Dzongkha

Bertrand is a well-traveled man. After Timbuktu in Mali for L'Artisan Parfumeur, we get his journal entry for Dzongkha in Bhutan. The opening of the perfume is certainly attention grabbing: a lychee note that seems to be bursting with juiciness, dusted with plenty of dry cardamom and flecked with florals. Underneath the top notes you pull ample notes of spicy chai and incense. As the top notes dry down the chai tea is steeping and blooming, and the incense throwing tendrils of rich resinous smoke into the air. The heart of this fragrance is unbelievably rich: spicy and a bit lactonic; dry and sweet; compelling and soothing. As the steeping tea finally cools and the incense has diffused into the air, warming leather, vetiver, and cypress wrap around you like a blanket. This perfume will not be for everyone. To use the description of exotic would be an understatement, as it does a photorealistic job of pulling notes from far-flung Eastern spices and incenses that are not common to Western noses. This could make it difficult for some to wear, but I think that might be a bit of the point. The way this perfume pulls all of its accords together and presents them in complex, multifaceted, evolving manners is supposed to be a reflection of spirituality in the culture of Dzongkha. It's an ancient, complicated, and mystical type of spirituality that is supposed to be inseparable from your person. Nothing about that should strike someone as being easy, as if you could walk into a Bhutan temple, receive a blessing, and suddenly grasp all there is to know and also be inseparable from the belief system the people of Bhutan have passed down for millennia. LAP's Dzongkha describes this journey very well: the quest for spirituality will not be easy, it will be challenging and defy what you think you know and are comfortable with, but take the journey in stride and you will find a captivating, soothing, yet arresting experience that is impossible to forget. It's a marvelous perfume that I doubt I will wear all that often, but it will be a special moment when I do.

Dzongkha starts out deliciously. Immediately I get the iris and incense surrounded by all these resinous and spicy notes. Please see my update at the bottom on how Dzongkha went from "like" to "love". I find all the listed notes (i.e. leather, vetiver, cardamom, tea, iris, peony, cedar and lychee) loveable. I smell some more than others. So no dislike here. However, there is this one note, which I deduct must come from the catch-all "spices" bucket, that gives Dzongkha a little vegetable vibe. I wish Dzongkha had a little less of it. I can understand how some reviewers here get a "soup" or "tomato" scent out of this composition. However, this scent tones down after 1 hour or so and what remains is heavenly to me. In the dry down I smell a little vetiver which gives Dzongkha a woody character. A little cedar and papyrus also join the vetiver to give Dzongkha a soft woody backdrop. Dzongkha is exotic, unique and attractive. It shares certain DNA with Timbuktu (they both created by the same parfumeur who gave them a similar dry down of vetiver and incense). However, while Timbuktu is fully blessed with unblemished beauty from birth its sister Dzongkha's beauty is partly blemished by this one vegetable scent. I may have to try Dzongkha a couple of times more to figure if this is one of those cases where love develops over time...but definitely is a "like" ********************** UPDATE: I now adore this fragrance, so much that I decided to buy a bottle. I'd love to have it in my collection permanently. I don't know if it was a matter of first impression or the original sample I had, but the vegetable vibe is no more and I can enjoy much better the gamut of delicious and exotic scents in this composition. I decided to keep the original impression as written originally above followed by this UPDATE to send the message of "retry it, give it a second chance" to those who experience a similar first impression like mine.

Today it is cold. Very cold. Perhaps it is the coldest day of the year; perhaps it is the coldest day of the decade. There is only the lightest wind to kiss the trees that stand naked and resolute with vulnerable limbs stretched outward and upward forver reaching towards a monochrome sky. A sky blanketed in low lying cloud that spans the horizon with the same uniformity of cold stainless steel. My nostrils are stiff with metamorphosing moisture which begins to turn to ice. I pull the collar of my thick coat higher to shield my face and it is then that I inhale the heavenly scent that is Dzongkha. Instantly my mind is filled with images of small outdoor fires that crackle and pop and hiss from damp and resinous woods. For a few moments I can believe that I am high in the Himalayas with my cold hands yearning for a little clay pot of sweet and spicy chai tea to cradle so that my face can receive the warm and aromatic vapours. I love Dzongkha very much. It is a love that gently grows stronger with every occasion that I wear it. Although in some ways it reminds me of Timbuktu, it is very much its own creature. Despite it being more complex in composition, I find it a little more accessible than Timbuktu. That is not to say that it is a fragrance for every day. For the vast majority of people this would not work as an office scent as it takes a certain aesthetic to appreciate its mysterious beauty. Weekend solitary walks in the woods and days alone at home are what I mostly save it for. A good book, a hot drink, a sleeping cat and a mystical fragrance are all I could ever ask for on days that are cold and calm and silent.

Strong,sharp,shocking opening to this fragrance.been looking forward to wearing this for some time but my reaction to doing so is repulsion.the herbs cum spices combination makes this hard for me to enjoy. I have no idea where and when to wear this one.And there's an ambivalence to this for me:it's listed as unisex and yes, I can see women with balls-and yes,there are a few in my enclave-pulling this off.the top notes give you the impression,only men should dare but then as it dies down time it reveals a softness that makes you think it's not suited for a man but more for a woman so I guess it's up to the disposition of the wearer.I think given the overall appeal it will be more suited to an older woman.Grannies should find this appealing.Youngsters will be repelled so will make for some uniqueness. It's very long lasting,linear and can induce headaches easily when over-applied and when worn in the wrong season.yes,the incense and spices do mellow with time but still remain the bitter focus of this mix. Will never recommend this to be bought blind.try first and braze yourself for an olfactory overload. I always love challenges and will wear a fragrance for a long time to get used to it and with time love it.this one will be an exception.Thank you L'Artisan but no,thanks.

Gorgeous!!! Dry, rich and rooty. I understand the association with carrots and celery (less so pickles). Incense and exotic spices. Comforting, smoky, savoury and entirely unisex, in the sense of being neither male nor female. Strong sillage which calms down to a gentle radiance. Thanks to @Kellai for the explanation of the name; would love an update on whether this is an accurate representation (fragrance-wise) of Bhutan..? Update: after falling in love with my sample I bought a FB and was disappoined when it arrived in the dour new packaging. There seem to be some changes to the fragrance too; it seems watered down with less of the interesting vegetal accords and very quiet sillage (I spray this far more liberally than most of my other perfumes). This now seems to me to be a fairly straightforward dry incense with a touch of sweetness which I suppose must be the lychee? Instead of the powerful dose of pepper, I pick up more of the cardamom. While before it seemed staunchly unisex, this now seems to me to lean more feminine. I was disappointed at first by the changes, but still need to do a side-by-side test of the sample v. bottle. I have forgiven Dzongkha for changing and have been wearing her nearly every day for the past month... It might be true love :)

Update, Nov 19, Both Dzongkha and Timbuktu have papyrus giving it a real earthy green aroma. They both have very attractive herbal/spicy aroma with a hint of woodsy notes. The one thing that is noticeable in Dzongka is a earthy/carroty top note L'Artisan has given us high quality fragrance at a VERY affordable prices. Kudos....!!!! Without trying Dzongkha , I decided to make a blind purchase. Without smelling this fragrance, I have to say that Yatagan and Dazongkha are twin bothers..a lot. After spraying this juice on my skin a blast of green note and spicy blend from papyrus and I could swear that Artmesia is part of this juice giving it that herbal/bitter green/earthy aroma. After this juice settles there's a smokey blend. The only note that I'm not able to pick up is iris? Longevity and Silage is very good lasting about 6-8hrs Finally thoughts, Thou this juice is similar to Yatagan, I do appreciate the complex blend of green notes with a pronounced smokey/spicy /woodsy blend. A very classy fragrance which could be used during the evening and almost all seasons except the hot summer months. 8/10

Unusual perfume, complex and very original , like all L'Artisan's are. Starts off very straight, upfront and you might be left with a sort of shock feeling - something like a bucket of iced water in your face. Kind of an alchool blast that can be unpleasant. But then this fragrance unfolds to many other fragrances. Very strange... but beautiful for its complexity. It is dry and cold, like mountain air, with those balsamic woods and resins- you can feel it in your lungs. You know that crisp fresh early morning mountain air? that's it. Can it be the iris? I recognize the iris root note - the same as in SMN Città di Kyoto. Then there is some misterious incense to it. It gives the warmth this frag is needing. There is something "religious" about this fragrance, something I associate with meditation (the mountains?the incense?). Introspective fragrance. Not for everybody I would say. But surely marvellous: a work of art!

My second L'Artisan.. I did not test this on my skin, but on paper. I even don't know if that's what I want on skin. Very true- a real spicy woody fragrance. Smells like we're resting in our vegetable garden (in my country they were very popular- a little place where you could grow your stuff (vegetables etc.) and spend weekends or stuff. There also often was a little house you could sleep in if you stayed for days. In late 90's and early 00's many ppl us included had picnics in vegetable gardens and made shasclick (lol or shish kebab in other word)). So Dzongkha smells like inside of that little wooden house while someone also makes something scrumptious (meat!!). Spices, something like roast, and woods that a bit suffered from humidity- that's my Dzongkha. In fact I think also of tatar warriors preparing meal after battle when i smell this. I like this very much as a distinctive olfactive experience.

I wore L'Artisan Dzongkha again today. A very different play on incense with its prominent iris overtones and spicy mids. Also that dusky sweetness in the head from peony and litchi. It's such a funny one. I read a review once that described it as feeling unfinished or incomplete in some way. That resonated with me and I think it's an astute observation. But I don't see that as a negative. Rather, that space within it opens the fragrance up to a breadth of allegorical interpretation. It's just so evocative... Dzongkha is the official language of Bhutan, written using the Tibetan alphabet and for some reason, the elusiveness that is created by the structure of this perfume and it's various accords, does seem to me to evoke those unscalable mountain heights and that preciousness of breath in such rarified air. It really is an enigmatic and beautiful thing... Duchaufour at his best.

Dzongkha is a delightful fragrance it's dry, spicy, slightly smokey and above all unique. The first thing I got from it was the earthy spice and vetiver combo which put me in mind of another Bertrand Duchaufour creation for L'Artisan, Timbuktu. Then the main note for me is tea and cardamom it's a strained english tea right in the heart of the fragrance quite rough though still refreshing. But wait! Yet another transition in the dry down...All the spice fades to the back and a soft iris with a touch of leather appears more prominent. I deliberately had no prior knowledge of the components of this fragrance and it was a welcome surprise to test my nose with something so easily decipherable. I really like this fragrance it's so manly and interesting and honestly was a relief after a few disappointments from this house.

A very relaxing scent in which the main notes are spices, tea and papyrus. On my skin, the sweetness (cardamom/florals) appears in the heart. A beautiful dry/raw frankincense (like in Tauer Incense Extreme, but dryer) will lead the base, and outstanding mostly in the late drydown. Vetiver is just a supporting note. No news of the leather note to my nose. It has poor projection but great longevity on my skin. I had to empty the full sample in order to do this review. Nice but for sure not mindblowing like Timbuktu and Dzing! are. I would have given it a small spot in my collection, but I missed its appearance at discounters, and "just nice" is not enough in my book to justify a purchase at full retail price. Spring/Fall days, unisex leaning feminine, 20+

I recently returned from Bhutan. Dzongha is their national language. I compliment the makers of this perfume, because it really does smell like the characteristic Buddhist temples high in the Himalayas of Bhutan. I love this scent; it is my everyday favourite. It lasts forever on my skin but radiates only slightly, so I can enjoy it without overwhelming those around me (which can be a problem with some spicy fragrances). For me it has a very soft element which I find very feminine (probably it is the woody element - I also love Chanel's Bois des Iles). It's certainly not for the "flowery" girl, but I would not relegate it to men only. It's classified as a unisex. I feel it's very appropriate for the professional woman who wants to be taken seriously.

Oh I love vetiver and vetiver loves me! This puts a spring in my step! Leather, tea, litchi, cedar and hay together are making my senses tingle and it feels like spring really is around the corner (which it is here in NZ). It's a walk on the farm after the hay has been bundled up and before the weather gets uncomfortable hot. Lambs are leaping playfully in the grass and there's a faintly animalic whiff in the cool breeze, almost but not quite the oily scent of lambswool. Uplifting, comforting and calming at the same time for me, I'm fascinated by how polarising this scent is in the reviews here - one sniff of this makes me happier, I want to cuddle up with this scent for a while now, bye....

Dzongkha for me was not love at first sniff, but this scent rewards patient noses: elusive peony and litchi (for me both are like ghost scents, I don’t get them they fade before I can make sense of them). Then comes the good part: spicy tea, smoky note, vetiver, incense. Inspired by Bhutan. I like about this scent is that it does not try to please the crowd and tell another story of roses, vanillas and ouds (nothing against those notes, but how many do we need of those in perfumes?). I have to be in the mood to wear Dzongkha, otherwise I feel it wears me. Papyrus note always intrigues me (santal 33, mixed emotions, tiger's nest).

Have had this for years but wore it today for the first time in months, I’d wear it more often if I could be sure that the current version performs as well as this one, the original, bought ca. seven years ago. Funny how the cardamom is listed as a top note since that’s the most prominent and the most long lasting. It’s now 8pm and I can still feel it, soft and warm on my skin, and I sprayed it on more than twelve hours ago! I guess it would be optimistic to expect as much of the current version, since lasting scents are killed off one by one by most perfume houses these days.

An underrated work. I think it’s one of the magnificent jobs done by Bertrand Duchaufour, which I can't compare to many other works. The spices used are very strong and in a different balance. The most prominent notes are black pepper, leather, and iris, with cardamom, vetiver, and papyrus in the background. It feels like an indie version of Dior Homme. Considering the release year of 2006, it's definitely inspired by this perfume when Dior released DHP. Even in hot days, I wear it without discomfort. The performance, sillage, and longevity are all top-notch, five stars.

What a wonderful unisex fragrance for those who adore woody incence blends. I could not detect any peony, not that it isn't there. I am overwhelmed by the wonderful mastery of incense and florals. If I could rub incense like patchouli,sandalwood,Night Queen and Nag Champa on my skin with a dash of florals as a perfume it would smell like this. It instantly puts me in a good mood and makes me feel so mellow. It will be one of my go-to fragrances for destressing after a long day. It is a wonderful aromatherapy fragrance to go with a good massage and Zen music.

Oh bitter chalky goodness! I liked the notes but was unsure after reading the reviews. I'm happy to have listened to my first instinct and sampled it: I ordered a bottle after only one spray. To me Dzongkha smells of white stones in the sun. It reminds me of my (sadly brief) years as an archaeologist. It's like a sophisticated person wearing Habanita went off digging the parched dirt looking for ancient pottery. There's leather and iris and a most subtle sweetness (litchi?) as well as an understated incense. Maybe it's not a must have, but it is a must try!

In no particular order, I smell iris, incense, leather, peony, and tea. Love it. I wish I could detect the cardamom. For the negative reviewers: I don't know why you don't like this. It just smells good. Maybe not unique, but interesting and uncommon. I don't get the dill pickle note, either. Edit: I smell the cedar and vetiver very prominently, with subsequent wearings. It is a very interesting fragrance, which proves to smell different, nearly every time I wear it. I'm going to spring for a full bottle very soon. My 10 mL decant is nearly gone!

If Tibetan Buddhism had a scent, it would be this, it feels like drinking butter milk in a monastery on the top of a mountain in the Himalayas. This perfume transports you to the other side of the world, and reminds you that the world is bigger than what you encounter. It smells out of place in a buzzling modern city but that helps me stay centred. If you like Zen, Eastern philosophy and drinking green tea, this is for you. Definitely not a beginner perfume or a blind buy unless you know this is something you would like.