Created by Pierre Guillaume in 2011 for his line Huitième Art Parfums, Myrrhiad is a combination of the words ‘myriad’, meaning an infinite number, and myrrh and refers to the countless ways the various aspects of myrrh are highlighted in the fragrance.

I’m not going to go through it note by note since Myrrhiad’s not built that way, but I am going to report my experience of it. Sharp and bitter, myrrh is right at the opening and remains throughout the fragrance's development as different facets of it are animated by body heat. The myrrh is sweetened with a note of amber flanked by a note of warm, rich vanilla, which coaxes sweetness out of the myrrh. A note of unsweetened licorice, bitter and intense, gently underscores the myrrh's bitterness and counterbalances the sweetness of the vanilla. Balsam, which, like myrrh, is an oleoresin, highlights its resinous aspect. Black tea absolue gives it a smoky dimension, that evokes burning incense. And just at this juncture, an animalic note of leather comes forward and gives Myrrhiad life. This, to me, is what makes Myrrhiad so captivating.

The dry down is rich, dark, and potent, with myrrh emerging to keep the sweetness of the scent in check so it never becomes truly gourmand yet remains mouth-watering. This is a fragrance designed to be experienced, not analyzed, explained, or explored. And, let me tell you, there is no other olfactory experience like it.

Notes: Amber, balsam, myrrh, leather, black tea, vanilla and licorice.