Ambergris
Indian oud
Indian papyrus
Kashmiri musk
Orris absolute
Magnolia
Musk09/12/2025
MacnZee
28 Reviews
MacnZee
1
Bold Hindi Oud, with a beautiful musk base.
The elusive Indian Papyrus from Jinkoh Store. The second spray perfume from the house, released back in 2022, and only 20 bottles made. I have been on the hunt for a couple years now and was finally lucky enough to track down a bottle. Indian papyrus is a very divisive perfume, and you are either going to love it, or hate it.
Indian papyrus opens with a blast of traditional hindi ouds. Royal Meghalaya, and Royal Golaghat, plus a crassna oil from Laos. The opening has all of the hallmarks of a high quality hindi oud; leather, dry woods, dusty smoke, a delicate sweetness of liquored plums, and of course a hint of funk. However, the way the ouds interact with the other materials, really softens the funkiness, and there is nothing overly barn or offputting.
The top also has a faint cocoa quality that blends perfectly with the ouds. Coca is not listed as a note, so I would imagine it is coming from the copious amounts of musk in the composition.
The opening and the heart of the fragrance is the most divisive part of the journey. The indian papyrus adds a facet to the perfume that is unlike anything else I have ever smelled. It creates a dry, bitter almond note that, to some, may remind them of an Elm Seed beetle or stink bug. While I can understand the comparison and connection, from my experience, it only adds to the uniqueness and charm of the composition, and does not make it off putting to me.
Interestingly, from my experience, this bitter quality is amplified when sprayed on paper or fabric, and is minimized when sprayed on skin. So for me this is a perfume that is best sprayed on skin, where the musk and ouds can really work its magic.
The composition lists marigold and iris as the floral components. To my nose, they are delicate, and contribute to the powderiness of the heart and drydown. However this is definitely not a floral perfume.
The base of Indian papyrus is incredible! The ouds are still a star player, and are leathery, slightly sweet and smokey. The base is also where the animalics shine. Grey Ambergris adds a bold animalic minerality. The Kashmiri and central asian musks create the most beautiful animalic skin scent, that I can’t stop sniffing.
Indian papyrus is not a mass appealing perfume, and I am sure there are even seasoned oud heads that might find this one a difficult wear. But for me, I absolutely love it! The uniqueness of the bitter papyrus, the quality and boldness of the ouds, coupled with the most incredible musky base is such a treat. I am so happy to finally have this in the collection.
Indian papyrus opens with a blast of traditional hindi ouds. Royal Meghalaya, and Royal Golaghat, plus a crassna oil from Laos. The opening has all of the hallmarks of a high quality hindi oud; leather, dry woods, dusty smoke, a delicate sweetness of liquored plums, and of course a hint of funk. However, the way the ouds interact with the other materials, really softens the funkiness, and there is nothing overly barn or offputting.
The top also has a faint cocoa quality that blends perfectly with the ouds. Coca is not listed as a note, so I would imagine it is coming from the copious amounts of musk in the composition.
The opening and the heart of the fragrance is the most divisive part of the journey. The indian papyrus adds a facet to the perfume that is unlike anything else I have ever smelled. It creates a dry, bitter almond note that, to some, may remind them of an Elm Seed beetle or stink bug. While I can understand the comparison and connection, from my experience, it only adds to the uniqueness and charm of the composition, and does not make it off putting to me.
Interestingly, from my experience, this bitter quality is amplified when sprayed on paper or fabric, and is minimized when sprayed on skin. So for me this is a perfume that is best sprayed on skin, where the musk and ouds can really work its magic.
The composition lists marigold and iris as the floral components. To my nose, they are delicate, and contribute to the powderiness of the heart and drydown. However this is definitely not a floral perfume.
The base of Indian papyrus is incredible! The ouds are still a star player, and are leathery, slightly sweet and smokey. The base is also where the animalics shine. Grey Ambergris adds a bold animalic minerality. The Kashmiri and central asian musks create the most beautiful animalic skin scent, that I can’t stop sniffing.
Indian papyrus is not a mass appealing perfume, and I am sure there are even seasoned oud heads that might find this one a difficult wear. But for me, I absolutely love it! The uniqueness of the bitter papyrus, the quality and boldness of the ouds, coupled with the most incredible musky base is such a treat. I am so happy to finally have this in the collection.
Georgeman
