Bottega Veneta pour Homme Extrême (2015)
by Bottega Veneta

A truly 'more' version of the original. No one note is highlighted over the other or expressed excessively like other brands tend to do when the Extreme moniker is applied.
Some might not like it if the balance of the original is perfect to you. It is to me, but I also enjoy the 'fresh burst' aromatic nature of extreme version.

It kind of took me a while to get a grasp on this. It's sort of in the same vein with Fahrenheit Absolute, and Prada Amber Intense. These 3 come off dark at first but have a strong resemblance to other 80s powerhouses. In the case of Bottega Veneta Extreme, this strongly reminds me of CK Obsession. It has the chypre feel from the original Bottega Veneta. I'm not gonna sugarcoat it though. The original is far better, much more unique, but longevity and projection on the original are both miserable failures. This one extends the life of both tremendously, but it is a different scent by about 80%.

A powerful green, aromatic chypre. Dusky, with a kind of odd rubber note, almost like rubber cement or solvent. Herbal notes akin to sage or thyme suggest themselves. Starts dry but gets a bit sweet. A sweetish leather in the dry-down.

I am a very discerning buyer with fragrance. When i smelled this amongst many others, it grabbed me. It's complex and deep and the longer you stay with it the more layers you pick up. It is an excellent leathery, spicy, and slightly sweet scent that embodies a classy, mysterious man who is different from the rest of the crowd. I am 30 and I know most guys my age wouldn't be selective enough to choose this. I have tried a lot of cologne over the years and mambo became my signature, but this will replace that. It's more sophisticated and elegant while still masculine and fresh. I smelled the original right next to this...no comparison. Didn't think twice in choosing Extreme.

Just got around to sniffing Botegga Pour Homme Extreme and like many others I like the original very much but an disappointed with this flanker.

I agree it's denser than the original but that does not add complexity not quality, in fact it takes away the restrained Magic of the original. It's sillage is also no better than the original and lonhevity is also comparable.

As an aside, the bottle of Bottgea Pour Homme Extreme also looks less appealing than the originals with the leather detail - At least the pricing of the Extreme is merely a couple of dollars more than the original - but I would rather save those couple of dollars and happily stick with the original.