Borneo 3000

This is an enhanced, revamped edition, with an even higher oud concentration. My mentor named this oud. Twenty-one years ago, I had a few names in mind and went to him with the problem. When he heard that the wood it was distilled from cost $3,000 a kilogram, he said: “That’s it – Call it Borneo 3000.” Neither of us knew, then, what we had just named. What followed is something I still find hard to fully explain, even to people who’ve been into oud for years. Borneo 3000 didn’t just find an audience – it created one. There are collectors who will tell you, unprompted, that this was the oil that got them. Not just hooked on Borneo, but hooked on oud itself. At a time when most people who even knew the word “oud” only knew Hindis and Cambodians, Borneo 3000 introduced an entire generation to a new species. To Malinau. To Borneo. For some, it set the standard. For others, it became the oud profile they’ve been chasing ever since. In many cases, both. Its signature vanillic, cinnamony-honey profile doesn’t just make it the quintessential Malinau, but the most pristine portrait of the incredible sinking-grade agarwood it was distilled from. It quickly became and to this day remains the benchmark for artisanal Borneo oud. Sure, there have been Borneos like it – but not on par with it. In twenty years, I haven’t smelled its equal. The distiller passed in 2016, and I don’t think people fully appreciate what that means. Because what made Borneo 3000 wasn’t just the wood – it was him. His ability to capture the scent of quality Malinau agarwood so accurately, so profoundly. While there’s the obvious familiarity when you smell any oud from Malinau agarwood, his distillations captured the 3000 effect. The original 2004 distillation sold out more than a decade ago. What we have – and what’s in this perfume – is from his final batches, 2015 and 2016. The last oud he ever made with this signature. We have held it back since. B3K is built around Borneo 3000 – not as a reference, not as an homage from a distance, but with the actual distillation at its center, aged over a decade at this point, pushing through every layer of the fragrance. I wanted to take everything that makes B3000 iconic – that floral cinnamon signature, the raspberry and honey, the semi-dry polleny texture – and saturate the perfume with it. This perfume rendition is the supreme Borneo oud experience. That’s why, in addition to the oud itself, you also have Borneo oud hydrosol and raw Borneo oud resin in the carrier (not to mention ancient Tonkin musk and ambergris). And this edition is brimming with oud, which makes up 60%+ of the composition, not counting the agarwood components in the carrier. That floral cinnamon signature, the raspberry and honey, the semi-dry polleny texture – you won’t catch faint echoes of it. The decade-old B3000 comes through everywhere, top to base. If you know Borneo 3000, the oud, this is going to mean something specific to you. If you don’t, you’ll smell why an entire oud culture started around this distillation and why people lose their minds over Borneo oud. TOP — Raspberry · Gardenia · Caraway · Golden Apple · Egyptian Jasmine · Strawberry · Pink Pepper · Honey HEART — Borneo 3000 · Nanga Parbat · Sumatora · Mimosa · Elderflower · Water Lily · Violet BASE — Borneo Agarwood Resin · Vintage Burmese Oud · Vintage Timor Sandalwood · Vintage Tigerwood Extract · Green Tea Extract · Bourbon Vanilla · Borneo Hydrosol · Royal Tonkin Musk · Royal Ambergris · Canadian Castoreum #gap-1252773418 { padding-top: 30px; } Reviews of the previous edition… Borneo 3000 parfum opens with a plethora of creamy, tropical fruits with some spices. I can’t necessarily pinpoint any specific fruit, but I picture a bowl of mixed fruits including Papaya, pineapples and apples. Supporting the fruity, creamy and spicy opening is oud, ambergris and musk. I am getting big doses of slightly salty, mineralic ambergris that works perfectly with the tropical fruit vibe. Obviously, given the name, this perfume is jam-packed with borneo oud, so that classic borneo vibe of honey, cinnamon, and spice is very present. Off of skin, borneo 3000 is much more spicy and musk heavy, creating an intense and warming skin scent that is addictive. On clothes, however, the scent is quite a bit different. The muck seems to disappear and the ambergris is front and centre on cloth. This is not a bad thing. It means that you get to basically enjoy two fragrances with one wearing. Overall, I really enjoy wearing Borneo 3000. Even though it has that tropical fruit bright opening, I personally think that this is best worn in colder temperatures. The cold really makes the spices and oud sing. —Mackenzie L / Canada Ensar Oud Borneo 3000…a year later..purchased this on 21st July 2024 and kept it. Most brilliant thing I’ve done, keeping it. Wore it yesterday after a good few months and believe me…phew! I thought only Oud Oils mature, but EO perfumes mature as well. The fragrance penetrated through 3 fabrics. The smell has become very very deep and concentrated. The fragrance has been stuck in my sense of smell since yesterday. EO parfum needs time to settle. You need to keep your favourite EO parfums for a while to really appreciate them. EO parfums are pure oils, hence the pure maturing. I would love to smell this beast after 5-10 years and love my great-grandchildren to smell this pure beast! —Ahmad A / UK Borneo 3000 has arrived, and I love that scent. Smells like Tahitian Gardenia Borneo 3k and Oud Ertrugul had a creamy fruity and tropical baby. The ouds in the drydown are very nice, but what I really like is that it got quite a significant similarity with the TG B3k core DNA. ​ Don’t get me wrong it’s not a new version of TG, it’s a completely different perfume but with elements of a perfume that I really love. I’m quite excited to see how this one develops in a few months since it’s very fresh. But my initial impression is very positive. Update: there is a facet of the scent that reminds me of TG but I also get notes that remember me of Lily Gris, Ertugrul and something else. It’s like a fusion of familiar notes, very hard to describe but absolutely addictive. UPDATE: The Borneo 3000 had some time to macerate and I think now it’s even more beautiful than it was when I got it. I get fruity tropical vibes, reminds me of melons, sweet vanilla with a nice woody agarwood note. I think if it sits a month longer it’ll be even better than it now is. Like I’ve mentioned in my first impression, this is a perfume for people who love the gardenia genre. Specially the Tahitian gardenia, they are in the same league for me but still so different. Borneo 3000 is such a bold and oudy tropical cocktail, you have to try it! Great for hot summer days & nights. Can’t stop wearing this creamy oudy juice. It seems like it’s getting better and better every week. The slight touch of spices is perfect in my eyes and it fits perfectly into the composition. The oud is really oozing out in every stage of that perfume (top/heart/base). I think this perfume will show its full potential once it’s getting a bit colder outside. I think it’s a great spring/fall scent. —Chris A / Germany Powdery – Citric Vanilla – Slightly Dieselly – Beautiful Clean Flowers – Honeied Woodiness —Travis H / USA Borneo 3000 begins with a fruity mix of apple and pear facets, paired with the warm richness of musk and a hint of salty mint from ambergris. It then transitions to a core of Borneo oud, which adds depth and complexity, along with a salty blue mint note and a subtle vanilla touch. As it settles, the scent becomes softer and creamier with a powdery finish. —Adib H / Malaysia