dry down is dead center unisex, though I would definitely love to smell this on a woman. Lasts till lunch no problem. Arm's length projection for a couple of hours. The projection on all the Bond No. 9 scents I've tried has been moderate at best. You'd probably spray your clothing as well as skin if you want to draw a lot of attention. You can get away with this in a carpool if you go light. I'd wear it to the office if there's someone there you're interested in, otherwise I'd save it for dating.

Oh I really like this scent. It's so comforting to me and reminds me a lot of Hermès Terre. If you've had a bad day, a month, or even a year this scent is the Friend (ha) upon whose shoulder you can cry. If you're a sandalwood purist you may turn your nose up at this orris storm and find that the amber and carrot notes tend to dominate, but beneath the fanciful autumnal fanfare is a very nice, muted sandalwood note. This scent calls forth chilly fall evenings but I'm wearing this in Florida in the noonday sun just because I need it. There's something so calming, comforting and classic about these accords. When you want to withdraw from the world and binge eat carrot cake with extra cream cheese frosting; when you need to just nope out of everything and go for a walk in the brisk cold; when you need something to get you stuck out of second gear. I will confess that the dry down isn't my favorite. The warm, woody accords tend to reveal their synthetics after an hour or two and less is left of that creamy warmth and mossy freshness. I still really enjoy this one but given the overall overpricedness of Bond this is definitely not a retail purchase. But if you do want a Bond take on sandalwood, I think you'll find a friend in this.

I do get the carrot note (carrot and orris) others have referred to but it doesn't hang around into the dry down and isn't bothersome. I was worried it would be a gourmand and too sweet for me but it's not. It opens with a bang of Bond DNA. That plastic/spray paint smell mixed with carrot and fugs. It's a little rough but I actually like the smell. It immediately fills up a room but starts to mellow out after 15 or 20 minutes. I mostly get papyrus, carrot, amber, fig and of course sandalwood. Orris is there but it doesn't feel overly powdery or buttery. Musk and a little oak moss. Basically all the notes are detectable. Once it settles into the drydown is when the real magic happens. A beautiful caramel type Amber, sandalwood and a touch of smokey papyrus. Not super smokey, just enough where you know it's there. I wore it in the heat without a problem but I'm not sure that is the best idea to do regularly. Better fall winter scent that I strongly enjoy. It could be challenging to some, especially in the opening. Unique and fun to wear. Smell 8/10 Performance 8/10

I requested a sample of this with my recent Bond order, which I got today (11/7/14). This starts off very bold and in-your-face but it calms down. The fig is nonexistent on my skin, which is ok. What I do get is loads of sandalwood, orris root and papyrus, with a pinch of musk. There is a bit of an after shave quality to it (which could be the cardamom), but not enough to turn me off of it. It's definitely unisex for sure; women that are wanting a more masculine, woodsy scent will enjoy it. It puts me in mind of standing in the middle of a forest, if that makes sense. That's how "outdoorsy" it smells. I'll have to update on sillage and longevity as I've only been wearing it a couple hours. So far, from what I can tell, it seems to be a great fall/winter woodsy scent!

First its suggested to me really boring but exact 1 week later, I started say its perfect. Its really rafined and relaxing smoke. Just give a little time.. İlk denedigimde gereksiz oldugunu dusunmustum fakat bir hafta kadar gecince farkli seyler dusunmeye basladim. Ara ara kokladigim icin belki de cok rafine ve kaliteli bir koku oldugunu dusunuyorum artik. Kesinlikle kestirip atilacak bir koku degil, şişe olarak alinir mi bilmiyorum ama elimin altinda 5 10 ml olsun isterim surekli. Scent: 8,5/10 :Koku Longevity: 7,5/10 :Kalıcılık sillage: 7/10 :Farkedilirlik

This is an earthy/woody scent, that I really enjoy. Carrot/Orris root which are sweet/smooth and earthy, the fig and papyrus bring a fruity/spicey/woody vibe, then it rounds off with the green earthy Oakmoss with a resinous Amber/musk. Earthy, earthy and more earthy! 8/10

Beautiful Powerful Woody Fragrance with nuances of leather and coffee and zero creaminess. This fragrance will become a cult classic over time. Good Longevity and Beautiful Bottle. Thumbs up!

The Wolf review below mine is spot on. Well said. One of Bond's most unique creations, imho. I really enjoy wearing this..

I received a sample of this, in a lot purchase of Bond samples. THIS is what I expected New York Amber to smell like!! There's a softness to it that I associate with "amber", but then there's a carrot-essence that sharpens the scent. There's also a mossy nature to this; sandalwood and oakmoss smell SO DIVINE together here! It literally smells like the damp side of a tree trunk, where the moss grows, showing you which way is North. I genuinely enjoy this one. This is one of those colognes that reminds you what a certain note smells like; often I forget that sandalwood is a much softer aroma than most woods, and this cologne triggered an "oh-yeah" moment for me. THAT'S what sandalwood smells like, it may hide within many colognes as a lengthening base note, but in this one it hollers "HERE I AM!" I guess I would give this one a 7.5 out of 10, it's not the type of fragrance I would normally wear, but it's certainly really good and the performance is there. Projection is moderate. Sandalwood-lovers should definitely try this one!

malty, semi-sweet sandalwood, powdery and dry. bit of aromatic sharpness up top, as noted by others it's most abrasive and/or synthetic in the opening, though truthfully I enjoy it here as well, understandably may just be too weird or strong for some noses at first. fig is more of a modifier than a focus here. there is development in the form of a pretty prominent change of sharp/rough to smooth/polished - but through it's entirety is quite clearly sandalwood focused. this is unisex, imo. good quality on materials and blend, I think a fine line has been walked here in the execution of the scent. technical perfumery on display! in my experience a lot of the best sandalwood focused scents tend to be more calm and reserved, overall not huge projectors, but this is rather loud and unabashed in how it wears, too many sprays will fill your room. longevity is good, too.

This is pretty good it’s actually a little bit dirty in a way. I think Killian’s sacred wood is nicer to wear but his has served me well to add to some fragrances that need a dry woody boost

For sandalwood lovers, this is a hint. Very persistent, with a gentle slope of pleasant sweetness. Too bad for the price too high.

I stopped into a Saks a few weeks ago, investigating a few new scents. The Bond 9 sales lady was kind enough to give me a small sample / decant of this fragrance. I finally got around to wearing it today and I have to say that I am a bit surprised that this was named NY Sandalwood and not NY Carrot Cake. This is all carrot, all day long at every phase. Which is a bit funny, because I really dislike carrots, I typically say that I would rather wear the eye glasses than eat the carrots. NY Sandalwood (Carrot Cake) starts out with just a very heavy carrot scent on my skin. Two hours in it does sweeten up a bit. Four hours in I get diced carrots served on a wooden platter that has been infused with amber and freshly powered. 6 hours in I get a sweet carrot cake with a little spice. The carrot cake phase is actually not too bad, but short lived. 10 hours in, the scent is a very faint carrot. This one is definitely different, but not my cup of tea (or carrot) so it is a pass for me. On the plus side, I am glad I wore an orange shirt today. Bottom line: If you like carrots, and I mean REALLY like carrots or just want to try something very different, then give this one a shot.

Bond no 9 sandalwood smells really chemical to me like most of bond,s offerings do. It,s the kind of syntheticness that may cause you a headache. The price they charge for fake smelling chemicals is ridiculous. The bond no 9 house in general is ridiculous, made for poeple who only want to buy expensive things and therefore automatically think it's good, even if it stinks.. For example you can buy a roja dove with quality ingredients for the same price as some of the bonds with fake ingredients. If you like this but you,re doubting then go try sacred wood that's half the price and at least better done. and the bottles, all feminin even the men's line

Seems like something you would find at a dollar store with the caption "similar scent of le labo santal 33" and should be priced at the same as the dollar store. Bond no 9 has the habit of trying to copy but constantly falls short and yet tries to sell at a high price. I do not recommend this to anyone but if you do find yourself being tricked by the scent I would definitely recommend Le Labo's Santal 33.

I am afraid to say that this is a scrubber! Not nice at all and I am a huge Sandalwood fan. Smells more like a visit to the local plywood store mixed with recycled cardboard, old pencil shavings and that old skool milky, stinky glue from the 70ies/ 80ies. Ghastly! 0/10

I was expecting sandalwood but it's not. Really disappointing. It smells familiar but I can't put my finger on which other fragrance smells the same. Not a fan of this brand. Too overhyped and expensive for nothing.

I have revisited Bond No. 9's New York Sandalwood several times over the years, and each wearing I find myself enjoying it but I am left feeling like something is missing. The top notes are quite abrasive and sharp with a hefty dose of sandalwood, carrot and cardamom. It smells very masculine and woodsy for the first hour, before settling into a smooth, slightly earthy and musky sandalwood. The drydown is beautiful and is well worth the wait. I suggest waiting for the sharp top notes to ease to reveal the smooth woodsy blend beneath. This fragrance launch coincided with a time when sandalwood and/or vetiver fragrances were very popular, (take Le Labo's Santal 33 and Chanel's Sycomore as prime examples). Comforting, androgynous scents with a woodsy undertone were highly sought after, and I remember the Bond No. 9 New York range being very popular, with sales assistants often found pushing this brand and line in-store. I fell instantly in love with New York Amber, and as a result the other scents in this line fell by the wayside. It was many years later that I decided to revisit this line, urged by the sudden re-appearance of many of Bond No. 9 fragrances at local discounters. New York Sandalwood is pleasant enough, if not a well-done sandalwood fragrance. The composition is fairly linear and the projection weak to moderate, (dependent on the number of sprays). It strikes me as a cold weather scent, and would make an appropriate office fragrance provided that you go light with the sprays.

I can see why people don't like this as the name Sandalwood conjures up a familiar woody scent for most people. Bond's version of Sandalwood in not initially woody, but it starts off a bit strange. The first impression when applied is a strong grainy smell. Maybe its the carrot, but to me its almost like menthol. Not a Vicks Vapor Rub menthol, but like a strong vetiver and I'm shocked there is no vetiver listed in the notes. I can understand the comments about this smelling like a man's aftershave. It takes awhile to get to the dry down, but its worth it cause that's when a ambery sandalwood type smell comes out in full force. It's really amber first and sandalwood second however. It is nice and elegant at the end, not overly woody though and def not flowery. It's expensive smelling and not an everyday type scent. This is totally unisex and it is very unusual, as I can't think of anything like this. My main criticism is the projection and longevity are a bit weak considering the cost. Overall, I like this, but I don't love it and it's not for everyone. But at the end of the day, I give it kudos for originality.

An astringent and intriguing take on Sandalwood.....very masculine and powerful at the beginning. Sillage is great and longevity is there. The perfume ages well on me. Reminds me of a Catholic mass with incense burnings swinging. Love it.