Sultan Vetiver

I was never a big fan of vetiver throughout my fragrance journey. I could appreciate it from the distance, but I stayed away from vetiver-centric compositions as I often got lightheaded from them. But that's because I was smelling the wrong vetiver fumes. With little help from Guerlain's Vetiver Eau de Toilette too, Nishane's masterpiece here completely changed the way I view the note. And there's arguably no other fragrance that could've done that but the sultan of vetiver itself. Before the vetiver pushes through with all its raw beauty, the fragrance opens with very strong spicy-green blast of herbs. The Absinthe is responsible for this, where I'm getting anise, fennel, and even some licorice lending some mild sweetness under this complex bitter botanical opening. The Peruvian pepper contributes with the spiciness and aromatic edge, and I even manage to spot a squeeze of citric bergamot for two-three minutes. Be aware that if you're not particularly accustomed to such intense green herbaceous openings, you might not sit well with this one. Then, what we've all come for begins to show itself in all its glory: vetiver. But it's not just vetiver; there's four different vetiver notes in here: Java, Bourbon, Haitian, and Brazilian. They all share largely the same accords, so it's not like you can tell them apart when mixed together. But each of them brings the best they have to create the ultimate vetiver scent. Java vetiver has a more rugged smell, more smoky and roasted, and intensely earthy. The Bourbon variant seems smoother and more refined, yet still covering the earthy, rooty and woody facets of every vetiver variation. I also get a more damp earthiness, reminding me of oakmoss quite a lot. The Haitian vetiver keeps things from going overboard by adding a cleaner and brighter tone, with less emphasis on pure earthiness and more on dry woodiness and green, grassy edges, as well as mild florals, pairing nicely with the neroli here for a touch of white floral sweetness. Speaking of sweetness, the tonka bean does a great job here at appending a nutty undertone with faint sweet aspects; not really vanillic. And last but not least, we have the Brazilian vetiver, which is more vibrant with somewhat fresher earthiness. Absolutely stunning. Along the way in the dry down, some warm but gentle traces of leather can also be sensed, although your olfactive receptors will probably still be too busy processing the complexity of the various vetiver facets. It really is an absolute beauty, blended masterfully and projecting quality through and through. A must-try for any vetiver lover. Unfortunately for me, I do not get much performance out of Sultan Vetiver. My skin simply loves punishing me by making many fragrances that I love perform poorly on me. I probably deserve it. Regardless, I get about 8 hours of longevity with rather mid projection. The first hour it pushes pretty comfortably at around1.5-2 feet, after which it settles for a much closer bubble around me, still getting whiffs of it even after 4-5 hours, but no one else will unless they sit uncomfortably close to me. So I'm free to overspray, but most others seem to be getting significantly better pushing power, so unless you're cursed like me, there's no need to go overboard with the sprays... but you should still do it. It's no surprise that vetiver can be quite a challenging scent at times, especially for newcomers into the hobby. And given the sheer volume of vetiver notes and distinct facets that you get here, this should be one of the most difficult vetiver scents, even for me. But it isn't. And not only that it isn't, I'd actually rock this on a daily basis as my signature scent without an issue. There's nothing challenging to my nose about it, which is weird given my early experiences with vetiver. So versatility will really depend on that, as this can do as a daily scent for spring or autumn just fine for some, or as a more special occasion pick only for those times you want that unapologetic vetiver complexity. There's no two ways about it: Sultan Vetiver is one of the finest vetiver fragrances on the market, and there's no escaping it if you fancy vetiver. You'll eventually stumble across it, and maybe you'll find it too rough and powerful for your tastes. In that case, the Sultan will banish you back to your friendly, slightly grassy vetiver servants. Or maybe you'll fall in its trap, getting lost through all the notes and accords of vetiver, loving every bit there is and not getting enough of it. In that case, you'll pledge allegiance to the Sultan, and you'll be welcomed into a never-ending journey of searching for a contestant who dares to challenge the Sultan and dethrone him; a never-ending journey because there might be no such contestant, as no other vetiver fragrance comes close to Sultan Vetiver. Well, not that we know of... Presentation: 9/10 Scent: 9/10 Longevity: 7/10 Projection: 5/10 Versatility: 8/10 Value for Money: 7.5/10 Overall: 7.5/10

Nishane Sultan Vetiver opens with a moderate projection of intense anis and vetiver. In just a moment, the pepper joins the blend with a prominent spicy note. The notes are crisp, clear, and bright, the opening is very impressive. The bergamot and the neroli create a soft citrus accord whereas both vetivers, Bourbon and Haitian increase even more the vetiver accord of the opening. The resulting vetiver note feels dry, very aromatic, and well blended but not as strong as the anise. As the fragrance commences to dry-down, a soft leather note joins to boost the existing accords rather than to add itself. The tonka bean is also just a soft aromatic touch. The amber enters the blend creating a faint powdery but projecting touch. The most significant change from the opening to the dry down is the fading of the java vetiver oil note, which initially has a soft oily touch, and towards the dry-down is overpowered by different types of dry vetivers that come up with a soft powdery touch. Once Nishane Sultan Vetiver has reached its full dry-down, it can be summarized as a bold, moderate projection, intense anise fragrance with vetiver and pepper spicy accords. The fragrance feels bold, dry, earthy, exotic, high-quality, masculine, mature, modern, piquant, slightly powdery, sharp, very spicy (high anise, moderate pepper), strong, unique, warm, wild, and pleasant. BATCH REVIEWED: 2020. WOW RATING: 9/10. The intense and pure combination of anis and vetiver is are impressive. DISLIKE RATING: 5/10. The anis is a strong note, also the vetiver is traditionally associated with mature men's fragrances. It is highly likely that people will find this fragrance overly offensive. UNIQUENESS: 10/10. The combination of anis and vetiver is unique, this is fragrance is easy to recognize. MASS APPEAL: 3/10. The anis and vetiver are not mass-appeal notes. PROJECTION: 4/10. Good, about 4 feet around the wearer. SILLAGE: 5/10. Very good, about 5 feet behind the wearer. APPLICATION: Two to four atomizations. LONGEVITY: 4/10. About four hours with moderate consistent projection. SEASONS: Winter, spring, and fall. Spicy fragrances are ideal for mild to cold weather. OCCASIONS: Formal events, outdoor gatherings, office, business, holidays, casual, clubbing. In moderation, this is an office-friendly fragrance. VERSATILITY: 7/10. The anis and vetiver create a relatively versatile fragrance. GENDER: Masculine. The vetiver is a masculine note, the strong anise and pepper feel masculine. AGES: 30 and above. Vetiver and spicy fragrances are better suited for mature males. RECOMMENDATION: Nishane Sultan Vetiver is a highly unique fragrance, a wonderful combination of accords that create a very different and great scent. However, this is not a mainstream fragrance, it feels more like a fragrance for connoisseurs; enjoying the strong anise accord requires an acquired taste. If cost is not a problem and you enjoy the anise note, this is a jewel. BLIND-BUY: No, sample it first. SIMILAR: Montale Red Vetiver and Tom Ford Grey Vetiver are in the same genre. Montale Red Vetiver has a stronger cedar accord whereas Tom Ford Grey Vetiver has a stronger citrus/musky accord; Cartier Declaration Essence features vetiver and softly floral, citrus, and green accords. SUMMARY: A bold, moderate projection, intense anise fragrance with vetiver and pepper spicy accords. The fragrance feels bold, dry, earthy, exotic, high-quality, masculine, mature, modern, piquant, slightly powdery, sharp, very spicy (high anise, moderate pepper), strong, unique, warm, wild, and pleasant.

I just got a little decant of this to test along with a few other niche frags I've had my eye on. Out of anything I've ever worn or even smelled off a tester strip, Sultan Vetiver is by far the hardest to decide if I like. Actually, it's not even whether I like it it or not: I either love it or there's just something in it that is both beautiful and too difficult/dirty to pull off. It's also the most photorealistic scent I've ever smelled. Something about it instantly takes my mind to a scene I don't recall ever seeing, but it has so much detail, I feel like I can touch it when I close my eyes while smelling this fragrance off a tester. I know that sounds nuts and I've always rolled my eyes when I read similar comments from others about fragrances (sorry, but some descriptions are just over the top!), but I'm about to do the same because I've never had any fragrance experience like it. The smell takes me to a warm jungle either in the south Pacific or somewhere in southern Asia. I'm standing on a dirt road, really muddy and messy, that goes through open farmland, but surrounded by small green mountains with bigger ones rising up behind them. There are oxen or some sort of bovine animal nearby and I think that's where the funk that's noticeable comes from... But even that smells beautiful and natural and somehow part of the whole experience. There's a smell of hay everywhere and the pepper in the opening is incredible and invigorating... Now I'm rolling my eyes at my own damn review... I don't know how to explain it: this juice literally takes me to some memory in a past life or something. I don't know if I like that or not, but I don't think people around me will feel the same nostalgia I feel if I wear it to the office or just out and about. They'll probably just think I smell like I work on a farm. I'm really confused by this one. Update: 5/26/24 Ok, I bought it. It's best in the heat. It's just something you can't help but be fascinated by and slowly conditioned to love. If anyone spends enough time, even if you hate it at first, if you have a sample, you'll start to want to remember what it smells like now and then. Then, maybe a month later you reach for something else and quickly look over the collection while feeling really bored with it all and you'll say, "you know what? Fuck it, I'm wearing sultan vetiver! Who fucking cares what people around me think!". And while you wear it, it sinks it's hooks into you and you quickly burn down the remaining sample while starting to panic a bit that you don't have the full bottle... And then you let everyone on fragrantica know that it's ok not to give up on this one. I didn't know what to make of it at first and there isn't a moment I wear it when I forget that I'm wearing it - it just has a presence you can't forget. So if you tried it once or twice and you hate it, you might as well buy the full bottle if it's on sale, because if you let it into your house, it's playing the long game and it'll get you eventually.

When venturing into Nishane fragrances Sultan Vetiver piqued my interest right away. I read and watched multiple reviews and I kept coming across phrases along the lines of "If you're a vetiver lover this is for you". Many considering Sultan Vetiver' to be among the greats. Some hailing it superior to all vetiver fragrances. Including the beloved, benchmark vetiver by Guerlain. Then there was the other side where the expressions of opinion are equally as strong. Using adjectives like horrible, awful, nasty, rotten and the likes to describe the fragrance. Leaving me with the warning that this may stink beyond belief and I probably should stay far away. And the full assurance of fellow vetiver lovers that this would be a safe blind buy. After seriously weighing both sides I decided I would try this revered & reviled vetiver. And at the price I found it for, it definitely was a safe blind buy. In my review of Guerlain Vetiver, I wrote about my vetiver tour where I sought to familiarize myself with this particular note by sampling various vetiver fragrances. I came away from this with references and a hightened ability to trace the smallest amounts of it. I became a bonified lover of this note. Sultan Vetiver takes me on that tour and then some, all in one fragrance. This is vetiver beginning, 1st middle, 2nd middle and end. It's note breakdown is fairly simple but there is an interesting complexity offered between the four types of vetiver. Between the four, the earthy, dirty, rooty, damp, smoky, clean, dry, airy, fresh, soapy, green, nutty, bitter, sweet, creamy, spicy, boozy, woody and leathery facets of vetiver all come forth at various points. Sultan Vetiver seems to dance on the skin and rides the waves of the four vetiver types dirt, texture, complexity and elegance. As to put on displaying all the beauties of vetiver in a masterfully way. I saw someone here and on YouTube mention what I'm about to say. I won't lie, in the first 30 mins or so of the fragrance I do smell slight similarities between this and Polo Green (another polarizing fragrance I love). Since smelling SV I've been able to smell the vetiver in Polo Green more clearly. Comparatively SV has significantly less notes than PG. The two only sharing 5 notes (vetiver being one). There is to my nose some combination of notes in SV indirectly mimicking the green piney effect of PG though to a much lesser degree. But it is there. And I love it. Despite this, Sultan Vetiver is it's own thing entirely and is overall more modern and obviously more..vertiver-y. I absolutely love this fragrance. It smells amazing. The quality and composition are top tier. It grabs attention in the air too. So far, I've gotten nothing but positive feedback and compliments from the first day I've worn it. I love my Guerlain and I don't doubt that the vintage version is far better than what I have. But at this moment Sultan Vetiver is hands down the best vetiver in my wardrobe and has a happy permanent home here:)

Starting in the name of Allah, to whom all praise belongs. Some fragrances impress, some stay memorable but very few define your entire journey. For me, this is that scent. “This is, by far, the best scent I have ever smelled.” Considering the thousands of fragrances across the globe that I have tried, sampled, or owned over the years, this stands as a clear and undisputed winner for me. If I were ever forced to own just one fragrance, an impossible scenario, but still, this would be it. If only one perfume could survive the harshest regulations and restrictions, this would be it. If there is one fragrance I wish to never see discontinued or reformulated, this would be it. And perhaps the only scent for which I would break my personal rule of “not owning more than I need,” I could easily justify having a hundred backup bottles of this. This is also the one fragrance I would use to explain to a newcomer the true epitome of perfumery. There are many reasons behind this admiration let me share a few: Scent Profile: A truly complex composition that unfolds layer by layer, revealing natural-smelling accords in a seamless progression. There is a remarkable transformation a full 360° shift from the top to the heart, and from the heart to the base. Each facet of vetiver, from different origins, feels present and distinguishable. The composition is beautifully balanced with subtle florals and leathery nuances, which tame the inherent sharpness of vetiver. The experience evolves through the day: The first half carries a clean, refined vetiver profile, reminiscent of classic interpretations like Guerlain Vetiver. The latter half unveils the darker, earthier, more “dirty” side of vetiver in its full character. Uniqueness: Rarely does one encounter a fragrance that seamlessly integrates sweetness, spice, dryness, and depth, allowing each facet to shine independently without overshadowing the other. Every phase feels intentional and complete. Versatility: To call something the “most complete scent” demands versatility and this delivers. It fits effortlessly into formal settings, social gatherings, personal wear, or statement moments. It adapts without losing its identity. Performance: A full-day performer even in Karachi’s demanding weather. Strong presence for the first 5–6 hours, followed by a graceful dry-down with excellent longevity and noticeable projection.