Bentley for Men Absolute (2014)
by Bentley

I blind bought the 2013 release Bentley Intense some time in early 2015 and was quite smitten with it like many—boozy, acerbic, but somewhat sweet—and it was difficult to argue with the pricing and very strong performance. Even though Absolute had already come out in 2014, I didn’t get around to blind buying it until recently, but I’m perhaps even more delighted with it than Intense.

Absolute is a semi-smoky/ashy, semi-sweet tobacco/oud-like fragrance, clearly less infused with spices and sweetness than something along the lines of Burberry London but not wholly as earthy or smoky as a more vetiver-leaning fragrance like Lalique Encre Noire. Rather, it sits somewhere in between, and that balance is excellent, particularly at the under-$40 pricing found on both FragranceNet and FragranceBuy. Absolute’s main standout notes on me are olibanum, oud, sandalwood, cedar, amber, and moss, with the spicy influences of the ginger and pink pepper going relatively unnoticed, at least on my skin.

I find Absolute a bit easier to wear than Intense, and in that respect Absolute is less bold and daring than Intense, but that’s why it’s nice to have both and not one. Still, I feel I could reach for Absolute more often, whereas I’m a little more careful with Intense, which I really don’t wear too often on account of it being a bit too biting despite being a nice option to cut through cold of a winter day, in particular, not to mention that noticeable rubber note in Intense for which there’s really no corresponding standout odd note in Absolute.

I’m quite pleased with Absolute and am almost annoyed I hadn’t bought it sooner, as it was literally at the alphabetical top of a short “blind buy” list I keep (for cheapies that I have some trouble sampling in stores) from which I’ll randomly choose a bottle to order here and there. Certainly for men, Absolute is an easy winner, fairly uncontroversial and easy to wear. It performs reasonably well and is priced in the $36-38 range for the standard 100ml bottle size.

I’m quite impressed while not being over the moon, but for the price, Bentley Absolute is a steal.

7 out of 10

Very spicy and woody scent which I love. Exact replica of the original Gucci. Save your money buying vintage Gucci and just buy this @ 30 pounds a bottle.

Totally vile. Probably the worst fragrance I have ever had the unfortunate experience of testing.

Burning plastic, pencil shavings, vomit & curry all mixed up together and left brewing for a year.

There is not enough money in this world that would pay me to wear this utter shit!!

yes it is a Bently does Gucci Pour Homme (GPH) scent. Not quite as nice as the Gucci pour Homme, but similar enough. Good price for a nice knock off. A litle lacking in brightness compared to GPH, but still with the cedar wood and spiciness.

I've waited a few years to try Bentley for Men Absolute (instead of blind buying it), and rightly so. I like very much Bentley for Men Intense, but Absolute doesn't make the mark at all. This is all the more surprising since this is rated to be similar to the discontinued Gucci pour Homme I (which I like). Yes, it is similar, but there is a key difference: it smells stale, stuffy and musty, before quickly fading on skin.

In this category of woody-incense, I still find Comme des Garcons 2 Man to be a benchmark, and one that I would suggest instead of the Bentley. If on a budget, even Azzaro's Visit compares favourably to Bentley for Men Absolute in my books.


2/5