Yamanashi

There’s a finesse in the way they do things in the East. 

The detailed, often comical portrayal in Chinese and Japanese artworks depicting the master-student relationship that jives so perfectly with koan absurdities that make things… click. 

Little sculptures of a smirky cat or shy elephant exaggerate their expressions precisely because this captures how we perceive them.

Look closely at traditional Chinese and Japanese teapots, finely decorated, sometimes deliberately cracked, the decorated bamboo utensils, a box that took a year to make by hand, or a rosewood tray table with a hand-engraved image of a bull kicking a monk into the air (there’s that humor again). 

And you see the same approach of reverence and finesse in the kodo tradition. 

Kodo is about “listening” to a scent. It’s a ceremony of patience with slow, deliberate movements and gentle inhalations to really zoom in on a smell and nothing but the smell. Let’s call it zenhilation.  

While any EO perfume can and should be smelled up close and personal, over and over in order to appreciate the interplay between the robust and delicate aromatics, Yamanashi is meant to be experienced kodo style. 

The perfume is built around Japanese rose otto, which in my experience has been by far the most difficult rose to get – we had to wait a few years before acquiring the batch that’s used in Yamanashi. 

But Japanese rose is only the scaffolding of the fragrance. Yamanashi is such a uniquely kodo experience because you’ll discover how Japanese rose can be transmuted and how beautifully it enhances the other rare aromatics showcased in the perfume.

Smell lychee-laced rosa rugosa, yuzufied rugosa, the pristine white otto petal aroma whitened even more with the nighttime scent of mimosa which is then cream-drenched in blue lotus and pollen-dunked in sweet beeswax.

The subtle sweetness of cherry and apricot and raspberry – not notes to be picked out, but listened to through the prism of the diffusive sweetness of Japanese rose, the marriage of which is reflected through the prism of Tibetan and Mongolian musk’s exalting effect.

TOP
Yuzu
Neroli
Lychee
Raspberry

HEART
Japanese Rose
Ylang Ylang
Blue Lotus
Beeswax
Mimosa

BASE
Sandalwood
Grey Ambergris
Mongolian Musk
Tibetan Musk

The zenplicity of a single branch pink with cherry blossoms painted on a large, otherwise empty canvas. Elegant and relaxing. A sense of space and refinement that has been ingrained in the mannerisms of artists from these lands through thousands of years. 

With Yamanashi, I strove to capture this Eastern finesse the best I could in olfactory form. So, listen closely!

Featured Testimonials…

A beautifully balanced opening, holding a perfect tension between fruity lychee/yuzu notes and a fresh, astringent blast of neroli. Then, as if you layered it over a spritz of Chinese Exclusive, you get a slight kick of ambergris and sichuan pepper to create a bit of warmth and punch. Can’t get enough.

I know this fragrance was built around Japanese Rose, but I feel like the real star of the show here is ORRIS BUTTER! Creamy, grounding, smooth, warm, powdery orris butter sets the tone and is, to me, the backbone of this blend. The diffusive elegant rose, lush and aquatic blue lotus, and sweet ylang ylang all rest on this bed of luscious orris butter. I feel like this could have been named Iris Ghalia if that blend didn’t already exist! Keep in mind, this smells almost nothing like the actual Iris Ghalia, but the beautiful use of orris butter in this could warrant the name.

Once most of the florals settle, you’re left with a clean, smooth, musky sandalwood and orris combo. So smooth, still powdery, sweet. It’s a perfect skin scent. I could still easily smell it on my wrist the next day.

—Renzo C / Canada

Ensar Oud has quickly become one of my favorite houses, no doubt. Every creation I’ve been testing in the past months has blown my mind in the most awesome way.

still, I’m very new to these amazing scents, but I’m loving each and every part of this journey.

Yamanashi

Opens very Fruity, lychee, yuzu

I get an interesting Japanese rose, beeswax touch too. Very nice musk base

Layers of jade

Very green earthy vetiver. Still need some time to test it as well.

Purple Haze

Loving this one a lot. It does remind me a bit of another great one which i like a lot, OSK also now that I think of maybe a touch of Purple Kinam too.

Longevity and projection excellent.

So happy with this trio.

—Fred W / USA