Santal Impérial by Creed

Originally this product was launched in 1850 for the Austro-Hungarian Emperor, and it surely must have changed since then.

Initially there is a lemon note, with bergamot mixed in and quite dominant initially.  Gentle freshness pervades.

The heart notes centred around a tonka sweetness, which again is very discreet.  Certainly it is never intense of intrusive.

Then the sandalwood arrives.  Sometimes states to be a Mysore Sandalwood (1), but it is very restrained and later in the bases is soon pushed aside by some ambergris - as it happen a bit in Creed's creations over the decades.

I get soft sillage, adequate projection and a decent longevity of about four hours.

This is not an intensive scent for warmer autumn days and great in the office.  Santal Imperial is centered around a fairly straightforward sandalwood, which is less intense than Bois de Santal of the same House, and rather pale at times.  A conservative, classic and unobtrusive yet quite convincing sandalwood fragrance, if one ignores the performance issues.  3.5/5

Ref: (1) https://www.fragrantica.com/perfume/Creed/Santal-Imperial-7513.html accessed 12 June 2020