Vanille Bourbon

Vanille Bourbon by Condé Parfum Launched in 2022, Vanille Bourbon is a fragrance that reflects the creative essence of Fábio Condé, a perfumer and passionate collector who always transformed his admiration for iconic notes into unique compositions. Among all, vanilla held a special place in his heart, and here it takes on a luxurious role, enveloped in sophisticated layers of spices, resins, and liqueur facets. The opening is striking, almost hypnotic: the warmth of rum and liqueur blends with the dark succulence of plum, creating a sensual and elegant impact from the start. The heart then reveals its oriental soul, where amber, benzoin, and incense add density, resinous warmth, and a slightly mystical aura, balanced by delicate floral nuances. In the background, the star shines in all its glory: creamy vanilla, enhanced by the almondy sweetness of tonka bean, the warm softness of sandalwood, and a musky sensuality. The result is an enveloping trail, just the right amount of sweetness, sophisticated, and addictive, one of those perfumes that seem to embrace the skin with luxury and intensity. Performance Longevity: over 9 hours, ensuring a long-lasting presence. Projection/trail: strong, leaving a lasting mark on the room without being invasive. Occasions Vanille Bourbon is perfect for special evenings, romantic dates, sophisticated dinners, or moments when you want to convey warmth and sensuality. Its intensity makes it ideal for fall and winter, but it can also shine on cool spring nights. It's not a perfume to go unnoticed—it calls for special occasions. Final Score Vanille Bourbon is a declaration of love for vanilla, masterfully crafted by a perfumer who, as a collector, thoroughly understood the nuances of this celebrated note. With a balance of sweet, liqueur-like, and resinous notes, it delivers elegance and intensity in just the right measure. Score: 9.3/10.

BOOZY BUTTERSCOTCH 😍😍😍!! I purchased a decant of this and I've fallen in love. This is unlike anything I've ever smelled. The opening is a blast of buttery rum/scotch. It's very much in your face and might make your nose crinkle up a little. But wait for that drydown...this is heavy on the vanilla and there's that prominent butterscotch that rides for the whole wear time. I don't really get the plum or floral notes. Incense, a little bit acting as a smokiness in the background. This is very unisex, straight down the middle IMO. If you've ever smelled Scents of Wood Plum In Cognac, VB has that same unisex boozy thing going on but I got a lot of wood/ambroxan in Plum In Cognac and it was too much. There is none of that here. This is just right. Oh and this is POTENT! Excellent longevity and an amazing scent bubble from only a few sprays. And I checked the price for a FB and its very reasonable at around $96 for a 50 ml. The shipping hurts though at $19 from Brazil to the US (but it's understandable). Might have to make a sacrifice of another fragrance in my collection so that I can bring this one on board. I'd love to try some of the others in this collection also. I definitely recommend this fragrance to men and women!!

Initial spray is overpowering vanilla, but the dry down smooths out into a nice boozy fragrance. Long lasting with weak projection for me.

Vanille Bourbon was launched at the end of July 2022 and managed to attract attention during August, when temperatures were still low in Brazil, and the brand's audience was curious about another launch by perfumer Fábio Condé. This time, the perfumer chose a burgundy-colored glass that, in hand, is not as purple as the bottle that appears on the company's website. But it's different enough not to be confused by the ruby color of Boisée Rouge’s bottle. Vanille Bourbon doesn't explore a far-fetched concept, based on storytelling created by marketing wizards. This time, the perfumer decided to explore the creative freedom that permeates the Indie segment and, simply, focused on the vanilla note, one of his favorites (if not the biggest). The olfactory pyramid lists notes of rum, liqueur, and plum at the top; benzoin, incense, amber, and floral accord, in the body; sandalwood, tonka bean, vanilla, and ambretone (although the name suggests amber, it belongs to the animalistic musks family), at the base. On the skin, this new fragrance follows the powerful style of previous creations of the brand, such as Ambré Beige and Tabac D’Or, but it is not as simple as some make it seem when they mention adjectives such as “striking plum” or “refined vanilla”. Let me explain how it works! First, grab a bottle of aged Bourbon, the kind whose alcohol content makes the eyes water, just by pouring a shot. Then, transfer the content to an airtight lidded jar and add yellow plums. The more mature, the better! For seasoning, instead of using the traditional cinnamon stick, the tonka bean, which is sweeter and more almondy, came in. Here, the perfumer felt that an extra dose of sweetness was missing, so he added benzoin, which brought a molasse effect. Now, Vanille Bourbon is starting to take shape and smell, but the main thing is missing: the vanilla, which gave the perfume its name. Then, a moist vanilla bean is inserted into the pot and there it remains, macerating for more than 30 days, at the bottom of a dark refrigerator. This is how the “Condé secret accord” is born, which will later be refined with floral touches and sandalwood. On the skin, Vanille Bourbon has an impeccable performance, which was to be expected. Its olfactory profile and construction favor the result and my experience on the coldest days of this year, in São Paulo, with an average temperature of 10°C, was pleasant, without exaggerating the sprays. And just as we get used to the signatures that some perfumers give to their creations, over the years, Fábio Condé has also printed his own, even with little time on the market. The negative side of this story is precisely the risk of confusing consumers and falling into the hole of shallow comparison, the one that says that “whoever has one, does not need the other”. For me, Vanille Bourbon was not born to follow a trend, nor is it a request for permission. It is, simply, the old desire to create a gourmand-vanilla scent, now materialized.

Creamy, boozy and deep amber vanilla scent. The ambretone is a little too harsh for my nose, but the scent it ok. I think this leans masculine. After a few minutes it becomes a very soft scent.

Boozy vanilla, leans masculine.