If there’s any single oud responsible for the exploding oud scene in the West, an oud that sparked all the micro distilleries that are mushrooming everywhere, it’s Green Papua.
Green Papua is to Oud what Leaves of Grass is to poetry – there’s no American poetry without it. An all-time classic. It’s the oud many consider my signature oil, especially fellow distillers. I used to bathe in it several times a day, and it was the one oud I tended to apply most frequently. I know at least one guy who quit his accounting job to start a career as a distiller right after smelling it…
To me, there are two ways to do Papua oud. There’s the Port Moresby, Chen Xiang Qi, Kyara Sayang way. Then there’s a much less well known technique we used only in the beginning, before we became obsessed with chasing the green dragon of kinam smoke.
We ditched the latest ‘techniques’ and dived back to 2004 to re-distill that green legend. And here we are, at the birth of a new decade and I’ve got an oil for you that-s so old school, so Oriscent, you-d better get your resignation letter ready!
Here’s your chance to dig your nose into that aboriginal, wild, uncut and green aroma that’s served as a definitive guide to many an oud lover over the years, with a ripple effect on the oud world like few other ouds can boast of.
Ground costs for raw agarwood sure ain’t what they used to be over sixteen years ago. Not to mention distillation costs. Make no mistake about it, this oil should be selling for no less than $750. But I want this magical scent to be shared by as many people as possible. To enjoy, to reminisce, to bliss out on. And not in the least… to learn from.
I had apportioned part of this distillation to be used in my perfumes (its vibrant profile makes it a multinote component that can act as a stand-in for several ingredients at once—or be used to enhance them). Fortunately, I ended up with a little left after I finished the blending. So, here’s your opportunity to order a bottle and discover why all the reviewers below are so passionate about this legendary oud.
Green Papua has a permeating quality that can out-green vetiver and out-herb patchouli, or at least provide enough baritone to stand shoulder to shoulder with the highest-pitched sopranos of the aromatic world, be they flowers or grass or spice. That’s why it’s my favorite oud to use in my most popular compositions.
It’s fresh……… but not in the spritz-on-some-citrus kind of fresh.
The minty-floral opening is a treat so few ouds pamper you with, yet behind the rich, garden-fresh intro lies a BEAST. Among the cleanest pure-incense aromas of all oud oils, so deeply resinous it’s this kind of oud that totally ruins your chance to enjoy generic ouds again.
This is the oud to own if you want to know what ‘green’ oud is all about. If you think you know what ‘jungly’ and olde ‘incense’ mean and you haven’t sat down with a swipe of Green Papua… it’s like trying to read a book with half the pages torn out.
This is a benchmark fragrance that enriches your taste and becomes a torch to carry along your oud journey. And no, you can’t say that about just any oud. You need a hit of oud that’s so distinct the contrast is clear.
Green Papua was distilled from live and vibrant gyrinops, legally harvested, and incense-grade to give you an oil that’s as pristine green, as rich, as minty floral as if you-re back in 2004, smelling Green Papua all over again.
Here’s what other people are saying about Green Papua…
Green Papua takes me far away to a deep, unexplored forest & landscape, as do all of your oud oils – olfactory travels are still possible, ah, thankfully… and, every time a new journey happens within me; I’m very grateful for this. – Rose, Switzerland
Green Papua is like the essence of the forest itself, the youngest of these family members who touches everything- from the new saplings with their bright fresh vegetation to the years old felled tree returning the earth from which it grew. Its the life cycle of the forest encapsulated into a single oil- pick which aspect you wish to focus on and it will come to the fore, without drowning out all in the background. – Lucas, USA
I often felt Oud Yusuf was some alchemy that captured a peachy rose sunset. Green Papua is the same, except that sunset is on Neptune with green rays refracted from the distant cold planet’s atmosphere, green and turquoise rays tracing the glaciers and winding valleys. The scent is cushioned with that comfort you get from baby’s breath in a bouquet. – Jasim, Dubai
I recently purchased Green Papua 2019. I have about 5 or 6 Oud oils now and I have to say this one has really blown my mind! It is so strong and nose filling and green and invigorating! I was really hoping you can tell me why this Oud is so much more powerful and how I can now start purchasing more like this one but perhaps with different notes but are also so powerful and rich and nose-filling and absolutely moving. – Travis, USA
A delicious and fresh progression of notes; incidentially, I had a little swipe of the gorgeous Aroha d’Afrique (Khus) active, put on hours ago, and then applied G.P. on the other ankle. A very inspiring duet! The greenness is partly camouflaged and replaced by a “citrus-bergamot-pepper-sandal” progression. G.P. in my opinion is not necessarily a “stand alone” oil but gains best experiences in combination with other sweet/earthy scents. Accordingly, the visual translation is called “the green rabbit is hiding”- pristine! – Erhard, Austria
Wow. That is intense. I don’t know the words to use, but I’d say there is a green-wild-sunny thing about this oud, and it ‘happens’ around an imaginary point located between my nose and my eyes. There is mint, there is moss, there is something spicy, almost peppery, but most importantly, the overall feeling is one of clear sensual, if not sexual power and joy. – Danny, Canada
Higher than its weight level. At this price point GP is a serious candidate for top 3 oils. – Rasoul, Canada
The incredible hulk. Smelling this made me high (in a halal way). Greenlicious! Fresh, minty, woody, floral. I’m in a happy place. – Abdullah, South Africa
Green Papua is a new style to me. It has something similar to what I called the ‘dense pollen’ of XXL, but the drydown/base of GP is almost more of an actual powdery note. Not like the powdery benzoin/tonka in western perfumery, but like a dense, dark, grayish-black powder/pollen note – reminds me of moss and woods, like real moss and real woods, almost a little vegetal. For the dark color, it was surprisingly not ‘dark’ on my skin. There is an interesting minty feel to it. Not mentholated or spearminty, but oud-minty I guess, lol. I’ve written perfume reviews for years, but I’m still trying to figure out the correct language to describe oud. Some of the terms translate, others don’t feel right. Is GP gyrinops? I think I remember reading that, but if so, to this rookie it smells very different from the Sri Lankan gyrinops. Part of the fun of the geographical aspect to oud I suppose. I find that fascinating. – Ben, USA
The Archipelago arrived safely. I spent a considerable amount of time taking alternative swipes from Archipelago and Green Papua, asking myself the question about which one came first, the chicken or the egg… Both oils have something that triggers some kind of homesickness to me although I have never been to Irian Jaya or Papua N.G. It is difficult to say which one I prefer. I think Green Papua is wilder, more versatile, explosive. Archipelago is sweeter, more mature and balanced. – Costas, Switzerland
Nothing but praise for Green Papua – very uplifting and light. You’re challenging me because I would have never picked it out from the write up. – Philip, France
Light, ethereal, delicious, delightful. Initial floral and fruit sweetness on wood base. Floral dissipates. A little citrus. Mossy, spicy, minty. The minty, foresty, wood grows into the middle notes. There is some effervescent floral that bubbles up. Drydown is slightly sweet, minty wood. The mint is more of a Thai basil type smell than spearmint or peppermint (familiar to US). I could smell like this every day and the only downside is I might not appreciate it after time. – Dave, USA
Applied to my wrist, this immediately radiated jungle sap, mosses, a vegetal muskiness, still with that certain Oud ‘lift’ right at the end of inhaling. This is not a polite fragrance in the slightest, it’s very raw indeed which is wonderful if you are in the mood for something pagan. I did have to apply a good drop or two to get the quantity of sillage right for me. Half an hour later it’s become noticeably less green, raw and now incense has developed amidst the very classy mosses and heart of green. This Oud really evokes a sense of place. Close your eyes, breathe it in as you are transported to a shaded old, deep forest canopy in summer, one can almost hear the trickle of the burn flowing past, the warm slight breeze languidly drifting through. As I was writing the last sentence I looked through YouTube and started to play a track called Mother Tongue by Dead Can Dance that I have not listened to or even thought of for years and years, and is that you, synesthesia? I suspect that’s as close as someone without the ability can get to experiencing it. To phrase with a degree of discretion, just inhaling this certainly inspires the sap to rise. – Robert, USA
Two hours in and the greeness is now dominating again, but it’s no longer raw, now it’s almost how I imagine green incense to smell. – Robert, USA
I am currently wearing and contemplating Green Papua. There is something so deep jungle, green and mysterious about the gyrinops. Something like the smell of sacred medicine, like ayahuasca. – Joel, Cambodia
Your package arrived just as I was about to leave to begin the day’s gallery hoppings but I had to swipe it before ringing for the elevator. My first thought – I don’t think I’ve ever smelled as minty an oud. Second thought – This is bringing me back to what my ‘old’ oils smell like. I hadn’t read your write-up – I bought it just based on your recommendation. I just read what you wrote and it’s “spot on.” Everything you wrote I agree with 100%. Two other things – As I walked from one gallery to another, I kept getting woody whiffs of this oil. It was so invigorating, it made me want to run! AND, I went to the gym at 4PM for a Pilates session. During Pilates you spend a lot of time on your back, with your legs or arms connected to leather straps at the end of coiled springs that provide the resistance. As my arms traced lines, loops and circles in the air, Green Papua left its scented trail along those same planes and made my workout a particularly enjoyable one. My trainer, who isn’t familiar with oud, asked if I was wearing sandalwood. She said she usually hates it when people wear perfumes in the studio but she asked me where I bought it. She competes in bikini competitions and I think of her as a very ‘girly’ girl but I guess Green Papua crosses gender lines! :)Anyway, wearing it brought back a lot of memories. It feels good to come back ‘home!’ – Marian, NY
It is at once GREEN, not jungly green so much as a summer, mossy kind of green. Very very uplifting. Then comes tea notes – not so much green as it reminds me of a first class malty Assam tea. Then the sweetness that is sometimes as light as Acaia honey and at times as robust as Tasmanian Leatherwood honey – just overflowing with rainforest and pollen-laden richness. The drydown is somehow different than usual wood-oud aromas. It is certainly oud to the initiated, but somehow altogether different. Very happy and pleasant refreshment. More like this would be most welcome indeed. Your Ouds always have that extra umph it seems no matter where they are from! AND they age very very gracefully. – Jeff, USA
Green Papua starts off very crisp and green. After the top notes mellow out a bit I get wild florals. The florals add a powdery element that tempers the green mossy vibe in just the right way. There is also a soft minty freshness about this oud, and a whisper of dampness. All these notes combine to bring you a scent akin to a vibrant spring day! Just like the aromatic properties of this oud, the oil itself is a most beautiful mossy green color. Some Papuan ouds give me a Fougere vibe, Green Papua does this most gracefully! Green Papua is the scent of new life in spring! – Chris, USA
If there ever was an oil that when inhaling it for the first time one is spirited to opening a door and stepping out into an old, established yet green forest then Green Papua is it. On applying it to the wrist it is not overly viscous and there is a decided green color to it mixed with grey and medium brown. At first blush there is a mixture of spice and oud. No “barnyard”. But after a few minutes the scent settles down to a “green” frame of mind – mint, pine needles and moss.
One admirable quality of Ensar’s ouds is that each one has a very different profile than his other offerings. Currently I have about a dozen Ensar Ouds and each is a unique experience. And it bears mentioning that dealing with Ensar Oud is a pleasure, every time. Ensar, Adam and Thomas all respond to emails quickly and with kindness. The ouds arrive quickly after purchase, which is wonderful for us who are “patience challenged”. And although Green Papua by itself is a perfect scent to apply first thing in the morning, I plan on adding another scent on top of it as the day progresses. Taif rose will be the first. Green Papua is another winner. – Bob, USA
C’est mon premier oud de Papouasie et certainement pas le dernier… les ouds dans le style de ceux de Borneo sont definitivement mes preferes. C’est une huile tres opaque, d’apparence noir. Mais lorsque vous la mettez sur la peau, elle est verte fonce. Pas du tout visqueuse, tres fluide. On prend un grand bol de miel dans les narines pendant le premier quart d’heure. Puis c’est l’emergence d’un magnifique parfum de the vert menthole. Quelques notes floral et fruite en arriere plan. Le coeur de ce oud est rempli d’odeur de bois d’agar delicatement chauffe. Le tout s’accorde parfaitement, en souplesse. Un oud qui plaira a beaucoup par sa finesse. – Thibot, France
The utterly refreshing Green Papua was much appreciated, although I have to spend more time with it. I can say for now that it is an absolutely lovely light green smell. – Raaid, UK
Green Papua is one of my favorites. Green oil! I like it so much. – Ammar, USA
The Papua is amazing. I pause here because I can smell its wildness and richness of earth. There is a sense of deep quietness once I reach that spot. This is one for meditation. – Azmal, Brunei
Dipped into the Green Papua. Mmm. Just what I was looking for. – Jackie, USA
So… GREEN PAPUA WAS A TRANSCENDENTAL EXPERIENCE!… Salaat after even SMELLING IT, not applying, but just SMELLING it, was focused and elevated… And later I kept seeing the fragrance of it in my olfactory mind’s eye… I cannot explain this… It’s a fragrant AND spiritual matter rather than just merely a perfume. If I could afford a full bottle, I would order one or two right now. Everything else was beautiful. Kambodi X is sublime, fruity, but also earthy and introspective. Loved it. The 1984 is similar to the incredible santalum oils I remember smelling as a kid… But… Green Papua… is like a veil being lifted from the senses… it has messed me up my brothers. It has a tiny touch of Dom Kwan, but with a Purple Kinam nuance and something else I can’t describe… I NEED IT IN MY LIFE BROTHERS… – Zayn, UK
Had the name not given it away, I probably would’ve thought this is a Bornean oil, maybe it’s the green mint note. To be more precise I feel it shares certain aspects of Kyara de Kalbar, especially the mint note and the powderiness. – Hamidur, UK
The words that immediately come to my mind are bright, vibrant, bracing and piercing. If not going too extreme, I might even label this as ‘frozen’ oud. In gastronomic terms, it is like tasting a green orange sorbet, sweetened with lychee honey, topped with a sprig of fresh mint. It is an experience that everyone should encounter at least once. – Kenny, UK
Green Papua is very Nordic. The deep forest. – Veronica, Estonia
Astringent, pungent, sharp green… with a touch of sweetness. Like noni juice or ayahuasca. A smell that is vaguely repulsive, like a deep natural medicine, but that keeps seducing you back for more. Something so unique and out of this world. Rotten grapes, deep jungle of rotting leaves and a damp, dark mystery. The heart reveals a green fruitiness and dries down into the smell of dark resinated agarwood with a vague mustiness (reminiscent of Royale No 5). GP retains all along a certain medicinal twang that pulls you back in with an irresistible ancient primal urge. I get the color purple and the feeling that it is penetrating deep into the chambers of my lungs and awakening long lost memories. I feel the old Papuan tribes worshipping in the jungle and the ancestors – the indescribable grunt of Life itself. – Joel, Cambodia
Intense smell of mashed green leaves of different kinds, which is minty and medicinal. No floral or fruity notes at all. A bit like ginger. I feel like I am sitting deep in a tropical jungle, breathing the fresh air after a rainfall, when the smell of green plants on the ground rises up to my nose. – Razak, Malaysia
Marvellous oil. Opens up with a green balsam rich, cool incensy followed by a mint tea pininess sharp and mentholic. On deep inhale it cools the whole nasal passage and numbs the brain. I get hints of herbs and spicy peaks of sandal all engulfed by the non-sweet honey oud waxiness. Keep sniffing and relaxing. Easy to wear and a great departure from the deep thick ouds. Collector’s stuff. Full inhalations lead to a unique magic. – Nikhil, India
What kind of rational logic does a man possess to spend this kind of money on olfactory products, or call it perfumes if one may, I wonder?… What does it say about him? Am I OK or should one worry? But still, here I am and I’m happy I did take that chance! I’ve never smelled something quite like this. It’s just, umpf, truly mesmerizing. As I’m writing this a subtle scent of Green Papua lingers up my nose, it’s been 4:30+ hours since application and it’s just breaking up wonderful light, treey, warm and sweet now. I like what it makes me feel here and now a lot!… But it’s quite pungent at the very start, although never in a bad way! Then there’s Oud Yusuf, which I wore earlier today. Oud Yusuf is truly a veil of wonderful flowers and warm treeyness, summer and youth perhaps, within which my mind and soul could rest for all of time left on this earth. It’s light and indeterminate – but never shy, continuously making itself reminded. It’s indeed very pretty. I don’t know what else to say other than I don’t want to run out of these holy drops. And that I should have ordered some more samples of the aged wild ouds and olde ouds to get more comparison while I was at it. But, hey you got start somewhere, right? ☺ – Mattias, Sweden
In heaven this morning with a large dose of Green Papua under my chin. The crisp fall air heightens its joyous and soothing effects, its vapours rising upwards to create a halo of beauty around my head. Jannat. – Stefan, Canada
Why are we here in this group? Green Papua is one reason why. I have been blown away by how good the quality of ouds are with E.O. not only at higher price points but also at lower price points. Green Papua is one of those oils. After having gotten Pinoy recently, I was intrigued and also reminded by another member its close relation in profile to Green Papua. So I wore it again and I was excited to see how two regions can exhibit similar qualities. It truly is a beautiful oud of green, jungly, minty vetiver incensey qualities. From start to finish it excites the nose with sweet tropical almost fruity blasts of aroma. Really one more reason to a fan of Ensar Oud products, and still available!