Rumi

Rumi is as much a part of Turkish culture as are the medieval cafés that decorate the Bosphorus to this day. This perfume recounts what it must have been like – what it still is like – to walk the pebbled streets on your way to any of the thousands of zawiyas dedicated to the message of Love Rumi spread throughout this blessed land and beyond.

“If you can’t smell the fragrance, don’t come into the garden of Love.”

Cups of Turkish coffee on the ferry as you gaze over at Topkapı Palace, the spice shops that surround Fatih Camii, the iconic Turkish rose harvest festivities, cracking open cardamom for your coffee brew or pausing to enjoy the delight of smelling ylang-ylang.

Sufism and scent have never been far removed. Listen to Sufi odes or bliss out on love poetry and you’ll hear songs and rhymes personifying fragrances aplenty – penned, of course, by Sufis drowned in those smells.

Sufi sages have always imbued their writing, their songs, their attire, and their teaching with the reminder that scent can be transcendent. Disciples used to cultivate flower gardens around places of worship, so as to guide the soul with rare wafts of otherworldly aroma. Even today you see flowers planted around and at the entrances of many tekes and mosques. A manifestation of the Divine beauty.

When Rumi says, “I have fragranced my mind with the scent of Shamsuddin my master. Oud, amber and musk I do not need,” he reasserts the pedigree of those aromatics. Persian poetry overflows with references to perfume because of – as with love – how intrinsic it is to stirring the soul.

TOP
Apricot
Ginger
Clove Bud
Cardamom

HEART
Rosa Rugosa Otto
Rosa Rugosa Absolute
Jasmine Sambac
Ylang Ylang
Osmanthus
Elderflower
Narcissus

BASE
Royal Grey Ambergris
Kambodi Agarwood
Tibetan Musk
Blonde Tobacco
Frankincense
Coffee
Cacao

A spritz of Rumi is a reminder of the love he shared and the aromatic line-up above we are blessed to rejoice in, featuring the world’s most precious floral extracts…

This edition is the first perfume to feature a very special batch of Japanese rosa rugosa absolute. This is the first time in almost seven years that we’ve manage to acquire this batch, which was specially commissioned and distilled for EO.

This unique red citrus zest of the rugosa petals is enhanced with rare narcissus’ heady aroma to bolster the rugosa bouquet and compliment the darker tone of elderflower aroused by the thick jammy-sweet allure of osmanthus.

If the floral brew wasn’t loud enough by itself, Rumi is drinking a tall cup of Tibetan musk and a double shot of ambergris to boot (the amber tincture is 2.5 times more than the deer musk, which alone is way more than you’d get anywhere).

Rumi is an insanely elaborate composition – if I had to list all the notes in the scent pyramid, you’d be scrolling for a while! So, take a spray and get ready to whirl…

Featured Testimonials…

The gourmand Private Blend

A blast of warm Arabic coffee is joined by sweet spices. I believe Sohail said it first that it reminded him of private blend, and it was one of my first thoughts when I sprayed this. The unique mixture of spices and honeyed sweetness with the florals gives it this edible ethnic vibe that is extremely beautiful.

No boozy opening for me, instead I find it to be a perfect coffee, spice, and floral blend that dries into a smoky incense.

I love this one, the performance is HUGE. Very tenacious and long lasting. The performance is too good in fact, as it was too powerful for my wife

—Renzo C / Canada

It took me a good few wearings to really appreciate it, but now I can’t get enough of it. I’m not one for coffee usually which is why I was initially disappointed. I wanted more florals, however it’s a definite keeper for me now.

—Matt L. / UK

“Initial impression: A little boozy in the opening, with a blanket of Chocolate Latte, the cacao note is quite pronounced in this, instantly reminds me of Bortnikoff Oud Monarch but with a bit more depth and complexity. Resinous and ambery, a hint of vanilla and suede leather, with light floral accord and musk playing in the background.

The Tibetan musk probably enhanced the chocolatey vibe as well, the Kambodi Oud is a bit discrete here, blended in seamlessly with the rest of the notes. Easy to wear and easy to like profile, this is EO take on gourmand. Not too bad, going to need a few more wearing to see if I could pick up other notes.

Rumi is a great companion by the fireplace, especially during this bitterly cold winter night. Very comforting and cozy feeling. Maybe with a dash of oud smoke in this composition would be icing on the cake..”

Ben W. • USA

Original FB Post

This is an amazing coffee scent. This is better than Intense Cafe by Montale or any of the other well-known coffee scents. This is strong, yet there is a sweetness to it; the bitterness is accentuated at the same time. There is a sly smokiness yet is dark… This is an amazing fragrance. This is a cozy, wintery compliment-getting fragrance… What you are really getting is the coffee and spices. If you are looking for a coffee scent this is it.…

—Sohail D. / New Zealand

Follow up Review

Original FB Post

After further contemplation, I think I’ve finally deduced what Rumi is as far as fragrances go. I present EO’s efforts to bottle the feeling of sitting at a circular table outside of one of a few bustling cafés interwoven within threads of stalls, with stone paved roads and antiquated European buildings that have oriental characteristics.

Frozen in time as you gaze at people from all walks of life saunter or scurry along, you lift up your cup to your mouth. A wondrously large cloud of coffee steam engulfs your nose. Perhaps if you too were walking through the street with your cup in hand, you would only get hints of it, but instead, you are enveloped by this rush of refined energy. What’s more, there is a camphorous buzz from the Cardamom infused in your coffee, reminding you that you’re somewhere between East and West. More than just Cardamom pods, you feel Tibetan Musk pods providing an extra animalic caffeinated kick to your cup. There is a slight shimmery white feel, maybe Mastic or Ambergris accompanying the blend.

As your lips leave the cup, your tongue tastes the film of coffee stained on the front of your teeth. From here onwards, everything you experience will feel like it has been steeped in a cezve. The powdery sweet rose taste of a single Turkish Delight somewhat cleanses your palette, but the fumes of Hookah from the table behind you don’t let things be overly floral. Still, people walking by from the Dondurma stall with their elastic like ice cream sling through wafts of Vanilla, Jasmine, and an almost Sandalwood style creaminess. You finally decide to try the Helva sitting in front of you. The smell of toasted semolina, dried fruits, and a lot of Cocoa powder perfectly compliment the lingering taste of coffee. The wheaty chocolate feel is just pure decadence. The twang from the dried fruits feels like Cambodian Oud, while the sticky sweetness is akin to Frankincense. You tilt your head back and just submerge yourself in the moment.

While there have been many coffee scents released by Ensar, Rumi feels unique not only as a coffee fragrance, but also as an EO fragrance. Same high class ingredients, but the way in which they’ve been blended together just feels different—even with ingredients such as Oud, Musk, Ambergris, Rose, and Coffee which are ubiquitous in EO releases. There have been many EO fragrances that have flirted with the idea of being classed as a gourmand. Rumi is unapologetically a paragon of the gourmand profile. It has taken some time to understand this fragrance, but without a doubt in my mind, this is the most exquisite coffee fragrance I’ve tried from any house. It’s a mass-appealing, compliment-getting, beastly-projecting powerhouse that feels just as much snug as it is outgoing. Rumi is an olfactive microcosm of the Bosphorus Strait, showcasing the permeable dichotomy of the East and West.

—Sohail D. / New Zealand

A Note from a Customer

Original Post

My Rumi finally arrived!

Ultra first impressions:1 spray filled a 500 sq ft studio (my client confirmed he could smell me from outside my studio space 30 minutes after spraying).

Boozy up top! Wow this boozy note is incredible. I also get the effect of sparkling ambergris.

Semi-sweet white chocolate and amber with a nice dose of spices. Peppery dried fruits and a hint of deep mulled apricot. Insanely gorgeous amber note but there’s also something aromatic and fresh happening. A thin sheet of sweetly spiced pipe tobacco overlays the entire fragrance. Rich, dark roasted coffee with a brilliant musky Jasmine note!

Wow this Jasmine is simply incredible.

Is this the best coffee fragrance in the artisanal arena?

Is this the best gourmand period?

Drydown reminds me of the far drydown of og EO2 where you get that sweet ambery cream and ambergris.

TLDR: White chocolate boozy coffee and cream with dried fruit laced pipe tobacco.

This is the most accessible and crowd pleasing scent from Ensar with only the faintest similarity to EO2 in the far drydown. This is a gourmand for those that don’t like gourmands. It’s sweet without feeling treacle. It’s dense but aromatic and expertly blended. I love that Ensar created such a beautiful fragrance. This is warm, cozy, and comforting. It feels like a warm ambery hug. Truly comfort in a bottle.

Update: This has absolutely exceeded my expectations. I’m in love with this fragrance. It’s the best ambered tobacco scent in my collection. Truly unique which is hard to pull off with this genre. It feels like a cross between Russian Oud and Baque but through the lens of Ensar. To me this feels like a new direction for Ensar. I hope he continues to explore this kind of scent profile.

—Aaron R. / USA

A Note from a Customer

Original Post

My Rumi finally arrived!

Ultra first impressions:1 spray filled a 500 sq ft studio (my client confirmed he could smell me from outside my studio space 30 minutes after spraying).

Boozy up top! Wow this boozy note is incredible. I also get the effect of sparkling ambergris.

Wow this Jasmine is simply incredible.

Is this the best coffee fragrance in the artisanal arena?

Is this the best gourmand period?

Drydown reminds me of the far drydown of og EO2 where you get that sweet ambery cream and ambergris.

TLDR: White chocolate boozy coffee and cream with dried fruit laced pipe tobacco.

—Aaron R. / USA

My raw impressions of Rumi (1st test in 26º C /78º F Dubai weather):

It is nothing like I imagined. One spray unleashes a hefty doze of boozy liquor mixed with a gorgeous premium heirloom coffee note; the smell is gourmand but not sweet in a conventional sense of what is considered sweet.

Within the first 10 minutes the liquor and coffee dominate the scene, and I detect a slight olfactory cacophony between the individual notes that are making their appearance; thus I can understand why some may hastily dismiss this fragrance as peculiar or “not my thing”. However, I have had enough experience with EO compositions to feel confident that the individual notes will marry in a couple of months, the juice will become tamed and it will be one of the most loved fragrances.

Anyone who is thinking of selling their bottle after just one or even a few tests should hold off and just wait patiently, or you might regret your decision in 3 months time.

15–20 minutes into the wearing the florals make themselves visible and they are marvelous and lifelike. No wonder Aaron was so smitten with the jasmine. I am not sure if it is only the jasmine that stands out so beautifully, I suspect it could be a synergy between jasmine, narcissus and ylang-ylang that creates a stunning floral accord that is so spectacular, that I would pay the money just to smell this one accord.

I have been wearing Tonkin Musk non-stop for the last few days, admiring the florals in it, but the floral side of Rumi is praise worthy. Ambergris shimmers over the floral accord, and this ambergris is pretty wild and spunky; everything is still perceived through the lingering coffee note.

In this (Dubai) climate, Rumi does not conjure up an image of sipping a cup of hot cocoa by a fireplace on a cold winter night, but presents prospects of enjoying a late morning picnic on a beach, after a long swim in the ocean. On the table one discovers excellent coffee, a selection of liquor filled chocolates and dried fruits. The air is filled with the scent of the sea, a bewitching aroma of flowers from a vase decorating the table and occasional whiffs of vanilla tobacco from a distance. I am far from the dry down stage, but will have to stop for now, as this comment is turning into an essay..

—Moon B. / UAE

Featured Testimonials…

Follow up Review

A Note from a Customer

A Note from a Customer

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