Blue Hinoki

The hinoki/marine mix is genuinely unique, i have never seen this before, period. As someone that likes hinoki, and knows that as a note its quite rare, the curiosity value alone was worth a purchase. I disagree with other reviewers, the hinoki is quite prominent, but not too smokey or sweet (for eg as in jo Malone’s take), as it gets a really refreshing uplift from the pine and marine elements making it almost like a green aromatic marine scent. I don’t understand the comparison to Terre D’Hermes, I might add, its a popular perfume, and in fragrantica because its common, it gets compared to MANY other scents, its BS. The closest comparisons for me are Hinoki & Cederwood, but this is without the sweet cinnamon notes. The other relevant comparison for style (not notes) is Roja’s Isola Blu, both have that kind of green/blue woody mineral vibe. At this price point, despite average performance, its worth buy if you’re keen of hinoki.

I got Tamburins Blue Hinoki during my Korea Trip last month and I was really impressed since my first sniff. Tamburins Blue Hinoki feels like a quiet escape bottled. The opening is crisp and luminous, bergamot and pine carried on a cool ocean breeze. Then the hinoki wood rises: clean, slightly salty, softly meditative, like walking through a coastal forest after rain. It’s airy but not weak. Beneath the freshness, cedar, driftwood, and a touch of incense give it depth and calm warmth. What truly surprises is its performance, it lingers beautifully for hours, and the sillage is strong enough to leave a gentle yet noticeable trail without ever feeling overwhelming.

Smells like you're walking through a forest while it's raining, and the forest is right next to the ocean. The air is fresh, with hints of the ocean and the forest blending to create this masterpiece. 10/10

This was the first Tamburins I tried in the store. I wasn't expecting to be wowed after disappointing experiences with other Korean brands, but this one surprised me. The comparison with Another 13 is pretty accurate. It feels like they wanted to take the ambroxan/musk base and reinterpret it as a brisk, aquatic scent. That is something that Tamburins has done exceedingly well. The "hinoki" is not as pronounced as it is in other scents like Le Labo Eucalyptus 20 and Aesop Hwyl, and honestly, it is more of a bright pine than a deep and burnished hinoki. Contrary to the description, it's not driftwood to my nose, nor is it cut wood or dense forest; it's fresh needles rolled in the fingers. It's light, clean, and airy, and it's what I would call acceptably weird. Weird enough to maintain one's interest or to attract a bit of attention. Weird enough to stand out just a bit, but not too much. And not to do so at the expense of smelling clean. That said, it will be hard to attract any attention with something with such mild projection and sillage. I wish it had a bit more of the immense power of Another 13. Not all of it, but a bit.

For me right after the apply I only smell wood (Not in a bad way). But if you let it sit for a short while the wood fades away. But not so much you cant smell it anymore. When the overwhelming wood goes away you can smell notes of cedar, citrus and for me also a little bit of mint. It is a very light perfume and could also be used as a room sent (Again not in a bad way I think they even sell it as one in a different container) It smells like how I imagen a hot day at the beach would smell like. I rate the sent it leaves a 8.5/10 and will buy it next time I am in Korea. I am in no way a expert in perfumes so better try it out for yourself :)

I was curious about the hype surrounding Korean fragrances and decided to purchase six perfumes from Tamburins — Chamo, Lale, Pumkini, Berga Sandal, White Darjeeling, and Blue Hinoki. At around USD 120 for 50 ml, the pricing definitely sits in the premium category. To their credit, Tamburins clearly invests heavily in presentation and branding. The bottles feel thoughtfully designed, the magnetic caps add a sense of weight and luxury, and the overall packaging feels artistic and deliberate. Blue Hinoki especially stood out with its stone magnetic cap and beautifully presented secondary packaging. What I found particularly brilliant was how they described the fragrance through olfactive storytelling rather than the conventional top, middle, and base note structure. It made the scent feel more immersive, emotional, and carefully curated. However, once I actually evaluated Blue Hinoki, I was both surprised and disappointed. I had expected Korean perfumery — particularly at this price point — to offer something more distinctive, refined, clean, and minimalist in character judging from their company's identity. Instead, the scent immediately reminded me of Terre d'Hermès, to the extent that it felt more like an interpretation or inspired copy rather than something original. The experience ultimately left me feeling that much of the value lies more in the branding, storytelling, and packaging than in the fragrance composition itself.