Reviews of Borneo 1834 (2005)
by Serge Lutens Les Salons du Palais Royal Shiseido

Sure, it does not belong in the category of mainstream scents, made to please the masses. Unexpectedly melancholic and earthy, interacts only with the bearer, transmitting waves of comfort and warmth. Basic notes of camphor and cocoa, are combined irreproachably from beginning to end, without however to evolve into something different. But is this always necessary? I prefer to get the camphor note as a variation of the classic pipe’s tobacco note, while the cocoa note reminds me of the smell that bitter chocolate leaves on its paper wrapping. The combination of those two elects an interesting and close to the skin patchouli. Unconventional and with his own character, I suppose it will not leave pleasant impressions in the air, it will please however the one that wears it. Pity that does not last a lot.

A patchouli and spices based scent. The cocoa (powdery chocolate) really puts me off in this one and is not really chocolate. More like thick syrupy honey. So thick you'd wonder what kind of flowers the bees are pollinating. This is more like B*Men rather than A*Men. Absolutely a must sample first because he opening is really, really chokingly bad but the drydown is ok. Not a fan of this one.

After all the comparisons to A*Men, Borneo 1834 didn’t really seem like an attractive option to me. Even though my opinion has since changed, I still feel underwhelmed and unsatisfied when it’s on my skin. Yes, the combination of dark chocolate and patchouli is both inviting and sensual but it lacks the complexity and depth I would normally expect from Serge Lutens. A straightforward patchouli scent is definitely something that I was not expecting and its longevity is rather disappointing (roughly four hours).

In some ways, it reminds me of my disappointment with Montale’s Patchouli Leaves – too much amber and not enough patchouli (in other words, I found the name misleading). With Borneo 1834, the patchouli’s most definitely there but, during the drydown, there’s very little else to hold my interest. It also lacks the richness I would usually expect from this house.

[Original submission date: 23 October 2008]

I've been so excited to try this one, and I'm glad I have.  The opening blast reminds me of one of the local monastery's fruitcakes, freshly soaked in rum.  This is very much a good thing, and intriguing, too.  After those settled down, I alternately smelled what must be the bitter chocolate and the patchouli.  Eventually the patch takes over and turns a little sour on my skin.  Sillage is non-existent for three hours, then, as the patch aserts its dominance, sillage becomes apparent.  The funny thing is, I was intrigued by Borneo 1834 during the first couple hours.  I kept sniffing my wrist, thinking, 'It's not pretty, but it is interesting...and kind of cool.'  I was hoping the chocolate would share the stage a little bit.  But this upsurge of patch is a little too sharp for me.

Serge Lutens Borneo 1834

Borneo 1834 has been compared to Coromandel and because they share a nose, Christopher Sheldrake, and two prominent notes in patchouli and chocolate I would guess the comparisons are inevitable. Borneo 1834's patchouli arrives on a flying carpet of camphor. The vapor trail this leaves behind is indelible and memorable. As the camphor recedes the patchouli changes character and it seems as if it becomes more herbal and a very light incense note compliments it through this stage of development. The biggest similarity I notice between Borneo 1834 and Coromandel is the source of the chocolate note. In both cases it is the smell of dry cocoa powder and not the lusher milk chocolate found in many gourmands. By using this aspect of chocolate as a note it keeps Borneo 1834 from being considered a gourmand. As the arid chocolate takes the spotlight there is a beautiful hint of wood that comes in, which I think is rosewood, and the sweet woody note really brings this home in fine style. I think that Borneo 1834 shows what a talented perfumer can do when he is using the same central players and yet still create something different.

Chocolate and Patchuoli. How very interesting combo. I'm not a big patchouli fan, but I would buy a FB.

I am not exactly a greatest fan of this. One of the very few Lutens scents which I have tried that I find almost unpleasant, but at least not compelling in any ways.

Comparisons to A*Men are completely ridiculous. This has so little to do with that one.

I get patchouli by far most. This is 80% of patch. There is only a slight touch of dry and not sugared cocoa, and resins. The blend is very thin and one dimensional to me, and you know what; it doesn’t even last especially long.

This smells a lot like pipe tobacco that’s been drying down on a table few weeks. Smells much expired, condensed and useless.

If you really think Borneo 1834 is something spectacular, I honestly suggest you to find some well aged patchouli oils in your hands. But be aware; they will make this look very lame.

And they are not that expensive either.

I'm glad he made it, and I'm glad I've smelled this, but I don't need to smell it again. I went through my sample slowly, waiting, waiting to love it, but no. For me, the anise is very off-putting. And the patchouli. Actually, the more times I tried it, the less appealing it became. It's not a scrubber by any means, but it's not right for me. And yet, I can see why it's beloved by many. No blind buys on this one, understand me? Sample first.

Borneo 1834 is not quite like anything else. The camphor note seems to come on quite strong on my skin right off, with just a hint of the cocoa from the base note. This strikes me as a rather strange combination, especially because I imagined the patchouli would chime in first, but on me, it waits a bit longer to appear. While it's waiting, a hint of white florals begins to emerge, along with the spicy edge of cardamom. Galbanum begins to enter the picture, and then, finally, the strains of patchouli begin to play, along with a touch of labdanum. This is a beautiful scent which unfolds quite dramatically, with good longevity and moderate sillage. Later, when the rest of the players have gone to bed, patchouli and cocoa remain to provide the famous signature of Borneo 1834 that everyone talks about.

I read so many comments about this that I was really excited about trying it. But I was a bit dissapointed only because I found it to smell very much like Nasomatto Hindu Grass. Even the SA at Barney's agreed with me. I went there ready to purchase it on the spot because I really like the Lutens very much but I just couldn't justify the additional expense since I found it so simillar to Hindu Grass which I already own. I did, however, like it MORE than Hindu Grass.....more complex and interesting. I wish I had smelled this first.....but I must stay on my budget!

Chocolate. Patchouli. There’s not much more I want to say about Borneo 1834. It’s a simple, weird, and compelling accord – I’m just not sure that I like it. My preferences aside, this is a bold, original scent, and an outstanding take on patchouli. Just try it first!

I'm not surprised this scent got such mixed reviews. It's definitely not for everyone, but it is for me. There are scents, and then there are experiences, and like Djedi, Onda and MKK, Borneo 1834 is an experience. On my skin this scent seems to be so well blended that not one note jumps out and becomes overpowering the way others have described. I get camphor, I get patchouli and I get cocoa in the beginning. While I would hardly consider this scent to be floral in any way, there does come a point in the drydown where I get what must be the "white flowers" that are listed weaving in and out. The dissonance of the notes in this scent work for reasons that can't be explained making the wearing of it more like a "happening" or performance, especially since the sillage is good. Some scents I wear to smell good, but when I'm in the mood to be entertained, I love wearing a scent like Borneo.

Personally, I don't believe in the winter scent/summer scent thing. I just think that one has to understand that you don't need to apply as much of the heavier scents in the summer. If I relegate scents to particular seasons it deprives me of all the little nuances a scent may have to offer in different seasons due to climate change and even the subtle changes our skin chemistry my go through from season to season. Some consider Borneo a winter scent, but I think the notes in it are wonderful in hot, humid weather.Serge Luten's Un Lys, is beautiful and almost demure in the winter, but she becomes a real skank on me in the summer and I love the versitility. I'm learning that I should probably test my scents in every season before I can give an accurate review of them.

I have rarely anticipated smelling a perfume as much as I did Borneo 1834. The idea of experiencing Lutens’ take on ancient spice markets and bazaars of old Borneo was irresistibly intriguing. Hoping for a dry-ish spicy chocolate fragrance, what I got instead was an intense smell of cheap fruity tobacco, eg. the loose kind that gets packed in a hookah pipe. Borneo 1834 never let up for at least 4 hours and was, to be frank, annoying.

I seldom do this (seldom if ever), but here's where I have to step in and say, "Basically what foetidus just said." Really.

The chocolate/patchouli mixture in Borneo 1834 is very handsome, granted, but the chocolate itself falls short and the patchouli just smells like good quality, uncut patchouli oil. I just kept expecting more from this fragrance, esp. since it's from Lutens' ultra-premium non-export line.

Those who know me know how much I am repulsed by A*men, and it's true that Borneo is a stripped down version thereof. But what's missing (obviously) is that vile burnt tar note that makes A*men so utterly unwearable for me. (Small doses I can take -- witness Black Jeans. Huge doses make me ill, esp. when coupled with tonka.)

The camphor doesn't bother me, but it's not even strong enough to notice -- at least not on my flesh. Same with the honey, and it's something that I usually love. Here (as opposed to Miel de Bois, obviously), it just barely factors into the equation.

I really, really want to love this Lutens frag -- it got me lots of compliments today! (And I AM a frag whore deluxe.) Still, though, I just find it lacking at the end of the day, especially for the exorbitant price it commands.

I believe Macbeth said that “everything is but what is not.” I’m probably misinterpreting Shakespeare, but Borneo 1934 reminds me of that phrase. I feel that Borneo 1834 has been shaped more by what it is not, than by what it is or should be. It tries too hard to…NOT BE A*men. It tries too hard to NOT BE just another opulent, sugar-shocking Serge Lutens scent. Its primary “character” seems to be what’s left after it has avoided those two contra-goals. It’s based on a negative and that leaves a hole in its persona. It is a patchouli dominant accord with the cocoa note sharing as the assistant partner. I think it is an interesting, but not necessarily an endearing coupling. The total effect of this patchouli / cocoa accord is a slightly-spicy, subtly and smoothly floral, and somewhat-gourmand aridness—it’s excellent…but in the long run, it’s far from perfect. What seems to separate this from A*men is Borneo 1834’s lack of vanilla—a decision that I applaud, but I don’t think it’s enough simply to leave out the vanilla. SOMETHING more is needed. The patchouli note is wonderfully full and rich (I feel the need to emphasize that it is a great, great Patchouli note), but the cocoa note is rather thin—I don’t mean weak, I mean thin—lacking necessary breadth. The cocoa is definitely there, but it is puny partner for the stellar patchouli. There are legitimate attempts at complexity: I love the healthy camphor and the resin notes; the honey note is excellent but could and should be stronger. The camphor and resins only dry the accord even more, and the honey, if increased enough, might make Borneo too much in the same vein as the other Serge Lutens offerings—hence, lack of persona because of the avoidance. Because of the blandness of the cocoa and the unsuccessful attempts to augment it, I don’t find the combination to be compelling; it’s very nice, but it just doesn’t raise me to heights I expect. Borneo 1834 is a good enough fragrance: Its linearity is much more comforting than off-putting, it has good sillage for its first half-life, and turns into a super warm and sensual skin scent for the duration, giving it very good longevity and making it excellent for romantic encounters. But as a fragrance, Borneo 1834 is, basically, an enticing patchouli with not enough else going on. I love patchouli but it isn’t a case of unconditional love. This beautiful patchouli just can’t make it as the sole support of a long-lasting linear scent with a dry cocoa as its only dalliance.

I love dark, earthy scents, and thought I would enjoy this one, but after a pleasing initial blast of patchouli and chocolate, that nasty camfor chimes in and ruins it. Camphor is used to repel insects, but it repels me too. Ended up scrubbing it off.
I wear Angel, but also prefer A*Men to this. This could well be superior to both were it not for the camphor not. Pity.

Borneo starts off like a carnival blast with warm caramel milky chocolate - a foody and fun delight. But, the second act turns to an entirely different mood with a cool blast of earthy mint patchouli. The fun and foody scent becomes a dark chocolate that is earthy, dark and mysterious. The big transformation from opening to drydown in this scent is from two very likeable extremes connected by the chocolate. Lots of character and strength in this fragrance. I like it very much. But its not worth booking a flight to Paris to acquire a bottle.

Notes: Indonesian patchouli, white flowers, cardamom, camphor, cistus, galbanum, cannabis resin, cocoa accord

Too many Lutens offerings adhere to the following design template:

candied fruits + honey + hay + benzoin + amber +

That so called rich oriental arabian inspired perfume design pattern has exhausted my nostrils, and theres only so much candied someone can take. I wonder what an eau de cologne from Lutens would smell like? *shudder* Eitherways, Borneo 1834 joins my short list of SergeLutens fragrances that dont send candied shockwaves to my brain and make me fear their uber potent sugar coated wrath. Borneo is not a particularly impressive fragrance though, but what it does it does with grace.

Right off the bat, I will state that there are similarities to the now legendary A*Men. Sure, they arent the same fragrance, but Borneo smells like a less complex, muted version of A*Men. The patchouli, cannabis and especially the cocoa form an appealing yet linear dry accord which forms the heart of the fragrance. I also detect delicate hints of spice in the mix. By contrast, A*Men opens with a rousing start, displaying attractive notes of lavender and mint(much needed in gourmand fragrances to offset the sweetness), with a stronger heart of coffee and patchouli and "that caramel, chocolate and vanilla drydown" which has won it many fans. The more I compare the two, the more I realise how much better A*Men is (for a fraction of the price). Borneo's longevity is average too.

Borneo is a nice but unspectacular "exclusif" fragrance. Its a dry cocoa scent which isnt particularly complex, and suffers from average longevity. It smells decent enough, but its definitely not worth a plane ticket to Paris to pay homage to the wacky den of Mr. Lutens. I gave A*Men a "neutral" rating, and although Borneo isnt a "terrible" scent, its definitely not as good as A*Men thus warranting a "thumbs down" rating. But I guess it would somewhat work for people who find A*Men a little too much to handle, so heres a neutral rating for Borneo 1234.

Smells like dark chocolate, spice (can't figure out WHICH spice...cardamom maybe?) and graham cracker crumbs on me. YUM!

I cannot liken this to A*men (in the other reviews) its MUCH drier & definitely not sweet.

Borneo 1834 could be worn in casual and (dare say) sporty events as well as formal attire - where I always found A*Men good only for formal occasions.

As a spicy/floriental tendency person, I was both delighted and a bit put off by the gourmand elements of Borneo 1834. The chocolate and coffee/cinnamon overtones delight me. The camphor... too much. I want perhaps peppermint instead. But is there a way to do this without smelling like a bakery? Inquiring minds want to know.

Um, I wore Angel when it was new and interesting. But now that everyone wears it, what am I going to do with this one? I'm sure there is a better way to wear patchouli.

The best scent put out in the last 3 years. This is a total mindblower. It's a typical thick and syruppy Lutens that comes off a lot like Amen without the lavendar. Rich caramel and tar in this one. Outstanding lasting power and it projects without being over the top. Fabulous scent and one that lives up the reputation of this house. A must try.....too bad it's only available in the EU.

This was the fragrance that made fall in love with SL- I liked Daim Blond, but this one knocked it out of the park: as a matter of fact, this is the first patchouli I have ever liked enough to own: the warm patchouli on me is perfectly balanced by the slightly bitter cacao and backed up by a faint whiff of camphor and cardamom. Truly beautiful.

dry bitter chocolate patchouly and a nice whiff of high grade hash to my nose very nice indeed but not wishing to be pedantic it says borneo 1834 on my bottle

I'm gradually falling in love with everything Lutens does. This is a seemingly simple fragrance composed of patchouli and bitter chocolate, but both notes are quite complex in their own right. This patchouli is potent and deep - camphorous at first then increasingly earthy. The chocolate is a dark powdery cocoa. Not a bit sweet. A unlikely marraige made in heaven.

I was hoping to be wowed, but instead I was simply pleased. Rich patchouli set against a raw cacao bean note. I was surprised that the fragrance didn't last longer on my skin, but nevertheless enjoyed wearing it.