Amber Kiso

Opens with a strong maple-leather scent, as well as something slightly medicinal that I can’t quite place almost like a vaguely minty throat lozenge. I also think I get a bit of the varnish scent in CDG Zero but much darker and warmer, and less synthetic, more like smelling freshly varnished wood rather than just huffing a bottle of varnish. I actually don’t get much woodiness at first though, some very light cedar but that’s it, once you get past the first few minutes it starts to creep in, however, once it hits it balances out the medicinal qualities very nicely. I’ve never smelled Hinoki before, but I adore the unique cedar scent that it’s produced here. I get the to aged whiskey but there’s zero booziness or alcoholic smell to it, just that vibe. The incense note is present but not particularly noticeable among the rest to me. There’s this intense “smoothness” to the whole thing that I’m not exactly sure how to describe, no airiness or anything, just deep molasses like smoothness, actually it might be why I get wood varnish vibes, it feels like something you use to coat stuff. I can not emphasize enough how heavy, smooth, and unrelenting this scent is, it never lets up either, I can see it being a huge turn off for some but I fucking love it. About an hour in the incense becomes more prominent and you start to get this smoky sweetness. The medicinal thing starts to go away a bit but never quite leaves, same with the wood varnish scent, probably a lot more accessible to people if they dislike the opening, and the Hinoki cedar really starts to shine. As it dries down it goes through a sorta candied fruit phase and then finally lets off with the intense “smoothness” and goes into a light powdery-wooded scent with that same amber undertone and to me some slight vanilla Unfortunately something about my skin chemistry means perfumes only last a few hours typically and this isn’t one of the exceptions, so I can’t comment on performance, but, frankly, I really don’t think this is all that weird and it’s kinda strange seeing so many people saying they literally can’t imagine wearing this. I’m personally not someone who needs a “reason” or “event” to wear perfume, I wear it because I like how it smells, that’s about it, it maybe isn’t like office/school appropriate just because it’s a bit strong but besides that it’s not something particularly out there imo Easy 8/10 for me. Edit: so, weirdly, I tried this in the late spring(basically summer temps where I live) after not wearing it for a couple months and get...nothing? It’s like the lightest cedar scent with a tiny bit if amber-y vanilla and that’s it. There’s no way my bottle has gone bad by this point so ig it just absolutely does not work in high temps, odd but fair enough, guess that’s something to be aware of if you buy a bottle

I lived in Japan for quite a while, in fact in Nagano, the home of Kiso. This reminds me of Zenkou-ji Temple in Nagano City. In front of Zenkou-ji is a daikoro(great incense burner) that has been there burning incense for years and years. This incense, osenko, permeates everything, from visitor to stone, to metal handrail to cloth banner, the air, the earth itself. Below Zenkou-ji is a pilgramage into a maze sealed in utter blackness(no light down there whatsoever) where pilgrims are to search for the "Key of Paradise," but for me what I found was a heightened sense of hearing and smelling as I could see absolutely nothing. I could smell the incenses in all their complexity as they had mixed with other pilgrim's clothes, hair and skin in front of me as we walked silently in the blackness. While I did detect some notes of lavender and a few stray notes of rose down there, mostly what I detected where resinous long needled matsu, hinoki, and something slightly sweet. I am doubting that something slightly sweet in the temple was actual maple elements in the incense(perhaps it was?), but I find that the maple in DS&D's Amber Kiso captures that something sweet quite well. For those of you all who have been practitioners of kendo for many years, I think the idea of leather, at least in the sense of Japanese bogudo/bogumen/bogukote/bogutare, is more of a stretch. Japanese leather armor is usually made of deer skin and smells of pungent, acrid, wood smoke, not the wood itself nor of a burning resin of that wood. Think of the difference between burning a stick of senko and throwing a log on a bondfire (two very different nasal experiences ensue). Also the smell of indigo died cloth attached to said pieces of leather armor are completely absent here(and wouldn't be appropriate even if possible as it would make for probably a very confusing scent that many kendoka don't even like that much), so I am more skeptical on the whole Japanese leather armor aspect of this perfume. I'd give it 10 out of 10 anyday. The liquid is quite dark, not something I would spray on a white shirt, so I have taken to spraying it on my hair. After walking in a straight line, if I turn, and retrace my steps through my own scent trail, and then close my eyes, I am back at Zenkou-ji in Nagano almost immediately. Thank you DS&Durga for this chance to revisit a place I once lived long ago.

Rawhide!!!! *whistles the theme tune from The Good, The Bad & The Ugly* How strange - this is a MUCH butcher and tougher experience on me than most people report here, and a rougher ride than I was expecting. D S & Durga do a dirty Western making no concessions whatsoever. My skin amps this up to a downright brutally greasy, lanolin-y, sourish, animalesque leather with only the faintest tangs of lacquered wood and the odd far-off scrap of vegetation and wisp of smoke in the middle distance. And I say that because I like it - it's a bucking bronco BEAST, yet wearable and compelling and charismatic as anything. To me it's the smell of a rodeo (minus any oud-powered bulls*t) - definitely on the masculine side, outdoorsy, natural, no compromise made, no quarter given. Only a few hairs short of Knize Ten in the rugged stakes, but without K10's chemical/rubber/gasoline overtones; much less lyrical and not at all flowery like Tauer's Lonestar Memories, but it has the same integrity and sense of place. It's on the verge - it's also HUGE and lasts FOREVER (I only wish that my other, more beloved D S & Ds performed like this.) Tough enough to last the course on even really cold days; it might get a bit overwhelming, maybe even a bit too meaty, in sweaty weather. A bit of a rampaging animal for sure, but one I can't resist trying my mettle against. Definitely not for blind buying, and probably not for everyday wear. But yet again - D S &D dare to be different and do their own crazy-woodsmen thing, with great results. ETA: This does mellow with time. The full bottle I've now owned for a bit over a year has calmed down (in a good way!) and is now an easier, though still exciting, ride - with the initial leather a little quieter and less lanolin/grease heavy, and much more of the delicious maple and lacquer coming through. So it's now edging closer to Bowmakers, which is exactly the right direction to be going in for my taste. Don't be too intimidated by the reviews: if you generally like leather or smoke perfumes this one isn't as scary (scary impressive! but still scary!) as first impressions might suggest. Very much worth your attention.

D.S. & Durga Amber Kiso is a 2018 release from the Brooklyn niche house that’s been on my list to try, courtesy of a decant from a generous fragcomm member. I’ve come to really love amber and resins in general as fragrant notes and I’m often keen to try an amber when it’s the first amber-named or amber-centric fragrance from a house. In this case, Amber Kiso was released simultaneously with Amber Teutonic. Amber Kiso has a mainly dry, woody, animalic feel, not so much the sweet, creamy side of amber that otherwise makes it gourmand-leaning. This is not a gourmand, nor is it even particularly sweet. There is, however, a not of maple, so there’s a sort of resinous sweetness in addition to just the incense vibe that is evident from the opening. There are also woody and earthy notes of cypress, patchouli, and moss. Perhaps the most noticeable additional accord is leather, though, as Amber Kiso comes off like an amber/leather mix from the onset. There are hints of Bowmakers in it, too, a sense of varnish, leather, woods, and sharpness that foster a similar vibe, or at least the strong suggestion that the two fragrances are in the same family. Bowmakers, though, commits to the varnish, whereas Amber Kiso, commits more to the amber. The pricing for Amber Kiso is roughly the current standard pricing for the whole line, at $260 for 100ml and $175 for 50ml retail, though there are always deals to be had at retailers like Twisted Lily that carry the line. Like pretty much every fragrance I’ve tried from the line, Amber Kiso’s pricing seems reasonable, not only because it’s a particularly bold offering, but because it embodies the same degree of care and creativity that I’ve become accustomed to smelling from the house. Overall, it performs well, highly dense from the start, not losing too much steam in the dry down, and a clear nice cold weather option, based on scent profile (I wouldn’t wear this in the heat...no sir), so it’s frankly one that I’m likely going to buy a bottle of, but I’m glad I have this decant to try some more in the meantime, particularly as the weather cools down. 8 out of 10

I’ve waited to review this because I really wanted to articulate how much I love this fragrance, and I think now is the time. First and foremost, this fragrance is so much more wearable than the people on here are making it seem. Now back to your regularly scheduled programming. The trail you walk on is dotted and populated with trees changing colors into every shade of red, yellow, and orange as you hike with your friends. The smell of your dads leather jacket on and the crisp autumn afternoon air pulls in the smell of the various trees of the Midwest, the maple trees sap reminiscent of the sweet delicacy you poured on your breakfast but not yet sweet. Dry cedar, the sappy maple, the clean leather, and sharp cypress mix together with the iris cologne you sprayed last night when you all went out together. The trail brings good times and good memories as a slight green from the remaining underbrush comes through. A romanticized hike in the northwest in a 50 or 100 mL bottle. This scent is what cemented D.S. & Durga as one of my favorite fragrance brands. It is such a beautiful mix of clean yet dusty leather (probably from the oakmoss mix), dry yet sappy wood (the focus is on the maple here with cedar as a good wingman), and this slight powder-y backbone with quick bites of green. It is a dichotomy of so many things, clean and dusty, sweet and dry, resinous and straightforward. While “Saint Julep” by Imaginary Authors is my signature scent during the spring and summer months, this is mine during the fall and winter. FANTASTIC longevity and silage. Easily 8-16 hours of wear with 6 foot projection, easy on the trigger. Slightly more masculine to my nose, but it’s cozy and sweet enough to be unisex. Fall & Winter but summer nights would rock. 10/10. A masterpiece. EDIT: This is one of the strongest scents I own. It not only sticks on my skin easily 24-48 hours, but lasts literal weeks on clothes.

The opening has a strong cypress and incense combo shine right away, with woody undertones. Very dry, and reminding me of Mississipi Medicine at that stage. Then, it slowly morphs into a balsamic resinous note (probably myrrh, with its typical cola-ish facet), supported by a strong bay leaf note (sold as hinoki?). At that stage it has a sweet undertone, but the bay leaf counter-balances it, and I agree with the previous reviewer that the similarities with SL Ambre Sultan are obvious. In the base, a benzoin note appears, supported by strong spices (in particular cumin and probably also cinnamon), with a bit of powdery/woody patchouli that will soften (a bit) the balsamic effect without falling into the traditionally uber sweet/vanillic base of some amber fragrances (i.e. HdP Ambre 114). At that stage, it shares similarities with Masque Tango. I don't get any leather in that one, except for a remote vibe because of the 'density'. Great performance, with good projection, and never ending longevity. It's a complex fragrance, offering a real journey: opens ultra dry and clearly masculine in the top, and closes totally unisex in the base. For me, who found the bay leaf note to be too much in Ambre Sultan, and Tango to be a bit too 'thick", I have found in Amber Kiso the perfect balance, with an added woody/smoky opening which is right up my alley. A stunning amber, overall unsiex leaning (a tiny bit) masculine, that caresses the masterpiece level for me. Bowmakers fits me a bit better, but this one is definitely a keeper and if one wants a single amber fragrance in their collection this one might be it (tie with HdP Ambrarem, for me). Keep in mind that even if dryer than the average amber frag, it's still an amber fragrance, and some tolerance for sweetness is necessary, as well as for bay leaf and cumin. Beautiful. Colder nights, 30+, unisex (a tiny tiny bit masculine)

Amber Kiso is a masterpiece. I first got this as a sample along with the bottle of Mississippi Medicine that's been my daily wear since early 2021. As a beard-haver, I'm put off by the scents most manufacturers put into their "manly" products like beard lotions, and at first whiff I thought this would be a good choice to mix into the plain almond oil that I use on my beard. I ran out of the sample pretty uickly, but my beard brush has retained the faint memory of Amber Kiso ever since. Every time I use that brush, the fragrance grows on me. With my bottle of MM running low, I bought a full bottle of AK and it really is such an incredibly characteristic, evocative blend. I'm struck most by this sort of phenolic note that makes me think of peaty whiskeys, band-aids, and the background odor of chemistry labs. The maple sweetness is almost wet, almost cold (there's a hint of the powdery spearmint-sugar inside of the foil wrapper of a stick of Wrigley's Doublemint gum), and in a bizarre way makes me think of those Strawberry Shortcake dolls in the '80s that were made from plastic that emitted a faint, synthetic strawberry smell. All of this is rounded out by the worn leather belt that you took from your dad all those years ago and still wear, the one that all that cheap brand-less Japanese incense from your college years seeped into. I know this all sounds weird as hell! But I tell you what, it works so well. I feel like this is going to be recognized as a classic and remembered fondly (I mean I genuinely want to buy a spare bottle just so I can keep a "vintage" on hand). The effect is cooling and clean without being bracing. Complex and rich without feeling like an assault on the nose. Sensual without a Lothario's open-shirt swagger. I would wear this in any season.

Amber Kiso is a jewel created by the talented nose of DS Durga, it is marvelous creation based on Maple, Cedar, more Woods and Leather, has a deep dark aged sensation, and yet is shiny as if the texture shows the test of time, but is so high quality that becomes better, stronger, rather than consumed, aged, or pretending to be aged. Durga found the mythical formula that made Le Lion so special and placed in a darker and more leathery leaning composition, is clear how one complete the other next to each other, even thought is described as " strong", on my skin isn't heavy, it settle down with great elegance and presence, is a demanding fragrance, we aren't playing around when it comes to something that reminds you of a Horse leather armour in a forest, the name Kiso is perfect, as takes you to a japanese Forest, Elegant, Mysterious and refined to the core of the wood, the inciense creates the mistery, while the leather makes it aged and darker, the Amber is the center of it all like a root, This in my mind is the dark sister of Le Lion, is a deeper and less in your face, not angry, demanding but never disrespectful, i see it as a very gentle giant three, even if is presented as this dark and heavy scent, i guess on different skins is absorbed in different manners. This complete the duo of some of the most intriguing and elegant Ambers out there. Durga confirms as a brand that search the purity of things, being modern, yet respecting the prime precious materials and working them with refinement that is hard to find out there. If feels like owning a sacret dark wood essence. It last long, and stays on the skin as a resin. Secret weapon if you enjoy deep, smoky, dark resinous and timeless Amber.

I love this truly and deeply, but it is A LOT, and I understand why some below are repulsed. It's extremely strong, and it does have an abrasive quality- it is very dirty/sweet; a little rubbery... it is not what most people would think of when they conjure "amber" in their mind... but it makes my eyes roll back in my head. I just love it!! Go very easy on the trigger if you are going to be around anyone else. I mean- very easy- like 1 spray max. And maybe wait a few hours. Seriously. Unless you're going to be outside. If you really love this and want a substitute that is more people pleasing I would recommend Anubis. It shares so much- It's also leathery, maple-y, woody/resinous incense, but Anubis is gentler and probably more balanced- overall more broadly palatable and less intrusive to other's space (not weak, but not the bomb this is). I happen to love them both and could not choose one over the other to keep in my collection, but I'm far more willing to wear Anubis in public. This one I mostly wear only at home because although I generally DGAF what people think about my taste, I also like to show a little respect for others. (I also love Gucci Guilty Absolute- which is highly voted as "reminds me of", but I don't think it shares as much with this one as Anubis does. That said- if you love it you may love this one as well)

~global wearing/full bottle When I wear it amongst my collegues in work (IT) and leave the room, they tend to look at themselves and ask if they can smell those burning cables in server room. Literally. I also heard it's very medicinal. Overall I rarely got any comments on my perfumes, that's why I mentioned both. Nevertheless I like it a lot and it reminds me of woodier, greener and fresher version of Le Lion from Chanel (w/o amber accord ofc). I guess my bottle needs to get some use/air and will macerate for much heavier scent I remember from sample. Also my friend is dissapointed with the newer batch and he swears those are two different scents and the previous one was much heavier on leather and denser. Another difference is slightly honeyed sweetness coming from maple or maple leaf that is much more noticeable. The juice is not dark gold (like presented here) anymore - now it's dark, bloody red. As almost every other DS Durga I've tried yet, it has some signature fresh/minty quality lingering in the background. //edit 6.11.23: I could smell this on different person and I must say it smells very different when you're wearing it and how it is perceived in the air by the ppl you pass and the tail you leave. Basically in the air it smells like animalic, raw leather.

I walk into the library of my old English manor house; dusty, leather-bound books furnish the dark wooden shelves. The smoky embers of the evening's fire incandescently glow, dancing silently across the charred woods. An Oriental wooden cabinet in the corner of the room is crowned with a single stick of incense that is close to burning out. I sit back in to my winged Chesterfield and the leather moans quietly as I do. This fragrance is, in my humble opinion, a masterpiece. Whilst the heavy incense and warm smoky wood accords lend themselves to cosy winter evenings, drinking extra old cognac in front of the fireplace, I've also worn this in the dry African heat of Morroco. In the relentless summer heat, it's evokes a sense of Imperial old-world charm; like a well travelled English gentleman whose worn linen garments have absorbed every molecule of smoke, leather and wood from his old country estate. Practically, it has stamina. I will smell this on my clothes for days, and sometimes even weeks, after. It comes back to life in the steamy heat of the shower. My Barbour coat smells of it permanently. The sillage is strong enough that you catch yourself on the wind, but it doesn't overbear.

This is such an intriguing perfume. I honestly cannot decide whether I love it or don't like it at all. I got a large decant and really enjoyed it. Kept going back to it over and over. Then I bought a bottle and started wearing it more and, hmmm. Maybe now not so much. I think foundinthefoothills below is spot on. Not sure I read this as an amber, but I definitely get the leather, a heavy medicinal note and some latex, so that is a bit confusing. And even though I am a huge fan of hinoki and just about anything Japanese, I don't get any of what is mentioned in the marketing blurb from the brand. Instead, I tend to think of a cold, rainy fall day outside among the changing leaves of North America. It makes me feel somewhat cozy but is also a bit off-putting. It didn't help that I wore it to work today, probably oversprayed, and after I left the kitchen area, I heard a co-worker come in and announce that it smelled like a hospital in there! Weirdly, longevity on my skin is not the least bit impressive, but be careful spraying it on clothes because it will be there for days and project strongly off of them.

I can clearly see the ceremonial ritual in a Japanese forest inspiration behind this, but sometimes I catch a whiff of this and it can smell like gasoline, saw dust, and minty bubblegum. I love that duality. I wouldn't normally ascribe this word to a fragrance, but this is butch. No way around it. Motorcycles, leather jackets, and wood work. Once you smell this, you never forget it. It has a very distinct personality profile and I could pick it out of a lineup of 500 similar leather scents, blind. I adore the band-aid/medicine/sawdust fuzz this scent carries around it. It's deeply comforting to me for some reason. I am a woman but I love to wear this, I can definitely see layering some pretty rose perfume oils underneath it to dress it up. I love smelling it on my husband too. When you spray this, it will stick around for 72 hours! I smell it only bedsheets and furniture for days after wearing. So, keep that in mind when applying. It's a long hauler. I'm a D.S. Durga girl for life...this is weird, wonderful, and totally unlike any other leather woodsy scent I've smelled.

Make no mistake, this is a leather scent through and through. Sure the amber theme is there, but deeply buried underneath leather, fine benzoin incense and labdanum resin. It starts off very amber heavy, and dense, almost myrrh-like with a suedish leather undertone. As it slowly dries down you are rewarded with fine greenish smoke(cypress), maple, hinoki and a more prominent leather accord. This combination that makes for a rather heavenly construct. This brand's dna seems to add a petroleum note to most of their fragrances, and this one is no exception. With Amber Kiso, however, it goes hand in hand with the leather so well that I am deeply reminded of a leatherware store. Not necessarily the same, but reminds me a bit of Min NY's Dahab or something to the likes of Byredo's Mandarin Tobacco, but far more interesting due to the strong leather. I kind of see where the Gucci Absolute references are coming from, while not necessarily being similar. Probably my favorite from this house after sampling about a dozen of them. Great for fall and winter.

This fragrance actually bowled me over. Potent as potent can be. Outperfoms other beast fragrances in my collection, such as: Interlude, Tyrannosaurus Rex, Hyrax and Megamare. I tried it for the first time this morning, and three moderate sprays filled up the entire flat. It reminds me a lot of my time living in Japan, since this fragrance is according to me, all about Hinoki (Japanese Cypress), or should I say Hinoki oil. Just as Tyrannosaurus is very much about Cade oil, so is this about Hinoki oil. The smell is also very, very medicinal and you have to be a true lover of the ol' Hinoki to fully appreciate this fragrance. 10 hrs into wearing and the fragrance is still going strong, with no sign of turning into a skin scent. Projection here we go! Are you looking for a beasty fragrance, which is all about the Japanese Hinoki Cypress, then look no further. This samurai of a fragrance will stay by your side, fending off unwelcome intruders and guide you safely, as you wander the streets of Shimo-Kitazawa.

This is a relaxing perfume! It is an autumn / winter perfume for primarily 30+ but then if a younger girl or boy likes it so be my guest! It reminds me a bit of a softer variant of the Gucci Guilty Absolute that someone pointed out earlier but has for my taste a better scent much like comparing a better Cognac with a slightly worse one to Amber Kiso's advantage. I do not feel the leather scent as the strong component here as many seem to do but instead incense together with the different wood notes, moss and iris and it is a wonderful composition and I will buy it again when it runs out. It is probably not what I would call "Office friendly", however, use the daytime as free or evening why not and it lasts for a long time. It is always safest to try to get a scent sample because not everyone agrees with me and it would be sad if we all had the same taste but this is one of the best I have bought in life and I am more than happy with Amber Kiso.

Amber Kiso immediately starts with an old leather-suede note. You can also find dusty-green-woodsy accent together with leather just as the fragrance starts to dry. The hinoki wood is quite distinct, but I don't get the medicinal vibe. I get the old-samurai armour reference completely. The honourable warrior meditating in the ancient forest, praying in a mystical ritual. Yes, that's the experience. The projection seems to be alright, although you may feel it yourself quite close to the skin, the feel is dusty, leathery and yes it gets ambery-sweet with time. The longevity on skin is around 10 hours on clothes even better. If you are in the mood for thoughts, meditation, solitude - try it. EDIT: it lasts and lasts and lasts. Seriously, the leather note stays on clothes until you wash them, I got some sniffs from the wrists even after 2 showers and I tend to scrub those places really good...so beware!:)

Amber Kiso - i keep trying to find the right words to describe the notes and how it evolves, etc and i'm not very good at that so i'll do my best to just share my scattered thoughts with you: kind of leather, smoke and incense, sweet woods. people tell me when i hug them they end up smelling like me. when sprayed on clothes i can still smell it weeks later, and on skin it seems to steadily evolve. mystical and heavy is a pretty good way of describing it, but it's not oppressive. it's rich but not overwhelming, it's kind of sweet in dry woody way, it's very, very special to me, and if you're wondering if you should go through the trouble of ordering a sample, well...i really hope you do. about to order my second 100ml bottle. others from the brand that i like are mississippi medicine, bowmakers, radio bombay, debaser

My Japanese partner caught a whiff of this fragrance, then came in closer to fully appreciate it. She suddenly exclaimed in Japanese, “That’s the temple smell!” Well done, D.S. & Durga. For those familiar with Kyoto by COMME des GARÇONS, this is a more animalic/leathery take on a Japanese Buddhist Temple. Having lived in Japan for a few years, both transport me back to the temples I’ve visited. Kyoto focuses more on the cedar, so it’s like being in the woods surrounding the temple as the incense wafts through the trees. On the other hand, Amber Kiso is like being in the heart of the main hall of the temple, where the scents of the aged structure and ancient artifacts and ritual objects all permeate the enclosed space. Kyoto is ethereal and clean, Amber Kiso is mysterious and heavy.

I enjoyed it. Reminded me of finding antique glass bottles on my grammy’s dresser with the last concentrated drops of thick brown juice at the bottom. That was at 8 am this morning. Now, 12 hours later, it’s a mellow, powdery amber with whiffs of woods and incense. Cool. But what really makes this fragrance interesting is that my cat is currently trying to merge herself into my hair and neck, wherever I sprayed. She’s doing that agape mouth thing that kitties do when they want an even better feel of a smell. Now, in the time it took to write this, she’s laid down across my chest, purring contentedly, occasionally reaching out a paw to pet my face. She is not a cuddly cat. Amber Kiso broke my cat and it’s fantastic.

I had no knowledge of DS & Durga fragrances when I first tried this but this has definitely become on of my favorite fragrances. To my nose this smells almost like a well aged whisky type woodiness with a good dose of maple. The first thing that came to my mind when smelling this fragrances was immediately a well dressed man in a sweater and joggers in an airport lounge late at night waiting for his first class flight. This fragrances longevity and projection is absolutely amazing. I have heard of it being medicinal to some noses, but it doesn't come off that way off my skin. It is simply a beautiful woody, sweet, amber, fragrance. I will definitely be getting a full bottle of this in the coming month.

Beautiful fragrance. If you're familiar with other DS&Durga fragrances, to me this feels like Leatherize's more approachable sister. It has a more toned down version of that smoky leathery element of Leatherize, and along with it there is a slight sweetness that makes this a very pleasant, well-balanced scent. On me it dries down a 50/50 mix of animalic and sweet, very similar to how Notorious Oud smells when sprayed on paper (but not on skin—check my review about that one to see what the differences were in my experience). Quite a warm, cozy, but sexy scent. After Leatherize, this will certainly be my second full-size bottle from DS&Durga.

One of those scents that transcends category. Doesn't smell like anything else, imo, and I find it difficult to pull apart notes-wise. It's bold, dry, astringent, calming. For cloudy days and cold nights. Keep it around long enough and you'll get possessive: its stickiness on clothes/in air means that even though I've barely made a dent in my bottle, I catch regular whiffs of it in my closet and thus have started thinking of it as "my scent". I basically only wear in fall/winter, and even then I stick to occasions where I can safely leave a trail without being self-conscious (flea markets, dive bars, evening walks, my own house).

Although I get the comparisons to Chopard Black Incense Malaki, I find that this goes in a different direction. I cannot stand the Chopard, but I love this one. A very dry, smoky, leather scent with a mild sweetness and freshness. Projection sits close to the skin, but longevity is amazing. Lasts for a day on my skin. All the better, because if this projected heavily, it could easily choke people out. The mild occasional whiffs are what make this enjoyable. I layer this with a fresh green scented deodorant, and I'm good to go. For all seasons, day and night, but go easy on the trigger on hot days. Full marks from my side.

I'm not usually an amber fan, in fact there are some ambers that turn my stomach. Im not sensitive to smells, but amber is a borderline note for me as it can have an adverse effect. With all that said, I really like this one. Rich, smokey and smooth, this is full bodied and succulent in a dark woody way. Almost like vintage Obsession but with no sweetness and maybe a touch of ash from an expensive cigar smeared in. The amber is there, but I can tolerate it because everything else is so superb. An amber fan will go bonkers over this one. Very well done.

Smells pretty damned wonderful to me!!! I love vintage chypres and leathers and from the very first spray this perfume won me over!!! I don't understand the sheer number of negative reviews - perhaps those folks don't share the same scent preferences. I don't get anything medicinal and there's a subtle sweetness from the start - thankfully not the gawdawful sweetness that is currently being pushed in the market! There is something slightly familiar about this - but something from life and not from another perfume.

Incense burning in the woods. This is a great addition to my collection of incenses since it's a completely different vibe than the church incense I have, but it's still packed with that resin-y goodness that I love. It's not beast mode on me, as others have described, which is a shame. But it's still a good performer worth the price point. I love these astringent woody notes, combined with the smoke and leather. It's definitely got a masculine vibe to it, but I still find it very wearable as a woman.

This is so special. From the first spray, it latches on and starts pumping smooth incense, maple, hinoki and leather. Everytime I wear this it feels completely different from the last wearing, I wish I had forked out for the 100ml as it seems this is going to be empty in the near future, for a collection of 40-50 that hardly ever happens. 3 sprays lasted 12 hours on me, it is a hot summer here and I am still absolutely loving it, cannot wait to see this working in colder weather.

I love this perfume, it's one of my favorites in my collection. That being said, NOBODY I wear it around likes it. People have told me I smell like cigarettes like at least twice or they tell me it's too strong or masculine. I will probably wear it again when autumn/winter comes back around. I find the scent very comforting, like lighting incense in a forest on a foggy day. When I first smelled it, I did think it was more unisex than I do now. I would say it leans more masculine.

Rough industrial edge meets cozy and meditative forest hideaway. This is potent, artistic perfumery by David Seth Moltz. An enigmatic convergence of leather, incense and woods, tempered with sappy maple and dusty iris. Bold and bitter in the opening before settling into a darkly inviting dry-down — Amber Kiso is a standout with character for the colder seasons and one of my personal favorites. Perfect for rainy day vibes with Deftones “Koi No Yokan” playing in the background.

Okkkk so finally ready to talk about this one, I've been biding my time. FIRST OF ALL people need to relax about saying it's hard to wear bc it's actually very easy to wear. This is the scent that made me realise DS & Durga are genius, the way they balanced clean-but-dusty leather with dry-but-sappy woods and these little green hits? Performance is nuts, it projects like crazy. Leans masculine but has a cozy sweetness. Masterpiece for fall/winter.

I’m pretty fucking furious about this fragrance. Not because I don’t like it, I do, in fact, I love it. But every single untrained nose I interact with smells baby powder. Come on guys. It’s maple. Obvs. But there is so much more to this. It’s warm but the woody characters are cool if you let them develope over time. It’s sweet but not cloying. It’s woodsy but not green. It’s timber but not rip your eyes out cedar. You guys suck. Get on my level

To me, there is something incredibly cool and unique about this house. From the fact that one day, they were giving away free tattoos if you purchased a full bottle in their NYC store, to their wide range of interesting, thoughtful and sometimes odd fragrances. Amber Kiso is a woody amber, with great projection and longevity. The drydown is dynamite, with a maple-ey woody ambery richness. Try and enjoy my fellow amber-loving fragrant friends.

This fragrance is king. It’s top 5 for me. This stuff is incredible, but I understand why people might not love it at first. It’s challenging. It is risky. But it is a combination of amber and leather done to absolute perfection. It performs amazingly, but I do agree that you have to be in the mood for this. It is certainly not blue de Chanel, so if that is what you depict fragrance to be then this just won’t be for you.

somehow this is simultaneously monstrous, nasty, beautiful, and calming all at once. I get a POWERFUL leather and incense, so much so that on two separate occasions I've been wearing this in a group of people and someone has said "Is someone burning incense right now?" if I really squint I can see what people mean by the antiseptic comments, but not much. it is just awesome, very much not for everyone but quite powerful

Finally made a fragrantica account so i could talk about this perfume. First of all I really love it. I understand all the negative reviews as it’s definitely not for everyone. It reminds me a lot of Amoral by Perniore which i wore for a while so maybe that’s why I love it so much. Definitely dry, leather, woods. A cool person fragrance for sure. VERY strong only a few sprays does it for me.

Just got my hands on this beautiful, thick, incensy intoxicating fragrance. Hands down one of the sexiest offerings from DS&DURGA. It smells nothing like Gucci guilty absolut and I know because that’s my signature scent and my favourite perfume in the world. It does however smells so much like the discontinued gem that is John Varvatos Dark Rebel Rider which I have 2 bottles of

NOTHING but love for this scent! Woody, Spicy, Dark, Smoky, Masculine and addictive! Full bottle worthy. Cool/Cold weather MASTERPIECE! I gotta get myself a bottle! Edit: I did find a 100ml tester and I'm glad to have this in my collection! Silliage and Longevity are easily 18-24 hours on my skin. On clothes it will last for days.

This one has wow factor. Beautiful leather slightly reminisct of Gucci Guilty Absolute (which I love) but less rough around the edges. Smooth with amber and smells absolutely gorgeous. Hinoki is a great twist to this leather, and maple makes it feel rich. One of the best leather scents I've smelled and super strong. Scent 10/10

i absolutely love this! It’s super rough for the first few hours ( leather patch combo can be quite overwhelming here) but the dry down is stunning. It took me quite a few wears to figure it out. It leans a bit more masculine but that never stopped me. This is exactly what I wanted for the upcoming New York winter.

This one got Lovers Tale all over it. The opening has a smokey patchouli that fades into a linear drydown thats exactly like Lovers Tale. Only this one is less heavy in the opening and turns quickly into that same iris leathery cozy seductive smell. Indeed not for perfume virgins.

Fantastic leather-smoke-hinoki fragrance that sometimes leans into sweet-cola. Has a really rare grabby quality - stays on skin 24 hours and difficult to get out of clothes even after a wash. I can see this being off-putting to some. Ultimately, this was full bottle worthy for me.

Love this one but I will NOT be spotted in casual wear in the day wearing this, I think I almost killed my best friend today by doing exactly that. Perfect for nights out, lasts the whole damn day and night, don't spritz right before leaving the house, 2 sprays murdered my friend

Another great new offering from D.S. and Durga, and (thankfully) a full move away from the hissing electricity fragrances they were so fond of the last few years...this is very much an amber, with heavy doses of leather and incense, a touch of cypress and wood...good stuff...

Wow! This took me back to the early 90's when I wore Donna Karan, the original in the black and gold swan-like bottle! Beautiful!! I definitely pick up the leather and amber! Rich and warm! Love it!!! I wore this yesterday and can still smell it today! Sooooo good!! :)

Extremely dense, brooding, smoky, ambery, etc. etc. Unmatched. Lasts forever (literally, it stays on my winter coats for weeks on end). It's one of those that I'll always rely on. Still, it never hurts to sample it first, especially with strong fragrances like these.

sweet woody leather of my dreams! i loooove how this pulls on me. not too sweet not too woody not too leathery ideal blend of both. definitely needs to be worn w only a few sprays but i dont feel smothered by this. more just like a sophisticated city girl

Dusty cedar box. Incense and resin. Leather. Oily leather baseball glove conditioner. Benzoin. Leather. Leather. And leather. Fantastic. Eternal. 12+ hours. Most complimented leather fragrance I’ve worn. Borderline work safe if lightly applied.

This smells just like the shoyeido white cloud incense to me and I love it. Insane longevity, could still smell it after 36 hours and a shower

Beautiful in summer. Heat draws out its dry, woody character. In sub-zero temperatures, it feels heavier and less expressive.