L'Eau d'Issey pour Homme Or Encens
Issey Miyake (2017)

Rose, amber and incense were the first notes I got from this gem. More suited for fall and winter. If worn in warmer weather, I would go with 1 spray to the chest. Projection and longevity are above average. 7.5/10

You only have to look at the fragrances that this one reminds people of, like many have said it's a rose forward scent of high end quality, there is a jammy feel that is offset with smooth incense, it is perfectly balanced and never feels too sweet or scratchy, performs fantastic and would suit a formal occasion, if you want a high quality glimpse of what rose scents are all about about then this is a stunning starter fragrance, my only qualm is that it does feel a bit boring after an hour, that being said it won't do to the people your sharing company with, the price that this can be found is excellent.

Today is probably my fourth of fifth wearing of the 2017 release from Issey Miyake, L'eau d'Issey pour Homme Or Encens, which I purchased this year as a blind buy due a very good price and good reputation. Mostly as advertised, it's a mix of resins, woods, and, certainly to my nose, a fairly prominent rose note, and it's well-balanced as respects these main accords. It also feels like a good balance of exploratory/artistic ideas and well-established norms, like a resinous rose oud, so that it's very workable and wearable but not redundant. That it's not especially rosy or animalic prevents it from actually being a rose oud, instead having an incense center with only a slight spiciness via some pink pepper and cumin–used modestly, in my estimation–with an assortment of resins and woods making up the balance. Certainly the rose always remains detectable, though as one player in an ensemble, not dominant.

Overall, it's robust but fairly agreeable as resinous fragrances go, and I could easily see it being a cold weather unisex staple, though it is of course part of the men's collection.

Its performance is very good, especially considering that it was priced at $43 when I purchased it on FragranceNet but the pricing generally seems to be a bit higher, at $73 on FragranceBuy.CA, and I still think the $73 price is reasonable for this.

8 out of 10

Gorgeous rethink of L'Eau d'Issey.

Issey's Or Encens adds a fabulous mix of spiciness with daring cumin and exotic Brazilian pink peppercorn, a definite lifting up of the original's yuzu-cinnamon-vetiver-amber foundation. Incense is subtle, and in the base is a great collection of woods that add depth via cedar, sandalwood, and interesting pine-like amberwood essence. And the rose puts a classy touch to what is a great night-time fragrance fit for cooler weather.

First sniff: disorderly dark spicy woody oudy ambery; NOT for the faint of nose.

Like Noir Ambre, this is a niche quality fragrance available from a designer. I can see this never dipping below its current offer price; my advice is to buy it if you like it.

It takes a minute to settle on your skin, considering the one-two punch that is the head and mid notes (rose + labdanum to incense and pepper, yikes!).

Would not wear this in the summer: too spicy and dense.