bortnikoff – one of a kind

Unique fragrances based on pure, exclusive raw materials

For those who appreciate perfumes that fall outside the norm, and where genuine, pure ingredients from nature are a top priority, the niche brand Bortnikoff is something to study more closely. Quirky, natural creations that speak their own unfussy language and are unlike anything else. Join us.

The niche brand By Bortnikoff - probably one of the fragrance world's most odd and unique producers - was started by Russian-born architect and perfume maker Dmitry Bortnikoff in Thailand in 2018. From early on, they became known to a small exclusive circle of perfume connoisseurs as one of the world's most unique brands, with fragrance compositions based on hand-distilled raw materials directly from nature, with a purity of between 95-100 per cent. We at Gents are proud to be one of the few in the world to have these unique creations on our physical perfume shelves for the general public to try.

It all started when Bortnikoff started his own distillery in Thailand - the company Feel Oud - in 2013, where he boils down raw materials directly from nature and from different regions of the world. These include precious woods such as oud and sandalwood, but also vetiver, flowers, animal products such as castoreum and civet, and genuine musk. In the field of oud in particular, Bortnikoff has made a name for himself as one who explores these precious oils of the agarwood in a way that has made him exceptional in the world of perfumery, resulting in scents that may seem challenging and odd to some, but unique and exciting to others. For those who appreciate this kind of creation, there is nothing like or even close to Bortnikoff's compositions in quality.

The Bortnikoff brand has also developed into a bit of a family business as his son Maxim Bortnikoff has started to follow in his father's footsteps, including being the creator of the fragrance Victoria, which is a tribute to his mother.

CLASSIC PERFUMES
WITH A PERSONAL TWIST

The most easily portable for a large audience is probably Bortnikoff's collection of various "colognes", which are actually of the concentration Eau de Parfum but have been labelled Cologne as an indication that these are classic, elegant scents of a classic brand, but nevertheless based on Bortnikoff's very own DNA, containing pure natural ingredients and with a performance and durability that goes beyond the ordinary. These largely have various citrus accords as a base but are then added to, for example, oud or anmalic raw materials. But it's not just cologne-style creations, Bortnikoff's interpretation of perfume styles such as classic "chypre", as in the easy-to-wear Chypre du Nord, with its spices, citrus, wood notes and labndanum

The common thread of the fragrance line is refined elegance and exclusivity combined with purity and natural materials. Of particular note here is the popular Musk Cologne (citrus with hints of floral notes and deer musk), but also Amber Cologne (focusing on citrus, fruit and amber) and Oud Cologne (citrus cologne with hints of oud). For the beginner, these can be a good choice to start with.

WITH NATURE AROUND THE CORNER

The natural ingredients are given free rein in a series of fragrances that really let the exotic raw materials speak for themselves to the point that even the region they are taken from shines through. Here we land in a niche that really has very little to do with perfume in the traditional sense, but is basically distilled real ingredients you spray on yourself, making them a unique experience. Unlike the "colognes" which are EdP, these - like the oud fragrances - are pure extracts in concentration.

It can be earthy, smoky and green vetiver as in Vetiver Nocturne, extremely nature-inspired forest accords as in Victoria (oud from Burma in combination with patchouli), the feeling of freshly cut grass and mint as in Scheherazade (oud, bergamot, fruits and cedar) or several different extracts of the tobacco plant in combination with smoky oud as in Tabac Doré. For those who want to explore all the secrets of the rose (and especially when combined with oud), we can highlight Zemfira.

the oud-Collection – for the bold

It is in the oud series that Bortnikoff is at its most challenging, for here we are talking pure oud with a power and intensity that may take some getting used to for the uninitiated, but is considered by connoisseurs of this precious ingredient to be among the best there is, with scents exhibiting a spectrum of oud oil characters depending on region and fermentation. These range from woody, spicy, East Asian ouds to boldly animalic 'dirty' ouds such as Lao Oud (with oud from Laos and India) and Rich. Bortnikoff is most famous for his classic Oud Maximus, dedicated to his son Maxim, which was originally more animalic in older batches but today is spicy floral and very complex.