Divine Bergamote (2003)
by Different Company

the first couple of times i wore it, i was getting fresh citrusy smell, nice, but nothing too special. i was attracted to this perfume by the promise of rhubarb and ginger - and it never got to it, as the scent would go away quite quickly. today however after a couple of initial citrus minutes all i was getting was... rose! person i was with confirmed that i smelled like rose water )) and still no rhubarb... so all in all, i am not smitten, not impressed - but it is an all right scent.

22nd November, 2011.

My sample cube reads BERGAMOTE, not DIVINE BERGAMOTE. Not sure whether these are the same or mine is supposed to be less than divine, but I had pretty low expectations for a fragrance bearing the name of a note found in 33% of all perfumes and usually not playing a starring role--perhaps for a reason?

Those expectations were met and exceeded. There's certainly more than bergamot in this refreshing citrus cologne. The ginger blends in to produce a tonic which reminds me for obvious reasons of Bond no 9 NEW YORK FLING, also a citrus-ginger composition.

In a side-by-side comparison, I find NEW YORK FLING certainly more declarative but also more interesting than BERGAMOTE, probably because of the touch of florality and basil mingling with the wood. I also think that as a straight-up citrus, BERGAMOTE does not really stand out from the crowd and has poor longevity even in this category notorious for evanescence.

26th August, 2011.

Fantastic!!! One of the most refined compositions of Jean-Claude, fresh and elegant. Bravo!!! a truly thumbs UP for me.

27th June, 2011.

I will rather agree with the negative reviews. I recently tried divine bergamote and although the first impression was totally positive the dry down was a joy-killer. I would still not go as far as to say that it is a generic or irrelevant fragrance. On the contrary I think that it is a well made composition that as most citrus fragrances fails to last, or somehow develop the first sparkle so that the wearer doesn't feel let down soon after application.

28th February, 2010.

Citrus is not something I usually think of in the same context as rhubarb. Ginger, on the other hand is a possibility; I remember a little fresh juice joint that made a mix of orange, carrot, ginger, and beet juices — surprisingly yummy. The woody notes, orange blossom, and green notes make up a curious heart note for this. Rhubarb and musk make an odd base note as well. The whole thing is offbeat and kind of bare-bones, in the characteristic minimalist style of J-C Ellena. But off-beat is not at all bad, just different, and maybe even refreshing... And the rhubarb and citrus did smell a bit familiar: now I recall Ungaro Apparition Homme and its Apparition Homme Intense flanker, with their top notes of rhubarb and mandarine. But the TDC has none of the oriental notes of AH Extreme or the licorice and vetiver base of AH. Bergamote is softer and more powdery in the dry down, not at all unpleasant. Full marks to this for having the guts to be a little bit out-there.

14th January, 2010.

Divine Bergamote opens with a very tart, almost acidic note of Lime+Lime peel. it's pretty stark, intense, gritty and enjoyable. with each wear it gets better. this scent progresses from being gritty to soft notes of lemon to a fruity touch fo rhubarb (think b*men) to a very soft/powdery cloud of musk towards base with traces of lime still present. it took me couple of wears to "get it" and now it's irreplaceable, like all other TDC's!

13rd August, 2009. (Last Edited: 18th August, 2009.)