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 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 patchouli oil and a powerful, sustainable note of Ambrofix.’ – Essential Parfums
Bois Imperial is garnering a bit of hype. Following the acclaim for Bisch’ Ganymede, which is one of my all-time favorite fragrances, Bois Imperial is often lauded as a successor by the perfumer. So obviously I had to give Bois Imperial a try. The Essential Parfums price point of €72/100ml also helps to make this really attractive. And it delivers, although it doesn’t come close to holding a candle to Ganymede if you ask me.
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 barely in the same genre really. Bois Imperial is a much cleaner, vetiver scent first and probably shares as much of its scent profile with Tom Ford’s Grey Vetiver or Roja’s Vetiver, as with Ganymede.
It’s a dry, superclean vetiver with more of the woodiness than its 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 sweet and mineralic touch that links to Ganymede, that takes Bois Imperial to the next level. You don’t get the immortelle that in my opinion makes Ganymede, but you do get a mild watery, mineralic element and in particular its sweetness in Bois Imperial. I can see why people compare them, but Bois Imperial is a lot less eccentric, safer and its 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. This is one of the longest lasting fragrances in my collection. 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.
