Bourbon

Breathtakingly good. For true wood and resin lovers there's all the timber you could possibly want - living, breathing, carefully-worked slabs of rich, mellow guaiac, like barrels from heaven. Inside them, some kind of beautiful booze, which even for me (a teetotaller) is equally smooth and delicious, with no harsh raw-alcohol smell to it, just a burnished deep-golden glow of warmth within. Sweet deep-orange resins and smooth, grown-up, not-sickly vanilla yoking it all together harmoniously. Mmmmmmm. A retro saloon with everything glorious about liquor culture but none of the ugly. Like all Hendleys, uncompromisingly strong and unapologetically individual; a self-consciously niche take on boozy woods, and I do not mean that as a criticism - rather that this Bourbon sets out right from the start to be different. Not rough-hewn - it's far too sophisticated for that - but very definitely rugged and handmade, and one man's olfactory vision made reality. It's from the Durga / Dame style of New American Wild West perfumery, not the haute cuisine gourmand style of French classic houses. The tang of real wood and peaty-oaky-poky notes might be a bit too sharp for some. But as it happens Hans Hendley's nose has a vision of the world much like mine, so the mesh is almost always spectacularly good; he can make me love notes I waver on, like rose (because he does it butcher and wilder than anyone else, as in Rosenthal) and even tolerate strawberry (in the monstrously overbearing but still seductive Amora) ... so when he's operating in my imaginary workshop space, the woody resinous cellar of my dreams, then it's a done deal. Bossy projection and a little sharper at the start; dries down to something smoother and lasts ages. True unisex for those who can deal with it. Never been a liquor drinker myself but this Bourbon is so good it leaves me giddy. Big tip of the stetson to Mr Hendley, Esq, on this one. ETA: so much in love with this that I parted with the (considerable) RRP +shipping costs to get a precious 30ml of the recently-brewed batch of this delivered to the UK. It's SO wonderful that I regret nothing. Buyer's bonus: the bottle version seemed a very tiny bit more vanillic and a little sweeter and less oaky than the tester, but stronger on longevity - with a lingering whiff of heaven on skin as late as 11h in. And the most wonderful surprise of all: when applied properly from a bottle, the drydown becomes a whole different beast, with a totally seductive, fluffy, powdery/almost rose-scented/sweeter wood aura. Winner on every possible score. And a free sampler of the EdC version thrown in too! (Thank you Hans Hendley!) The EdC is recognisably in the same vein, but lighter and more transparent - still gorgeous but surviving only 5-6h. It lacks the full weight and rounded, burnished woods of the EdP, but has a larger and seriously beautiful cinnamon note a bit further to the fore. It's also very very well priced; the EdC might be one of the best things you could possibly spend $55 for 30ml on, while the EdP (still my first and greater love) is a much bigger ask - though IMHO still worth every penny- at $160/30ml or $250/50ml. It might be the most expensive thing I own at that price. And yet again: I regret nothing. Bourbon addict for life now.

This review is for the new EDC version which came with an order, though it took me a while to realize it was the EDC and not the original extrait. I used to hate Shalimar despite repeated tries. Then, one hot summer day, I was compelled to apply a drive-by spritz in a shop, and Shalimar and I had our moment. I went on a hunt for vintage versions and was vaguely obsessed with it. But the bottles languished (my husband and cats are not fans of it) and so I rehomed all but a vintage PDT, which still languishes. Instead I find myself wanting to wear modern interpretations of Shalimar: Aroma M Geisha Noire, Cire Trudon Olim, and ELDO Bijou Romantique. I'm testing Bourbon EDC today and it's striking me the same way. This interpretation (though maybe unintenional) is a mellow, sheer version. The opening bergamot mingles with a hint of booze giving it a sophisticated sparkle. As the woods and vanilla emerge it takes on a fuzzy haze, like sun streaming through gauzy curtains. It's warm and comforting without being heavy and I could wear this on a warm summer evening, for sure, where I suspect it would bloom beautifully. As with everything I've tried so far from Hendley, this is blended beautifully into a cohesive whole. It's subtle, but for me this is its strength. Like wearing the lightest, softest cashmere wrap that is so comfortable and weightless that it lets me breathe and move about effortlessly. Nice!

Over the weekend I listened to a Hans Hendley interview. Then on Saturday I was a few seconds late on my quest to purchase my first Hendley—even though the bottle was in my cart (must have sold out under 2 minutes. Insert sad face here). I was that close to owning one of 25 bottles of Bloodline. Oh well, onto the review for this wonderful creation. My second time wearing Bourbon and I just love it. It’s a boozy, wood scent softened with citrus, tonka and vanilla. The opening is thick and full of sticky resins. Everything smells natural and I am not disappointed with performance. I’m getting about 2.5 hours before Bourbon turns to a skin scent.... though it could still be projecting softly (I’m not sure). My husband also likes it. If I knew he would wear it, I would immediately buy it for him. Unfortunately he’s not much a scent guy. This is absolutely the opposite of a light summer scent, so I want to test this again when the weather changes. So far I’m really impressed with everything I’ve sampled from Hendley.

Opens a bit citrusy, immediately quite animalistic, a bit spicy, very warm, amber notes, something sweet like orange, some woodiness throughout... Honestly quite lovely. A bit creamy. Boozy but tamed, not like rum or whiskey. It's quite mature, quite wearable. The dry down is sweeter and really lovely. Very soft sillage/projection, which is always a let down for me. Every now and then I catch a strong wave of it, so I might be a bit nose blind to the fragrance. Ultimately though, I can only rate my experience, the dry down lets me down. Like I said, it's sweetness elevates and props up a lovely vanilla note mixed with something reminding me of oranges. And that's really all. The first hour it's a solid 9 out of the gate for me, but the remaining time spent turning into a skin scent, it's maybe a 7.5? I'll round it to a 8/10. I love it, I just want more of it. Will revisit when the weather changes.

This is a beautiful more masculine foil to Cola. They have the cinnamon, chewy amber accord, tonka and vanilla in common. Whereas Cola is an uber smooth, gourmand leaning almost coffee-like spiced amber, Bourbon is a smokier, leather+cognac take on the similar genre. If you're shy about animalics, the castoreum in this may challenge you, but I wouldn't be afraid of it. The castoreum is so well blended with benzoin, labdanum (think it gives this an incensey vibe), cinnamon, and dry woods that it smells less like an animal and more a cozy, spicy, and smokey energy. This gives off the feeling of having a post-dinner-and-desert whiskey by the fireplace in the dead of winter. It does remind me of Ambre Loup, as they both feature animalics + big labdanum-based amber, but this is a far smoother blend to my nose. Really enjoying this one so far.

A wearable, unique, incensey/woody vanilla. It calls to mind both the peppery bite of Le Labo's Poivre and the vanillic incense of that brand's Vanille 44. That isn't to say that it is a smell-alike to either, but there is some textural overlap. The bergamot up top is a bit more noticeable and pronounced in the eau de cologne, though it provides a nice contrast to the deep, dark notes in the extrait as well, kind of like the bergamot/vanilla/leather contrast in Shalimar. But just mentioning other scents shortchanges the unique beauty of Bourbon. It begins somewhat dissonantly with the citrus, pepper, incense, and resins with its dynamic opening. It's a bit chaotic but beautiful. From there, the notes come together in a cozy, interesting, and versatile spicy, vanillic-resin scent throughout the drydown. Lovely, especially in the winter.

Mmmmmm ... I love the boozy, woody, spicy leather of Bourbon. It's a chilly, windy day outside, but I'm lounging in front of the fire, drinking cognac and playing backgammon. It's a Ralph Lauren ad come to life. There's always something different, every time it wafts past my nose. Coffee, smoke, cinnamon, even tiny hints of something citrusy and surprising. On paper it feels masculine, but I just love it on me—I would call it firmly unisex. And it lasts hours and hours. One of my all-time favorites.

On me, this is a delicious, boozy, sweet-spicy amber. It is somewhat a cross of Le Labo’s Poivre 23 and Obsession. The vanilla smooths and mellows the animalics to a purr. Somehow the guaiac wood, oak and tonka swirl to create an almost-cinnamon accord. I do not get any of the citrus directly, but I’ll bet they help keep everything from getting too smoky or dark. The sillage is strong and still present 12 hours later, sitting warm and close the skin.

I receive more compliments for Bourbon Extrait than any other perfume in my small collection. It's a masterpiece! A deconstructed bourbon smell that begins on a leather couch in a study and walks out the door into the woods, with skin warm and breath crisp. The castoreum is so lovely. Spray a little on a cold night for company (or polite compliments).

I will echo what gtabasso said which is that this is a smoky scent with a hint of booze. Not gourmand in my opinion because of the overwhelmingly dry woods and the animalic base notes, but there are some gourmand touches. It is a gorgeous, beastly scent. The drydown is heavenly and the scent cloud stays with you for hours. I absolutely adore Bourbon.

I first tried Bourbon in a sample I was given. From the moment I put it on, I loved it. I said to myself, "this fragrance is perfect for the Fall months." At first spray you smell the bourbon vanilla with the cognac. Then in the dry down it mixes with the orange peel and bergamot. It gives me the feeling of relaxation and coziness.

More amber woody than vanilla to me! So potent, powerful and unique. Opening is so so dense. Have both this and the EDC but I find myself reaching for this more often as it is so much stronger and more unique. Longevity is amazing. Reminds me of a bit of Kilian's amber oud

smokey dry wood; guaiac, oak, touch of oakmoss, hint of bourbon but not really boozy sweet, the smoke rules this fragrance, a dry dry dry smoke and wood; the benzoin is there, too; in the base, it sweetens up a bit into a woody, boozy incense, just lovely

A great sparkling and longlasting bourbon fragrance made of naturals.The scent is quite unique and made in good Hendley style.Its addictive and a great compliment getter.I would say it has a certain retro vibe which i really do appreciate.

This is so boozy and deep! It's too warm today, but am putting my decant away for much cooler temps. This will blossom!! A little overpowering in warmer temps. I cannot WAIT to try it when it's in its glory :o)

This wears like an animalic Essence Absolue on me. Gorgeous. I should’ve bought a bigger bottle initially; back up otw!

Warm, delicious amazing scent. I need this stuff asap!!!

Citrusy sparkling fizzy and KiNd boozy. More of a citrus lime and bergamot with wooden plate. Greeny style on the sparkling citrus side. I don't know wither if I'm gonna love it but all I can say is that I respect Hans for being an artist and proceeded with his passion. I'll give it more time cause I think it needs that. Edit (11th sept 2016) it's quite charming, the orange, cognac, wood, and bergamot, the vanilla is shown there as well. It remained fizzy and sparkling. But the main drawback is the metallic note that devours the blend into an unpleasant state.

Woody-amber on first spray. With something dark hiding behind. Turns heavy leather-frankincense (I know those notes aren't listed!), and then dries down to a slightly milder "Grand Soir". (I haven't smelled the others (other than "Grand Soir") in the 'Reminds' list, so cannot comment on how it matches any of them.) It lasts approximately forever. Fairly wearable, best as a date night scent, and (as a female) I think it leans a bit 'masculine' but not enough to put me off it.

The ideal winter fragrance: warm, boozily rich, with an undertone of wood and fire and smoke. It sits on the skin like a warm duvet. Others rave about the whisky and vanilla notes, but I find these hard to distinguish. That may be because, unlike a commercial product, laden with synthetics, Hans Hendley has woven the organic ingredients of his perfume into a coherent whole. Which works. Mmmmm.

This stuff is incredibly cuddly comfort wear for me. I get continuous whiffs for 12 hrs plus. Absolute stunner. Not same but in similar veins of Amber loup by Rania J. Miles ahead than EDC.

On first spray it is spicy, very boozy and rich. It has a almost gourmand vibe to it. The longevity on my skin was excellent with decent projection as well

15 ml for $100 or 100 ml $500 wow wow a friend had this and i went to see about getting it for my husband and I am a big spender but considering I had never heard of this brand, looked it up, small business, artisan in KY etc i was prepared to support! I didn't feel it was at this luxury level for this asking price, totally stunned me, I went with Angels Share on the rocks and called it a day - $400 for 100ml sits right with me on a guaranteed product. I feel like you need to establish yourself on a specific playing level to ask this much. For me it's not there yet. My personal opinion.

This is a very thick smoky bourbon. It lasted all day with one spray and it leans very masculine for my taste. I get the older gentleman smoking a cigar at a bar image when i think of this one. It’s unique and different, as it is not overly boozy for bourbon. Good buy if you like thick woods and smoke.

Sweet, woody, mossy ~EdC Sweet, woody, bourbon with a smooth animalic resinous edge. ~Extrait -

We're approaching a bubble. Or we're already in one---bubbles are notoriously identified after the fact. The Perfume Bubble has all the features of previous speculative bubbles, from the Dutch Tulip Crisis in the 17th century to the Housing Market Crash of 2008. It even follows the five stages: 1) Displacement, or New Paradigm. (Independent Perfumery) 2) Boom. (Groovy Early Niche and the Celebrity Perfumer) 3) Euphoria. (The Rise of Luxury Perfumery) 4) Profit taking. (The Whores are at the Gate) 5) Panic. (You Can Smell the Fear) Look around you. Grossly inflated prices, escalating new releases, more new luxo-lines than you can shake a stick at. When the bubble bursts who among us will be saved? Economically, the most adaptable survive, and while large companies might have deeper pockets, my money is on the small indies surviving. Scalability is key to living past a bubble and artisanal perfumers, whose scale is the single perfumer, might stand a better chance than others. So how did we reach stage 4.5 so fast? The seeds were planted early in independent perfumery, where new perfume brands responded to the perceived poor condition of the state of the perfume market. They focussed on quality, favoring novelty over reiterating traditional forms. It makes sense that the perfumes that drove creativity at this time were the oddballs, the beautiful freaks. Professionally-trained perfumers who chafed at the limits of their days jobs were free to test new ideas in the new niche houses. Fairly quickly the old guard learned the lessons from the indies and threw a lot of money at new, pricier alt-niche lines, often hiring the same perfumers. Ellena reinvented Hermès. Roger invented Roja. Chanel created les Exclusifs. Guerlain, launched the new blah-blah line. Dior, likewise. Tom Ford, ditto. Less experimentation, more lavish olfactory symbolism. Artisanal perfumery signals a return to fundamentals, though I don't mean to imply that it is either reactionary or prosaic. No single impulse drives independent perfumery. Small-scale work is an alternative to the noisy world of commercial perfumery, not protest against it. As for why artisanal work takes the shape it does, after early-niche experimentation played the 'unconventional' card, outrageousness started to seem easy. The high-end commercial lines went the other direction, filling surprisingly uninventive compositions with oud, molecular derivations of rare botanicals, and horseshit. If there is a goldilocks center to be found, artisanal perfumery might point the way. Hendley is trained in photography. One risk of crossover work is that technical training in one form won't translate to another. Despite a strong conceptual framework, will the artist's 'new' form have an amateur appearance on a technical level compared to the form that he was trained in? Compared to the professionally trained perfumer? In Hendley's case, creativity translates, though not literally. I'm new to the line, having tried only four of the perfumes recently: Rosenthal, Amora, Jade and Bourbon. I don't know Hendley's photography, but his perfumes are clearly not simply an extension of visual work---they don't translate photography to scent. They do offer a coherent approach and well-finished, well-edited perfumes. Of the four, three explore a resinous range of tones without too much overlap. Amora is fruity-resinous, Rosenthal is a balsamic rose and Bourbon explores vanilla. The fourth, Jade, offers a new angle on the maligned "fresh" category. It has a buoyant, aromatic quality without leaning on citrus and herbs or the dreaded ozonic and aquatic notes. Why turn to the artisanal artist for a new take on a known idea? The proof is in the pudding, so to speak. I'm not usually drawn to vanilla-centric perfumes. Vanilla brings out my conservative tendencies, I suppose, and Jicky and Shalimar cover my vanilla needs. But Bourbon is the vanilla I never knew I needed. It's is more than just a simple vanilla perfume and the furthest thing from the ditzy stereotype of the nom-nom vanilla. It avoids the traps of gourmanderie and humdrum orientals, and, like Hendley's Rosenthal, finds plenty of new twists in a well-worn trope. The single word bourbon tells you about the two sides of the perfume. Vanilla from Réunion (formerly Isle de Bourbon) and Bourbon whiskey find common cause in wood. Unsweetened vanilla has smoky and woody facets and whisky is a reflection of the charred cask in which it ages. Bourbon (the perfume) smells like a sip of whiskey or brandy feels--potent and invigorating. Smooth and rough at the same time. The perfume makes great use of its extrait concentration. It strides out of the bottle and covers a lot of ground very quickly. It has moderate throw, but if you're within range, it is deadly handsome. The opening is djinn-in-the-bottle alluring and the tweedy drydown still manages to growl 12 hours down the road. It doesn't coast into coziness as vanilla perfumes can. The liquor gives it a speakeasy quality and the drydown speaks in shady Lauren Bacall tones. The early indies responded to a market of dull, unsatisfying perfumes by taking unconventional approaches. The current luxe market again offers uninteresting perfumes, now at stratospheric prices. Crossover perfumers still can and do question convention (Cognoscenti Warm Carrot, Cadavre Exquis) but Hendley's Bourbon doesn't shock. Its inventiveness is in the half turns and subtle juxtapositions that undercut expectation of a well known note/material. (from scenthurdle.com)

I was interested in the indie house of Hendley due to the artistic and seemingly powerful attributes of the scents, and Bourbon stood out to me most of all as one that I would like to try. The promise of the note breakdown seemed very high, with positive reviews, despite a couple of areas of small concern. Unfortunately, for me, the orange zest seems to be most of what sits front-and-center throughout the early wearing and beyond. It outshines any of the sweet and/or boozy elements, such as the cognac, vanilla bourbon, tonka, or benzoin, and it all but eliminates the distinctiveness of any of the smaller woody or floral accords. Bourbon sadly slightly reminds me of Urban Legend by Sebastiane, one of the worst scrubbers I've ever had the displeasure of smelling, but admittedly Bourbon is not nearly as quirky and problematic. Bourbon is far more toward the middle despite the dominance of the orange zest to my nose. Bourbon is a pretty good performer, at least, but still quite pricey, at a $260 for 50ml extrait, so it's roughly in the area of one needing to love it in order to buy it. I wouldn't say I despise it, but I certainly dislike it a bit---just that orange zest, sadly, is a ruiner. 4 out of 10

I received this in a giveaway set and I'm not brilliant enough to come up with anything different than what has already been said in the two other reviews here. Boozy, sweet, comforting, delicious. It's a chilly but bright April day here and I've been down with a nasty head cold. I decided to shower and put myself together, and walk to a nearby park. I chose this scent and what a perfect choice. I can't actually pick out any citrus - but I suppose it is in there, offsetting the booze and vanilla and keeping it from getting too sweet or cloying. Very nice! Cozy and foody, and two little squirts behind each ear have lasted several hours now.

I find that Hendley produces some of the best Indie fragrances out there. This one is more expensive than the others due to the cost of materials and time required to age this juice in real bourbon barrels. Bourbon is a smoked, rich boozy wood that has excellent performance. The only thing that I don't like is the castoreum as it dries down. I don't personally like that note in general, but it does add depth. I wear this one in the brutal cold, or at night while having a glass of bourbon. Maybe that's just the Kentucky man in me. Worthy of a try. 87/100

My new love. Bourbon goes on cinnamon wood in a soft, Autumn way that I adore. There’s a stage of metallic something (bergamot, I think) that I don’t love, but that powdery wood incense cinnamon is there the whole time and it lasts all day at skin-scent level. At the very end of a long long day, I get sweet resin. I absolutely love this and it's very affordable. Everyone I had sample this loved it. Upon ordering, Hans Hendley himself hand wrote me a very nice note as well. I do like the personal touch. Lovely.

starts off with a bleached, raw wood with crips, unburnt resin. trace elements of something plastic-like and animalic, all blended well and smoothly. while this one is remarkably unique and coherent as a scent, it just isn't anywhere near boozy enough for me, at least not at the start. the i swear i can smell frankincense in this, also, but it might also be some kinda accord struck between the separate components.

Just received a sample of this. Very warm and boozy opening with a just a hint of citrus in the background. However, I don't feel myself getting this simply because for one, it is strong VERY strong and the dry down smells too musky for my taste. $95 for 15ml sounds like a lot for some, but just one spray of this stuff is more than enough in the cold weather.

jtd- I have never been so bored in my life reading your comment, was there any need? I have yet to try these scents, I have a sample pack and will explore at some point! I have heard amazing things about this house and cant wait to test! We all have dreams

Phew. Stanky, dark, and woody. Never been a fan of animalics and this is a heavy one! A little bit incensed. Interesting, but not for me, even in cold weather.

This a beautiful scent, but not worth the price point in my opinion.

Is there a way to get this in Europe (extract or cologne version)?

Warm incense. Some sweetness. Possibly a good winter scent.