Old Bourbon

I hadn't come across this brand before so thought I'd take a punt on this fragrance. It's an interesting one, goes on very subtle and sweet with masses vanilla masking a woody undertone. This is similar to a fragrance I tried from Tokyo Milk recently, in that it's woods under vanilla not that this really pulls it off to well. I say that because it kinda doesn't sit right for the first couple of hours, it has changed by now though and I'm actually getting at what the fragrance probably intended in the first place. I was racking my brain I knew it smelled familiar but I just couldn't place it. Finally I got it!!! This is a much more subdued and slightly confused Chergui. There's a rich honey in the dry down that only rears it's head after an hour or so on my skin. A few hours in and timid vanilla scent, slightly resinous amber which is close to the skin but I do occasionally catch a whiff of myself and it's pretty pleasant. Perhaps I'm being a little hard on Old Bourbon's performance because I'm quite congested today? It's not a bad fragrance and I should really enjoy the fact that this perfume has a toned down honey note (not my favourite smell) and I kinda do. However the fragrance lover in me just wants to say "Get Serge Lutens Chergui because it's much ballsier and better performing!" and that's the truth really. Update: In hindsight this actually performs very well, I can still smell it vaguely after 12 + hours I think that's more from my clothes than my skin but still. Not bad. Update 05/11/21 : I love reading back reviews and thinking how wrong I was! haha. Elements of the above review are actually spot on the money, certainly the reference to Chergui but that's only part of the tale and I guess that's why I feel compelled to share further thoughts here. So the phases are coconut dipped in chocolate, (for all my UK peeps a red Bounty bar) which is very benzoin atypical, but the coconut is not cheap, it's big chunky, realistic, fresh, squeaky flesh. Then it's mildly floral, amber-ish, vanilla, then the honied effect of Chergui, perhaps a little coumarin but way less hay than a chergui. I think it's actually a great fragrance on balance, and a vanilla (ish) perfume I actually quite enjoyed wearing.

Aromatic (lavender-esque) on first spray. Dries down to a pleasant cedary + oaky vanilla (maybe slightly reminiscent of "Whispers in the Library"), but is a VERY light skin scent for a lot of it's life (just over seven hours). I will definitely use my sample up, but it's a 'like', not a 'love'. This is my first experience with this house, and makes me want to explore their other scents (especially because they seem good value for money).

I received a surprise sample of this from Indie Scents and I don't think I would have tried this otherwise. But I'm glad they sent it because I fell in love with it and ordered a full bottle. I'm not sure how to describe it, though, but I'll give my general impressions. First sniff is boozy and very masculine. Strange association but it reminds me of walking into my Grandfather's garage after he spent the evening drinking with his buddies. Then, it calms down and becomes a very cozy scent. Still masculine, almost like cuddling with your SO and the end of a long day with your nose buried in their skin. Weird? Anyways, then it becomes a soft vanilla and tonka bean scent with a kick for several hours. And just since Houdini4 mentioned it, I do not get any honey from this, but I think I need to check out Chergui! This is my favorite lingering on the cuffs of my sweater scent this fall.

@fragrance2016: FYI in the mast majority of cases, the name "Bourbon" refers to the Reunion Island (fka Bourbon Island - in reference to the Bourbon french royal family), where some ingredients may be sourced (like vanilla and vetiver, called "Bourbon vanilla" and "Bourbon vetiver" in that case, as opposed to Tahitian vanilla, Javanese vetiver, Haitian vetiver...). Here this fragrance contains both vetiver and vanilla, two ingredients found on the Bourbon Island, that's why its name. (that said, nowhere it is specified that the oils used in here are effectively sourced there). There is no boozy note listed here, so your nose is right, it's not about whiskey! Not sure why on the website they state "Inspiration straight out of the whiskey soaked barrel".

A dry, dry slightly sharp wood over a barbershop lavender with galbanum. It's strangely green and soapy to my nose and there's an alcohol wood note that hurts my nose a little. My sister called it "the guest bathroom at someone's cabin."