Dzongkha by L'Artisan Parfumeur
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7.3 / 10 292 Ratings
A perfume by L'Artisan Parfumeur for women and men, released in 2006. The scent is woody-spicy. It is being marketed by Puig.
Pronunciation
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Main accords

Woody
Spicy
Leathery
Smoky
Floral

Fragrance Pyramid

Top Notes Top Notes
CardamomCardamom Lychee blossomLychee blossom PeonyPeony
Heart Notes Heart Notes
VetiverVetiver FrankincenseFrankincense Masala chaiMasala chai
Base Notes Base Notes
IrisIris LeatherLeather PapyrusPapyrus

Perfumer

Ratings
Scent
7.3292 Ratings
Longevity
7.8217 Ratings
Sillage
6.6199 Ratings
Bottle
7.9178 Ratings
Value for money
6.720 Ratings
Submitted by DonVanVliet, last update on 01/20/2025.
Interesting Facts
Dzongkha is the national language of Bhutan.

Smells similar

What the fragrance is similar to
Blow Up by Moth and Rabbit
Blow Up
Sienne L'Hiver by Eau d'Italie
Sienne L'Hiver
Timbuktu by L'Artisan Parfumeur
Timbuktu
Envy Me 2 by Gucci
Envy Me 2
Fleur de Peau (Eau de Parfum) by Diptyque
Fleur de Peau Eau de Parfum
Nuit de Tubéreuse by L'Artisan Parfumeur
Nuit de Tubéreuse

Reviews

13 in-depth fragrance descriptions
10
Bottle
7.5
Sillage
7.5
Longevity
10
Scent
ChapeauClack

16 Reviews
ChapeauClack
ChapeauClack
Very helpful Review 8  
To the introvert who favors tannic wines
I recently found myself comparing some of my summer fragrances to my favorite (or not so favorite, I'm smirking at you, Lambrusco!) wines. Turns out, I favor the same qualities in both. This string of comparative thought started in fact with Dzongkha, which I first tried a year ago today, in the sweltering heat of Beijing summer.

Dzongkha turned out to be one of those magical potions which, however much one reads about beforehand, are still pretty much impossible to be fully prepared for. The very idea of trying and describing what it actually smells like is... well, futile, due to the sheer lack of common denominators. It's herbal, but those are not your usual cooking herbs and they do not render the fragrance aromatic. Spicy, but its spices do not make it an oriental. It smells disturbingly natural, but it's not the nature one experiences by simply taking a stroll through the woods. And above all, it is dry. Dry, dry and... tannic. And just like those very dry, very tannic white wines that are almost green and make one's whole mouth feel fuzzy, it is the perfect thirst quencher.

The back story that comes with this fragrance does provide a good starting point against which to calibrate one's nose and brain for the Dzongkha experience. Think century-old trees clutching at the mountain slopes, imagine the sun-baked stones and clay structures that have been exposed to the elements for what seems like forever; feel the wind gently ruffling the wild grasses that grow in a place where none of us is likely to ever set foot, and hear it carry over a distant chant and a sound of the gong. Dzongkha reveals a mesmerizing landscape that somehow manages to shield its wearer from the rumble of the outside world and turn one's gaze inward, to a happy place within.

Given all that, it's probably a safe bet that Dzongkha is not much of a compliment getter or attractant, and as such it's not very well suited for extroverts. However, if you, like me, crave solitude more often than not, it might just happen to become your magic OFF button on the world.
2 Comments
7.5
Bottle
10
Sillage
10
Longevity
8
Scent
Sherapop

1239 Reviews
Sherapop
Sherapop
Very helpful Review 3  
A Heady Leather-Incense Mix
What happens when you mix leather, incense, and oil-soluble spices such as cardamom, along with a few assorted woody elements and flower petals? Answer: L'Artisan Parfumeur DZONGKHA, a thick, warm, and heavy composition with excellent longevity and good sillage.

In this contest of strong notes, leather does not win, as I might have predicted. Instead, I find that the incense really dominates DZONGKHA, but the leather combined with the incense mingle with wood and cardamom in the drydown, leaving little room for anything else. The tea, peony and iris do not manage to break through as self-assertive notes, at least not to my nose, but perhaps they temper the mix a bit.

DZONGKHA offers a subtler presentation of leather, somewhat ironically tempered by a very dark incense note, but both abide throughout the life of this scent, resting upon cedar in the end. Even in the edt concentration, this heady mix hits me not as a fragrance but as a perfume. I recommend DZONGKHA to oriental lovers for wintertime wear.
0 Comments
ColinM

516 Reviews
ColinM
ColinM
5  
Great!
I’ve never been a fan of L’Artisan fragrances, let alone the uncontrollably prolific Bertrandingo. But one thing I’ve to admit – in the extremely seldom circumstances where they both work at their best, with decent budgets and some solid inspiration, the results are great. And this is definitely the case. This is easily one of the best woody-iris scents on the market, brilliantly succeeding in blending the utmost versatility and wearability with a tremendous level of creativity and quality. Basically I agree with the reviews (including Luca Turin’s one in his Guide) which connect Dzonghka to Timbuktu, as this is indeed basically Timbuktu with iris, which is amazingly blended within that peculiar sort of transparent cypress-woody and subtly leathery structure adding a powdery, rooty, dry and earthy-waxy texture which fits it just perfectly. It’s like to smell the smoky, greenish, autumnal “papery” woodiness of Timbuktu shyly blossoming in early March. Not a “floral triumph”, just some faint, pastel, still quite dark accent of rooty-floral notes rising from the soil, soon joined by a subtle, warm tea note. This is pretty much of Dzonghka smells, and it’s just achieved perfectly. It’s graceful, elegant, natural, breezy yet very cozy: no cheap musks, no plastic iris. The concept is simple, the execution is clever and well mastered. Just some genuine, palpably realistic sprinkle of orris powder on smoky woods with a “mineral” salty aftertaste and a slighty touch of sweetness which will grow in strenght on the (impeccable) drydown. It’s poetic, complex yet quite straightforward, masterfully executed keeping Timbuktu’s great ability of smelling “airy” but totally substantial. And it smells fantastic anyway. Heart-warmingly austere and very classy. Plus, finally a decently-projecting, decently persistent L’Artisan, for God’s sake. Recommended!

8-8,5/10
0 Comments
5
Bottle
2.5
Sillage
5
Longevity
3
Scent
WRoth

154 Reviews
WRoth
WRoth
3  
Dzongkha
Opens with a blend of iris and tea (with milk). The iris root is the prefect match for the underlying accord, as it is both green (like the tea) and smooth (like the milk). Vetiver and cypriol form a sheath enveloping the two head notes with their salty-green and peppery-rooty nuances . A fresh floral accent - undoubtedly the peony - lightens and brightens the composition, it adds a dewy-sweet facet (lychee maybe playing a part in this) to the blend. This fragrance is cool and greenish, but also slightly spicy and smoky (cardamom and incense) in a vague, watercolor-like manner. It reminds me of Hermes' Paprika Brazil, only this scent is lighter and less spicy. As the notes develop and the flowers and grasses burn out, the fragrances becomes drier, but remains its pleasant coolness. I now see mainly vetiver-cedar blended together and a remnant of iris. The cold incense note adds a smooth, vaguely metallic finish to the accord which makes me think of of Timbuktu the more the scent progresses towards the dry down.
0 Comments
10
Bottle
7.5
Sillage
7.5
Longevity
3
Scent
Tar

261 Reviews
Tar
Tar
2  
Brutal concept
Body chemistry is the most important thing, what we have to underline, when it comes to Bertrand Duchaufour's creation.
We tested this fragrance together with my sister, so actually I have two reviews to write.

The one of her:
Dusty fern + bark ===> bark in the forest, burnt up together with green, immature strobile ===> paprika seed.

Mine:
Powdery rouge + buttery, unpleasing paprika seed (does not change).

I am glad to read other opinions from people, who has a body chemistry working well with DZONGKHA. Anyway, I recommend to sample this fragrance only to experienced perfume-lovers.
0 Comments
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Statements

3 short views on the fragrance
KimJongKimJong 5 years ago
8
Bottle
7
Sillage
8
Longevity
8.5
Scent
This may sound a bit odd, but Dzongkha is like Chanel # 22 for men. Intense religious piety with a blazing sun.
0 Comments
HajuvanaHajuvana 5 years ago
Does bourbon whiskey smell like smoked carrots, or does this smell like both?
0 Comments
HermeshHermesh 9 years ago
7.5
Bottle
5
Sillage
7.5
Longevity
8
Scent
Through the dusty dry wood, first fresh grass and (at the end) even timid flowers are sprouting.
0 Comments

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