ENSAR OUD
TIBETAN MUSK

2021

PERFUMER
Ensar Oud

blackcurrant
Spicy notes
Lavender
frankincense
Cedarwood
Crystal Amber
musk

I adore Ensar’s Tonkin Musk. It’s in my top 15 and it’s the most expensive fragrance that I’ve purchased. More importantly, it opened my eyes to a ‘new level’ of perfumery. After wearing well over a thousand fragrances on skin, few things stand out as feeling like a wholly different experience; Tonkin Musk did that for me.

Enter Tibetan Musk. Straight away this gave me the same feeling. While being easy to wear, there’s a heat radiating in here with a daring edge, that tapers slowly as the wear progresses, but rears it’s head later in the drydown again.

I get two main elements. Firstly, a vintage-esque, fizzy, spicy and aromatic opening with a lot of what I perceive as bergamot. Contrary to the brand’s description, it does retain a hint of the acidic (urinal) nature of other musks to me. This part may remind one most of (yesteryear’s) ‘conventional’ niche. From my collection the closest ancestor would probably be Frederic Malle Malle Noir Epices.

The second element is sweet woody musk. Ensar talks of a chocolate sweetness, but Tibetan Musk won’t automatically appeal to gourmand lovers. The chocolate weaves in and out; some wafts it’s prominent, while on others it’s in the background. I definitely wouldn’t say the overall scent is edible. As mentioned, later in the wear, it becomes a tad animalic and fiery again (a semblance of Roja Parfums de La Nuit 1 at that stage).

There’s a persistent fruitiness, but not as much as in Tonkin Musk, which is overal more acidic. It does have a similar out of this world texture, that has to be experienced to understand it. Despite the spices, citrus & aromatics that I get, it’s instantly creamy and warm. Tibetan Musk feels more retro and more masculine leaning.