Lothair

Obvious notes to my nose: juniper, cardamom, citrus, and something creamy (but not sweet) at the heart, which becomes even more prominent in the dry-down—likely the fig, vanilla, and musk. Lavender sometimes peeks through, but not always. Notes that escape my amateur nose: the flowers and the tea. I do get the *idea* of tea, and I love it—but not as a photorealistic tea note. It’s the idea of a perfectly brewed chai, not a pile of tea leaves. (More on that below.) ⸻ On Fabric On clothes, it leans cool. The juniper, citrus, and berries linger far longer, while the fig stays quiet until much later. The cardamom here smells like cardamom in gin—whole pods steeped in the smoothest, highest-quality vodka. It’s like a truly premium British gin: complex, aromatic, and beautifully blended. The citrus notes feel like the fresh wedge on the rim of your glass, and the fig and vanilla in the dry-down are like a little treat for the palate after a sip of that fine gin—you feel the alcohol warmth in your chest as it travels down your throat, but it leaves a crisp freshness in your mouth. On Skin On the skin, I wouldn’t call it truly warm, but it’s definitely comforting and cozy. The juniper and citrus still make an appearance, though they fade quickly. Then the cardamom turns richer—more like the freshly ground spice in a well-brewed cup of chai. The chai carries a gentle bitterness, pleasantly balanced and never harsh, while the fig softens into a creamier, fuller note. It’s an entirely different journey on the skin—just as beautiful, but more intimate. ⸻ I tend not to let the name and bottle influence my judgment of the juice—especially with Penhaligon’s, who are masters of storytelling (sometimes better at that than at crafting what’s in the bottle—and I don’t mean that as a compliment). 😂 But this one, Lothair, is a WOW —both inside the bottle and in the name. Named after one of the last great British tea clippers, Lothair symbolizes a blend of heritage, sophistication, and a fading era of romantic, wind-powered travel. And the fragrance in the bottel captures the spirit of exploration and trade: the crisp aromatics of juniper, the bright lift of citrus, and the soft whisper of faraway Eastern spices. As a child, I was mesmerized by stories of long journeys and daring voyages: the Silk Road stretching from Xi’an to Istanbul, and British clippers venturing across unknown oceans in search of rare treasures, returning to the Thames wharves. Those tales took root in me early on, shaping the globetrotter I am today. Born and raised in China, tea runs in my veins. Having lived and worked in the UK on and off for almost a decade, the scent of aromatics and junipers—whether in their gins or simply in the air—has come to feel like my second home. And this composition smells exactly how I imagine those hundred-year-old tales. Perhaps that’s why both the name Lothair and the scent resonate so deeply with me. For once, I have to acknowledge that Penhaligon’s storytelling and the fragrance itself meet at the same high mark. 😊

Lothair, my first full Penhaligon's bottle. I've sampled plenty and have never felt compelled to purchase until now... and blind at that. Unquestionably no regrets. When the Trade Routes collection launched, it was so compelling to me on reading the release and set me off into a spiritual odyssey of spices, resins, textures and color from the East that danced in my olfactory imagination. Fast forward a couple of years, and of the ones I had sampled, nothing yet had really moved me. Revisiting the notes and reviews on Lothair, and seeking something a little different to what I have had in my collection in the past, I decided it was time to get my hands on a bottle. Lothair... a pure aromatic tonic. And the bottle is so beautiful and stately to look at with its fastidious navy bow. My initial spray delivered a blue-green haze of fresh juniper and bitter, but sparkling citrus peel. Typically, fragrances develop very quickly on my skin, but not Lothair. This budded ever so delicately over the course of at least an hour, behaving very much like an eau fraiche. Juniper berries and crushed, green fig leaf excreted a light milky sap that was as luminous as salty dew drops high on a merchant ship's mast at dawn. Cedar and cardamom released a subtle, camphorous, tannic vapor. Here I kept falling between fresh, cool air, and a warm, arid tingle -- sunrise on the North Atlantic Ocean. Magnolia, lavender and geranium aren't singularly discernable but soften and balance the composition. More than anything the lavender and geranium contribute an herbal, floral nuance while still remaining on the classically masculine side of a unisex scent. I couldn't really tease out any vanilla either, if it's there, it's a drop boozy and grounds the aromatics along with a touch of warm ambergris and a ghostly whisper of musk. I can see myself wearing Lothair a lot. I love spritzing it my hair and tousling it with my hands, just to get a rush of crisp, briny air billowing in my sails. As far as trade routes go, I feel Lothair is an outbound commodity: cardamom imported from the East, infused into a Britannic distillation of botanicals to create a fine artisanal gin with a splash of citric Earl Grey. It draws a marked parallel to one of my favorite spirits -- The Botanist Islay Dry Gin -- reserved only for the captain's quarters.

I've tried a lot of the Penhaligons range. The past few years have been very good to me, I've been able to afford to buy a lot of them and also regularly get them bought for me too. I could choose any brand really, but I enjoy Penhaligons the most. What I'm getting at is that I feel quite qualified when it comes to writing about their scents. This one is their best. No question about it. This fragrance is a timeless, beautiful blend that suits every occasion and gives you a feeling of confidence and comfort. Some of the other ones like English Fern, Hammam and Zizonia I have deep connections to, or Halfeti which I think is their second best. This is the best made, suits the widest range of moods or reasons to wear perfume. If this was any other type of product, like a soap or shower gel, it wouldn't work. I think in a sample size or of they did a 50ml like they do for some of their scents, you wouldn't get the full experience either. The amount you get from a spray and how it distributes effects the feel of this. The story behind this links to clipper ships and the tea trade. Although it does match up with that description, it also makes me think of the remote Outer Hebridies in Scotland. The calm tranquillity that comes from the isolation, the stillness of the sea, endless beaches. That feeling of remoteness and the comfort when you go inside and feel protected from the weather. The whole time you are there you feel a distance between reality, a history, a connection with the past and how hard life must have been there. I don't know how but Lohair gives me the same feeling and impression. It's milky and comforting, there is an undertone of sophistication and quality. You also get a sour sharpness that increases the complexity. It all swirls round. Where Penhaligons have so many fragrances and so many of those have come out around the same time; lots of them share elements. Quite a few take wholesale parts of each other. Lothair is pretty unique in the range, the only one that I think bears much resemblance is Espirit Du Roi. They share a similar top notes, the part of the scent that seems elevated but to the back of it. The rest of the composition is so different and Lothair is so much more complex and delicately tuned. It stands out in the range as the finest of all.

Lothair is one of my favourites from Penhaligon's offerings, most of which I've sampled. It's the scent for cardamom and tea lovers. Crisp and clean, most of the freshness comes from juniper. The familiar G&T note will tingle your nostrils at the opening, and stays until the dry down whilst giving this Trade Route scent a slightly windy and dynamic character. I'm born on an island covered with junipers so this smells like soothing yet energising seaside. I may as well stand on the rough beach eating a warm cardamom roll with a cup of black tea & milk in the other hand. The whole scent experience here is expertly blended between soothing/calming and energising/refreshing. Lavender, juniper, bergamot, tea and green fig are all individually present, yet singing in perfect harmony, providing shelter yet urging you to move on. As the scent develops, cardamom is fully out in the open. There are no flowers or berries in the foreground, but they are invisibly keeping the balance, as is also vanilla that rounds things up when woods enter making the dry down amazingly cosy. Its a wonderful herbal aromatic concoction and a perfect scent for a dynamic duo to share. It never steps a foot more into feminine or masculine territory. Keeping it all on even keel. EDIT: I got it in its 100 ml presentation some 24 months ago. Considering I've a decent scent rotation, lots of samples and there has been home-office-anchored no-travel no-event situation for a year, I've managed to almost finish my Lothair. A small miracle. Or perhaps not. Its a strong love and will be a repeat purchase.

Blind buy, purchased in the 2021 Winter Sale because it was a very favorable price. Lothair by Penhaligon's is truly a work of art, I would even go as far as to call it a masterpiece; a true story in a bottle - It is perfectly blended, fresh, complex, and exciting yet comforting at the same time. Lothair is a fragrance that fits perfectly with Penhaligon's 'classic British stereotype', almost comedic marketing which I initially found jarring - but now I get it. Normally outside of my preferences but I absolutely adore this offering by Penhaligon's. Early on, it evokes imagery of an archetypal victorian explorer relaxing at the end of the day in an exotic locale with a gin and tonic and flavored cigar with a plate of fresh fruit beside them. During the dry-down, the more delicate tea notes and lavender begin to shine. As time further passes, the base notes begin to come through revealing a very comforting and delicately sweet 'warm wood' scent - our explorer is winding down for the day; relaxing by a fire, drinking a cup of tea, and reminiscing about their doubtless, exciting day. Longevity is impressive and I can still smell it now having applied it almost 9 hours ago. I hope this one never goes away, it truly is a masterclass in perfumery. This fragrance is signature scent worthy for sure, people will not forget you if you wear this!

Lothair by Penhaligon's is the smell of freshness and vegetation, the smell of forests and meadows. Lothair is natural, but modern, dynamic, lively and intense. There is probably a bit of everything in it that can be associated with nature. It is fresh yet warm, watery yet green, woody yet spicy, airy yet aromatic. In the opening, Lothair feels more masculine thanks to intense and fresh notes of juniper and lavender. These notes are accompanied by various other ones: fig and tea leaves and a number of woody notes, including cedar. In addition, the whole mixture is freshend up with citruses: juicy bergamot and delicate grapefruit. Besides before mentioned notes, somewhere in the background there is also a spicy, warm, vanillic and at the same time animalic, delicate mixture consisting of: aromatic cardamom, sweet vanilla, grey ambergris and musk. As it develops, Lothair gets warmer, calms down and even becomes cosy. This is the stage when a beautiful cardamom-vanilla base with a whole lot of woody notes, delicate oak moss and also the sensual scent of grey ambergris and musk starts to shine. The whole blend still remains fresh though, as the aromatic, fresh notes of juniper, lavender, delicate green notes and light geranium are still noticeable.

Indisputable and unparalleled masterpiece of Penhaligon's. I have never seen a perfume that can combine fig/lavender/vanilla/black tea without any disharmony.A huge thumb-up for Duchaufour! Among all the works of Bertrand Duchaufour, this is my favorite.And it has a beautiful name indeed:) Even at the first time I tested it I was sure that it is going to be marvelous.Although the lavender note has won quite a few votes, I would rather focus more on the fig & black tea notes.Lothair belongs to the Trade Routes collection, and it was inspired by the famous Tea Clipper Ships.Therefore I believe that the black tea should be the theme of it.The tea leaves have the special astringent taste and the "unsmooth" but fresh smell, which made it very intriguing——for the fig/fig leaves smell are usually described as creamy and smooth.But!The combination turned out not to be a collision, but a surprisingly perfect harmony. The lavender here, despite the dominance, has already lost the soapy and harsh traits, I presume that it was vanilla's credit;Eventually, the whole thing has developed into a mixture of green/spice/creamy aroma, although it has the traditional aromatic structure(lavender/juniper/oakmoss), I myself consider this more as a modern artwork. -

Penhaligon's has quickly risen up the ranks as one of my favorite perfume houses, with Lothair being my most recent favorite. The advertisement for this fragrance promised to somehow take me back to the age of English tea clipper ships that delivered precious goods from around the world. To my delight, I seem to have stumbled upon a case of truth in advertisement. The overall sentiment I get when wearing Lothair is that of being in a dry cargo hold surrounded by a mountain of crates containing tea, lavender, vanilla bean, dried fruits, and a mixture of other delightful commodities. On spraying, I get an incredibly strong black tea note (not brewed, but dried loose tea leaves), softened by a good dose of lavender and vanilla. Within minutes, the black tea is tamed and the vanilla gains steam along with a note that I am fairly sure is juniper. Fig is there (creamy!) but my nose seems to confuse it with some other scents...Overall it's herbaceous, creamy, and weird in a very good way. This is a powerful fragrance, not just in terms of sillage and lasting power but also in the general aura and feeling it carries. It's not one easily forgotten. I think it's perfect for fall and winter. Thanks Penhaligon's for another favorite to love!

As Bertrand Duchaufour's stock has risen in niche perfumery, so his has somewhat fallen with mine. Admittedly he set the bar extremely high with Jubilation XXV - and will be in credit for some time to come for that alone - but his more recent releases I've tried have been pleasant without capturing the imagination. Lothair marks a return to form. Save for a relatively safe, paint-by-numbers drydown, you get a memorable blend of grapefruit, cardamom, geranium, juniper, black tea, lavender and oakmoss. I can distinctly smell each and every one of these notes (a rarity), and together the effect is crisp, cool and spicy. All of this is propped up by a deliciously sweet and creamy fig that had me grinning from ear to ear. A brief soapy phase follows (probably the cardamom) before Lothair reaches a woody/vanillic end that I wish carried more of a flourish, but it's fine as it is. Indeed I'm inclined to be generous enough to go along with Penhaligon's inspiration of Tea Clipper ships and their varnished decks. It's probably just the power of suggestion, but I do pick up whiffs of something that is reminiscent of a top coat of polish. All in all, Lothair is an excellent fragrance that is easy to recommend.

I’ve been putting off a review of this perfume, which is one of my favorites, because I just don’t know how to describe it. It’s not one of those fragrances with distinctly identifiable notes, in my opinion. I don’t doubt there are some who would disagree, though... You’re always going to trigger a few people with an honest opinion. To me, it’s a little bit fresh, a little sweet, a little powdery, a little creamy, not in the least bit floral, and one of the most addicting scents I’ve ever discovered. When I’m not wearing it, I’ll always pick up the bottle and have a sniff if I pass by. When I do wear it, not only do I notice it on myself all day, but I also receive compliments, though nobody else seems to know quite what it smells like. I guess that’s part of its magic! So, I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that if Penhaligon’s kept the notes a mystery, folks would have a difficult time deciphering Lothair’s message. Longevity is incredible, too, unlike many of their other offerings. I realize that this may not be the most helpful review, but I love this perfume so much and felt obligated to leave some kind of praise. My only regret is that I bought it right before the price drop! Hmph!

Lothair is a fragrance that tells a story. In my opinion Monsieur Duchaufour with Lothair tells the tale of what the bounty of these merchant ships of yore may have smelt like. I imagine that Lothair is the end result of several chests containing the bounty of rare spices and aromatic goods being opened and displayed before the royal court. Yes, that intro may have seemed a bit too far fetched, but really the initial blast of cardamom, fig leaf and lavender create a real olfactory statement and unveils a real concept; A beautiful collection of rich herbs, florals and spices on full display. All these great notes are framed by woody notes and cedar (think wooden chest and the wooden ships that would bring these bounties to a new home). There is even a well placed slightly salty note of ambergris to give a sea spray over this maritime haul. I love this fragrance and cannot recommend it enough. It is unisex and is perfect for spring and early fall. Think fun and good times, basically a walk in the park or a sunny walk on the boulevard. Give Lothair a few sprays under a linen shirt to celebrate the brilliance and joy of spring and all that will bloom during this lovely time of year.

This smells wonderful- it is very green and fresh but milky, warm and woody at the same time. Perhaps like eating a fresh bowl of cold salad with ranch dressing in a warm sauna made of wood. haha sounds wierd but it's lovely I promise! A broken stalk of fig tree with oozing sap and classic Penhaligon's juniper berry is the most prominant at first. It quickly becomes comfortingly milky and aromatic as it's being warmed up, with cardamom and rosemary. There is also a smooth saltiness -I'm guessing its the ambergris note. It is quite feminine up to this point, and I find it very wearable as a woman! But then as it dries down, the ceder and oakmoss comes in and turns very masculine - a tiny bit more so than I am completely comfortable with - but that makes it quite sexy when I am in the right mood ;) Overall, it is a very sophisticated and unique scent! Sillage and longevity all moderate, but I could still smell this on my coat two weeks later :) btw, I just realized now that I own 3 Penhaligon's scents and all by Bertrand Duchafour! Amaranthine, Tralala, and Lothair! How incredible is that! And I thought I chose the most atypical, wierdest scents from this house!

It starts out with a herbal brightness of juniper and a touch of citrus, maybe a bit of bergamot and a lot of green. In an hour the tea, milk, vanilla and spices come along, I get the beautiful cardamom and a sense of more spices. It still retains it's freshness the whole way, and that plays so interestingly with the yummy creaminess. It's both adventurous and comforting at the same time. This lasts for a long time till the end of the wear maybe 10 hours in where it becomes a gentle creamy sandalwood vanilla I could definitely cozy up and fall asleep to. It's completely transportive. Something about Penhaligon's staff training and fantastic marketing really works for me, I'm sold on the story of ships, adventure and tea. If I had any complaints is that it isn't that projecting, it dies down very quickly in a few hours into a skin scent but it stays that way for a long time. It doesn't make a gigantic impression - so it's really more of a private experience. It does become a bit cloying after wearing it after a long time, given it's great complexity.

100mL bottle. As most people can tell you, yes there's fig, juniper, and tea to the point that it reminds many of chai and greenness making it great for spring/fall, and summer to an extent. Definitely office friendly. The vanilla smell lingers more on my skin than the 1.5mL sample I burnt through but it does seem to get more woody with maceration. However Lothair has a secret trait that I've discovered, its has enormous potential as a layering scent when combined with other frags. Lothair is both heavy enough to serve as a bottom layer frag, but light enough that you could layer it on top of other, heavier scents more suited for fall/winter. As one other user has described previously, layering Lothair with Halfeti produces a magical effect, but after tinkering with both Halfeti Cedar, and Tragedy of Lord George, I find that Lothair is versatile enough so long as it shares at least one or more notes with whatever else you're layering it with. More layering experimentation is necessary but I plan to update my results as it happens.

#947 in my "Tour de Fragrance" I really like this fragrance. Nice combination of notes. Good performance. If you like Amouage "Sunshine Man" you'll like this. Others in this vein are Malin + Goetz "Moroccan Fig", Hugh Parsons "Hyde Park", Diptyque "Philosykos", Maison Crivelli "Santal Volcanique." I probably prefer Mancera's "Saharian Wind" among the mid-price range perfumers, and the real bargain is Killer Oud "Sunrise" at $25, a Sunshine Man clone. I don't think this would add anything to my collection I don't already have, but if I were starting from scratch and was looking for a single, versatile, attractive scent, this would be a good candidate. Car pool, elevator and close office safe, appropriate date wear. Makes it to lunch. Cooler weather I think. Masculine leaning unisex.

Overall this is quite a light yet seemingly complex scent. I only really smell the juniper and cardamom on the top with the fig dominating the mid also. Despite this, there does feel to be something else lingering in the scent (in a good way) that I can't quite put my finger on. It could perhaps be the tea adding to the light feel of the scent? I'm not sure. It becomes quite creamy from the latter stages of the mid and into the base, something which seems to have a place in a few of Penhaligon's fragrances. Another common theme among a few of them is that they tend not to project much. Admittedly, this does seem to project more than others but it still is an intimate scent. This is another classy, sophisticated frag from the house.

Underrated gem. It doesn’t have a heavy or bombastic profile, but there’s just something about it that makes me want to wear it over and over. A milky-yet-airy, fig-infused chai. Smells classy yet youthful, high-quality, and is highly likeable. Performance tends to be an issue with the house, and considering that alongside the notes, I thought it would be a brief-relief type frag that would last an hour max. But it sticks around all day! 4 sprays and I get a pleasant scent cloud that lasts past a full workday. I think over spraying could end up being too much of a good thing, but this is a great balance of cardamom, fig leaf, tea and vanilla. A unique and mass appealing scent for a gentleman in a fantasy citadel.

If you love a good tea scent, try this. It's not overtly sexy, but I can imagine this smelling extremely appealing on a man, and equally lovely and unique on a woman. Sometimes "unisex" is more like "sexless". This is not that. The lavender and juniper blast is quite masculine and dry at first but once it warms up and dries down, the gorgeous black tea, magnolia and fig milk comes out, rounds it out and adds warmth and "roundness" without falling into an obviously feminine territory. What's lovely is that the inviting amber and musk and vanillin is very soft and doesn't take away from the translucent, luminous quality of the whole thing. It is quiet but has presence, and lasts very well for an EDT.

For me this is Penhaligons crown jewel. A perfect combination of spices, vanilla, fig, tea and woods. It has alot going on but nothing sticks out, It’s blended incredibly well with everything working in perfect unison. It has similarities with eau de baux from L’Occitane but where that feels warmer and more holiday season leaning this is brighter and more complex. I know Penhaligons gets a lot of flack for performance however I feel this is quite good, it’s not massive but that’s part of its class, the longevity it good, it’s sticks around for a long time once it moves to a skin scent. All seasons, all occasions, you will just smell great.

Fresh,sparkling and versatile, but also complex! I like Lothair,he gives me joy and it relaxes me. This fragrance is not heavy...opens with cardamom grapefruit red fruits and juniper..it's really nice and lively the beginning. Each note stands out well, in the middle notes become more "spicy" and evolves in a really nice getting hotter, while maintaining its freshness (thanks to lavender and black tea). Overall it is a light fragrance, suitable for spring days, transports you making you feel in perfect union with nature. The sillage is moderate, longevity pretty good. Beautiful. Sillage: 6.5/10 Longevity: 7/10 Scent: 8.5/10 Overall: 9/10