Collection Noire

Five o'clock au gingembre Serge Lutens 2008

Five o'clock au gingembre by Serge Lutens

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8.0 / 10 821 Ratings

A popular perfume by Serge Lutens for women and men, released in 2008. The scent is spicy-woody. It is being marketed by Shiseido Group / Beauté Prestige International.
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Main accords

Spicy

Woody

Sweet

Gourmand

Oriental

Fragrance Notes

Candied ginger

Spices

Bergamot

Perfumers

Christopher Sheldrake, Serge Lutens

Ratings

Scent

8.0821 Ratings

Longevity

7.5605 Ratings

Sillage

6.7585 Ratings

Bottle

7.7547 Ratings

Value for money

7.1154 Ratings

Submitted by DonVanVliet, last update on 01/15/2025.

Interesting Facts

"Five o'clock (tea)" refers to the traditional British tea-time at 5 o'clock in the afternoon.

The fragrance is part of the "Collection Noire" collection.

Smells similar

What the fragrance is similar to

Bass Solo

:P

Sir Avebury

Tea for Two

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Santal Wood

Reviews

22 in-depth fragrance descriptions

11/22/2014

OGBuysblind
21 Reviews

OGBuysblind

Helpful Review 8

Five O'Clock Au Gignembre by Serge Lutens

This one was an instant like for me. You get a very fresh blast of lemon, tea and peppery ginger that's made sweet with a clean and hefty dose of honey. As it dries down it warms up a bit through the amber, cinnamon, and patchouli. The patchouli's restrained here in the sense that it never hits that stereotypically, heavy hippie level that can get annoying and detract from an otherwise good fragrance. The cinnamon plays the background as well, and I like that, because this one's all about the tea, ginger, and honey. I think Five O'Clock is a pretty safe bet, and you're unlikely to receive many negative reactions from it. It's kind of along the lines of Burberry London and Eau des Baux as far as its impression and context, something to be worn during the cooler months, especially around the holidays. As far as Lutens fragrances go, I feel like this one has a little more mainstream appeal than most. There's something about the sweet woody amber aspect of it that feels familiar, however this by no means common in quality or overall smell, it's just not weird and unusual. Projection is good, a little on the close side, and longevity is about 5 to 6 hours. While it may lack a "WOW" factor, that's not always necessary as far as I'm concerned, and I'm completely happy to own this very pleasant, ginger-tea concoction that's easy to reach for and throw on whenever the mood hits. Thumbs up and a safe blind buy if you like the sound of the notes.

09/14/2022

Mlleghoul
412 Reviews

Mlleghoul

Helpful Review 7

sheer luxuriance

Strong, fiery ginger steeped in sticky, honeyed amber, wound with wisps of smoky lapsang souchang. Yet for all this deep, dusky luxuriance, it is surprisingly sheer...as if a silken scarf had been dipped in this concoction, and hung in a sunlit window to dry. The scent clings to the fabric and is lightly released as one knots and folds it about one's throat.

08/15/2012

7.5
Bottle 7.5
Sillage 7.5
Longevity 7
Scent

Ysbrand
84 Reviews

Ysbrand

Helpful Review 5

A gentleman´s studio

When I think in a fragance as "English" I tend to think in this old fashioned, respectable, conventional perfumes that smell well and smell classic and smell correct and i never wear. In my imagination that word could also conjure up a cottage garden perfume, pretty and romantic, loaded with lilac and rose. But if Mr Lutens says english, you know there is going to be surprises.

The truth, Five O´Clock is very english, in a way that has nothing to do with english perfumery, and the fragance could recreate a tea party, but not in a prim garden a summer afternoon, but in a colder time, in the inside of a luxuriously furnished home, with a cosy fireplace, and there, you have the tea, and the ginger jam, and also a slice of pain d´epices.

It starts wonderfully. I would say, it is darker and more classic in the opening. And more masculine, or lets say, more gentlemanly. You are politely welcomed by a perfectly dressed butler, and all the notes of the fragance introduce themselves elegantly. The polished citrus, an introspective ginger, dark woods and the spices, create a shadowy, earthy opening that doesnt lack of vigor.

I notice now and then something that reminds me to Feminite de Bois and Daim Blond, being those completely different fragances. I guess maybe there is some type of signature in the Serge Lutens compositions. I mean, you would guess it is Lutens.

As for the ginger in Five O´Clock au Gingembre, it is not a freshly squeezed ginger fragance. Is a candied ginger, softer, smoother, rounder. And is after a while when the jar of ginger jam opens. Moist, deep, sweet ginger jam, with chunks of candied ginger.

Then, the fragance gets warmer, and noticeable smoky, like smoked black tea. The patchouly and the cocoa comfortably wrap the sweetness and keeps it from being too edible. This is not a mouthwatering type of perfume. Is a luxurious shelter. Smells wonderful and different, but not too different, so , for a Lutens/ Sheldrake creation, is easy to wear.

12/17/2024

8
Pricing 7
Bottle 7
Sillage 6
Longevity 8.5
Scent

Raluko111
171 Reviews

Raluko111

Helpful Review 3

Ginger Royalty.

In Five o'clock you get all the facets of ginger, from the thin slivers of pickled ginger alongside your sushi, to the freshly squeezed juice at the base of a curry, to the sweet aroma of an English gingerbread cookie at tea time. The perfume is like an olfactory family album full of snapshots from all the life stages of ginger. And yet, it's not a gourmand per se, but just straddling that border.

This is like soul food (soul perfume, I guess) for my tired fall/winter days. It's true, it doesn't have beast mode silage or longevity, but I basically shower my sweaters and scarves in it and I can perceive it all day. A truly unique take on an Oriental perfume theme that will be a staple in my cold season wardrobe.

12/06/2014

5
Bottle 5
Sillage 5
Longevity 10
Scent

MasterLi
375 Reviews

MasterLi

Helpful Review 3

Tea and Ginger Biscuits...

This is a very refreshing tea & ginger fragrance. It's really well made. It opens up with very fresh bergamot and then the ginger and cinnamon tea vibe starts to creep up and it takes on a sweet, very smooth and sheer effect. It's a really nice experience.

Five O'Clock au Gingembre is meant to evoke the ritual of having tea in an English country house at (exactly) 5 O'Clock in the afternoon, served with ginger biscuits. The ginger here especially reminds me of stem candied ginger used in cooking, almost like a crystallised sugar coated ginger. Although the fragrance is not too sweet either, it stays fresh and juicy. I also love the use of honey here, almost like ginger tea being sweetened with honey. There is no smoke or heavy notes, everything is kept sheer and light and playful (which is very different for a typical Serge Lutens fragrance). I like this one a lot. It's not ground breaking, but I guarantee you'll like it. A very warm and cosy scent which I suspect would do just as well in summer as in the cooler months. Tea has a relaxing effect for me, and this is one which makes me feel happy. I get a good feeling from this... if you like tea, honey or ginger, then try it!

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