Sacred Wood

Sacred Wood, inspired by Kilian Paris Sacred Wood (2014)

Sacred Wood is a portrait of one material, sandalwood, and everything else is there to frame it. Ambrette seed (a musky, slightly pear-like plant note) and carrot seed (earthy, rooty, a little like orris) make the start feel dry and grounded. Within minutes the sandalwood becomes milky and rounded, helped by Atlas cedarwood and amyris, a pale wood with a mild sandalwood tone of its own. Copaiba and tolu balsam give the drydown a malted, incense-like haze.

About the original

Calice Becker created Sacred Wood with Kilian Hennessy, taking Mysore sandalwood as the inspiration. It launched in April 2014 as the fifth and final scent of Kilian's Asian Tales collection. The fragrance appears to have left the range for a time, and in January 2023 Kilian announced it was returning, now classed in The Cellars family alongside Rose Oud. Older descriptions also list cumin, geranium and incense, which reflects the earlier brand copy.

Our version

Ours is an independent eau de parfum made to evoke the same character. It is not Kilian Paris stock, not an official relaunch and not the original formula.

Who it suits

Wood lovers who want sandalwood as the clear centre are its likely fans. It wears smooth and composed, and Now Smell This compared it to Diptyque Tam Dao. The carrot seed opening is earthy, which can read as vegetal for the first few minutes.

Related scents

• Jo Malone Orris & Sandalwood
• Kilian Amber Oud

Notes of the original fragrance, as published by the brand.

Notes: Ambrette Seed, Carrot Seed, Sandalwood, Atlas Cedarwood, Amyris, Copaiba Balsam, Tolu Balsam

Ambrette and carrot seed give a dry, earthy start, slightly musky and rooty, with a spicy edge.

The sandalwood then fills out, milky and smooth, with Atlas cedarwood adding structure and amyris softening the grain.

Copaiba and tolu balsam carry the base, which settles into a malty, milky wood with a faint apricot facet noted by one retailer.

Is Kilian Sacred Wood still made?

Yes. It appears to have been withdrawn for a period after its 2014 launch, and Kilian announced its return in January 2023 in The Cellars family.

Does Sacred Wood smell smoky?

The current notes are sandalwood, cedar, amyris and balsams, so it reads milky and woody. Brand copy describes an incense-like haze in the drydown, and older descriptions listed incense.

Is it similar to Diptyque Tam Dao?

Now Smell This drew that comparison, as both centre on sandalwood. Sacred Wood opens with carrot seed and ambrette, which give it an earthy start.

Inside the EU, delivery is free on orders of €49 or more. Below that it is a flat €4.99. Outside the EU, delivery is a flat €4.99 on every order. We send every order in 1 to 2 working days. It arrives in 3 to 7 days across the EU and in 7 to 14 days outside the EU. You have 14 days to return an unopened bottle.

Kilian Paris and Sacred Wood are trademarks of their respective owners, and all rights remain with them. Parfumour is not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, or connected to Kilian Paris in any way, and no business relationship of any kind is implied. Our product is an original interpretation created to evoke a similar scent profile, and the trademark names are used purely for honest, descriptive comparison, so that you can quickly identify the style and fragrance family you are looking for. We make no claim to sell the original product, and we do not use the same ingredients or formula. Any similarity lies in the overall impression of the scent as interpreted by our own perfumers, not in the source materials.