Amber Balsam

Amber Balsam by Maksim Perfumes – An Exquisite Fragrance Description Top Notes: The fragrance opens with a bright burst of Calabrian bergamot. Heart Notes: The heart of the fragrance features the woody tones of Gurgun balsam from the wild Australian outback, complemented by the refined cinnamon from Sri Lanka’s spice gardens. Base Notes: The base is enriched with rare and precious ambergris, adding a unique maritime saltiness and earthy sweetness, perfectly harmonized with the aromatic Copaiba balsam from the depths of the Amazon. The balsam is very prominent and smells awesome. Balsam Description: Balsam is a resinous substance obtained from various trees and shrubs. It is known for its rich, warm, and slightly sweet aroma, often used in perfumery to add depth and longevity to fragrances. In Amber Balsam, the balsam notes create a harmonious blend of earthy and sweet undertones, enhancing the overall complexity and richness of the scent. Projection and Longevity: Amber Balsam boasts excellent projection and longevity, ensuring that its captivating aroma lingers throughout the day and evokes compliments from those around you. Emotional Experience: Wearing Amber Balsam can make you feel sophisticated and adventurous, as if you are embarking on a journey through exotic landscapes and ancient rituals. It transforms every moment into something unforgettably magical, complementing your style and leaving you with a sense of refined luxury and mystery. Rating: 10/10 – This is the first Maksim fragrance I tried, and I knew I would be hooked on his amazing creations.

Amber Balsam completely took me by surprise the first time I wore it. From the moment it touched my skin, I was pulled into this warm, spicy cloud—clove and cinnamon wrapped in a burst of bergamot, like stepping into a cozy, sunlit room filled with incense and fresh tea. The cardamom and subtle green tea notes add this unexpected brightness that makes the opening feel alive and inviting. As it settles, it becomes something much deeper. The balsamic heart—tolu, Peru balsam, copaiba, gurjun—is smooth, resinous, and just incredibly comforting. There’s something grounding about it, like walking through an ancient forest at dusk. The cinnamon lingers, and the vetiver gives it an earthy, slightly rugged edge, while the ylang-ylang softens it all just enough to feel intimate. But the dry-down is what stayed with me. The labdanum and oud bring in this smoky, almost meditative aura, balanced by the soft glow of ambergris. It’s luxurious without being flashy—creamy, a bit powdery, and quietly powerful. I kept catching whiffs of it hours later, and it felt like it had become part of me. Amber Balsam isn’t loud, but it speaks with real presence. It leans masculine, sure, but I think anyone who loves rich, resinous, evolving scents would fall for this. It’s one of those fragrances that doesn’t just smell good—it feels like something. Comforting, elegant, and mysterious. Definitely one of the most memorable scents in my collection.

Bought Amber Balsam from recently and honestly, didn't expect to like it as much as I do. This perfume really stands out. It starts off with a fresh scent that gets richer and deeper as the day goes on. It stays on the skin all day. It's lighter and citrusy in the morning, but by evening it develops into something more complex and intriguing. The cool part is how long it lasts. Amber Balsam is great for special occasions when you want something special. Don't wear it every day, but when I feel like it or there's an occasion, it's my go-to. Overall, a great perfume for those looking for something unique and long-lasting.

Opens kinda similar to Musk Couture in that it’s very dark, earthy and oudy first and foremost before hours later, shifting to a sweeter balsamic take, I’m no expert on balsams but smells mostly gurjan to me, then Peru and past that a bit indistinguishable. Extremely pleasant scent that has this “vintage” old quality to it, I got well over a day on skin, imo a bit too much Oud in this one

I love this scent so much. Love at first sniff. I love it more by the day and with every use. From a sample bottle to a full bottle. I'm all smiles,beautiful purchase and well worth it. It's even my SOTD. I love the Bortnikoff's they make good perfumes that I love.

More balsam than amber, thankfully, as the name would imply: a balsam that is amber. Bortnikov loves his woods, and he’s proven he is very capable of steering woody accords that we are all too familiar with to new directions with his unique signature. I honestly cannot validate or invalidate the note pyramid. Amber Balsam is such a hodgepodge, mishmash, amalgam of wood notes that either my nose is not sensitive enough to pull the individual voices apart or it is just simply not possible. This is a forest, not the trees, kind of perfume. You will certainly pick up the oily and rind-y bergamot that Bortnikov loves to use in addition to a strikingly green clove note that is very parched and spicy, but the rest of the perfume is one dense forest. So, I guess I must repeat mostly what I’ve said in other Maksim reviews in that the star here is not any particular material or accord but Bortnikov’s style. White, creamy, slightly floral woods; resinous woods; dark, earthy, slightly animalic woods; young green woods; they’re all here. One that is particularly noticeable is cinnamon with its aromatic, baking spice, woody note. A bit of green woody vetiver is also slightly perceptible, and I surely smell some of Bortnikov’s much beloved South East Asian oud lurking somewhere in here as well. The result is - yet again - a muscular, oily, dense and thick, resinous, and dimly lit perfume. For these reasons, Amber Balsam is one of the most abstract - if not the most abstract - perfume in Maksim’s lineup to my nose. I’m making this up of course, but it seems as if Bortnikov said “we’ve had abstract florals for decades upon decades, why not an abstract balsam?” And you know what, it works, and it works very well. I’m not laying superlatives upon Amber Balsam as I have with some other Maksim offerings that have stolen my heart, but that does not mean that I think it is anything less than great. Perhaps my restrained appreciation for it has to do with its own character. An abstract floral has the capability of exciting and energizing us, as so many legends of the genre have, whereas this abstract balsam is very unenergetic; like a looming wooden sculpture of a very serious and very ripped warrior of ancient times, it doesn’t excite or move but it is certainly striking. For that reason, some may find Amber Balsam a bit lackluster in the way that the wooden sculpture would, but I have to commend the artist for how well they made it, and for making it in such a way as to be recognizably them and no one else. So, in short, not one of the best Maksim offerings, but that’s a very high bar to meet, which means Amber Balsam will have to settle for very good.

Amber Balsam Maksim Perfume (Revisit on last Sunday (21 December 2025)) Now, Maksim perfume running a promotion on website. I finally put a trigger after, 6 months venture. I doubt, back in there will ever use or understand. An indy fragrance like this. Perhaps, I need too much information. To stand on certain point of perfumery world. 6 months later, perhaps after I buy less and less. Meet lest of newer fragrance, I do not know when It shift. But finally it happens, already happened. Perhaps, a person who use indy, is a soul persuade standard. Not the domestic excellence but the one who want to talk to inner soul. After day-long, when you stay in private or silent. It is your time, perhaps, something like Amber Balsam. is an What I would call companion for night. Amber Balsam by Maksim, is an rough but refine group of natural amber. Blends together. the change is perhaps nothing much construction wise. But, the story teller is how each amber (both Resinoid and Balsam) speaks it all at full volume. Nose can go play touch each amber element. And enjoy, nothing harsh, perhaps integrity of Maksim himself in early release. It barely have strong perfumery classification backbone which slightly more evidence on his later release. Still star, still splendid but develop. Amber Balsam hit my heart where the dry old Thai Oud (feel of old wardrobe). Comeplay with Dry smoky vetiver in the background. The balsam playing the sandbox at the back like a kid building sand castle. Harmonious, Voluminous, In the background, feel like a concoction which I wish to stay longer and longer. Not try to hide, not try to seek but everything is co-existed in the same volume. Stand up, present and sit. The aroma of dry oud keeps my sanity. I wish to smell this over and over. You could notice, and distinguish the material in perfumery. You wish to create, you wish to comment or criticize. Perhaps, gentler word evaluate. But.. after all. An energy, that worth your space in your private time. Standing between you and aroma on shirt or skin perhaps. A scent on bed, either ultimate or intimate. It's yours. === If my voice reach, I would need a bit more of Oud. It is good already but perhaps, just 0.1% stronger. who be even more sane. Perhaps, that why Maksim release Oud Indochine.

Amber Balsam opens with the softest, warmest resins imaginable, and then goes into a tangy pine-sap scent, still rich with amber and thick with musks, but not very sweet. It's an exceptionally luxurious take on a conifer resinous scent, reddish brown and bracing but always plush and soft. It's kind of the elegant version of "barbecue-y" scents like Le Labo Patchouli 24, or Hiram Green Hyde, or Zoologist Tyrannosaurus Rex; but all of those have sort of a modern/indie aesthetic, while Amber Balsam is classical and luxe. Gradually it fades into a rather somber, deep brown, creamy oudh, somewhat like the oudh in Oud Indochine. Smooth and civilized, totally mellow, it's all soft woody density and depth (with none of the funky/stinky notes that sometimes show up in oudh.) A beautiful meditation on resins and woods.

Warm, resinous spicy woody aromatic scent showcasing a variety of balsam extracts. The scent opens with aromatic notes of clove, cinnamon, bergamot, tea and cardamom. The heart is almost all balsamic resin (tolu, peru, copaiba, and gurjun). The perfume settles on a powdery bed of labdanum, vetiver, slight ambergris and oud. The slight masculine leaning scent has moderate sillage and good longevity. Recommended for those who like unusual woody earthy scents. Enjoy!

Not my style of fragrance but I recognize it's extremely well done. Amber Balsam is, as the name implies, very ambery and balsamic, but it also has a balanced and non-challenging oud giving a robust base to said ambers and balsams, as well as prominent labdanum and cardamom notes. Personally it's these same labdanum and cardamom notes I have a problem with, as they come off kind of bubblegummy in the air and I don't like that too much, it makes me associate the smell with "cheap and synthetic". Like many Bortnikoffs and even other Maksims this also has that recognizable "vintage" vibe to it that makes it, in my opinion, a more mature fragrance, as well as more suitable for dressed up/formal occasions. Performance is alright but, just like with Cologne d'Agar, it might be underwhelming for the price tag. Projection is moderate and just slightly better than Cologne d'Agar, but the sillage is noticeably lighter, I couldn't smell this anywhere near as much or as consistently as Cologne d'Agar. Longevity is great, reaching 8 hours with ease but it's to be expected for such a heavy fragrance.

For some reason, Amber Balsam initially reminded me of Oud Indochine. I don't now why, maybe the opening cardamom. Anyway, as it dries down, it becomes more musty or earthy and resin-y. In the air, it smelled OK but nose closer to skin, I got a weird association that sorta killed it for me. It's like fruity-cool/fresh with a touch of cardboard. It reminded me of the smell in Costco's cold produce room - but fruity not green/vegetable - and the (usually) damp boxes the fruit is packed in. Didn't really care for it, although it wasn't stinky/scrubber. Longevity was quite good and projection was pretty strong for me.

This is truly one of the most offensive fragrances I've ever smelled. Is the goal of fragrance not to make one smell pleasant? Desirable? Any other adjective for "good"? This smells like a rotten wooden chair that your sweaty grandpa sat in and smoked cigars while burning a pile of old nasty incense on his side table. In a barn. With some expired spices just... mixed around in the dirt. It's old. Musty. Soured. Sickly. Dusty. If you wear this and you expect people to think you smell tolerable, you're sorely mistaken. I would not come within 50 feet of someone who has this on. Stay away from me.

A bold blast of balsamic brightness — fizzy and tangy with smoky, resinous oud. Warm spicy amber blends with an aromatic green edge, hints of animalic earthiness. The balsamic note pushes to the forefront: fizzy, juicy, fruity with a citrusy zing. There's a creamy, soft floral bouquet underneath, layered with chocolatey-animalic nuances — deliciously musky and smooth. 25 minutes in: The balsamic tone softens slightly, becoming smoother on the nose, though bursts of fizzy tartness still pop through occasionally. Creamy, with earthy ash, amber, spice, and animalic hints. Aromatic greenness subtly weaves through. A touch of soft floral emerges toward the end. 50 minutes in: Fizzy-tart balsamic blends with a smooth floral creaminess. There's a sweet undertone, and the drydown moves into a woody-spicy territory with animalic whispers in the background. 1 hour 17 minutes: Creamy-sweet balsamic lingers with soft florals, woody spice, and a hint of smoke — smooth and well-blended by this point. --- Personal Notes: The balsamic is intense — it might be overwhelming for someone unaccustomed to this kind of note, even nose-tingling if sniffed too hard. But that intensity also serves as a good introduction for those unfamiliar with the balsamic profile — it lets you really get to know it.

This fragrance offers a warm and inviting blend of spicy, woody, and aromatic notes, featuring a delightful mix of balsam extracts. It greets you with a lively opening of clove, cinnamon, bergamot, tea, and cardamom that really wakes up the senses. As it unfolds, the heart reveals a rich, balsamic resin character that’s both comforting and intriguing. It finishes off with a soft powdery touch of labdanum, vetiver, a hint of ambergris, and oud. Unfamiliar scent making it perfect for anyone who enjoys unique, woodsy earth scents. It's definitely worth a try!

Smells like an old chest you might find at a monastery up in tibet. earthy vintage amber

Earthy amber scent Poor performance, evaporates quickly