Nioh

Nioh is an ode to winter in Japan.

Freshly cracked mandarin peel bursts over wild Hainanese oud, a bright, zesty spark dripping with sweet tuberose, rose, and mimosa. Beneath, a rich foundation of vanilla fuses with the oud to deepen the composition, which is polished by the citrus-sweet warmth of beeswax and saffron’s refined glaze.

That glaze is then accentuiated with Japanese hinoki (which adds a semi-dry sweetness), soothing the fusion into something velvety and full-bodied. The creamy depth amplifies the richness of Chinese oud, not with synthetic sweetness, but with the dark, animalic allure of Cederberg Hyrax. This prized fixative transforms everything it touches – pulling out the orange flower and red mandarin’s natural sweetness, binding to the Chinese oud, and sinking into Tibetan musk. All suspended in ambergris.

Taifi Rose cuts through the stillness—sharp, vivid, and intense, a streak of vermillion on snow. Japanese Rose softens its edges, adding a subtle warmth to the frostbitten air.

Smell deeper and you’ll discover a gardenia accord, almost like a muted echo of autumn’s warmth, leading to a dark and grounding heart of oud incense twirling through temple rafters.

*The plaque has a slight scratch, as shown in the picture. We would normally not have offered it like this, but since Nioh was designed around the theme of winter in Japan, this serendiptious case of Wabi Sabi adds a touch of authenticity to the presentation that I feel enhances to the feel of the fragrance.