Best Five O'Clock Au Gingembre by Serge Lutens Alternatives & Similar Perfumes

Perfumer: Enrico Buccella

A tribute to an icon and its amber-scented world – amber, ambar, alambre, ambra, ambrum, ambarum, Alambar. Built around a spiced cinnamon and honeyed vanilla heart of sublime quality, subtle tones have been amplified. Shimmering and slightly peppered bergamot reveals the full spectrum of the amber’s gourmand, floral, leathery and spicy notes. Its woody character is reinforced by addictive cocoa and the enveloping layers bring a warm mystical aura.

In his Descriptio Montis Fracti sive Montis Pilati from 1555, the famous Swiss naturalist Conrad Gessner chronicles his journey into the caves of the Alps. “At night, the moon shines into the cave so brightly the light itself seems to take form, like a mist. It gathers in the ceiling and makes the limestone stalactites glitter and gleam, dripping tears of white liquid into puddles on the rock floor that never dries. Moonmilk.”

This EdP lives up to that sublime description with a dance between conflicting textures that titillates the nose. The black tea and lime opening establishes an expectation for further crispness to come. The switcheroo comes with the appearance of Mysore sandalwood, its milky incense soft like a lover’s touch on the skin. All the elements resolve in a fresh and tender leather.

This EdT plays it dark but bright. A spiky black pepper opening commands attention, before being volumised by an ebony chorus of black tea, birch tar and incense. Tree moss and violet lend a perfumed earthiness.

Perfumer Antoine Maisondieu

Formerly known as East India the perfume is back with the new name: Vi et Armis (Latin for 'by force and arms',  the motto of the East India company)

The olfactory references in the perfume are exploring Britain’s complex relationship with other nations and its dominance of international sea trade across the centuries, this heady, narcotic scent challenges as much as it beguiles.

Using imported and exported goods of the East India Company as its key notes, this addictive fragrance recalls the words of George Bernard Shaw: “Emotional excitement reaches men through Tea, Tobacco, Opium, Whisky and religion”

Paradoxical and challenging, we imagine the roots of our island nation steeped in contradictions.

El Caminante, Spanish for “the wanderer”, is a nomadic fragrance that pays tribute to the flâneur’s stroll, the urban pilgrimage in search of self-knowledge. This extrait is an invitation to travel, to seek experiences, thanks to the propulsive cadence of Ceylon black tea and a lightly smoked suede. The experiences along the way include cardamom and saffron, with fruity nuances of dried plum, date and honey. Luxurious iris absolute adds depth, accompanied by vetiver, sandalwood, tonka bean and labdanum.

Perfumer: Mathilde Bijaoui

The Riviera. The Mediterranean fills the horizon. You’re driving along a coastal road with the roof down, feeling free. In this extrait, lemon caviar, zesty ginger and icy cardamom puts jut in your strut, while tomato leaf, neroli and black tea summons an aromatic dance. Frankincense and cypriol offer shade in the sunshine.

Perfumer: Paul Guerlain

Konya Kolonyasi opens with a bright burst of bergamot. Crisply fruity and aromatic, it evokes old Turkish barbershops.

Then there is the juicy technicolour cherry note inspired by the orchards surrounding the city of Konya in the blessed Central Anatolia. 

In the base, black tea settles softly on the skin, recalling the endless glasses of Turkish çay (chai) shared throughout the day. 

Deep, comforting and slightly bitter.

Perfumer: Dominique Moellhausen

The spirited country girl arrives in the bustle of the city, determined to change her status to “anything but innocent”. That’s Sweet Lure, bubbling with naughty possibilities. Cinnamon and lily-of-the-valley swirl in a bamboozling haze of neroli and vanilla, keeping things alluring but fun.

Conjuring the nostalgic, crisp woody essence of Book Balanced & Expressive with sandalwood and cedarwood, this lighter rendition puts the emphasis on freshness with the addition of aromatic black tea.

This is the Personal version of Book, for those who prefer a subtle, intimately-projecting fragrance that invites closeness. Also try Book | Balanced & Expressive and Book | Bold.

An ornate tobacco leather with a hint of intoxicating tobacco bloom, as well as fresh leaves.

Montabaco is part of the Four Corners of the Earth collection and represents Latin America, the land where tobacco originated.

The perfumer conjures the original jungle encounters between natives and the sailor-explorers (who were totally oblivious to the magic of tobacco at that point). This is a novel interpretation of a tobacco-themed perfume, invoking lush green shadows full of parrot cries, mysterious blooms, and adventure.

The elixir is also exceptionally concentrated, at 42%. Hence the 'intensivo' in the title.