Bois du Portugal (1987)
by Creed

Creed Bois du Portugal (1987) remains the single classic, stately, and mature entry remaining in the male side of their catalog, the only proper men's barbershop scent rendered in a traditional semi-oriental style popular in the 1970's through early 1990's. After the wild success of the co-composed Green Irish Tweed (1985), Olivier Creed asked Pierre Bourdon to come back and help him make Bois du Portugal, which undoubtedly was made as a warmer, more-formal counterbalance to the proto-aquatic genre-forming freshie that Green Irish Tweed came to be. Bois du Portugal can trace its roots all the way back to the seminal Pierre Cardin Pour Monsieur (1972), arguably the earliest designer incarnation of the powdery, creamy, semi-oriental barbershop fougère style, and next logical step in the direction Dana Canoe (1937), Brut by Fabergé (1962), and Avon Wild Country (1967) took. After Versace L'Homme (1984), Bois du Portugal would be the next scent to head further down the path of petitgrain-infused-lavender richness, but it would soon be joined by a glut of designers and early niche houses all jumping on this bandwagon by the early 1990's. Chanel Pour Monsieur Eau de Toilette Concentrée (1989), Tiffany for Men (1989), Parfums Nicholai New York (1990), Guerlain Héritage (1992) and even Avon Mesmerize (1992) would all bunch onto the same subway car as Bois du Portugal, offering many different price points for the same vibe and drowning out the groundwork made by Bourdon and Creed here in white noise. Green Irish Tweed continued to get all the love and attention over the decades, but Bois du Portugal's cult following is no less fervent, just much more soft-spoken in the way they worship the fragrance.

That isn't to say Bois du Portugal isn't good. In fact, this is a phenomenally rich example of the genre, and pound-for-pound out-performs everything in it's class, even if the price point is also many times higher and therefore maybe not a better value per milliliter sprayed. Still, the sweet mandarin opening combined with sharp bergamot and petitgrain is second-to-none for fans of this style; for fans who experience this first, some of the others may seem like imitators, and for those who experience this after trying the others, this might seem like a high-powered version of their mission statement. From that classic opening comes in the French lavender, folded over into the citrus like an old friend, adding roundness, smoothness, and richness. Cedar joins the petitgrain top to keep the almost-vanillic lavender and mandarin from being too cloying, and the creamy mysore sandalwood of the base merges it all together in Creed ambergris, oakmoss, and grassy vetiver. Wear time is basically until you wash this off, and this is a rare five star sillage bomb to me, being comparable to Joop! Homme (1989) in its radiance, so be careful even in winter time, unless you want somebody taking you out back and hitting you with a hose. Bois du Portugal gets knocked around as an old man's scent because it partially was aimed at the mature segment upon creation, which in the years since has kept it pegged in that demographic since guys who were mature in the 80's are likely seniors in the 21st century if alive, although it has its younger fans too here and there, especially if they appreciate vintage styles.

This leads me to my final remark about Bois du Portugal, and that concerns the constant scare of pending discontinuation, in light of other mature classics such as Orange Spice (1950), Acier Aluminum (1973), and Green Valley (1999) all being vaulted after Aventus (2010) set the tone of Creed's male marketing direction. Well, Creed likely pays attention to forums and blogs, as it's had feelers enter them just to stir up controversy, and will likely continue making the stuff so long as people fear that it will go away, because that fear drives sales, and they are ultimately all about making money. When folks stop talking about it, or chatter of Bois du Portugal reduces to a murmur (much like it did for the others above), then maybe we'll see it go back into the vault, and when it does, I'll correct my words accordingly. Until then, I'd advise people just to chill out and sample the stuff, then buy it if Bois du Portugal fits their aesthetic. As the highest-costing semi-oriental fougère this side of a Parfums MDCI or Roja Dove release, this still has a much more narrow market than most Creeds because it not only is one of the most expensive options in its class, but is of a class that has itself become much more niche in demand over the years, since young guys find even stuff like Liz Claiborne Curve for Men (1996) to be retro, and that fougère style is much newer than the one on display in Bois du Portugal. For performance hounds with mature tastes, little else beats it for formal or winter use, and if you can afford the price, Bois du Portugal's relaxing, yet composed manner will be a best friend in your wardrobe. Thumbs up, but with the caveat that this is a well-worn style with many other comparable options which may seem like a better fit economically, or stylistically, so make sure to do your homework before diving in.

Dont not buy this because of my neutral review because I actually think this fragerance is pretty good. It's quite complex performance seems solid especially for a creed and the dry down is silky smooth.so you may ask why the neutral review and not higher. That's fairly simple. Its just too mature for me. Being in my mid twenties I just cant get away with wearing it and my fiancee cant stand it. I'm still getting a bottle and will keep it cool and dark until I get a little silver and then this baby is coming out. Despite the neutral review I'm giving it an 8 outta 10.

I want to preface the neutral review by stating that I gave BdP a rating of 4 stars across the board. That rating is based entirely on the olfactory characteristics.

I truly do think it smells great.

My neutral review though, is based on a more all-encompassing view of the fragrance (read: I considered price).

It smells excellent. It has a barbershop quality that I love. So much so, that I immediately thought of Pinaud Clubman.

And then I *continued* to think of Pinaud Clubman with every subsequent whiff.

Framed through that lens, I cannot possibly justify purchasing this for myself.

Despite the comparison, is it objectively "better" than Clubman? Yes. By a wide margin. It's vastly different, but evocative nonetheless. It's more lively. Less powdery on the drydown. And it seems to smell like a higher quality product (but that could just be a manifestation of my biases and what I know to be true about both)

Would I love to receive it as a gift? Absolutely
Would I wear it? Yes. Regularly.
Would I buy it? Nope*.

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*If, however, I were a man of greater means, such that $500 is no greater dent to my wallet than a bottle of Lagavulin (on sale) is to me now, I would buy the flacon without hesitation.

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Update: Ugh. Now I want a bottle.

A very elegant scent that gets compared with Chanel Pour Monsieur quite frequently. The opening reveals a crisp fresh blast of bergamot that brightens the tone of the scent early on. The bergamot eventually settles down allowing the lavender to creep into the forefront but never to the point where its overbearing and in particular soapy. The bergamot still holds on while in the background the lavender florals give off a nice clean and soft aroma. After approximately two hours the sandalwood will start to become noticeable eventually becoming the dominating note in the drydown. The lavender florals can still be detected but at this point its very subdued. Notes of cedar and vetiver can be detected as well although its blended in the drydown. The drydown also contains the classic ambergris that adds support to the other notes present.

Longevity and silage are excellent and probably one of the best from Creed easily lasting the entire day. Despite being in the Millesime line, Bois du Portugal is a classic old school scent. It fits in the same category as many of the Private Collection and EDT scents. It will more likely appeal to individuals who have an appreciation for classic scents from Creed as well other houses. As mentioned previously, Bois du Portugal has been compared to Chanel Pour Monsieur. Formal and business occasions will certainly be ideal when wearing this fragrance. Cooler weather will also be ideal when considering when to wear this. Overall, this is one of the better scents from the Millesime alongside Green Irish Tweed. It will be a shame should Bois du Portugal get discontinued like Green Valley and Royal Delight have been previously. If this does happen, it would certainly receive a commanding premium.

A couple of people had stated I smelled like an old lady while wearing it. I didn't even mind because I personally enjoy this fragrance that much. I'm new to the game but out of the 3 Creeds I own this is by far my favorite. The opening hits you with a bergamot that reminds me of the orange gumball you would get in a vending machine. It then settles down into a classic type of vibe. Like really classic. I'm 26 so I could see how that would throw some people off around my age group. But I'm an absolute sucker for classic scents. This scent makes me feel like an old soul that marches to the beat of his own drum. Definitely not for everyone. The only problem I have with this scent is deciding when or what to wear with it.

Occasion: Anything special.
Projection: 7
Longevity: 8
Overall: 9
I love this fragrance.