Iris Oriental 14

I finally purchased a bottle. I had smelled this on other people before, and it struck me as deeply reminiscent of a Japanese temple, something quietly nostalgic and almost emotional. I fell in love instantly. When I heard it had been discontinued, I was genuinely crushed. I tried for a long time to track it down and kept missing my chances. Just recently, I was lucky enough to find a full bottle online, and bought it without hesitation. The strange part is, it is not giving me that same “Japanese temple” impression on my own skin. I love it at every stage. The opening is rich with honey, and it dries down into soft, powdery ambers. It is a beautiful amber composition. But that distinct temple atmosphere I remember is somehow missing. I suspect it may be because I am now too familiar with the scent on myself. It is almost like waking up during a temple stay in Mount Kōya, where the smell surrounds you so completely that you stop noticing it. When you are always inside it, it no longer registers as “temple”, if that makes sense. I might try spraying it on friends and asking them not to see me for a few hours, just so I can experience the drydown with a fresh nose. That may be the only way I can rediscover that impression. The development feels very seamless, which might also be why that striking “temple” moment never quite appears when I am wearing it. I do understand the reference to jinkoh. It says “kyara” on Fragrantica, which is a bit... ambitious, I would say. It has that sweetness of jinkoh oud, not burning, but gently heated. I also pick up a hint of bokuju (the ink we all had to use in calligraphy class), the smell of borneol, clearer, almost refreshing. It feels like all the elements are there for the complete temple experience, but somehow my brain is not putting them together. It is a very strange sensation. I realised I barely mentioned iris at all. It is not iris-forward in the way, for example, Iris Cendré by Naomi Goodsir is. Here, the iris feels more like a supporting texture. In the opening, it almost gives slightly lactonic, softening the honey, and later it contributes to that powdery, ambery drydown. It is always there, but never the focus. It is a lovely and very complex perfume. I would consider it truly unisex, and I think it would be stunning on anyone. There is something about it that feels like an Argentinian tango, dark, intimate, slow, and a little dramatic. Maybe I just associate iris with tango at this point. Also, it definitely has the kind of sillage that would work beautifully for dancing tandas. For some people, I can imagine the dense honey, almost like heliotrope, opening being a bit overwhelming, possibly even migraine-inducing. Definitely not a safe blind buy. April 28, 2026

For the last two days I have been lost, wandering back and forth in Msr Guillaume's flower patch-more specifically his Iris plot. Cuir d'Iris is perhaps one of the smoothest leather accords I've sniffed. Plush and floral, lasts all evening and is still a skinscent the following morning. This one is a keeper but sadly it's been "cut" and it's bulb pulled from the Earth. Iris Oriental (fka I. Taizo) is a true work of olfactory art and the most savory in this plot. Warm cardamom and smoky incense surround silken Iris and serve it with honeyed fig with a sprinkling of oud (kyara-good smooth radiant; jinkoh-lower quality less refined) that segues into the "Oriental" base of Amber and dark leathery vanilla. Naiviris is a study not in naïvieté but the beauty of simplicity. A red orris Accord is melded with a heady Zebrano wood resulting in perhaps the most genderless perfume ever. Not his not hers just gorgeous. Warm enough for man, silken enough for women...made for everyone who appreciates the Eighth Art. Looking just over the fence, it seems one of Pierre's irises sprouted on the Laboratorio Olfativo side of the fence. Daimiris is a sweet little thing, but she's more than initially meets the nostrils. Saffron, spice, and rum join hands with suede amber and musk as they surround Daimiris for some ring-around-the irisy fun. When they all collapse laughing their scents coalesce into a sweet yummy Iris that's more butch than it's is femme. Even when his work weaves just outside his own garden it's still phenomenal. Of all the "etudes" in all his myriad collections it would seem Iris/orris is one of this perfumer's favorites. PG has taken me out of my comfort zone and showed that these steely silky blossoms have far more mystery and depth than the cool calculating iris we've all come to know. For this I tip my scented chapeau. smell swell & be well, GP xox

After falling for Odori Iris and OJ's Vanille d'Iris, I thought I had my need for smoky irises covered. But, no! This is another gorgeous variation on the theme. It opens very animalic, almost like a leather or some kind of musk. This phase is not my favorite but it's not awful. After about 90 minutes (in cool weather), the heart starts to open and this is a beautiful spicy sweet iris and incense accord that lasts for several hours before the iris starts to fade away leaving traces of sweet incense. PG has a kind of house base, a sweet, dry plush thing that shows up most strongly in the dry down. I really enjoy it and here it's accented with the cardamom and the coolness of the iris. The evolution of this one doesn't take that long to complete. Maybe six hours in cooler weather but traces of it linger on wrists until showering and on clothes for days. This one is a true unisex scent to me. The opening maybe skews a bit masculine and the heart more feminine, it depends more on individual tastes as to who will enjoy it rather than gender norms. Lovely and unique.

Entirely winning: a warm, dry iris with a surprising sweetness that doesn't swerve towards lipstick or powder, but to a much more grown-up woody/spicy space. And intriguingly it drives way, way off the beaten track for iris scents by going nowhere near violets or soapiness either - which makes its direction even more of a winner for me. Oddly reminiscent of YSL's (slightly more masculine and darker) 37 Rue de Bellechasse, and that is one gorgeous neighbourhood. Almost chocolatey-cocoa-rich at first, yet never overwhelmingly so. Like many PG's, can seem weirdly evanescent and quiet on some days - almost disappointing if you're looking for a 'solid performer' - yet swing back to beautiful life at unexpected moments. Maybe not the strongest, most compelling orris accords you may ever find (I love it rooty and earthy and almost-reeking of carrots, so ISM or Iris Nazarena come closer to iris ecstasy) but it's quirky and intelligent as well as being most welcoming. Classy and clever.

Reviewing a bottle from 2024. Iris Oriental 14 was launched in 2006 (previously Iris Taizo). This is an unusually warm rich woody Iris. Iris Oriental 14 opens with a touch of fresh bergamot. The powdery facet of iris is dampened and sweetened with fig "honey". The fig is not detectable. The iris is further warmed with resins ,cardamon, aromatic pathchouli and jinkho wood (a type of oud).This rests on a base of vanilla and guaic wood. Personally I would have liked more Iris in a perfume called Iris Oriental as I find the iris is overwhelmed by the potent spicy/woody notes. This effect however makes iris -typically powdery and more feminine into a true unisex scent maybe into masculine territory. Quality - very good Unisex- leans masculine Performance- excellent Iris oriental is more of a spicy woody fragrance than iris forward. Although I see this fragrance as unisex, the use of iris in this way makes for a very elegant men's fragrance. Way ahead of it's time. 8/10

PG14 seriously is one of the best iris interpretation in the perfumery. Iris root-like aroma together with very prominent frankincense makes such different aroma you probably cannot imagine. Deep, mysterious, kind of scent for meditation. It is a YIN and YANG in their purest form ever. Iris makes the bright, delicate aura while incense together with cardamom the dark side of composition. I have to admit that all elements are perfectly balanced, however recognizable to me. Thus it is perfect, no mess, no tonka, no girlish (sugary) or sporty (men type) freshness. Higher level of knowledge. I love it.

my most feminine scent. a very "clever iris" to quote luca turin and so it is. the spice and dry wood balance the honey to uplift the root and butter of the iris. tested it with heeley's iris de nuit on the other arm, which on me is an insipid violet baby powder. iris oriental retains its interest through a hint of spice and root in the warm honeyed dry down and it is tenacious, hours later still there, still warm, spicy and radiant

This iris is so alive, strong heart in a delicate dress, the dark purple one... dancing tenderly but very tightly embraced by a veil of olibanum incence. Jalously peek a shy kardamom, unsweet vanilla and slightly wet drift wood to the beautiful pair. At the end of the dance their kiss tastes like honey and black earth. A dance of life and death, beginning and end ....in one... Gorgeous composition!

This is a lovely interpretation of iris. Soft, a bit powdery, a balancing act between sweet and dry. You have these dry woods and spice with a creamy vanilla, yin and yang. I find the overall mood to be comforting and not laundry clean like other iris perfumes. I do wish it projected a little more, but it lasts a long time.

Yummy spices with dry and boozy tobacco profile (even though it’s not listed I can feel prominent tobacco note). Soft iris is playing a key role to balance this harsh and powerful tobacco/woody/incense mixture. It’s beautiful and deep fragrance. Lovely creation! Follow me on IG: scent.guide

I adore the development of this fragrance. It is complex and as rebella says "lush". I love this fragrance and it is what turned me onto the iris not and the PG line.

A warm, spicy, comforting iris. I would love to smell this on a man...

Wow, I blind sampled this - and for my nose the sum of these parts smells pretty much everything but what they are. For me Iris Taizo is a dollop of quality italian peppermint-chocolate chip ice cream slowly melting on top of pleasant but rather synthetic feeling wood / resin base with soft and creamy vanilla accord. There's a hint of very generic floral, that white musc enhanced air-freshener type - a bit more would be too much, anyway. I don't get any honey - nor a hint of typical iris. Even the cardamom, one of my favorite notes and so awesome in PG Indochine is unrecognizable in this (I think that it is that nose-cooling "peppermint"-part, haha!). Well, that did not sound like a praise, but I rather liked it. Not a huge favorite, but balanced, not too sweet and rather unusual. In it's engineered beauty it even brought my mind some Thierry Mugler scents - maybe a freshened, slightly (but slightly) feminized and lightened up A*men - sans the sweet patchouli and distinct lavendar.

Iris Oriental is familiar, familiar for an unknown reason, as of this moment. It reminds me of something I wore or tried in 2013-14, or early on in my mass-sampling journey, and it's driving me crazy! I can't remember what is it, and it's making me mad. I get the feeling it was one of those quasi-niche brands' 'ouds', or something along those lines... Aaanyway, there has a dense, resiney feel to it, with softish woods and a soft musk feel. It's not moving me, and truth be told, I hunted far and wide to get this (I had to go through the official website and pay a shedload to get it shipped to Australia), and I am a bit disappointed by it. Myrrhe Imperiale -- that's what this reminds me of. I have MI, and whilst I like that more than this one, this one doesn't really live up to the 'iris' element. MI is heavier on the resin elements, whereas IO is a little muddier, not as clear and upfront as MI. It's a no from me...

Honestly I got this sample because it included Jinkoh wood, which I've never heard of so my interest was peaked. After wearing it for a few hours I get what is wrong with it: it is not marketed correctly. This is not an oriental, but an oriental woody spicy. It is also not for men and women, but for men. But what a lovely woody spicy for men it is! This is a sweet, delicate wood with a lovely drydown. Now here is what I find interesting: I always read about Bal a Versaille, Shalimar, etc. and their references to 'sexy smells'. 'Dirty panties', 'freshly used sheets', etc. This scent, to me, is what 'sexy scent' should smell like (on a man). It's refined suggestive pleasure in a bottle. If Marilyn sleeps with just a drop of Chanel, the Statue of David could dress with just a drop of Iris Taizo. I"m goign to see what my BF smells like in this...

For me it's very feminine. Definetely not feeling this as something masculine or even unisex. Well, it has some "male perfume" qualities at the beggining with burst of cardamon and a little boozy feeling, but after those few seconds it turns to a lovely, sweet, sexy and feminine scent. I'm not so fund of iris notes, so I wasn't expecting much from testing something called "Iris Taizo", but the quality and the way the scent is so complex surprises me in a very, very good way. It's very delightful to my nose, but I do feel a little bit too much of honey, which makes it a tiny, tiny bit too sweet for me to enjoy it completely. Not something I would buy, but for those who's skin does not disagree with iris this would be marvelous!

This fragrance was WAY ahead of its time! As per the company described, it has "Jinkho" wood in it. If anyone's familiar with Japanese/Chinese incense, jin-koh 沉香 stands for "sinking fragrance" because quality aloeswood/agarwood should sink! Yes, we're talking about OUD in a Far-Eastern fashion before anyone else did it! Fragrantica listed it as "kyara Incense" which is not far off, yet mislabeled it as (olibanum) frankincense at the same time. Kyara is the highest grade of aloeswood in Japan—a distinct variety from Vietnam, whereas Jinkoh is an umbrella term. I doubt kyara or actual oud is used here, but it does invoke the smell of jinkoh incense a bit, which explains the musky odor some mentioned.

PG is one interesting house... All of its fragrances have a common denominator, and regardless of the notes, they are a little bit alike. Iris Taizo is one of the better ones. A very calm, spicy iris. At the beginning it has a masculine touch to it. It's warm, cozy, and if it had a texture, it would be that of a ground cinnamon. The flower notes are very toned down, sooth, leathery. Despite the honey and vanilla, it does not feel like a very sweet fragrance. The drydown is very quiet, creamy, sweet, feels like a lazy summer evening. I have tried better attempts at iris (just to mention the Heeley's masterpiece), but it's definitely an ivery well composed fragrance with a remarkable longetivity.

Is it just me? Last week I kept on sniffing my surrondings in vain. I just could not find the source of the enigmatic patchouli I felt coming and going. When I tried the sample of this today it was instant! This is it! But no such note is listed....Ahh, the nose play tricks sometimes! But I file it as a Pacht anyway. Gives me the same feeling and a good patch is a good pacht.

Timber, sweet leather (although it's not mentioned), bitter-ish orris, slightly balsamic, sweet resin (not churchy), a pinch of distant vanilla. I don't smell much honey, and the cardamom here sooner reminds of pine needles than real cardamom, but that does not take away from the quality. Interesting and well-layered as usual with PG.