Vetiver Ambrato
Bois 1920 (2005)

This is very refined and old school, and I love it. There are a lot of ingredients listed for this, but really, it is what the name says it is. There is a somewhat fresh opening, which very quickly gives way via a slightly powdery barbershop route, to the heart of this fragrance, which is all wood and vetiver, with just an edge of patchouli. Over time, it becomes a real amber, smoothed with quite a lot of sweet (vanilla?) and musky tobacco.

More than anything else this reminds me of Mäurer and Wirtz's classic, Tabac, but more refined and tasteful... just better. It's supposed to be unisex (or as they say, 'shared') but it smells almost stereotypically masculine to me, at least until the drydown.

Vetiver, sweet amber, a well balanced and strooooong heart of tobacco, spices and herbs. Minimal and sporadic vanilla undertones. I could swear I get a powdery yet boozy iris too but that could be the lovely patchouli that blends with the benzoin and maybe other things. Lovely make up powder smell in there, drying down.

This really has some punch to it. It's strong and in your face. In a way you could say it's Tabac on steroids but it does so in great style. Tabac will seem weak to you compared to this. Then again Tabac is creamier and has that lovely ambergris.

Vetiver Ambrato in my mind caters to a 30+ or maybe even 40+ audience. It has a certain datedness in it but it's a classy dated, if you know what I mean. Therefore I can't see a younger crowd pulling this of I do have to add. Tabac is the better option for the younger crowd.

Really nice on paper, as it carries Bois 1920's signature freshness and elegance, with a gentle and powdery note of vetiver blending with the sweet richness of amber, but... all that vanishes on skin. This is just beyond subtle, more closer to pure absence. I barely smell the opening. Which is sad because on paper it smells heavenly, bright, coloured, delicate and natural. However if you like "close-to-skin" scents, this may work.

6/10

Vetiver Ambrato opens with a sharp, yet, woody opening. As the fragrance evolves, it rests in the soft (not too soft) powdery neutral zone; there is the sandalwood, ambergris character found in this fragrance that brings out the fragrance.....Vetiver Ambrato is the twin of Creed's Ambre Canelle however, toned and contained.

Gentlemen, enjoy smelling like an aristocrat!!!!

The minute I applied Vetiver Ambrato, I knew I would love it and I most certainly did. The perfect combination of the rich wood/chypre/incense notes and the sweeter amber/vanillic/labdanum notes makes for a wonderfully well-balanced fragrance. The much softened vetiver note reminds me of the absolutely stupendous Vétiver pour elle by Guerlain.

The only negative thing I could say about this fragrance is that it's price is utterly ridiculous (at least where I live). Is it really worth paying three times the price of an equally good fragrance? I, for one, think not. Although I simply adore Vetiver Ambrato, I never actually bought a bottle. It is merely a matter of principle. No fragrance is THAT good, really.

Wore this yesterday. Went on nice then initially changed to an awful sickly smell within minutes - amber. It then for me changed after about 20min to a nice and fresh scent. Changed to what for my wife (and myself) was like talc and a just out of the shower smell. I wasnt sure I liked it but it really grew on me over the afternoon. Didnt smell much Vetiver and it in some ways reminded me of Creed - ie shower fresh. The fresh scent lasted for many hours but for £100 there is perhaps less expensive ways to smell of talc!