ESSENTIAL PARFUMS
BOIS IMPERIAL
2020
PERFUMER
Quentin Bisch
Akigalawood
Vetiver
woody notes
Basil
Timur pepper
Ambroxan
Petalia
Ambrofix
Patchouli
‘Freshly crushed and spicy Thai Basil leaves meet the sparkling peppery and grapefruit facets of Nepalese Timut Pepper absolute. A brilliant combination that contrasts perfectly with the bold woody signature of the fragrance.
A green, rich and earthy Haitian Vetiver oil echoes with Georgywood – an exclusive molecule with powerful cedarwood tones. This vibrating woody association is illuminated by the sophisticated floralcy of Petalia.
Majestic Akigalawood truly signs the fragrance. This exclusive natural ingredient is upcycled from Patchouli through a biotechnology process. Its unique spicy-woody character is enhanced by a rich Indonesian Patchouli oil and a powerful, sustainable note of Ambrofix.’ – Essential Parfums
REVIEW
Bois Imperial is garnering a bit of hype. Following the acclaim for Bisch’ Ganymede, Bois Imperial is often lauded as a sort of successor by the perfumer. Ganymede might be the best creation in years in my opinion, so obviously I had to give Bois Imperial a try. The Essential Parfums pricepoint of €72/100ml also helps to make this really attractive.
Bois Imperial is brought up next to Ganymede, because the two (seemingly) share a significant amount of DNA. While I get the connection, I do want to start off by saying that Bois Imperial is a completely different fragrance. It’s a clean vetiver scent first and probably shares more of it’s scent profile with Tom Ford’s Grey Vetiver, Roja’s Vetiver or even Guerlain’s more earthy Vetiver, than with Ganymede.
It’s a dry, superclean vetiver with more of the woodiness than it’s green, mossy qualities. At times it can come across as cardboard, but not in a cheap smelling or negative manner. It’s light and fresh; woody; as if the wood weighs nothing. There’s a green herbal tinge that adds to it’s freshness (and potentially the basil also to a certain sweetness). Green is usually my kryptonite in fragrance, but as with the aforementioned vetiver fragrances, it doesn’t bother me here one bit.
That being said, it’s the mineralic touch that links to Ganymede, that takes Bois Imperial to the next level. You don’t get the violet/immortelle that in my opinion make Ganymede, but you do get the mineralic element and in particular it’s sweetness a little bit. I can see why people compare them, but Bois Imperial is a lot less eccentric, safer and it’s vetiver is so prominent to me that it defines it (while Ganymede feels abstract and impossible to define).
While being light and clean, Bois Imperial’s performance really surprised me. Giving it’s price point especially, this will give you it’s money’s worth and then some. It’s an inoffensive, perfect for the office scent.