Boszporusz
Nishane (2013)

Nishane names this fragrance for the Bosporus water way which flows through Istanbul with a mix of sea salt water and fresh water to connect the Mediterranean to the Agean and Black Seas. The fragrance is tart dry grapefruit, cypress and transparent patchouli for a clean oceanic primary fragrance. Amid the fresh ozonic breezes resides salty seaweed and a dry musk base note that provides a sun bleached hard stone dry base note. The underlying scent begins with and resembles very much the 1980's classic, Signoricci, but in addition to this tart clean dry fresh air is a salty seaweed note that adds a new level of interest. A dry musk base punctuates with such certainty that it flows upstream making the dry musk contrasting presence felt throughout the fragrance. Boszporusz is a convincing oceanic fragrance that brings the forces of nature and life of the Bosporus up close and present.

A fresh maritime seaweed together with herbal - sage mainly - and cypress notes form a delightful opening. In the heart notes floral impressions emerge, with jasmine and gardenia prominent on my skin. This is a delightful development.

In the base I get more spicy turn, with a fairly soft patchouli and a medium-weight bright amber adding complexity towards the end.

I get moderate sillage, adequate projection and seven hours of longevity in my skin.

A nice scent for warmer days. Like traversing the Bosphorus Bridge from one side to the other, from Europe to Asia, we go from an aquatic-maritime-floral end towards a more oriental shore. Very nice. 3.5/5

This was awful on my skin. One of the worst things I've smelled in ages.

A salty, metallic floral with a prominent 'wet dog' note. There's a strong iron note too, giving the impression of blood.

A true scrubber.

Ghastly!

I'm not sure what the link to the Bosphorus is, but if I were searching, a la Turin & Sanchez, for a two-word description that doubles as a mock genre for this fragrance, it would be "aquatic chypre", or perhaps, taking a few liberties, "aquatic-floral chypre". NB (I'm not going to write out all those consonants) is redolent of the classic chypres but adds some pleasing floral notes via the gardenia, and a somewhat mysterious, though fun, aspect, through the inclusion of seaweed or something of that ilk. The overall impression is of walking through a fantasy forest that is near the sea. I think it could be a genuine unisex, although no doubt many males will be wary of the gardenia, and many females possibly put off by the astringency and power of the seaweed and oakmoss working in tandem.

I've not smelled the older Kenzos so I can't make that comparison. This is certainly unlike anything I've tried before, although there is enough connection to existing genres for it to make sense. However, unlike many things that cross genres like this, I struggle to think of an occasion for wear.

NB came in extrait form in my sample, and has impressive longevity on me although sillage no greater than many EDTs. Those coming close will get a good dose of seaweed and other prominent notes, so be careful who you invite into proximity while wearing.

I would put this down as a well-constructed fragrance that is thought-provoking, has decent performance, an element of fun and some originality. Not sure about the pricing and therefore value without checking, but I would certainly recommend checking out in sample form.

Identical fragrance to the masterpiece of Kenzo pour homme

Thumbs up!