ENSAR OUD
Blue Yunnan

2019

PERFUMER
Ensar Oud

CHINESE OUD (YUNNAN REGION)

Vial says 2019; I think it was sold in 2020.

It’s been described as a cleaner and simpler to wear style of oud.

‘The oud comes from Yunnan, a province in China located at the southern tip of China (close to Vietnam, Laos and Myanmar). As already written in the commentary on “Hailam Kilam”, the oud of this origin has quite unique characteristics in terms of fragrance development (for example, unlike the oud from Laos or India).

Blue Yunnan has quite a refined development that can not sharp edges. This is more about an oil that is nicely rounded and silky to the touch, as if it were a thin veil (not performance meant). Although the oil has the word ‘blue’ in its name, it seems more purple to me. Upon application, one senses a resinous dark sweetness that one could associate with dark honey (a facet that ‘Hailam Kilam’ also has). So strong is the impression that you can almost taste this sweetness when smelling it.

Still, it’s not all about the honey, as the scent oscillates between the sweetness and a fruity note that reminds you of a fresh orange zest (something that can also be detected in Borneo ouds, especially, from Malinau). After this interplay of sweet and fruity-fresh comes the darker phase, where dried fruit (you could even say a jam of blueberries and cherries), toasted Tobacco and black vanilla bean become apparent. These are enveloped by a gentle incense (not in the sense of church incense) and complemented by a floral bouquet that is far in the background.

Only in the later stages does Blue Yunnan go in the woody direction, with the wood being rather light and dry. It remains kaleidoscopic, however, with the fruity elements always making an appearance. Until the fragrance leaves the skin, it always moves between light and shade, showing off all the blue tones with violet nuances and subtle golden reflections.

‘ – PallasCC