Bentley for Men Intense Bentley 2013

Bottle Design:
Thierry de Baschmakoff

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Ranked 73 in Men's Perfume

7.6 / 10 2384 Ratings

A popular perfume by Bentley for men, released in 2013. The scent is spicy-woody. Projection and longevity are above-average. It is being marketed by Lalique Group / Art & Fragrance.
Pronunciation

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Main accords

Spicy

Woody

Leathery

Smoky

Sweet

Fragrance Pyramid

Top Notes

Black pepper

Frankincense

African geranium

Heart Notes

Leather

Labdanum

Clary sage

Base Notes

Patchouli

Cedarwood

Sandalwood

Perfumers

Nathalie Lorson, DSM-Firmenich

Ratings

Scent

7.62384 Ratings

Longevity

8.42158 Ratings

Sillage

8.02157 Ratings

Bottle

7.82164 Ratings

Value for money

9.11478 Ratings

Submitted by Kankuro, last update on 07/21/2025.

Smells similar

What the fragrance is similar to

Bentley for Men

Idole de Lubin Eau de Parfum

Psychédélique

Chambre Noire

Blacks Club Leather

Sexuel

Reviews

104 in-depth fragrance descriptions

06/25/2015

ColinM
516 Reviews

ColinM

Top Review 21

A must!

Bentley for Men intense is ridicolously good. Breathtakingly good, the kind of good which makes you feel there’s still hope for perfumery – both niche and designer, as Intense easily stands above most of both – and it is somehow rooted into both. As other reviewers noted in fact, it brilliantly takes its inspiration from Idole de Lubin for all the exotic boozy-woody stuff, a couple of Tauer perfumes (I strongly agree with L’air du Désert Marocain reference in particular, I clearly smell almost the exact same base of tasty spicy ambroxan for a while), and Amouage’s Jubilation XXV. I would also add Gucci pour Homme I, not because of the notes (even if I get some subtle similarities) but because of a sort of common ground of dark, breezy and understated woody-incense elegance which so far, basically only Gucci pour Homme I itself was able to express at its best – and now, Bentley does it too. Intense is decidedly darker, though: it’s boozy, peppery and leathery with a genius aromatic breeze of greenish, fougère-like notes of bay leaves and a hint of cocoa-like patchouli (think Lutens’ Borneo 1834), but as for many fragrances by Nathalie Lorson, showing an irresistible sort of dusty, weightless resinous-talc texture making it smell discreet, warm, slightly sweet and extremely sophisticated. Also slightly fruity too.

And for once, the “concept” and the skills of the nose are supported by a decent budget, as this smells clearly a great quality fragrance also from the point of view of the materials. It is rich (despite being unobtrusively “thin”), deep, vibrant, it has a brilliant evolution from the sharp boozy-leathery-patchouli opening (the leather in particular is really good here for me – Amouage-like, again) to a fantastic amber-incense drydown with sweet echoes of benzoin, leather and talc. It is really mannered and refined, at the same time totally safe and versatile, almost close to skin as a proper classy scent should wear, but long lasting. My expectations were quite high given the praise by a couple of “key” reviewers for me, but it easily surpassed them, and I think Bentley and Firmenich couldn’t really do better than this. Well to cut it short I can’t say better what other reviewers already said – this is easily one of the very best fragrances of the last decade, period. Apparently the prices dropped as I paid 40 eur/100 ml on a French website, and that’s a steal for such a great fragrance.

8,5-9/10

06/19/2013

10
Bottle 5
Sillage 7.5
Longevity 9
Scent

Drseid
821 Reviews

Drseid

Top Review 10

A Release Quite Worthy Of Its Fine Bentley Heritage...

Bentley for Men Intense opens with the faintest brief spray of dulled citrus mingling with a sheen of black pepper, before quickly adding laurel and cinnamon spiced smooth boozy rum-laced incense to the early mix. As the fragrance enters the early heart the pepper, cinnamon and laurel spice remain sans citrus but blend extremely well into the smooth boozy incense with the fragrance turning slightly sweet derived from the use of high quality vanilla extract-like benzoin in the base. As Bentley for Men Intense moves through its heart phase an underlying suede-like accord supports the spiced boozy incense, growing in its intensity. During the late dry-down the black pepper finally dissipates, as the relatively sweet benzoin couples with sandalwood and the now highly diminished smooth laurel-laced incense to finish off the development. Projection is average and longevity is good at 9-11 hours on skin.

Bentley for Men Intense was a fragrance I purchased blind based on the notes and the nose behind the composition, Nathalie Lorson (Encre Noire). While frequently designer car releases turn out poorly, I am happy to report that Bentley for Men Intense is a very fine release indeed and quite worthy of its legendary namesake. The pepper, bay rum (laurel) and booze-laced smooth incense make an outstanding combination, and the relatively sweet benzoin in the base never goes over the line in making the composition too sweet on the whole, while its alcoholic facets add a bit more boozy spunk to the rum. As Eau de Parfum's go I would say this concentration is on the lighter end of the spectrum but is still sufficiently strong and performance does not suffer. The bottom line is the approximate $110 cost of a 100ml bottle of Bentley for Men Intense may be on the high-end of the designer spectrum, but this 4 to 4.5 star "excellent" to "near-outstanding" rated release by Bentley is one to absolutely seek out and is highly recommended to all representing one of the best designer releases in recent memory.

04/17/2022

9
Pricing 7
Bottle 8
Sillage 9
Longevity 6.5
Scent

GeorgeReid
37 Reviews

GeorgeReid

Top Review 12

The Hypetrain Going at Sonic Speed

If you are reading this review in 2022, you are curious about the hype behind Bentley for Men Intense. Multiple YouTube channels praise the fragrance. Several forums on the internet speak positively about the fragrance.

The question is, is Intense worth adding to a collection?

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The fragrance starts with an opening that is a spicy yet smooth combination of black pepper and frankincense. As it dances with the leather heart note, and the woody base notes, the smell evokes an image reminiscent of an interior of a new luxury car with comfortable leather seats. (Wait a minute …) However, despite numerous mentions of booze, I do not pick that up at all.

The fragrance is not complex, so it disappoints artisans. However, it does not take away from the fact that it smells good, especially if you love leather as a smell. The scent goes against the trend of sweet smells, making it stand out more in the crowd as unique.

Also, while leather is a masculine scent for most people, I will also say that if a woman wore this fragrance, she would turn heads, and would make her seem badass if she wears the fragrance with confidence.

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In terms of performance, Bentley for Men Intense is a durable fragrance that has incredible performance.

The sillage and projection have a moderate range. Intense will not permeate a room upon entry, but it turns the heads of anyone passing by within walking distance.

That said, there is longevity.

Intense lasted on my skin beyond 12 hours, with a strong projection during the first three. The insane part about the fragrance is that I took a shower and could still smell the fragrance. I needed to shower again to make sure the smell dissipated.

Apply this once and the scent will last the entire day, and possibly into the next day. That would be an impressive performance for a parfum—Bentley for Men Intense is an eau de parfum!

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In terms of social scenarios, Bentley Intense for men is more of a situational fragrance, but it has some versatility.

I am skeptical about using it in the workplace. It can work in a non-physical setting (e.g.: a desk or workstation), but may not if physical labor is involved (e.g.: factories, warehouses, etc.). Keep that in mind if you are involved with the public regularly.

I also would not try it in the gym. I do not think Intense will reach crimes against humanity territory thanks to the sage notes, but a leathery and woody fragrance rarely ends well during and after a workout.

That said leather on a hot sunny day is a terrible idea. The same applies to leathery scents — wait until the sun goes down in the summer before using this fragrance.

That said, when the sun goes down, regardless of the season, Intense shows its true capabilities. In one scenario, you are at home winding down the day alone and preparing for the next day. The smell would fit the mood, as it is cozy and relaxing.

In another scenario, you are out with friends, going to a restaurant or a club. The smell projects, and will grab some attention from anyone that notices, but blends in enough that it is not annoying.

Alternatively, you can be on a date of any kind, and the fragrance will work, whether it is the first date or an anniversary date with a significant other or spouse. The scent is cozy and warm.

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Overall, Bentley for Men Intense was an underrated gem at the time of release in 2013.

However, as people discovered it, people saw how amazing and different the fragrance was, along with the outstanding performance. Now it is the darling of forums and fragrance videos.

Does it deserve the attention it is receiving? Mostly, yes. I think there are better leather scents, but not at the affordable price point.

The only negative points I have about Intense are it does not work well in the summer, is a questionable choice for an active lifestyle because of the prominent leather note, and is not complex enough for those seeking fragrances for artistic purposes. That is not unusual, and I have said worse things about other fragrances.

However, for people seeking a unique fragrance, a solid leather aroma to add to an affordable collection, or a quality scent with impressive performance, Bentley for Men Intense gets the job done, and at an affordable price. (Although the price is rising because of the hype.)

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Edited on 04/18/2022: I incorrectly called Bentley For Men Intense an eau de toilette. The fragrance is an eau de parfum.

04/16/2016

Asg451
1 Review

Asg451

Top Review 8

Good Stuff!

Bentley for Men Intense is unashamedly bold, brash and brawny. Its central structure is primarily woody notes densely blended, accentuated by rum, leather and a touch of incense to concoct a boozy and heady vibe. Fairly linear on skin, it has good sillage and longevity. Its USP is that while bearing a relation to other semi-sweet, woody orientals for men, it is deeper, darker and avoids the pitfalls of being too sugary, too sophomoric or too unimaginative. Its limitation is that it is not subtle, elegant or perhaps even sophisticated as such. However, it is candid in its streetsmart demeanour, and never had any pretension of aristocracy.

This is not meant to be worn to a rendition of Mahler's no 3 by the Vienna Philharmonic. This is meant to be worn with a leather jacket to a live concert of The Strokes on a cold evening.

In the bleak modern history (2010 - ) of fragrances for men, this is one of the very few good releases.
4/5

10/06/2021

10
Pricing 9
Bottle 8
Sillage 10
Longevity 8
Scent

PedroCabral
147 Reviews

PedroCabral

Top Review 9

Damn, what a good perfume!

Honestly, it's worth a lot more than it costs, despite being currently one of the leaders in detachment in perfume groups. If I were given a blind try, I think I would give it a value over €70 (attention, I only paid €25 per 100ml).

It has a very nice balance between woods, resins and the rum accord. In fact, this rum is present throughout the evolution of Bentley, which opens with a fluted bergamot. I also feel a mixture of pepper and bay leaves.

Then it becomes more and more resinous, with a very interesting incense supported by cedar and sandalwood. These woods are even a little spicy, which is due to the black pepper. Here, too, it becomes even more resinous, smoky, with a very elegant leather.

Towards the end, a domesticated patchouli, together with a very well blended sandalwood, combined with a more present cedar, complete, together with laudanum, this beautiful fragrance.

This perfume sets you apart from the rest, as it exudes class! It has niche quality and seems more suitable for night events between cool and mild climates. The performance is really good, projecting for 4/5h and with a longevity of at least 10/12h (all this for the price I indicated above).

Look no further, grab yours now!

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