1984

Forgive me for not disclosing how much oakmoss is in here. 

The Mongolian musk is from Sultan Qaboos’ collection, or more likely from his predecessors’. It’s a magical, ultra-rare beast of a fixative no perfumer I know of has the privilege of using. 1984’s entire carrier contains it.

There’s more Papuan oud in here than in all of the perfumes in history combined. If that trips up other ‘oud’ perfumes… let me just say I’m truly sorry.

Why didn’t you use jasmophore or methyl tuberate? Did you really have to go with proper tuberose absolute, the kind that costs more than some ouds? Or jasmine sambac that lets people smell like they’re walking toward a blooming jasmine garden at sunset while sniffing a swipe of Borneo 2000 on the way? Oh yes… Borneo 2000… that’s in here!

1984’s concentration is so dense, a spritz may leave a velvety trail of oil on your skin. Whoops. Next time I’ll water it down to the minimum amount required to qualify as an extrait de parfum, instead of exceeding the max. And this doesn’t take into account the carrier composed of SQ sandalwood and those sticky black Mongolian musk pods…

But then, would you prefer your perfume share its DNA with pretty much every other perfume?

Or… are you up for venturing outside the gated walls and experiencing what musk does to tuberose and what oud does to lily of the valley and how yuzu and chamomile ride the wave on top as the vintage musk and sandalwood shake them all up?

This is what a nonconformist perfume smells like. Fresh, but oh so decked-out. The bitter yuzu comes lined with the green of aged gyrinops, the buttery white flower sweetness of jonquil gently tinted with the purple pollen of rosemary and the herbaceous and ever-disputed grace of a fat dose of oakmoss – the Papuan oud and oakmoss alone is a crisp, herbaceous, foresty combo to die for. 

You might think that sandalwood is contra-fresh or that its calming golden tone is anti-green. But coupled with massoia bark and chamomile, the vintage SQ sandalwood + Mysore from the 70s imbues the green, summer-fresh tenor of 1984 with a delectable gourmand shade… which you (surprisingly!) smell mid-air as you spray. That sandalicious semi-dry buttery pitch moistened by the green bite that defines the zesty top notes jam together like reggae and dreads. Pineapple and bergamot.

But it’s the rich, potent animalic blast of those old, old Mongolian grains in which everything swims that marries these precious aromatics in such unorthodox fashion. Gives the fragrance its sexy pizzazz and lets it gush with loud projection.

The hefty dose of Borneo 2000 adds a trippy resinous Bornean glaze to the profile and jacks up the effect of the Papuan oud as they’re morphed by the vintage musk into a cooling, piercing gust of oud that surges through the entire performance.

Featured Testimonials…

Imagine chypre sultan and chypre narcotique having a baby, that’s 1984.

A fresh and masculine scent with a bright oud core in a tsunami of green notes.

Compared to the OG 1984, this new version is way more bright and fresh because of the Borneo 2000 oud that’s replacing the Borneo diesel which has been used in the OG version.

The drydown is probably one of the best sandalwood smells that I’ve ever smelled. I’m not a big fan of fragrances that are heavy on sandalwood but this one changed my mind.

Projection and silage are great and if you have a bottle of chypre sultan I can highly recommend layering both.

I hope that we will get more versions of 1984 in the future, this is one of the perfumes that I could wear for the rest of my life.

UPDATE:

Heavy doses of oakmoss meet even heavier doses of sandalwood, combined with oud and musk you’ll get one of the best chypre scents from the house of EO.

While chypre sultan focuses on the dark green side of oud x musk x oakmoss x sandalwood, 1984 is focusing on the bright side.

This perfume is a real gentleman scent in my opinion, it’s such a masculine smell but without any overwhelming aspects. Everything is balanced to perfection.

—Chris A / Germany

This one is for the colder days

The scent opens with a fresh, vibrant explosion of Yuzu and Bergamot, creating a citrusy brightness that feels like stepping into a rainforest moments after a downpour. The Oakmoss quickly comes into play, grounding the composition with a green, earthy quality reminiscent of damp foliage and moss-covered bark. This opening is lively yet serene, with a subtle sweetness from Pineapple and Jasmine Sambac adding depth to the green, dewy atmosphere.

As the citrus fades, the heart reveals a delicate interplay of florals and herbs. Tuberose Absolue and Jonquille lend an indolic, creamy richness that feels lush and untamed, while Rosemary Blossom and Chamomile balance the composition with their herbal sharpness. This phase is where 1984 truly shines, evoking the image of delicate white flowers blooming in the shade of towering trees. The blend is both vibrant and grounding, a seamless transition from the bright opening to the darker, woodier base.

The drydown is where the soul of the fragrance lies. The dual Papua-Oud and Borneo-Oud foundation is smoky, woody, and slightly resinous, creating a sense of depth and mystery. This is further softened by the buttery richness of Mysore Sandalwood, which adds a creamy, almost meditative warmth. The Mongolian Musk introduces an animalic, slightly sensual edge, grounding the composition and giving it a primal allure. The combination of balsamic Massoia Bark and sweet Lily of the Valley whispers of the forest floor, tying the entire scent together in a harmonious balance of nature’s elements.

This is not a loud fragrance but instead whispers its presence. It projects close to the skin, creating an intimate, personal aura that invites curiosity. Longevity is extraordinary, with the scent lingering on skin for 12+ hours, revealing new facets as it evolves.

—Thomas W / Germany

Wow wow wow… this could be my fav no 1 ensar… being a fan of chypre sultan but unable to afford its price tag, this 1984 is in the same ballpark as cs and much affordable

I just can say whoever that felt regret or missed out any previous ensar releases that have the name chypre on it don’t worry, just get this 1984

And tbh this is the only one that I feel to get a second bottle after first sniff

Now I have to save up for 50ml back up

UPDATE:

Herbaceous mossy bitter yuzu with oud with cooling properties immediately make the day much much more bearable

—Edward L / Malaysia

1984 is quite Oudy from the get go, opens with a mentholated, medicinal, and herbacious Oud punch up front, it has quite a bit of mossy and earthy tonality. I’m also getting a slight hint of white floral and a gentle touch of chocolatey Mongolian musk in the background, it’s subtle and polished.

10min later I’m getting a very pronounce sandalwood facet that came forth, remind me a lot of the beautiful Santal Sultan, as if it was being spliced into the base. There isn’t any piney or foresty type green notes in 1984, the mossy and earthy medicinal from the core profile gave me more of a brown color hue, overall this is a very nice Oudy Sandalwood type composition, most definitely punches above its weight, tremendous value from the Cyber Xtreme sales.

UPDATE:

Wearing 1984 the second time tonight, definitely a rock solid love.

Yuzu and Bergamot are pronounced in the opening, with a slight hint of fresh green pineapple, it’s VERY Oudy from the get go, medicinal, earthy, fresh moss, with good amount of bitterness undertone, a slight touch of white floral in the heart, all of them being layered on top of a thick blanket of Santal Sultan’s Sandalwood at the base.

The Mongolian Musk is playing a fixative role, this isn’t a musky scent to me, no animalic to be found here, it smells refreshing and exotic at the same time, leaning masculine, not perceiving much floral from this composition. It’s very interesting how the Papuan Oud paired with the fresh green moss, bergamot, and green pineapple notes are giving this scent profile a green facet without having the usual suspects like pine, fir, cypress, spruce, or juniper berry in it, at least none that I could perceive, but the Santal Sultan’s Sandalwood here provide a very clean and pristine woody backbone instead. Overall this 1984 is very nice, crisp, and clean scent profile, this is a great release, kinda wish I grabbed a 50ml instead, I love it!

—Ben W / USA

Reviews of the previous edition of 1984…