Bois du Portugal (1987)
by Creed

Stately classic. This is a must have Creed fragrance. The bergamot provides the initial punch. Lavender comes in behind it to carry the tune and eventually the woods smooth it all out. This is NOT a casual scent but could be pulled off in shorts by the right guys.

It's been 15 or so years since I've been active on this site, and probably about the same amount of time since I last owned this fragrance. I bought it out of a sense of nostalgia. Of the 300 or so fragrances I once owned, I'm down to 10-15, and wanted to add a few of the old stalwarts.

Enter Creed Bois du Portugal. Summary - how have I gone the last 10-15 years without this? Especially this time of year (winter) in the northern climate (Minnesota) that I live in.

I'm not going to try to parse notes; for me, that's a fool's errand. This starts out with a strong and forceful blast, and projects (sillage) with the best of them. It mellows to wood, amber and a hint of soap, but remains strong, if perhaps sticking a little closer to the body.

The notes, whatever they might be, exude class throughout the evolution on the skin. On the dry side, without the overt sweetness I've found in other "formal" scents. While others have suggested this is a "special occasion" cologne, I disagree. Yes, it's all of that. But like wearing a top notch watch with a flannel shirt, BdP is more versatile than that. Flannel shirt, Explorer II, BdP - perfect packaging!

The trick with BdP - don't overspray. This is powerful stuff, and remains powerful for a long time. Too much - headache time. Trust me, I've done that to myself, and who knows how many others in my space. A spray or two is enough for me and those I care about! Don't make the mistake I did - "it's a Creed, I better go 6-8 sprays". BdP is not that kind of Creed (MI, SMW, etc), but rather comes across with an intensity more often reserved for EdPs.

I bought a 1.7 and thought the price was high. After receiving it, and realizing how little I need to spray to get the desired effect, this might be a bargain.

What I can add to all the reviews and the genre it belongs in, I feel it is one of the best Creed offering. Great longevity and silage, as mentioned previously I would compare to Chanel Pour Monsieur without the huge lemon opening and regard it as a mature smelling fragrance. I wear a suit at work and it works well for me all day. One of the top fragrances from this house.

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 (1936), Brut by Fabergé (1964), 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 Clive Christian 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.