Reviews of Blenheim Bouquet (1902)
by Penhaligon's

On me Blenheim Bouquet started off as a fairly sharp lemon and pepper fragrance with a touch of sweat, that morphed into a softer pepper with a touch of sweet. I didn't smell any pine, or herbal elements at all. This was not at all sexy or even concerned about being liked by anyone at all. I guess the word haughty comes to mind. The reason for wearing this? I am sure I don't know. Maybe the wearer just likes it for its cool aristocratic panache. I would certainly appeal to someone who likes a dressy and somewhat formal fragrance, but not too formal. This would work well for a teacher or a tailor or someone who wouldn't want to wear anything suggestive of sex appeal. Fascinating in it goes its own way, when most fragrances today are going in other ways. Would love to smell this on someone else. My guess is that it wouldn't smell anything like it did on me. It likes to be appreciated from a distance.

Great excitement for me today: had to go to the swankiest hotel in Cape Town (probably in South Africa), the Mount Nelson, for a work-related function. And there in the cloakroom: Blenheim Bouquet liquid soap and handcream! This line is not carried at all anywhere in SA, so this was an unexpected treat. The scent is lovely, extremely fresh in a dignified way, grassy and not musty at all, in spite of (?) the lavender. The base notes probably get lost mostly in these formulations. Now I long to smell the actual cologne/perfume!

Lemon and pine. Huh. I think I know where Ralph Lauren got their "house accord" idea from (the underlying pine scent in all Polos). When I first smelled this a long time ago my initial reaction was Fruit Loops. Wow yeah this smells just like an old favorite cereal of mine. Trix smelled this way too. Fruity and milky. Man this is good. An odd nostalgia of my youth from an old standby from a British fragrance I've never heard of until recently.

So no middle notes in the official description, huh. Well, that's what I'd been suspecting all along. The pine takes over exactly when the lemon and lavender begins to fade.

BB is all about citrus, pine, pine and more pine. Gorgeous stuff, if a little reminiscent of Pine Sol. The scent reminds of those British colonels I met, who were my friends' parents. It has a sort of military precision to it, no frills, no fussing about. I don't know if I'd wear it, though, unless I want to come off as a disciplinarian.

Some mild florals would amplify the other notes and make it slightly more interesting, but it would also change its character, and I like it the way it is. Whoever made it handled the spices with some finesse. It's a no-nonsense fragrance that's cool, cerebral and distant yet also warm and bracing, making for good company in many beautiful places. It can become a little routine, but it has sufficient panache and manages to keep my interest. I wore it to an intense legal deposition not long ago and it worked well. Some people have mentioned that they think women don't like it, but that hasn't been the case with me. My girlfriend loves it. Here's a thumbs up coming at you.

First, here are the notes, as listed at Penhaligon’s website:

Head Notes: Lemon, Lime and Lavender
Heart Notes: Blenheim has no heart notes
Base Notes: Pine, Musk and Black pepper

The reviewer scentemental captures my experience with precision when writing, “Blenheim Bouquet opens with a sharp, tart citric blast which is carried into the heart notes by the aromatic pungency of thyme and pine, both of which are incongruously married with a slight but decided camphoraceous note.” I don’t detect lavender in the published notes, but I get thyme (or more accurately: lemon, lime, thyme, pine). This is a dignified scent. It conveys a sense of the wearer being sanctified: not in a religious sense, just the notion that the wearer is set apart. BB doesn’t try to entice or attract, and that sets it apart from virtually every cologne on the market. I enjoy it on occasion and must say that I am impressed by it.

Austere? Exactly the adjective I was going to use! Along with Yatagan, Barbier des Isles and Greyland, this is one of those sweet-free, spice-heavy frags that epitomizes masculinity. (No Lutens-esque sugar cones and treacles here!)

Citrusy, dry, coniferous . . . pure stiff upper lip stuff here. Little or no warmth, though -- this frag remains as cool and reserved on the skin as almost anything I can imagine.

Big thumbs up for an English classic.

A very dry citrus, supported by lavender and pine. The initial aroma was akin to mothballs, but it quieted down to a sophisticated and masculine citrus, long lasting as well. A true classic.

6 notes:

Top: Lemon, Lime, Lavender
Middle: None
Base: Pine, Musk, Black Pepper

Blenheim Bouquet is brilliant! Admittedly, it will not be to everyone’s taste. It is the polar opposite of Hammam Bouquet (chilly rather than warm, austere rather than rich). Yet as with HB so with BB – they are each history in a bottle and stylishly convey an image and a period that is classic. I have been seeking good pine scents and happily report that this is one of the very best (Knize Forest being a chief rival, but somewhat different in style). BB has a very fresh, invigorating opening. The lemon here is real: not only the juice but the pith – it has substance and depth. It is not synthetic, and people who think it smells like chemical cleaner need to come in contact with the natural world of real lemons! There are woody spices and pepper which gives a ‘bite’ to the proceedings. NO floral notes, NO sweetness here. This probably bucks every current trend in male fragrances and I cheer it on! Then, truly superb pine scents emerge: they are noble, expansive, and utterly natural. Both green pine and woody pine combine with some elusive herbal notes. BB *never* becomes warm, it always has a reserved, cool quality (the closest analogue in my experience is Fath’s Green Water, but BB is truly in a class by itself). Twelve hours later, a beautiful wood accord lingers that is subdued and haunting. If this sort of thing appeals to you, try it... you won’t be disappointed. And leave the sweet Lifesaver candy fragrances to others!

Reminds me of my visit to Chartwell. Opens to a gust of conifer/citrus and settles into a gentlemanly herbal freshness which is totally appropriate for a lady's summer afternoon. Gone in an hour or less, one needs to carry it with. Aloof, aristocratic - a nice relief from more intrusive frags.

blenheim bouquet is a very traditional,conservative and aristocratic fragrance.Fresh,light and clean edt.Decent,elegant but formal.The opening is fresh-you may smell lavendar,pines and lemons -all in a pleasant way.The drydown is in my eyes too medical-you may have the sensation that it smells like in lab or a dentist´s office but not uncomfortable-interesting and special-definitely unique! not very longlasting.anyway this is a very interesting and well done scent-timeless and you will never make a mistake wearing it-it is a distinguished scent with the touch of nobility and sophistication .this green fragrance is definitely better than all other green fragrances on the market. do not expect a loud, dominating and intruding fragrance-this scent knows absolutely it´s superiority.this is definitely upper class and does not have to show off.great and fantastic scent-that has everything -style,class, character and masculinity.i appreciate that they haven´t change the bottle since the first launch and the bottle and package is wonderful too.this is absolutely the top of perfumes.oh, one little remark-hammam bouquet is so gorgeous and outstanding too!!!

hi!
my grand father edt favourite; I use it in summer
on my left side ,with aromatic elixit
touch on my right side!!!
my grandfa is gone,the parfume and memory still alive !!!
Its'nt sad, i promise!!!

A conservative, aristocratic scent designed not for tuxedo-wareing newly rich middle class but for the inner circle of the most traditional and historically relevant nobility- that particular kind of nobility from the days when the pound was still a pound, suits had to be custom-tailored on Bond street and the high society circled around Ascot and fashionable country clubs. It might also have been named Hampton Court or Buckhingam Bouquet or else, as it captures the essence and the mood of typical British royal or aristocratic residences.
And of course, there is the strong association with Churchill- I could almost not picture him wearing anything else. in it i see not Churchill the popular guy, the mass-market figure but rather the dandy, the art-collector, the conoisseur, the artist, dominating Chartwell and London's most opulent drawing rooms with his wit and charm. The first olfactory impression is that of citrus, but a citrus note seldomly to ber found in other scent( maybe only in very expensive and conservative ones) so different from usual cheap citrus smels like two very different species from different planets. But there is much more to this fragrance than just citrus. The drydown is not only piney, like the official website states, it is also herbal and moderately acid( "dry" like a fine wine who's acidity is present, but never too offensive or too pungent). The herbal notes remind of almost edible, Mediterranean spices, with not only acid but also earthy, slightly musty- yet not powdery- almost carnal touches, but not that kind of carnal touches created trough animal ingredients like musk, amber or civet, rather a more mossy and tarragon or oregano-smelling. , fragile and subtle carnal note brought on by both long-lasting, vibrantly green and frash, fragrant yet delicate herbs- this aromatic drydown adds not only lasting power but also hedonistic touch to this scent, reminding of Churchill's bulky self-indulgence. Nevertheless it's classy and even authoritarian( as it gets the wearer noticed and valued instantly due to it's refinement) reminding partly of the finst cigars in Churchill's humidor, his favourite wines and also the landscapes and scents of Chartwell or any park or garden sourrounding a British mansion or life at a British mansion itsself: exclusive and luxurious, yet never offensive, plain, blunt or gaudy, discplined and perfectly crafted, exhaling distinction and an idyllic British calm, coolness and tranquility.

Blenheim Bouquet is one major experience. I find the opening quite irresistible. It suggests a powerful arrogance—rather robber baronish, I would say. My inner hubris revels in the experience while my kinder, gentler, pretend-modest self is grateful when the top notes settle down, leaving a truly excellent citrus / pine / herbal accord. Blenheim Bouquet doesn’t have a very great longevity, but it is a necessary experience. Every serious scentophile has to wear this one at least once.
The above was just my off-the-cuff reaction to Blenheim Banquet—there’s no point in my saying more: Scentemental and MMM have already reviewed this scent to perfection. P.S. I second Mario Justiniani’s suggestion.

I love this junk. Yes, it's obnoxious. Pine, lemon, cedar, thyme? It's pretty specific, but it's like a cleansing hot towel, or handi-wipe (I mean that in the positive sense). I like to wear this in the evening, after a hot shower after a hard day at work. It's refeshing, soothing, and turns into a clean masculine scent. Top marks.

a romp through a perfect fairy forest - all the sublimity of nature in a bottle - this is what Oberon sweats, I think

Blenheim Bouquet opens with a sharp, tart citric blast which is carried into the heart notes by the aromatic pungency of thyme and pine, both of which are incongruously married with a slight but decided camphoraceous note. This dauting assault on one's nose gives *Blenheim Bouquet* an air of unapologetic immediacy, arrogance, and unquestioning self-assertion without any self-effacing self-consciousness; it’s very aristocratic in this sense and very imposing, just like stark Baroque presence of its name sake Blenheim Palace, rising starkly out of an expanse of flat green earth, a permanent monument to the Blenheim name and will.

http://www.blenheimpalace.com

The marvel of this whole seemingly incongruous opening mess is that as the drydown evolves, the accord starts to transform as the thyme’s sharpness resonates with the sweet pungency of the pine and buoancy of the citrus and resolves itself into a clean, fresh, resolute scent of self-conscious distinction. It’s not so much that sharp, pungent arrogance and officious air of the opening disappears entirely; rather it is held in tension, carried as an attitude of haughtiness that might at any moment reassert itself to overwhelm one. It’s an astonishing use of difficult spices, citrus, and green notes to produce a seemingly incongruous but finally pleasant, edgy accord that is a testimony to masterful blending and assured breeding, much like the aristocracy, what?.

As a final note, don't expect women to like this one. It's too resolutely masculine.

Aristocratic hostility at it's finest. I can honestly say this is the only fragrance with a true adversarial character, you really feel superior when wearing it, and almost despise the simpletons around you. Of course I'm exagerating here, but in fact 2 of my friends have commented upon Blenheim saying it almost frightens them in a way. There's something about the zesty citrus in the opening that fools you into thinking this is just another Eau Sauvage copy, but BB is infinitely more complex. The lemon, which btw is masterfull in this fizzy & slightly bitter rendition, hangs around much longer than in ordinary colognes and melts into the smokey, antagonistic base of deep pine. A little spice (cardamom or cumin?)adds even more dimension, but it is that very english pine that makes this Penhaligon really stand out - giving it it's chilling edge. I really don't want to scare anyone off with this review, BB is a fantastic fragrance, but use it wisely - perhaps during a hostile corporate takeover, heated debates about the tragic demise of the great commonwealth or after winning your local cricket-championship (^o^).

The dry down of this fine scent has a very clear note of fresh ground cardamom even bordering on menthol which can be found also in the cardamom when it is really fresh ground.

All i can say is WOW! Great scent! I am a big fan of the way that Penhaligon's has used pine in this offering. A few things though.
1. For some reason your gfriend will not like it.. they dont understand the whole pine sol smell will burn off thing
2. Rather short lasting, but worth spraying on all day
3. Just over the fence with being "too formal". So not an everyday Cologne IMO.

Although these things are something to think about it is a truly classic nice fragrance. Just a little more maintenance than most.

A zesty, spicey aroma with hints of citrus and a strong pine base. A great scent, full of class and is bound to give the impression that the wearer is truely a distinguished gentleman.

The previous reviews are pretty accurate. After the top notes dissipate you're left with a VERY sharp, green (herbal? pine?) drydown that just begs to be worn with a nicely pressed shirt and tie. Pure class. Caveat emptor--several women in my office turned up their noses at this one. Ah well--there's no accounting for taste.

The Baron de Charlus once told me: 'I recall the time when I was a houseguest at Chartwell, the country estate of Sir Winston Churchill (or "Vesuvius" as we used to call him on account of his volcanic eruptions). He gave us each a bottle of Blenheim Bouquet.
"Tell me, de Charlus," said Sir Winston in that celebrated slurred growl of his, "as a connoissheur of schent, what is your opinion of Blenheim Bouquet? Shum shay it is one of the finest schents in creation - and I concur!" "Then we are of one mind, my dear Vesuvius," I responded. "An opening of clean pure citrus with a truly divine development of warm woods. It has hardly been bettered before or since." Sir Winston looked surprised. "Sho," he said, "you do not intend, then, to asshail me with one of your shelebrated inshults?" "Merely to remark, my dear Vesuvius, given your capacity to engage in some of the fiercest and foulest eruptions known to man, that it is most gracious of you to counteract these assaults on your fellow creatures by bathing yourself in the fragrant ambience of Blenheim Bouquet. It leaves us all wondering whether we are surrounded by citrus or shitrus."
At this, much to my admiration, the famous statesman and bon viveur growled, scowled, guffawed, and threw a steak and kidney pudding at my head.'

I just recently ordered a bottle after a long hiatus. The invigorating pine and spice are captivating, a very formal ,serious scent of amazing Penhaligon's quality. Trumper's Wellington is very similar. Nice