Bolt of Lightning

JAR’s Bolt of Lightning didn’t strike me as its nickname implies. In fact, it was Jardenia that did it for me among JAR’s range. Nonetheless, Bolt of Lightning is an absolutely intriguing and unique fragrance that I very much loved as well. Bolt of Lightning opens with a camphor note easily recognisable as an aspect of tuberose. However, while most tuberose fragrances focus solely on the flower itself, JAR puts it among earth and dirt, which can occasionally translate as ozonic to me. Interestingly, from here on, I didn’t get much dampness reminiscent of thunderstorm. Bolt of Lightning actually turns drier like dead, dried leaves, with a medicinal touch that almost remind me of ginseng. After about 90 minutes, tuberose the flower finally makes her main entrance. It’s nothing like the radiant Carnal Flower or the diva Fracas, here in Bolt of Lightning, it’s silky at first and almost feels demure, quietly stepping out of the green, dirt shadow. The tuberose continue to emit its velvety aroma for another 3 hours. Then, here comes a subtle mushroom cheese nuance and skews the tuberose into something more akin to gardenia. Surprisingly, a discreet clove note also starts to rise up and becomes quite noticeable after about 9 hours, where its spicy, tart aroma makes the gardenia seem like wilted and in the process of decay, which smells totally addicting to me. The sillage is very close, and the longevity is around 11 hours. Even though I didn’t get the thunderstorm image or a striking emotional reaction with Bolt of Lightning, but it firmly grows on me, and I just couldn’t stop sniffing my arm with its layered fragrance and unique combination. With its already exclusive status and being discontinued, it might as well be a forever lost unicorn. But if you happen to get the chance to smell it, I highly recommend!

The wind still holds its breath after the palpable tension and unbearable heaviness of the silence have just torn and released their electric charge into the night. The ambient temperature seems to have dropped by half within seconds. Single heavy drops of rain are starting to hit the cool, thick and fleshy leafs of the forest overhead, slowly first then pounding rhythmically increasing their relentless staccato up to a reckless frequency as if commanded by an angry ancient jungle Goddess of the elements. Enter Bolt of Lightning whose opening blast to me describes the seconds after lightning has struck: damp, earthy surroundings of an intensely vegetal and green tropical biosphere, and an electrifying, sharp and dry inner core. As nature calms tuberose rises - at first silky and velvety but soon maturing to heady earthy exoticism and her now half rubiaceous life's circle eventually being closed by mushroomy decay - less morbid than that encountered in the animalic and rotten Ferme tes Yeux and the darker Jardenia, and slightly sweetened by woody spice. The tuberose shows with greater authority and assertiveness than Jardenia's floral counterpart but radiates with no greater pervasiveness. The real shame is that, apparently, BoL will never be produced again as JAR refuses to adjust prices in order to keep producing the fragrances he reportedly makes no money from. I wonder whether this is as close to an absolute certainty as could be possible considering it's the volatile JAR we are talking about here. But alas I fear this could be the sad truth even though it's proven inevitable that, given time, lightning does strike twice in the same spot.

Bolt of Lightning is the heaviest, supremely realistic, lush tuberose! It opens with a dark tropical green, vegetal accord. Smells like disturbed leaves in a jungle during a hurricane. Then, the most sumptuous tuberose gust. A ripe and torrid tuberose. Not the sweet, light note found in happy, easy to wear scents. No, this is a sweaty, sultry bloom. This is the smell of a tropic tuberose on a sweltering night at the height of its' prime. Sensual and so authentic that you are in equatorial paradise. Amazing transitions, even hours into the drydown you still smell nuances of the dusky steaminess of the flower. Masterful scent. I want a bottle! This is the perfume of a jungle goddess.

"Bolt of Lighting" So I finally had my JAR experience.. After trying 7 fragrances without knowing which was which, I was asked to choose my favorite. "You just chose the Bolt of Lightning", I heard. Just like a lightning waking me up from a sleep, I literally held my breath and stopped when I smelt this. JAR never tells their clients the notes of their perfumes. But I smell heavenly ginseng and vetiver, enfolding a bouquet of potent tuberose and incense. It is energizing and intoxicating. The staying power is at least 10 hours on me. -AlmondBreakfast-

I actually have Diamond Water. Very spicy/floral. The gentleman smiled when I said it smelled like carnations which I love. Bought it for my wedding. I didn't get married, but now I have a very expensive perfume that most people don't understand.

I cant call this a review more like an experience... this is the hautest, most exclusive perfume collection I have come across, developed by the famous jeweler, Joel Rosenthal. The fragrances are sold only in Paris and at Bergdorf in NYC,in a cave like space.... along with $100,000 + jewelery. The company will not give away the notes or the ingredients in each perfume. however, they do present each to you , not on a blotter but on brown velvet fabric, kept under glass. Bob, the sales associate at Bergdorf is very nice, and with a little charm he revealed some of the ingredients. There are seven JAR perfumes in the line. femme tes yeux- animalic notes...smelled like almost like feces on me diamond waters- beautiful at first, loved it, smelled like white flowers, pepper and tuberose- but once on my skin for an hour the drydown smelled of pickles.Both Bob and i were truly dissapointed. Jardenia-gardenia-the stems, the bud, the flower; my personal favorite, so hauntingly beautiful I almost forgot the price of 400 per ounce. Golconda-carnation, spices a very sultry and heavy oriental,think Opium by YSL on steroids, not bad, but not for me. Bolt of Lightening- immediately it smelled of clean, wet tee shirts,but the ingredients were mostly green notes, wet, mossy, which is the kiss of death on my skin. perfectly awful on me. The green notes drydown smelled like gherkin pickles. jarling- A very sweet gourmand at first sniff, like macaroons, but on my skin it smelled like tutrpentine and furniture polish. Shadow- vetiver,sharp rooty, but on me foul. now you may have a different experience with the fragrances. each skin is a fingerprint and the stages of the scents are complex from top to drydown. Be prepared to spend upwards of $400.00 an ounce.

I tried this years ago several times when I'd pop into Bergdorf Goodman's (and once to their boutique in Paris!) to get the "JAR" experience where you smell little scented pieces of suede while being watched indifferently by a well-dressed sales associate. Bolt of Lightning was intriguing...super intriguing! Green, vegetal, floral, ozonic, but wholly natural. After reading it was essentially tuberose absolute, I promptly forgot about it. Years later, once I started "hobby perfuming" myself I finally bought a bit of tuberose absolute and, lo and behold, Bolt of Lightning came rushing back in all its weird, green, goodness. It's reductive to just call it that single compound--I'm sure there are some fixatives and modifiers and whatnot...but if you're looking to capture the essential smell that is Bolt of Lightning, just buy a bit of high quality tuberose absolute and dilute it in alcohol. It brings back everything that was exciting about that scent...but without the pretense. Lutens' Tubereuse Criminelle highlights what's intriguing and unexpected about the absolute (green, menthol, vegetal), but places it in a proper perfume.

Remorsefully I live far from New York however one of my first stops in the city is the JAR boutique at Bergdorf Goodman.I know that if only I had invested in gold what I have in JAR...perfumes that is. Joel Arthur Rosenthal is a genious jeweler and a brilliant nose. Is it possible that one man can be both? Love or hate his scents like "Bolt of Lightning" and "Golconda" and the prices they command, each is an olfactory symphony under a bell jar.Each waiting to be hesitantly released ,yet never explained, by a scrumptuously groomed and impeccably mannered SA. After somehow proving to be worthy, I am inoculated on one wrist. The evolution begins: The experience so delicious like the craving for chocolate (or something more decadent?), that with each return to the city I am drawn nearly first stop back to JAR for another taste. The latest indulgence was the reintroduced and mystifyingly dark "Shadow". The evolution began...and I succumbed.

being compensated in perfume instead of cash means that i have a few pricey fragrances completely at odds with the rest of my collection... this fragrance is piercingly green, with a strong pickle-dill note at the beginning that is, for lack of a better word, weird. it's combined with the strong scent of dew, a combination of wet leaves and the scent of your clothes after getting soaked in the rain. not entirely 'pleasant'. then the scent morphs into a bundle of white flowers with a tinge of tart berry. very unusual and oddly beautiful.

i have smell bolt of lightning..it is vegetal..like the gravy smell used comprises of banana flowers, yam and bamboo shoot..it remind me of xerjoff homme with additional vegetable add in as the top notes...not my cup of tea......i sprayed other perfume on top of it after one hour

I do not think I have ever read such poetic writing about a perfume as I have in the reviews of Bolt of Lightning. This must have been a very unusual fragrance. And, goodness gracious, did I read correctly that it is $765 an ounce? It must really have been something!

First time I heard about this perfume was from an incredibly tense scene in the television show ‘Hannibal’ & I’ve been obsessed with the idea of the scent and enchanted by the obscurity of the house since. I do hope I am able to experience it one day.

2/10 dupe of Doir Sasauge but you get what you pay for

I believe this is discontinued 😢