Considering Floris London has a reputation for keeping it classic and Ian Fleming himself was a noted fan, it makes sense that England’s oldest perfumery was tapped to produce a unisex fragrance for the 60th anniversary of James Bond. And while Floris is far from the only brand offering something Bond-themed this year, what they’ve produced is arguably the most thematic and considered link to the character Fleming first created back when he published Casino Royale in 1953. That would be the new fragrance, Floris No. 007, which just launched in Australia and has been designed with a certain “nonchalant charisma” inspired by the legendary spy.
“It was our desire to create a fragrance with strong character and style, but with an uncompromising edge,” Floris London state in a press release about No.007. And that’s more or less the feeling you get when giving this one a whirl; it’s as classic as they come, with the scent leaning heavily on the ingredients one would typically use to create James Bond’s favoured martinis.
It’s strongly botanical in that sense. Floris No.007 opens with bergamot, sweet orange, juniper and geranium. These airy, aromatic notes cultivate a gentlemanly profile that’s furthered by a consistent stream of heavier notes like red carnation, amber rum and Scottish oakmoss.
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Floris No.007 is very clean in that sense, stripping away the rounded richness of modern perfumery and settling on something that is characteristically James Bond. It’s comparable to the other fragrance Floris created, No.89, which was created in 1959 and became associated with Bond through Fleming’s novels. Except Floris No.89, created by Michael Bodenham a year before Casino Royale was published, leans heavier on richer notes like neroli. No.007 is cleaner.
“With No.007 we boldly strived to recall the exciting, enjoyable memories and appreciation of the rich tapestry of spectacular James Bond films over the decades,” states Floris, referencing multiple filming locations throughout the years as a source of inspiration.
Fleming has referred to Floris numerous times throughout the James Bond novels before, so this feels like a bit of a full-circle moment. Floris hasn’t wasted the opportunity either, even going so far as to craft the packaging of the Eau de Parfum after the dots that morph into a barrel during the opening credits of Dr. No.
There aren’t too many film inspired scents out there that skew towards men, so Floris No.007 is a bit of a rarity here. There aren’t too many other film characters out there who could justify having one of the world’s oldest perfumers – Floris was founded in 1730 – craft a fragrance in their image.
Top notes: Bergamot, sweet orange, juniper, geranium
Heart notes: Rosemary, rose, red carnation
Base notes: Amber, sandalwood, oakmoss, musk
