The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
Myitkyina 1987 belongs to Ensar Oud's Olde Oud collection, a range that draws on aged oud materials the brand has worked with over the years. The name references Myitkyina and a year, 1987, with sources noting the oil as Burmese oud from the mid-80s, a vintage designation rather than a precise harvest claim. The title gestures toward a specific era of Burmese oud, one that carries a particular leathery, slightly smoky signature. Ensar Oud launched the fragrance in 2025, adding it to a catalog built around natural oud oils. The brand has cultivated a following among collectors who seek out aged, characterful oud materials, building a reputation by sourcing and aging rare oud for a Western audience that values authenticity.
What makes this composition distinctive is its restraint. The official description calls out sun-dried tobacco, black tea, and discreetly burnt edges, materials that complement oud's natural leather facet rather than competing with it. The tobacco note arrives dry and cured, offering a papery warmth that sits alongside the oud's leathery depth without overwhelming it. Black tea contributes a tannic, slightly bitter edge, the kind of bitterness that comes from steeping too long, adding a dry dimension to the composition.
The evolution
On skin, the opening arrives dense and immediate, the oud already present within the first minute alongside a dry tobacco note that feels cured rather than sweet. There's a faint bitterness here, like the first sip of strong black tea left to steep too long. Over the first thirty minutes, the leather facet deepens, taking on a worn, softened quality, less the crack of fresh hide and more the supple surface of something well-used and aged. The heart phase, from roughly one to three hours in, is where the composition finds its center: the oud's animalic warmth rises slightly, the tobacco mellows into something almost resinous, and the tea note fades into a dry, tannic background. During this window the interplay between the oud's warmth and the tobacco's dryness creates a kind of tension, each pulling the other in its own direction while the composition holds together as a whole.
Cultural impact
Community reactions so far describe Myitkyina 1987 as a return to the 'old-school' oud profile, with wearers comparing it favorably to earlier Ensar Oud releases and noting the leathery, resinous character as its defining trait. Discussions in collector circles have focused on the quality of the aged Burmese oud at its center, with many noting how the material's natural leather and smoke facets come through with minimal interference. The tobacco and tea notes have drawn particular mention as effective supports, adding dryness and bitterness without pulling focus from the oud.
