Monarch Boadicea the Victorious 2015

Boadicea the Victorious Monarch starts off immediately very intensely woody for me, possibly with a strong oud note. I cannot say exactly which wood is so dominant to me here, but that is precisely my problem with this fragrance. As soon as such a woody note becomes too strong, my nose focuses almost exclusively on it, and I can barely perceive the other facets anymore.

With Monarch, I therefore mainly smell this powerful woody or oud direction. As a result, I miss the balance and the development of different notes that I look for in a perfume.

Those who love intense, dominant woody and oud fragrances might find Monarch very interesting. However, for my personal fragrance preferences, it is definitely not for me.

The Monarch is truly a beautiful winter fragrance. Apparently, it seems to perform significantly better or differently on my skin than it does for other perfume enthusiasts in the community. The longevity for me is about 24 hours - that's incredibly strong! The sillage is also more than successful.

In the top notes, I honestly miss the fruity aromas indicated in the fragrance pyramid. These are at best very subtly present in the background. It smells immediately very spicy, balsamic, dark, oriental, peppery, resinous, and slightly smoky with notes of labdanum, cinnamon, cardamom, and black tea. Additionally, I detect a certain sweetness. The heart note shifts towards a floral direction. Here, I catch whiffs of rose water, lily of the valley, daffodils, freesias, and a hint of jasmine blossoms. The base also offers quite a bit. It has a woody scent of oud and cedarwood. Frankincense emphasizes the smokiness from the top notes. It smells strongly of leather but also earthy with oak moss and patchouli. Over time, it becomes sweeter again with amber, tonka beans, and bourbon vanilla.

Quite a lot going on, right? But the Monarch has also surprised me greatly and can be considered a hidden gem. I thank Nick for the sample.

Fragrant for us, Emperor, fragrant for us! his people shouted to him as the good king found himself in the village square among all his subjects. He had not expected this request, felt embarrassed, and blushed. But I am not prepared at all, he assured timidly, so I must compose and perspire at the same time. You surely wish for me to be a pleasant scent for all of you as a good king, he pondered, looking into all the uneven faces and trying to read their expectations.
You may desire the scent of noble Earl Grey, fine fruits, high-quality wood, with the choicest spices from the ominous Orient, special blossoms of the most magnificent flowers, the most luxurious leather, the coziest vanilla, the softest incense, the most honeyed resins, the mildest mosses, and the most elegant earth of the entire vast kingdom. It should smell so colossal and royal that it pleases everyone, and he wanted so much for them to love him.
Thus, the good king began to scent with concentration. With extraordinary effort, he breathed in the first hints of yellow bergamot in drops of black tea, which, along with some fruity threads of noble wood, beaded from all his pores. Ooohh, went it through the crowd, and the king could feel the tension.
Composing was difficult for him, focus was lost, the spices swirled through waves of colorful flowers, which washed over and soon under suede, smeared with fruity wood, earthy resin, and vanilla, softened by warm incense, the entire character was lost. Oud violet shimmered in cinnamon-brown cotton, which the king had created like clouds that wafted gently over the square for seven hours, then he was tired, the scent gone. He had not created a firework, a part of his people had fallen asleep, you just can't please everyone at once.

(With thanks to Kovex)

If you ever find a store that carries this brand, you might feel overwhelmed by the sheer variety of scents. I was fortunate to receive knowledgeable advice and, despite limited time at Kadewe, found a Boadicea fragrance that is truly, as they say today, "unique."
It smells very natural, very spicy; it might be a bit "too much" for some, as it is quite diverse or complex. I hardly notice the oud, and the citrus top notes are barely perceptible; there are really many components, but I think a spicy gourmand describes it better than woody.
The longevity is excellent, the bottle is fantastic, very heavy, and looks like it was stolen from a late medieval castle.
Although the incense is not dominant, it is more of an herbal and winter scent.
If you ever come across it, definitely give it a try!