Botafumeiro
Carner Barcelona (2018)

Based on my first impression, it’s a bit underwhelming. The amber leans on the drier side, and the balsamic notes don’t quite come to life. I think I was expecting something a bit richer or more assertive. It’s not a bad scent by any means—just a little too restrained for what I hoped. It might work better in warmer weather, where that dryness feels more appropriate. I’ll give it more testing, but for now, I’d say there are stronger amber-focused options out there, especially if you’re after that deep patchouli and labdanum character.

ClaireV and odysseusm got Carner's number on this one: Botafumeiro has a decent smoky-musky-designer-y base, but comes up well short in the incense dept. to properly honor the grand cathedral censer for which it's named. Givaudan's aromachem, Mystikal, simply isn't adequate to the task of subbing for frankincense and myrrh in an incense-themed fragrance.

What's left isn't bad, and it's priced right at discounters. Even so, I'm not sure why one would turn on the stereo and throw on a Music Minus One LP.

Lovely sweet incense fragrance. Reminds me a bit of the discontinued TF Sahara Noir (RIP) which I loved, so I'm happy to have Botafumeiro in my collection!

Botafumeiro is named for the massive censer in Santiago de Compostela Cathedral that takes several men to swing. But naming a perfume this and then omitting to put any frankincense and myrrh in it is like advertising a vegan restaurant with pictures of rotisserie chicken.

Botafumeiro is a rather plain benzoin-patch-labdanum combo that's been teased and tickled until curlicues of sugar and smoke materialize at the edges. Benzoin has been called in to do all the heavy lifting - you're essentially paying niche prices to see benzoin strut its natural stuff. Benzoin is one of those raw materials that is so subtly complex that you can just massage it in, leave it to its own devices, and it will always smell like you've done a lot more than you have.

I love benzoin. It can smell like brown paper, cassonade, coffee, the pages of an old book, burnt sugar, cinnamon, and Communion wafers. All those facets come out to play here, but keep in mind that the natural spectrum of benzoin runs a narrow path between buff and brown. It's gorgeous, but there are no peaks and valleys to it. Past the initial burnt sugar rush, the scent's main building block is coaxed into a faint incense shape and darkened with a brown-butter combination of nutmeg, patchouli, and a rather chemically dry aromachemical (Mystikal) in the base.

It smells good, but then again, benzoin itself smells good. Therefore, though undeniably likeable, Botafumeiro doesn't deliver the goods I expect from a high-priced niche scent. It doesn't smell like an awful lot of effort went into it.

I don't care for it, and am disappointed. The Botafumerio at the cathedral Santiago di Compostella is a gigantic incense censer. It takes several priests working on a pulley system to swing it. Thus, it is a symbol of massive incense in a church setting.
Carner's Botafumerio is not particularly incense oriented. Odd choice to not have frankincense or myrrh. There is only cistus (labdanum) and styrax (benzoin), plus a synthetic accord with the lame name 'Mystikal."
The scent is a somewhat sweet, foody-gourmand sort. Sugary, a bit nutty, reminiscent of a praline. Then a fuzzy warm note appears, cozy like a cashmere sweater. There are some light dusky green notes from the cistus, a bit like celery leaf.
The scent is not dreadful -- but it bears no relation to its name and thus fails to meet expectations.

Botafumeiro is a sweet incense induced fragrance. It is a very delicious labdanum mixed with nutmeg, incense and patchouli. I really do not smell any citric in this fragrance. Earthy and smells good enough to eat. Longevity ia excellent and I already received many compliments from co-workers.