Sayat Nova by Bortnikoff

By God, what a magnificent creation. The opening surprises with an oud barely fecal (enjoyable and not too challenging), lots of rum, and a slight fruity aroma. It lasts about 15 minutes before the roles reverse: the apricot and vanilla come to the front. Along with the oud and rum, they create a particular note that reminds me of some loose-leaf teas. The white flowers add a fresh and revitalizing background. It’s a perfect perfume according to my nose; I haven’t smelled anything this incredible in ages. If I have to name a negative aspect, I’d say the performance wasn’t what I expected. But it’s such a rich scent I’d forgive it for lasting only 20 minutes.

In the Bortnikoff collection, there are various oud proposals. Sayat Nova combines oud with sweet notes. Like most of the house, it has excellent depth. It’s a dense, linear, and very tasty fragrance, based on a ripe apricot fused with liquorish and vanilla tones over a woody oud base. The oud and vanilla can give a slight powdery sensation, but without losing density. I’m surprised how they blend classic French style with oriental notes, uniting the best of both traditions. Classic cut, with the perfumer’s touch, it’s more mature, elegant, and distinguished. It’s not my weakness, but it’s a great fragrance, of superior quality and worth trying.

Great perfume. To me, it smells unmistakably of apricot from the start, along with the rum, then vanilla and oak moss become most noticeable; flowers and oud are in the background to give a woody nuance. It’s quite balanced and linear. It reminds me of Baque de Slumberhouse, but swapping tobacco for rum. Anyone who says it smells like vanilla and not apricot (which is definitely noticeable in the dry-down) well, I don’t know, I respect all opinions. It stains clothes and leaves a yellowish stain on the skin like motor oil. On my skin, it lasts 12 hours or more, though fading to skin-level; I tested it in the afternoon and it was still there the next morning, which isn’t bad for a natural perfume. I recommend testing before buying, and if anyone is selling their bottle, write me via MP.

Maestro de los Cantares Dmitry and Rajesh Balkrishnan created this perfume inspired by an Armenian poet. The opening is dense, sweet, and alcoholic vanilla, accompanied by ripe blackberry that dominates the composition, alongside a very woody mix of ouds. It’s a bit heavy, with a powdery and dry texture. The development is linear, with high initial projection that then drops to skin. Longevity is over 6 hours. It’s masculine and for cold weather; versatility is a bit compromised. Be careful with white clothes; it stains and leaves a trace on the skin too. If you decide to apply it gently with your fingertips without rubbing, it’s fine. The mix of ouds can give a feeling of alcoholic cappuccino, but it doesn’t smell like coffee. People say it’s similar to Baque de Slumberhouse. Is it true? In my opinion, yes, though each has a different personality. Baque is dry tobacco with blackberry and light vanilla, while in Sayat Nova, alcoholic vanilla with blackberry and lots of oud dominates, without tobacco. Blindly, I’d say it’s from Slumberhouse due to the style and DNA. Does it resemble Tabac Doré? It has elements and that brand DNA, but they are different. Baque, Tabac, and Sayat fit in the same collection; similarities exist, but differences are greater. Is it a safe bet? No. It’s an acquired taste. I tested it with 2-3 people and none wanted to use it. They said “it’s not bad,” but agreed it smells heavy, dense, and very woody/smoky; none had ever heard something like that. None were fans of oud or artistic perfumery. In my experience, it’s one of the best in the Bortnikoff line. 9/10 ✨

Maestro de los Cantares: Dmitry and Rajesh Balkrishnan created this inspiration from an Armenian poet. The opening is dense, sweet, and alcoholic vanilla, accompanied by ripe blackberry and a very woody mix of ouds. It’s a bit heavy, with a powdery and dry texture. The development is linear, with high initial projection that drops to skin. Longevity is +6h. Masculine and for cold weather; versatility is compromised. Be careful with white clothes: it stains and leaves a trace on the skin. If you apply it with your fingertips without rubbing, it’s fine. The oud can give a feeling of alcoholic cappuccino, but it doesn’t smell like coffee. It’s similar to Baque de Slumberhouse: both have similar DNA, but Baque is dry tobacco and light vanilla, while here alcoholic vanilla and oud dominate. Blindly, I’d say it’s from Slumberhouse. Does it resemble Tabac Doré? It has elements and that DNA, but they are different. Baque, Tabac, and Sayat fit in the same collection; differences are greater. Is it a safe offer? No. It’s an acquired taste. I tested it with 2-3 people and none used it; they said “it’s not bad.” Everyone agreed it’s heavy, dense, and very woody/smoky. None were fans of oud or artistic perfumery. In my experience, it’s one of the best of Bortnikoff. 9/10.