Reviews of Bois du Portugal (1987)
by Creed

I did not give Bois du Portugal a fair try for years because I thought it was old and stuffy. The opening is a lavender spice that foretells an old man scent - warm and friendly but not too intersting. But after wearing it for full day I was shocked to find I really like the way it goes. It transforms and evolves marvelously. I am surprised to find a satisfying scent that is pretty much a perfectly adjusted composition of lavendar + sandalwood then vetiver + cedar and amber. The vetiver amber combination is particularly enjoyable for that very dry finish that is refreshing. I wouldn't change a thing! For a warm spice I am impressed by how light and dry the finish is. It is very elevating! BdP passes one old test for great design structure - "when you roll it down a hill nothing falls off"! BdP is intact. There is a lightness and dry woodiness at the finish that removes any thought of old lavender spice which you get at the opening. Very satsifying.

My absolute favorite of the Creed line. For the record, most of the others are very bland and boring but this one is particularly exciting. Oddly reminds me of ck Obsession but less sweet and not as powerful.. but you need less power when it comes to Obsession. This is spicy, smooth and woody. I love it.

I'd love to smell this on an unwashed woman. Sorry, did I say that out loud?
A balanced, comfortable woods composition, in the family of Hermes' masculine woods. I prefer it to Heritage because it has less treble, more understated use of amber and vanilla. Even well into drydown BdP retains some of the bitter wood that is the great lurking beast in Equipage. Why is there a great beast lurking in my carriage, you ask? I'll see about that, sir, and if I do get rid of the beast may I keep an unwashed woman?

The opening lavender note is a bit sharper than I would like, but it settles down nicely. Wonderfully elegant woods here, very masculine, great projection, great longevity, great drydown. I would say that the dry down peaks at about the 8 hour mark for me and I get at least 12 hours altogether. A real mood lifter for me. One of my favorite Creeds.

Like all the Creed creations, this one is also a masterpiece. It's one of the richest and most complex scents, and the veiling of the sweet notes by the spicy notes is very subtle. Unfortunately, sometimes too subtle... An earthy and woody scent, this one is for gentlemen only!

I absolutely LOVE this fragrance!
It lasts a very long time, and blends very well with my body's natural chemistry. Even after a night of Argentine tango dancing, driving home, I am enjoying the fantastic dry down.
Classy, very masculine and stands up!

Thanks Creed!

The most upscale, "safe" manly scent which is simply astonishing as you wear it. To appreciate this, you have to wear it. It lasts forever and garners many compliments. Do not be fooled by its simplicity.. it changes into a complex, formal fragrance that is so classy, so upscale, and yet pleasant.. all at the same time.

This is great cologne.
Combine all the good timeless smells from all the old colognes (Polo Green, Aramis, Santos, Canoe, Armani pour Homme, Old Spice, etc.), and leave out all the dated bad smells...

= Bois Du Portugal

Probably will end up as the only "Traditional" cologne I ever buy.

This may be my 2nd favorite cologne.
Both thumbs way way up.

This one doesn't need any more positive reviews, but it really is a wonderful scent. Unlike many scents that I like at first but, slowly, start to enjoy less and less, BdP becomes better the longer I'm around it. It's an almost perfectly balanced fragrance, there are woods, there is a little spice, and there is plenty of depth and warmth.

It definitely is a more "mature" fragrance, but easily compliments the wardrobe of a man who likes Chanel PM, GIT, Cuiron, or Knize Ten.

A classic that, unlike most fragrances, is definitely worth the time and money.

Wow, this one absolutely deserves every bit of the raving hype it gets. I have a definite weak spot for dry spicy woods fragrances, and this once certainly fits the bill. It's the best in the category that I've smelled. Like Caron's Third Man, this one changes an unbelievable amount through the drydown. Both start out dominated by lavender, but while Third Man turns warm, sweet, thick, and almost damp, Bois du Portugal is like a sauna.

I get a very strong incense accord after the lavender fades, and this sticks around and gets spicier for a few hours. I felt like I needed a glass of water. Gradually, a very light powder note appears. This stays completely in the background though. The spice and woods definitely dominate, but now they take on a soapy oakmoss character. I've smelled an accord like this before in Divine's L'Homme Sage. It's a sweeter drydown there, but both are oakmoss beasts as far as I can tell.

I find BdP to be very charismatic and wearable in small doses...a streamlined beast that never tries to be too many things at once.

What can I say? This is one of the greats--rich, mature, intense...subtle and yet--like the Ghurkas--this takes no prisoners! With Zino and Heritage, this completes my trifecta for rich, dry woody favorites. Best worn, in my opinion, in cooler weather. This is from the golden age of Creeds--emphatic, masculine and worth every cent.

This is one of the Best Creeds out there ,(Next to Original Santal). I rarely get compliments this was one where I did. I was at a Pizza place w/ a friend of mine.
When the waitress brought my order to our table. She said "One of you smells really good". That was me cause my friend never wears cologne. I think this has is similar to Bel Ami , or an extreme version of Japiur Fresh. You won't regret it.

Has anyone noticed a general
resemblance with L'Instant from Guerlain ? Spice and woods, minus the vetivery finish.
A very well made, comfortable, relaxed, mature smell.The relaxed
maturity of a man in his 30's.
Very hard to achieve, in life and fragrances...
I recommendwearing this for casual/sporty moments in association with Antaeus for office wearing.

Outstanding! Dry woods, smoke, incense, and lavender all done in a incredibly smooth and rich emulsion. Perfect for whenever the occasion calls for a suit. A votre sante!

BdP is sooo rich and elegant. For the evening is this the perfect scent.

I find myself largely in agreement with zztopp’s comments. The dominant note definitely is vetiver, not oakmoss. Both are earthy/woody scents, but vetiver here is contributing the uniquely smokey tang that is characteristic of Creed’s Bois du Portugal. This has a very powerful pungent opening of lavender and smoke. This “comes smokin’ out of the chute,” to use a rodeo term. It is very dry at this point, and enormously interesting. Quickly, a very complex grassy vetiver note emerges, and later a hint of amber sweetness. There is amazing longevity on the wood-smoke opening, however it eventually retreats as the vetiver develops a more and more rich and soapy tone. BdP threatens to lapse into a heavy sweetness but manages to stay on the line though at times it is very creamy and rich. There is a somewhat powdery dry-down. Overall, I’d say this is a luxurious scent, mature and not an everyday thing.

I bought a small sample of Bois du Portugal and tried it on for the first time today. Let me tell you this right now, it is the MOST distinguished and masculine men's fragrance I have ever come across. This is worth its weight in gold. True masculinity! It speaks power, royalty, and depth. It’s out of this world. I have yet to sample many other great fragrances out there; however, this is an authentic winner that will stand the test of time! So euphoric…

Notes:
Top: Bergamot, French Lavender
Heart: Cedarwood
Base: Mysore sandalwood, Bourbon Vetiver, Amber

Bois Du Portugal (BdP) has been granted lofty distinctions as "the king", "best fragrance ever", to weird associations like "old man smell" and "Old Spice 2000"...sometimes you start wondering whether some people are handicapped by a wooden nose.

BdP is neither God's personal cologne, nor is an "old man" smell. It is though a masterfully crafted dry woods fragrance. It announces its presence with a bang - a powerful force of sharp lavender, bergamot and dry cedar results in a tingling spicy woody accord which can either instantly draw you in or turn you off. But wait...spend some time with the scent before you go off writing praises about it or crying to momma that you spent your yearly savings of $180 on a 1670's fragrance. There's no oakmoss in BdP as far as I can detect. What I do detect after the thunderbolt opening is a stark change to a vetiver dominated accord - yes, vetiver, a note which almost no one has mentioned in the reviews so far. It must be my skin then. The formal/powerful/forceful theme continues albeit this time in a more understated fashion, with a smooth vetiver note joined by subtle sandalwood tones. I catch whiffs of the powerhouse opening from time to time, but its the "hidden" vetiver in here which attracts me the most. And it lasts and lasts, if less forcefully than before.

BdP is a tad overrated and a tad underappreciated. Its a powerful, masculine and forceful composition whose qualities I have only recently unearthed over the space of an year. Be on the lookout for the brilliantly utilized vetiver note on display here, which complimented by the spicy woody top notes pushes BdP to regal heights. GIT? Old Spice? Oakmoss? Get real people. Smell the full force on display here.

thumbs up. starts off reminding me of a calmer jean pascal. spicey and for sure masculine.

The rich man's Old Spice...and I mean that in s good way. This is one of my favorites.

One of the most refined male scents around, reminding faithfully to its name of a Mediterranean landscape, the notes chaning, just in a real life landscape, between light and shadow, between solar warmth and both hot and cool winds, somewhere near the seaside... Rich woody mossy background, bearing the same incense smell like Irish Moos, but much more elaborate, deep, almost dark, powdery spiced backbone of this creation. Also, a very Oriental impression at first, almost thinking that this scent might (d-) evolve into something too sweet, but then comes a peacefull, distinguished and uncommon citrus drydown, with hints of leather ( quite similar to Armani PH) with record-worthy staying power, but also discretion. Almost 24 hours of a timeless, puristic citrus coktail as the longest memory connected to this scent. This one is therefore one of the utmost perfect, distinguished scents i ever knew.

Thanks to a fellow basenoter, I was able to get my hands on a sample of Bois du Portugal. It is surprisingly very similar to Patricia de Nicolai's New York.

New York is a harsher, more effervescent perfume so I can say I think I prefer Bois du Portugal. I can't really tell what the notes are because I don't want to take the time, but I will say this is a good, interesting fragrance. A thoroughly confident scent. Four stars out of five.

One of Creed's best for formal wear and important meetings during cool weather. Its very powerful, classy, refined and solid as a rock. This is about as good as it gets. Scent-wise, it's the equivalent of having a loaded revolver in your desk; reserved for special occasions.

So I got to try my first Creed scent today - Bois du Portugal. I try to smell fragrances for notes on my wrist, as it's easier to see where they're going that way. It starts off manly, sharp and green - very resinously green, like you're chopping balsam or fir. There's a lot going on underneath that, but it takes about 15 minutes for it to come out. When it does, out comes the fascinating aromas of shellfish being cooked in crab boil - roasted peppers, shellfish stock, allspice, saffron, all sorts of cooking scents come forward as the green topnotes go away. After 2 hours, we finally get to a base of some subtle, shimmery honeyed, powdery musky notes. Absolutely amazing how this one changes. Good sillage and staying power.

One of my absolute favorites and to me the measure of all dry wood scents. How I adore it for lacking any soapiness and florality. It has the perfect balance, power, beauty and precision of a damascene steel blade. It can appeare pungent at first, due to its smokiness, the scent of finest aromatic woods smoldering in a fireplace, which reenforces the lavender top notes. But this never gets cloying or bogs you down in any way. BdP is often characterized as a fragrance perfect for performing in power deals, but, while true, functionalizing it in this way almost seems degrading. I for one love to wear it on walks through cold autumn and winter days, it blends perfectly with a thick pullover, red-golden forests, a pale winter solstice sun, a crackling fire and hot toddy. In the all time top three. All thumbs up. Six stars. You get my meaning.

Definitely not for the faint-hearted, this is one powerful scent. Albiet, it may conjure up memories of the Eighties, but what's wrong with that (I say)? It truely remains around as an archetypal fragrance, that no imitators have perfectly replicated (hear that P.Diddy?). Just take a quick look at the BN community, for what tends to be considered as one of the "power scents" and this creation tends to take the lead (with a runnerup being Creed's other "dated" frag, Vintage Tabaróme). No need here to list the notes, as previous posters have already covered this topic quite proficiently. Two small sprays is all you need for strong projection (read "sillage"). Longevity is quite strong as well. Bought 3 250ml flacons - a lifetime supply!

Hard to believe the same house makes GIT... A testament to "live and learn". One of only 3 frags to deserve a 4 star or better rating in my wardrobe. As with most fragrances, use in moderation.

Raw power - like a panther stalking its prey. A strong, precisely masculine scent - no wonder such a character as Frank Sinatra wore this stuff.

ok, I did not know this was a mens fragrance untill now. I have been wearing this scent for a couple of months now and i love it! It does start off masculine with notes of what seem to be vetiver, but after an hour or so, it settles into a wonderful mixture of warm and sweet....

Rich and warm and spicy -- positively sublime stuff, this. It's very old-fashioned, and I wouldn't have been a bit surprised had I read "1887" instead of "1987" as its introduction date.

The base below the lavender and spices reminds me very much of Knize Ten. (Am I the only one to smell this?)

One of my top five Creed favorites.

Out of the way! The big boys are here! Lavender spice power. Dry aromatic wooden heaven. Assertive. Puchy. Frightenly classically in your face. Smell like you mean it!

smells rich,powerfull old man

This is on my top 5 list and probably will be on yours if you enjoy dry woods and spices in a masculine way because nothing I have smelled does it better than this juice. Sillage and longevity are excellent and I seem to get compliments from both men and women. The only negative (if you want to call it that)is my former gf thought it smelled "old" but even she liked it. Nothing but quality here folks. The John Wayne of men's fragrances. It has few peers.

Tops everything I have ever smelled in my lifetime. There really is nothing more to say about this work of art. It lasts long and it has very good sillage without being an untamed beast. This stuff soliloquies sophistication into the ears (well, noses really) of everyone around you. Formal in every sense of the word. I still wear it to my high school beacause I'm pimp like that.

I love Bois du Portugal! It's the best Creed for me. The dry-down changes it in a marvellous way, making this my favorite scent. Pure class!

As so many have commented, it does have a prominent spicy, sharp lavender note, especially in the topnotes, lots of sillage, and day-long longevity. There is also a sappy, green wood quality to it, and a smoky, burnt wood sort of note. "Sharp, sappy, spicy, slightly smoky, woodsy" is how I would describe it. BdP is so well-blended and classy that the first thought I had was "formal." But, the more time I spend with it, the more I see it as a mood scent - okay to wear anywhere, anytime, so long as my mood fits it. And that mood is? Strong, like a big redwood tree. Confident like the opening blast of spicy lavender. A bottle of BdP is in my future.

Easily one of my top 5. BdP is sublime. There is no vaguery to it, the presence is full tilt unmistakeable. Easy to over apply (which I sometimes do because I friggin love it!) one spritz is easily enough for social occasions.

Magnificent and elegant. Forceful elements made sheer and exquisite—a manifestation of the power of transformation. One wants this to never fade.

Failed being very analytic on that one. It falls into the category of good scents I'd rather not wear myself. Yet I have imagined such a situation. Sea shore, one washes off the sea salt; it's getting trembling cold. One packs the beach set, and, just before putting a casual shirt on, one applies a mist of BdP to the chest and perhaps shoulders. The way back home will be accompanied by a classy warmth of rich notes. A mystery in such a setting. Is that formal?

I'm pretty new to this fragrance thing, so I'm afraid my nose is not nearly as sensitive or as experienced as the others' on this board. However, I know what I like, and this is simply amazing stuff. I bought this based upon basenotes recommendations and I'll be buying more of this, for sure. Bois du Portugal has the most incredible ambery/woody smell...musky, but more complex. It lasted all day and made me feel like a million bucks.

Unbelievably dry and woody. Wearing this actually makes me thirsty. Smells like freshly cut firewood with a bit of musk. By far the longest lasting Creed I have ever used. Great scent.

A modern Creed scent that can stand up to all that have come before it. Feel free to think of this as a less sweet Guerlain Heritage with deeper and more potent woods. One of the best men's fragrances in the last 20 years, it never falls out of my personal top 5.

It took me a while to understand Bois du Portugal. At first, I thought it was awful. I thought it had this awful gourmand like note that smelled like a potato dish I used to eat. I just couldn’t get into it, then, one night, I realized it was lavender. That’s lavender and rich dry woods. After that night, I realized what a brilliant and amazing fragrance it was. I have a couple ounces of it now, and love wearing it. Despite many people saying it’s formal, I can wear it anytime. BdP is an amazing Creed. It’s probably my favorite Creed.

verile lavender, strong woods, unabashed spices

Wow! This is some great stuff! A very luxurious, sweet, but well balanced fragrance. Potent and long-lasting without completely reeking of sweet notes like e.g., Pi or A*men does. My absolute favorite Creed scent! For some reason it somewhat reminds me of the discontinued KL Homme. Highly recommended!

Pure masculine power! Classic Gordon Gecko style powerhouse scent with amazing sillage and projection. Not for the too young or insecure for sure. Cedar, sandal, lavender, vetiver and citrus notes mingle in the most manly way possible. A joy and something that will always be in the fragrance wardrobe of many men.
Mattias / Sweden

One of my top three favorite Creeds, this is rich, woody, and spicy with a subtly sweet base. Has a very elegant and masculine aura. This scent posesses incredible staying power, and dries down to a wonderfully rich and warm woodsy-musky-sweet scent. One of those rare scents that has so much depth, heart and originality, and just seems to generate a very calmng yet powerful aura around you when you wear it . Try layering with Dzing! or Helmut Lang Parfum for great variations.

This is a masterpiece! Professional to the core with great longevity.

Sexy, masculine, elegant and classy. BdP is very woody but the ambergris base softens and sweetens. A great fragrance for a great suit. As other have mentioned a bit formal but I think one can get away with wearing this anytime as long as the weather is cool.

An incredible scent. Very masculine, and more on the formal side, but could work in any setting. I love this one, and it might be my favorite Creed, though it's not as versatile as M.I.

My favorite Creed next to Tabarome. Full and rich with spice and woods. It screams elegance and really has staying power. The fact that Kevin Costner wears it is of no concern to me. He's your average Hollywood dick anyway....

Besides Green Irish Tweed this is my all-time favorite Creed scent. A rich, gentlemanly scent full of gentle spice and woods. Very classy and long-lasting, which can be a rare commodity in some Creed scents.