New Fragrance Review: Beaufort London 1805 + Come Hell or Highwater Draw

JMW Turner, The Battle of Trafalgar, 21 October 1805

JMW Turner, The Battle of Trafalgar, 21 October 1805

“England’s evening spark and citrus kisses-thunder on your lips. IN victory drink long, drink deep as glory fades to night.”- Beaufort London

The Battle of Trafalgar,  Turner

The Battle of Trafalgar as seen from the mizzen starboard shrouds of the Victory  JMW Turner

Inspired by the historically famous Battle of Trafalgar where the heavily out numbered British Royal Navy defeated the joined forces of the French and Spanish Naval fleets  (also the year Sir Francis Beaufort created his wind force scale), 1805, released in 2015, is a woody eau de parfum for men and women that embodies a spirit of tenacity, is an ode to sheer determination, and an olfactory poem that confirms that art indeed imitates life.

Leo Crabtree Beaufort London

Leo Crabtree is the drummer of The Prodigy and founder of Beaufort London Fragrances

1805 is one of three fragrances in the BeauFort London collection, which are the creation of musician and writer Leo Crabtree who has always had a profound love for fragrance and the darker side of British history. The fragrance truly embodies the, “Come hell or high water” spirit of the brave naval officers of the past who knew the minute they set sail their life was on the line and the probability of them returning home was slim to none, never the less the sea was a welcomed adventure and war was a familiar adversary.

The Hero of Trafalgar Print by William Heysham Overend

The Hero of Trafalgar Print by William Heysham Overend 

From the minute I sampled this fragrance with a dab on the wrist I became seductively enchanted by sea sirens who carried my mind to the open ocean and walked heart along the deck of a British war ship where Officers and ship hands cleaned their guns and prepared for battle while simultaneously clanging their glasses of brandy together and passing around pipes filled with the finest tobacco.

'Battle of Trafalgar, 21 October 1805' by Thomas Buttersworth.

‘Battle of Trafalgar, 21 October 1805’ by Thomas Buttersworth.

The fragrance burst open wit the smell of fresh limes coupled with an ocean accord that allows the nose to experience the smell of open air and the salty aroma of crashing waves. Soon after the aromas of smoke and gun powder demand your attention and capture your senses while faint whiffs of blood and brandy make you think your experiencing the celebratory after math of a victory won at sea where even though several men are badly wounded none of them seem to care because they are here to live another day and the alcohol is doing an excellent job of numbing the pain. Through out the dry down amber warms the soul like a heavy blanket wrapped around you to protect you from the cold of the nightly winds and the cedar brings on the fresh smell of the wet mass of the ship from crashing waves. I thoroughly enjoyed this fragrance so much;  unfortunately I didn’t give my self the opportunity to fully experience it before I turned in my picks for Best Fragrances of 2015,  as it would have this definitely would have been added to that list.

Notes: lime, smoke, gunpowder, blood, brandy, seawater, amber, balsa fir, and cedar.

Detail from The Battle of Trafalgar JW Turner

Detail JW Turner

Trafalgar By The Nosey Artist

The smell of fresh gun powder and burnt wood lingered under my nose as I wiped the dribble of blood from the corner of my mouth and continued to cut through the smoke while I made my way deeper into the dark mass of the ship. The year was 1805, the season was one of England’s coldest winters but the burning embers and smoldered ashes made the atmosphere resemble something like that of Dante’s inferno; add the billowing clouds of smoke from the ship’s sails that were set a blaze from cannon ball blasts and the agonizing screams of dying men and one would indeed think they took a trip to the underworld.

I had joined the Royal Navy in search of adventure and self worth, but years of bloodshed battle and months out on the open sea had turned me into a savage with only one thing in mind-victory. As I made my way towards the back of the ship my senses became more alert from a different aroma now lingering in the air. The smell of freshly lit pipe tobacco and the faintest hint of oak aged brandy hit my nose in a most peculiar way and before I could even begin to imagine why some pompous ass might be having a celebratory smoke there he appeared before me.

The Daniel Maclise's painting of the fall of Lord Horatio Nelson

 Daniel Maclise’s painting of the fall of Lord Horatio Nelson

The captain of this sinking ship, and soon to be victim to the victor of this bloody battle, sat lackadaisically in his chair holding his pipe in one blood stained hand and struggling to take a drink of brandy from the other, which appeared to have a ghastly blade wound which exposed the inner fore arm right down to the bone; I knew Federico was a tough bastard but this took the cake. As I cautiously inched towards him I felt a calm come over me, so much so that I didn’t even think to draw my sword-the man was dying and the both of us knew it.

As he looked up to survey me he blew smoke out of the corner of his mouth and greeted me with a blood stained smile, “Never would I have thought that a naval fleet so vastly out numbered would possibly have a chance at survival in a battle against two of the world’s greatest adversaries-let alone actually claim a victory” he spurted out of his mouth with his heavy Spanish accent, “But you and your men have fought with great vigor, and I believe that our underestimation of your capabilities have not only cost us this battle, but thousands of French and Spanish lives”. I listened intently feeling proud of what my men and I have accomplished, but also pitying the quickly dying and now very drunk Spanish Admiral. “Come my worthy opponent, grant your adversary his dying request and have a drink with me before you take my life, I am unarmed and in no mood to fight any longer”. I was hesitant at first thinking this may be a booby trap, but victory was ours regardless and honestly I was quite tired my self.

The Death of Lord Nelson Samuel Drummond

The Death of Lord Nelson  by Samuel Drummond (c) National Maritime Museum; Supplied by The Public Catalogue Foundation

So there I sat having a drink with the Admiral in his burning ship and as he told me about his family back home and his beautiful wife who was waiting on a husband to return to her arms who never would I began to view him differently. For the first time in my life I didn’t see an enemy through these blood stained eyes but a true adversary, an opponent to be respected, and a man whose only difference from my life was that mine would continue on for the days to come and his would end here in defeat. I smiled at him as he finished his tales of home and tipped my glass to him as we both took another sip and he breathed his final breath.

Disclaimer: I am fully aware that my prose is historically inaccurate (Admiral Federico actually escaped the battle on a separate ship and died several days later from fatal wounds) but this is where the fragrance took me and this is the story I decided to tell.

I receievd my samples from Twisted Lily Fragrance Boutique; opinions my own

The Nosey Artist, Contributor

Art Direction MC

Compliments of Twisted Lily we have a draw for a sample pack of the entire BeauFort London collection  which includes 1805,  East India  Couer de Noir, for two  US readers. Please comment below with what you liked about the review of 1805 or your favorite line from The Nosey Artist’s prose. If there is a Beaufort London fragrance you want to try tell us that too. And as always you must be a registered Cafleurebon reader in order to be eligible. Draw closes January 7, 2015

 

 We announce the winners on our site and Facebook page so be sure to like Cafleurebon and use our RSS option or your dream prize will just be spilled perfume.

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14 comments

  • I think this collection sounds phenomenal. I find it both interesting and amusing that a musician/writer has created this.. More interesting that he has taken fragrance so seriously and not gone mass as well as amusing that he went to a very classical period of literature and art as inspiration as well as a deft nose and hand in the actual notes which do evoke that historical period.
    This collection definitely has my attention. I would try any of them because there are notes that I really find intriguing (blood, leather, , whiskey, opium…. ) . I think the East India would be my first choice of what to try.
    Bring it on..
    I am based in the US.

  • I’d like to try them all after reading more about them at Twisted Lilly. My line of prose pick, “ Through out the dry down amber warms the soul like a heavy blanket wrapped around you to protect you from the cold of the nightly winds and the cedar brings on the fresh smell of the wet mass of the ship from crashing waves.” USA 🙂

  • BostonScentGuy says:

    Loved learning about the fact that this brand is headed by a musician! I also loved the description of how this scent synthesizes fresh notes, smoke, and spices. I smelled all three VERY briefly at Twisted Lily. All I had time to do before running elsewhere. I liked them all, but was too rushed to get samples or think about them in depth. I’d love to be entered into the draw. I don’t have a favorite fragrance of theirs, but know I enjoy the smoke they seem to incorporate into all of their scents. I’m in the US.

  • fazalcheema says:

    This article has sparked my interest in the Battle of Trafalgar and I am going to read the wikipedia entry for it after this post 🙂 1805 has both aquatic and boozy notes and I have not smelled a fragrance with both these elements. I am intrigued how these polarizing elements reveal themselves in the fragrance. thanks a lot for the draw. I am in the US

  • John Paul Boukis says:

    Gunpowder, blood, and brandy? Now that’s a brief. I am super interested in trying the Beaufort London lineup. Limes, fir, and tobacco are what are intriguing me the most about this one. Thanks for the draw (US), and for bringing the image to vivid life.

  • bunchofpants says:

    I love where the fragrance took the Nosey Artist’s imagination! I’m quite curious to sample this, but I’d love to Try BeauFort;s East India as well. I’m in USA, thanks for the draw.

  • I need to try all of them, especially 1805. This line sums up the heart of the fragrance and makes it intriguing to me: ” Soon after the aromas of smoke and gun powder demand your attention and capture your senses while faint whiffs of blood and brandy make you think your experiencing the celebratory after math of a victory won at sea where even though several men are badly wounded none of them seem to care because they are here to live another day and the alcohol is doing an excellent job of numbing the pain.’ That’s one of the longest sentences I’ve ever read and gives a detailed image with smells. I’m in the U.S.. Thank you so much.

  • ” Quotation mark at the end of “numbing the pain” and before I said “That’s one of the longest….”

  • baroness_octothorpe says:

    If the fragrances smell like the paintings look, then I am IN! Thanks for the draw; I’m in the US.

  • Since this fragrance should have made the top list, it makes me curious to try it! What an interesting description. Imaginative writing and what a way with words. Thanks!

  • I liked this review of 1805 and The Nosey Artist’s prose based on “this is where the fragrance took me and this is the story I decided to tell.” I have not yet had the pleasure of wearing a Beaufort London fragrance, so the sampler would be wonderful.

  • Loved this 🙂 I had no idea the Prodigy drummer was a perfumer!

    The fanciful writing coupled with the gorgeous rich images really delighted me. I like the way THE NOSEY ARTIST set this moment:

    “The smell of freshly lit pipe tobacco and the faintest hint of oak aged brandy hit my nose in a most peculiar way and before I could even begin to imagine why some pompous ass might be having a celebratory smoke there he appeared before me.”

    In most fiction – or non-fiction – the sense of mell tend to be neglected.
    I think 1805 sounds like a dream, although I’d love to sample all in the line.

    I am in NYC in the US – thanks!