The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
Rise Of Mysore I takes its reference point and runs with it. Released in 2023 under The Dua Brand's Inspired Expression collection, the composition places creamy sandalwood at its center, then surrounds it with a dense ring of spice. Perfumer Mahsam Raza built this as a woody spicy composition that reads both grounded and aromatic, a scent that knows exactly what kind of fragrance it wants to be. The opening cuts in with hatkora lemon and sweet orange, bright enough to wake up whatever room you're in, before neroli lifts the whole thing into a cleaner, more luminous register. From there, the spice takes over with conviction. Clove, cinnamon, black pepper, and star anise build a middle that hums with heat, while jasmine sambac threads through just enough to soften the edges.
What makes this composition worth a second look is the sheer density of its spice layer. Pimento, clove, black pepper, star anise, cinnamon, cardamom, and rosemary all live in the heart, which is an unusual amount of heat for a sandalwood-centered scent. Most woody spicy fragrances lean on two or three spice notes. This one stacks them. The result is a fragrance where the sandalwood has to earn its place at the base rather than coast on the top, and where the spice never sits still long enough to become a single identifiable note. It becomes atmosphere. Olibanum and myrrh add a resinous depth underneath, pulling the whole thing into something more contemplative than the opening suggests.
The evolution
The first thirty minutes are bright and citrus forward, hatkora lemon and sweet orange doing what they do, with neroli threading through to keep the opening from collapsing into pure tartness. Then comes the spice wave, fast and unmistakable, and for a while this fragrance feels like a completely different animal. Clove and cinnamon lead the charge, with black pepper and star anise snapping behind them. The sandalwood doesn't announce itself so much as accumulate, settling in underneath the heat like a foundation being poured. The spice builds in waves, each note catching a different facet of warmth, the sweetness of cinnamon against the sharpness of clove against the dry heat of black pepper. By the two-hour mark the citrus has retreated and the spice has mellowed into a warm, resinous hum.
Cultural impact
Rise Of Mysore I sits in a category that doesn't get enough credit: sandalwood fragrances that lead with spice rather than softness. This one puts sandalwood in dialogue with a genuinely dense spice arrangement, creating a composition that feels both grounded and alive. For wearers who want the grounded character of sandalwood without the incense-heavy register of classic attars, this hits a specific middle ground.
