Oliban / Grisens
Phaedon (2011)

This is a lovely woody incense scent. Quite dry, with strong woody-bark notes. There is also something unusual going on -- at times it is a bit metallic, other times creamy, other times toasty/nutty. The only thing I can compare it to is ghee (Indian clarified butter). There are some smoky notes, and the scent settles into a dignified sandalwood.
[update] Notes in Oliban according to BN: natural incense from Awajii (a Japanese island), sandalwood.
However, the name Oliban refers to frankincense (not usually found in Japan) and the Phaedon website talks of cedar wood and also ambroxan (an ambergris element). The Phaedon site also says the following: "Incense wood forms the core accord: this is a natural raw material, obtained by co-extracting incense extract with the essential oil of cedar wood. Cedar has the special property of producing reactions during the extraction process which modify the smell of the product." I'm not a chemist but I have the impression that the two elements are combined together in the distillation process -- perhaps something akin to cask blends of two grape types, letting them synergistically ferment together, rather than blending at a later date.

This definitely delivers what it claims... You get sandalwood and cedary incense... Nothing more, nothing less. It is quality juice certainly, but it just seems like the composition is lacking. I wish I could write more on it, but really it just left me completely cold and I found the stuff entirely forgettable. I expect so much more for the cost of a bottle of Grisens. To compound the disappointment, projection and longevity were both rather minimal. Grisens gets a very average 2.5 stars out of 5, but a 1 out of 5 for its relatively poor value. I recommend seeking out something like Tam Dao for your sandalwood fix instead of this one. It is better, IMO, and less expensive.

Anytime I see a new straight-forward incense composition I get so excited but I've to say that Grisens left me somehow unsatisfied. If you're already familiar with fragrances such as Josef Statkus EDP, Herve Domar Diamant Noire and Dior's Mitzah (yes, I said it), there's nothing new to experience here. Grisens is a straight-forward incense/sandalwood/cedarwood compositiion with the addition of a subtle minty hint on top. Less sweet than the Herve Domar, more minimalistic than both Mitzah and the Josef Statkus but overall it still results like a starving to death love son of the aforementioned fragrances...

Close to the skin, weak lasting power. Nice but without the ability to stand out in this crowded territory.