Tonnerre - Beaufort London

Inspired by the Battle of Trafalgar - a pivotal event which secured Britain’s reputation as a formidable sea power in the early 19th Century, but also saw the loss of one of Her greatest heroes.

Pieces of the oak used in the construction of Nelson’s Flagship HMS Victory were given to BeauFort London’s creative director at the battle’s bicentenary in 2005 and the scent of these historical relics and the darkly evocative stories that surround them became the impetus for this fragrance.

Tonnerre uses bold ingredients in extremely high concentrations to conjure a uniquely powerful olfactory experience, with the key notes emphasising aspects of the story of Trafalgar, an event embedded in the British psyche. Burning wood, gunpowder, cannon smoke, blood and seaspray allude to the brutality and chaos of sea warfare. A penetrating citrus note was used, not only as an allusion to the sailors in the British Navy as ‘Limey’s’, but also to Admiral Nelson’s request for lemonade on his deathbed. A prominent, dark tar note permeates as tar was used to waterproofing the planks of ships, and also to preserve ropes. The brandy note which carries the composition refers to the cask of the spirit which carried Nelson’s body back to Britain for a hero’s funeral.

Top Notes: Lemon, Brandy, Gunpowder 

Heart Notes: Lime, Bergamot

Base Notes: Dark Amber, Fir Balsam, Birch

Perfumer: Julie Marlowe

Ingredients: Alcohol Denat, Parfum, Benzyl Alcohol, Citral, Geraniol, Limonene, Linalool.

Tonnerre is part of Come Hell or High Water collection: where it all began with five Eau de Parfum (20% Oil) thematically linked by the sea, and its relationship with British history. Visceral, poetic, yet unsettling.