Botafumeiro

Botafumeiro is my first to try from Carner Barcelona, and what a great place to start. I am a big fan of incense, and enjoy high quality amber scents that smell more traditional rather than relying on ambroxan or other synthetic "amber" compounds. "Botafumeiro" is aptly named - "thurible" in Spanish - as this scent is heavy on the incense. It is a woody-amber scent with sweet and spicy facets; aromatic and not too dry, balsamic with a rich, resinous amber base. Botafumeiro is balsamic from initial spray, slightly boozy, with soft peppery spice adding interest here. A warm nutmeg note dominates the opening, paving the way beautifully to the amber accord that forms the crux of this scent. A hint of bergamot adds initial freshness, but Botafumeiro is primarily warm, spicy and balsamic throughout. As it develops, the amber accord becomes sweeter, honeyed or caramel-like, with a nice hint of patchouli adding some earthiness. There is a subtle floral nuance in the background, softly sweet and powdery, providing a nice counterpoint to the balsamic amber. A nice woody undertone emerges here, complementing the florals nicely. Initially airy, it becomes richer and more dense as it develops, with the ecclesiastical incense taking centre stage as it develops. The styrax note in the base is quite distinctive here, resinous, rich and slightly sweet. It complements the incense beautifully, adding an underlying smooth sweetness in contrast to other dry, smoky, woody incense scents. The drydown remains richly balsamic, but a hint of animalic musk creeps in at the later stages, and the woody notes become more intense too, with a polished beeswax effect given by the sweet resinous amber. It eventually fades to a spicy-musky skin scent with incense remaining until final fade. Sillage is moderate and longevity is long-lasting. A warm unisex scent, Botafumeiro is best worn in cold weather. A beautiful incense scent centred on a rich benzoin amber base, Botafumeiro is beautiful throughout. An olfactive rendering of a beautiful old church, this is the kind of scent I love. Armani Privé Bois d'Encens is my incense perfume of choice, but Botafumeiro is a sweet, resinous alternative that is less dry and smoky. 4.5/5.

As an incense fan, I was eyeing Botafumeiro for years at this point. I haven’t seen it anywhere around my location to try it, until a recent trip to South of Spain, where I tested it and bought during the same day a 50 ml bottle. Botafumeiro is an incense perfume that features prominently besides incense, notes like labdanum, nutmeg, patchouli and styrax. It’s a super warm, soft spicy, ambery, moderately sweet and mildly smoky perfume with minimal floral, citrusy facets. It’s one of those mass appealing, easy reach perfumes that makes you feel comforted, cozy and relaxed. It’s not an overly complicated or intimidating perfume, not very intense or massive projecting, so it’s suitable for most situations and environments during cooler days. I’d say it’s more feminine leaning, because as it’s drying down gets even warmer, sweeter and more floral! Beautifully done! Carner Barcelona is a very underrated brand and very little talked about on social media, besides the summery ones, in the colourful bottles, especially taking in consideration how good their scents are and how well priced they are for the quality! If you like incense dominant perfumes, but with some nuances and twists, with moderate longevity and sillage, Botafumeiro is a safe blind buy!

If I hadn't gotten a sample with a purchase I would not have looked into this at all , but I'm so glad I did! The official notes list really doesn't do Botafumeiro any justice, it doesn't convey how warm and sweet it is. To my nose, this fragrance smells like Coca Cola, Christmas incense (Räuchermännchen cones, for those who know them), amber, exotic resins and balsams, fine spirits aged in wooden barrels and stewed stone fruits. The reviews that mention caramel also make sense to me. It's a very spicy scent with sweet, smokey and even fruity facets that smells unique and mysterious. I don't get musk or any florals from this, and it doesn't smell like a typical patchouli fragrance. When I first tried this I fell in love, now I tried it a couple more times and concluded that it's not quite a must-have for me. It's perfectly unisex in the drydown, but the opening leans a little masculine and the strong wood and smoke notes are not something I would feel like wearing often. Nevertheless it's such a beautiful scent and I would recommend to try it even if the notes sound a little lackluster to you.

Something about the balsamic/smoky/incense side of this does remind me of By the Fireplace, although this is brighter and, because it's smoky, does capture something of a liturgical incense vibe that naturally BtF, though also smoky, does not. I like this and Avignon about equally, for different reasons. The smoke in this is great. Avignon seems kind of darker to me overall (kind of brown where this is yellow) and more complex, but much of its extra detail is toward the top end--bright resin, grassy or herbacous zing... I don't know what. Avignon with its comparative wealth of spice sometimes reminds me of cola, which actually works. This one perhaps reminds me more of actual burning frankincense or something similar--essentially a non-gothic, fairly light incense, with a light woody backdrop, but with added heft from the smokiness. I'd be happy with either. Each has average performance, as probably befits any incense fragrance. @RiddlesKitty That'll be the styrax, not benzoin. "Most people can't distinguish between the two, but they are very different." 🧐

Ok i am absolutely obsessed with this perfume, what a hidden gem from Barcelona! I don't like incense at all and this to me doesn't smell incense heavy, there is a very light airy incense smell but to my nose this is all about spices and benzoin, like a very dry nutmeg powder, some cinnamon and a sweet dry base like benzoin. I can also detect a kind of freshly sharpened pencil smell, this is absolutely lovely and cozy, i need a bottle. Performance is absolutely great, i'm happy this doesn't project a lot, wonderful bubble around you, like 1 meter for more than 8 hours and at least one week on clothes. Longevity is very great, proyeccion is low but i love it this way, when people come close, this is gonna do magic :-) Top top work from Carner!

A lovely and thick sweet smoke... I get so many compliments when I wear this... I find it very simple and easy to wear. Its a delicious scent without being actually the cloying sweet sirup... Lots of labdanum, nutmeg and bergamot...over a woody base. Styrax is also quite noticeable. The incent is smooth and creamy. It does project quite a lot at first and tames down to a moderate silage after an hour or so. Longevity is good, but it does sit close to the sking after 4-6h for another 4h. I was expecting a much harsher scent from the description. After sampling I ended with a fb quite soon. I have sampled the other two from this line as well and Ambar is also very nice, but maybe not so special as this for me...

The first time I tried this was at bedtime. Woke up wanting to wear it again. It got me my first “you smell good” in the workplace. I would rank it way up high with the masterpiece Grand Soir! The two are similar to me. Comparable in projection and performance. Same deep, warm, subtly sweet & creamy, smooth, spicy opulence, and remarkable quality. Botafumeiro is smokier and more incense-y on my skin (which I love). Big fan of incense fragrances; particularly Etat Libre d’Orange Rien Intense Incense, but that one lacks the smokiness that makes Botafumeiro such a jewel. Masterfully blended and intoxicating. An absolute stunner.

An absolute stunner from the house of Carner Barcelona. It opens with a sweet and resinous touch mixed with Christmas spices, and it becomes progressively smokier and drier afterwards, but never too cloying. The whole composition gives off a meditative and pensive vibe that can be a bit hard to find with the other incense-heavy creations. I get the Catholic church inspiration, but for me, this feels much more like a Tibetan-esque incense. Something that you could smell while strolling around a temple in Lhahsa, when the monks are chanting their mantras and your mind is completely at ease.

Botafumeiro, is a lighter, slightly more floral, spring/summer version of Ambar Del Sur. I prefer Ambar Del Sur, but not at all disappointed with Botafumeiro. The two are like happy siblings with slightly different personalities. I would not choose Botafumeiro for a hot day, but perfect for a early or late summer evening adventure. Complex, beautiful blend of notes with the nutmeg, florals and ever so slight hint of incense. Special. Surprised this does not get more coverage in the community.

Botafumeiro is a beautiful balsamic, smoky labdanum scent combined with very strong incense and a powerful animal note of styrax. The opening notes are unmistakably balsamic, incense, spicy, animalic, and ambery. Botafumeiro is soothing, calm, and has a subtle hint of something provocative. Definitely worth a look for incense fans, especially for rainy winter days. The projection is delicate, stays close to the skin but it lasts a long time, creating a beautiful scent bubble. Big like for me.

It is the big brother of encens suave , released 1 years earlier. His little brother "encens suave" is louder and "you saw me?", botafumeiro is deeper and enveloping. An incense to the limit of the greedy , enveloping and warm , radiating a contagious joy of life. it is dynamic ( sparkling bergamot ) distinguished ( Patchouli, labdanum) and mysterious ( spicy incense) I join stowhining65 below, a real underrated beauty Very underrated, to discover urgently.

So it's 25 oC here (77 oF) and I'm wearing... this. At some point some guy walked past me and I thought "What is this guy wearing, it's amazing!" and I realized it was coming from me, from this amazing juice. It almost cools the whole city down with the attitude of labdanum and incense, adds a little sweet freshness with freesia and musk. So my recommendation would be to wear this every season. Yes.

What a beautiful soft scent. This has become my go-to perfume. Absolutely love the simplicity and elegance of the bottles. The scent on me is deep, soft, and fairly long lasting. It is resinous, sensual and woody...absolutely beautiful. A Barcelona scent that supports local artisans that has beautiful artistry behind. A must have for those that enjoy an incense fragrance.

On the blotter a day later, this gives authentic classic old school style cola vibes. Not Coke but the bourbon smoky almost traditional cola smell. Unique and addictive quality. I love Carner so I would love to have this too although I can’t justify it at the moment. I’ll see how I feel about it again come autumn. Beautiful though like others are saying below.

Well this is one interesting "smoke expeller"... Bergamot, nutmeg, patchouli, and resins. That's what I get from this gem. All the while a soft bitterness lingers, then sharpens into a thick, sweet incense. Leave your convictions at the door, because this is one sinful creation! Typically unisex but would flatter a feminine person more-so than a man.

This one is very tricky to me. All I can think of while wearing it is a wooden jewelry box I had when I was a teen. I don’t know what kind of wood it was made out of, but every time I opened it, it smelled like freshly cut wooden boards, maybe pine boards? I don’t see any wood notes in the pyramid, yet here I am... It’s stunning!

Very underrated here on Fragrantica. Beautifully blended fragrance. Definitely a cool weather fragrance, as it's super cozy, and alluring. I get woody, balsamic incense, but the incense is very well blended in the background. Not an overwhelming church incense. Smells much more expensive then the price point.

I've had a sample of this for a couple years and just recently smelled it again. Wow, I hadn't quite appreciated its beauty until now. To me this is a beautiful amber fragrance with slight floral touches and a very soft smoky incense note. Absolutely gorgeous. I immediately ordered a full bottle!

Botafumeiro is a sweet incense induced fragrance. It is a very delicious labdanum mixed with nutmeg, incense and patchouli. I really do not smell any citric in this fragrance. Earthy and smells good enough to eat. Longevity ia excellent and I already received many compliments from co-workers.

Wow this is wonderful! I know nobody else has suggested this above, but I sense similarities between Botafumiero and Nasamotto's Baraonda. Botafumiero is a masterpiece to behold. Beautifully balanced and rich, like Italian Dulce de Leche. Smooth and well rounded. Big love 😍

Love love love this one - absolutely exquisite. So complex but so smooth and easy to like at the same time. The incense here is sweet not heady and liturgical. The pepper and nutmeg go beautifully with the touch of citrus. Masterpiece!

An utterly exotic, sweet, smoky amber perfume. Gorgeous. And I want to wear this again.

Looking to sell my bottle. UK shipping only

In the top, I get a very nice freesia note - reminiscent of the one used by Geza Schoen in the great Baldessarini Ultimate, and I wouldn't be surprised if he signed this one also - that will shortly have a fresh facet (bergamot) and then chill out to play with the pink pepper and goes on the sweeter side. Shortly after, a spicy labdanum - reminding me of ELdO Attaquer Le Soleil - slowly fades in to finally take the lead, at a point (60-90min in) where the freesia accord has disappeared. The incense aromachemical and the styrax are not individually noticeable, but will give a - subtle but noticeable - smoky facet to the labdanum, giving nearly an impression of caramel. That said, in spite of flirting with the gourmand territory, it never enters in it. Performance is pretty good on my skin (something reassuring after my mixed experience in reguard with Cuirs form the same house). Overall not groundbreaking but a very pleasant well blended unisex floriental. Men can also easily pull it off, assuming one can tolerate a hint of sweetness. I would recommend it, but only if you can get a great deal. I'm happy with it, but consider that I paid not even a third of the full retail price. If not, I would just pass as it's not an essential fragrance in a collection imo. A like for me. Fall days, 25+

Botafumeiro is so smooth, warm and creamy that it really is impossible dislike. A scent with two interesting phases, and one that requires careful sampling. It opens like a gourmand, with Xmas spices lifted by punchy zest & berry sweetness. Nutmeg/cinnamon is very prominent on my skin. However, Botafumeiro takes an interesting turn half an hour in, with the amber of cistus kicking into gear. Subtle powdery florals support the developing amber accord as sour & sweet fruits are gradually replaced by incense notes. Cistus is gradually boosted by smokey frankincense and benzoin, which leads the incense presentation. This benzoin has facets of balsamic vanilla and caramelised sugar, continuing a gourmand thread from the opening. Creamy woods and dry musk rounds out the base. Performance is average. I get around 3 hours of useful scent, which forms a close bubble. All in all, Botafumeiro is a modernised and approachable incense perfume. Likeable and not overly sombre, with creamy woods and balsamic sweetness cleverly used to ease the smokey incense presentation. Very clever, and definitely worth a sampling.

Botafumeuro is a nice oriental scent suitable for mild weather, fall, spring and cool summer evenings, safe for both genders. It's not at the note pyramide but I do get clearly something caramelized. Not the sickly sweet caramel but definitely there's something that looks like caramel. The scent feels familiar with other oriental blends which contain caramel or some kind of candy. At the opening is almost semi-gourmand but quickly changes into a beautiful oriental scent. I'm not a fan of the caramel note but I ike very much the caramelish note which is in this scent. Besides the caramelish vibe I get very strong nutmeg, labdanum, mild incense, mild bergamot, strong pink pepper, noticeable freesia, very-very faint styrax. I do not get lily of the valley. Not even traces. It is a long lasting scent with moderate sillage & projection. If you like mild caramel with spices give it a try. Do not trust the note pyramide here. Go and try it on your skin.

I had but a quarter mL in a small sample vial, courtesy of a generous swap partner. Since I needed more to spray, I decided to empty the contents onto a tester paper, and sniff from there. Oh, my! Love at first sniff. So many beautiful notes making beautiful music together. Nutmeg and pink pepper play nicely with a very sweet resinous accord. I can see a distant relation to By the Fireplace with both of their smoky sweetnesses, and I'm not sure which one I prefer more. They both definitely need to be worn in cooler weather, as I can only imagine this becoming annoyingly cloying above 40F. As it dries down, it becomes less sweet and more smokey (but not from the incense?), and I'm no longer head over heels, attempting to budget a full bottle into my no-buy month. :P I'd love to acquire a larger decant or partial bottle in a future swap, but I'm not rushing out to buy it at the moment.

Botafumeiro by Carner Barcelona is the sort of fragrance that leaves a large and lasting impression. It may not be to everyone's taste, but it knows exactly what it wants to be and goes for it. This is the sort of perfume that I find challenging to wear as a personal fragrance, but that I adore as an environmental scent. Could Carner Barcelona PLEASE make a candle out of this scent!? To me, this is all kitchen spices; this is sniffing the old spice cabinet of a gourmet chef. This is the scent of nutmeg and peppercorns toasting in a wood-fired oven on a cold winter's afternoon in a smoke-filled kitchen while you prepare the spice rub for tonight's meat dish. It is a fragrance I can't wear, but that I have to spray onto things around me once in a while because it is so addictive. Lasts days and days on woolen things.

Due to the heavyish patchoulli and very clear smokey notes, to me this leans more masculine, but it is absolutely a beautiful blend. It manages to be sultry and incense, yet still manages to keep a vapour lightness about it. Absolutely get the nutmeg and pink pepper lasting, and that is a fantastic combination for the senses! What I like most about this one is that it is just a bit different - I find myself coming back to sniff my wrist, and as much as I really don't love patchoulli, for some reason this blend just does something different with it. I would have to recommend a tester first because of the uniqueness, but I really do recommend trying it!

Instead of nutmeg I get coffee. Lovely scent, stays close to the skin, but gone in a couple hours like others from this brand. I’d love to have it in a candle as well. The incense and older musty wood smells remind me of Liturgie by Jovoy. Also smells like the very last remnants of Wil Germaine Passion Victim, basically the next day after wearing it. Passion Victim is so much more intense and is hard to beat in the incense category. But this is by nature lighter and delicate. A good blind buy for someone wanting to experiment with incense and spice and could be a great layering tool.

I love the opening, the nutmeg is pretty noticeable and has an initial sweetness that I think it makes it more feminine than unisex. As it dries down the incense dominates, the sweetness is gone and becomes unisex and too smoky for me. It's a very interesting perfume, however I'm not sure I would wear it. It reminds me too much the way a "botafumeiro" smells, that is a censer. The name matches perfectly the smell once it settles, I would love it for my space for sure.

Great amber perfume, one of the best from the brand. Nothing groundbreaking (the brand itself is rather secondary, sorry), just a very beautiful, warming amber scent, with a slight sourness, not too sweet, not powdery, not too dry. I am not a fan of incense, and here it's very calm, not churchy, not burnt and not soapy. Unfortunately, on hot skin and even in warm weather after 4-5 hours it leaves a very animalic musky trace on the skin, quite funky.

There is a gourmand caramel quality to this that reminds me of MiN new york’s “circus” (I think it’s called). Very chewy and almost nutty. The note pyramid is almost irrelevant here but the labdanum does shine and the nutmeg on my skin is intense. Very low projection as most Carner’s tend to be and the longevity is pretty bad. It’s a constant disappointment from this house that makes wonderful scents that have no performance.

Definitely my kind of scent, opening comes very close to my signature Embers actually, and that is very rare. Still prefer the piercing quality of Embers, it's sharper with more spice, warmer, smokier, woodsier, more character, this one is a bit lighter more gourmand. Was hoping the bergamot would shine a bit more here I can't really smell it. Drydown is a little generic sweet but smoky too which is nice.

7.3 / 10 — Carner Barcelona – Botafumeiro: A dark, cold-spicy mix of ginger, heavy incense, and ghostly florals. It has a dense, ink-like depth that leans slightly masculine and reminds me a bit of Zoologist's Squid. Highly atmospheric, but needs a punch of sweetness to rank higher.

It is a nice scent, quite subtle on my skin in terms of projection. To my nose it is a cross between gucci pour homme 2 and tf oud wood with a touch of citrus. It is quite a simple scent that is linear. To sum it up i would describe it as a sweet woody scent.

This has a churchy incense note. Not Patchouli. More like Frankincense and Myrrh. Interesting! I have it, but don't wear it much.

Burnt pepper, smoke, amber. Masculine leaning. First spray is sharp and seems unbalanced to my nose. Need to test this further.

First impression - a more modest version of Encens Suave. Less depth, less mystery, and of course for less money. Get it if you want a budget amber/incense fragrance.

Boozy sweet incense, spicy, balsamic of storax, loaded with nutmeg, light patchouli, labdanum, serene of freesia and brilliant of bergamot in a carpet of light woods. As it evolves, a warm, creamy, amber aroma makes its way halfway between boozy and gourmant. Like a hot, almost burnt sugar syrup, alcoholic, poured on wooden boards and like a fortified chamomile in the long drydown. The note of freesia and musk bring fresh air between the woods, still sweet and feminine, almost overhanging the incense. Basically a linear soft wood, drunk, smeared with smoke and nutmeg grease. Ostentatious sweetness, which improves in the drydown but quickly bores me. I'm not crazy about the texture but the trail is pleasant and calming. I prefer it over clothes.

#1003 in my "Tour de Fragrance" I've liked most of the Carners I've tried, but I do not like this one. All that nutmeg and sweetness is souring my stomach. One reviewer nailed it with the "cotton candy" label. I won't be able to speak to longevity as I am washing this off. And it's hard to wash off. A scrubber.

The first notes are something like stepping into a spice shop. A few minutes later, you get the chili pepper on a strawberry candy. I can see some people liking it, just not me.

I like the note breakdown for the most part, but the nutmeg really ruins it for me.

I love this one. Overall this is an incense centred fragrance to me. I catch a brief flash of bergamot at the very opening, which swiftly dissipates, leaving a sweet spicy incense note which continues, almost unchanged, for the rest of this perfume’s life on my skin. It’s not a pure church incense (like Montale Full Incense) but an incense that has drifted out of the church and mixed with life in the outside world, a little bit of wood smoke mixed in, a bit of peppery spice and nutmeg from the spice market, and a touch of floral sweetness from surrounding gardens. I get no gourmand or caramel notes from this. To me it seems the sweetness here consists of some balsamic/resin sweetness plus maybe a little floral sweetness from the LOV. After a couple of wears I’d say it has moderate projection and longevity but I need more experience wearing out in the world and around other people to confirm this. A blind buy that exceeded my expectations.

The coziest fragrance I have smelled. Sparkling bergamot + sugary, airy, cotton candy-esque incense + nutmeg. Botafumeiro instantly reminded me of a candy that is popular in Sweden - Malaco Cola bottles, or "Colaflaskor" as they are called here. I used to love them when I was a kid, and I probably still do even though it was a while ago I had them. It also reminds me of a popsicle called Igloo Cola. Botafumeiro definitely has a cola vibe to it. The most prominent accords in this fragrance that I get are amber, smoky, resinous, musky, and sweet. I can also catch whiffs of some floral notes. The fragrance is unisex, but leans more towards the masculine side IMO. Very unique, well made, and pleasant. 8/10.

This little devil is tricky, it starts mild and calm, almost to calm, then for each minute it grows stronger and stronger, first you get the peppery anis almost like medecin/sambuka, then it turns more and more towards dry amber, and Then warm very faint smoke/Sun warm wood comes Into play, now Its getting intressting Wood at the verge off turning ablaze becaus off The heat from the dry amber growing in power, dampend by the faint musk and labdanum so it dosent go out off controll. scent that evolves over time, playfull..smart..high quality parfume It stays on for 5 hrs then it turns into calming woody skin scent... But what a ride folks.

Light on the smokiness though it does begin to show itself in the drydown. The opening, as others have mentioned, is pretty notably sweet for an incense fragrance and the cotton candy comparison is apt, though it was never too much for me and I found it to be sweet at a pleasant level. Smoke wafts in the background of the drydown which overall is more about a predominantly woody incense sort of smell - kind of like unburnt sticks or wood pellets etc. I like it! Edit: Reaching the last remnants of it as a skin scent at about the 8 hour mark. Had a nice scent bubble for a good 2 or 3 hours. Respectable performance overall.

I know nothing about perfume but here is what I think: It started off with a "stinky" sweet - like honey - if you know what I'm talking about. It's not gourmand sweet. I see how it is gender-neutral but my first impression is an elegant elderly lady behind the wooden counter of an antique store full of clothing and jewellery. Sprayed it on the back of my hand before bed and pretty much gone by the morning (on my hand) but my room smelled good. 8.5/10

Very strange! unusual take on bergamot and incense. I like the combo, very well spiced up, lots of nutmeg and pepper. Super creamy and a hint of something balsamic. Florals are hidden, you can't quite discern them but overall it is a very fine and super smooth scent. I wonder which occasion calls to use it? wintery for sure, on the edge to be almost gourmand! I am sure I'll appreciate more, but at the moment I am very puzzled. Original! sample it!

Sweet peppery smoke on my skin. Reminds me of By the Fireplace but not as intensely gourmand. This is a soft rounded scent, no hard edges or florals that I can detect. Edited to say, I'm wearing this again today and the delicate white florals are unfurling beautifully. I thought this was a somewhat simplistic scent at first but it has wonderful depth. I keep a sample in my bag for emergencies and enjoy it more with every wear.