Zen (original / black) (1964)
by Shiseido

Why do they change the composition of great perfumes? WHY? WHY? WHY? This really infuriates me. If they want to create a new perfume, fine. There is always room for a new fragrance. Just don't use the name of a classic fragrance on a new one. Do these marketing people think we are so dumb we will not see the difference?

Although Zen is supposed to be a chypre cuir, I have not seen leather in the olfactive pyramid I found on the Net:

Top notes: bergamot, hyacinth, galbanum
Middle notes: white jasmine, violet, rose
Base notes: sandalwood, amber, oak moss

Nevertheless, I can detect a very subtle smokey note in the composition. In my opinion, this is what makes this classy EDT so original. Zen is supposed to be discontinued. If so, I will truly miss it. It was my secretary's signature fragrance in the early 80's and I adored it. I still remember very vividly this great fragrance. The mere idea of never smelling Zen again makes me sad...

20th November, 2011.

Not sure if Zen in the Black bottle has been reformulated or what, but I am extremely disappointed. I purchased a NIB EdC. It was completely unbalanced - extraordinarily loud for first 10 minutes, smelling of florals (hyacinth, LOV?, rose) then a bit woody. After that it disappeared into nothingness. Also tried on paper, and it's the same. No spices, no aquatic character, very un-Zen.

I've never tried a vintage Zen, so I don't have anything to compare it to. However, my experience with the new Zen classic (black bottle) does not match the reviews here or elsewhere.

Caveat emptor.

3rd July, 2011.

One of the most complex scents ever, a meticulous work of balancements and measure, an effluvium suspended in the time of a millenary tradition. I own the Original Black bought in Tokyo which i treasure as a nun uses to do with her virginity. This is a floral-mossy chypre that exudes a watery and freshly incensed kind of oriental mysticism. It's not dense or viscous but darkly fluid and subtle even if a touch of powder closes the round. This juice reproduces as few other scents out there the deep mystery of the japanese culture and this element could fully be caught specially by people that had the luck to visit the wonderful country of Japan. Its ethereal tamed floral sweetness expresses the same vein of Mitsouko even if the last is a different, more resinous, spicy and rooty kind of fragrance. Zen contains a dry floral bouquet from which emerges the rose side by side whith narcissus, mimosa, geranium, carnation and  others. Flowers start to fly in the air since the starting citrusy-orangy blast. The combination of the woodsy resin of galbanum, bergamot, orange blossom and some ethereal light flowers as rose, mimosa, narcissus and hiacinth exudes a sort of vintage and retro effect since the beginning. There has to be something fresh and watery that floods the floral-citrusy elements in order to wash the woody final warmth, to impress the right dosage of freshness and to get airy the incense. The incensed, resinous galbanum starts to express its gummy touch since the citrus-floral blast and the watery flux engages itself to smooth the resins, to balance the level of density and rise the drought. Violets and jasmine enhance a bit of sophistication, mystery and timeless feel. All the other elements that compose the final product, i mean smoky woods, musks, cedar and amber are dry in my perception. The combination of rose-geranium, citruses, dry sandalwood and a touch of woodsy incense reminds to me the dry myster and the "shadowy transparences and waterinesses" of N. 88 C&S. While the woods impress structure and stableness the dry amber and a moderately animal musk give mystery to the final outcome without sliding towards the syrupy side. A smoky touch of frankincense (may be the incensey smell is present just on the top because of galbanum but extending its "longa manus" till the base notes), an hint of smoke and woodsy oakmoss complete the work impressing an heavy trail of moody darkness to the fluid that, with its unsyrupy black slightly powdery fluidity, epitomizes a strictly oriental concept of mystery.

25th March, 2011. (Last Edited: 26th March, 2011.)

Smelling Zen Classic for the first time is a revelation. I find it hard to fathom that this scent was released in 1964. Even now, nearly fifty years later, it smells not only utterly original, but absolutely contemporary. Sampling it blind, I’d have no trouble believing it the latest entry from Eau d’Italie, Frédéric Malle, or Parfumerie Générale – even a new addition to Chanel’s Les Exclusifs. Its arrival at so early a date resets my perspective on the history of fragrance.

Zen Classic is built on an oddly austere dry rose accord, smoky, phenolic woods and resins, and a warm, faintly animalic musk. True to its name, Zen Classic strikes a perfect balance on several fronts: between the elegance of its rose and the animalic warmth of its musk; between the darkness of smoke and the subdued glow of labdanum; between the dry bitterness of woods and the sweetness of floral notes and resins; between power and transparency.

While I smell no frankincense in Zen, its reliance upon woods, its predominantly dark tint, and its overall mood and texture align it more closely with contemporary incense-rose compositions like Paestum Rose and Cabaret than with Paris, Knowing, or the other huge fruity rose chypres of the intervening decades. It’s as if perfume evolution skipped ahead by nearly a half a century.

With its exquisitely poised equilibrium, Zen Classic transcends not only time, but olfactory gender boundaries. I’d certainly have no problem wearing it in public, nor do I imagine would any male who’s comfortable with dandified “masculine” rose scents like Hammam Bouquet or Czech & Speake No. 88, most of which are far less subtle and refined Zen. In all honesty, Zen Classic is one of the most stimulating and distinguished fragrances I have encountered in some time. By the time the last traces of its wonderful labdanum, moss, and musk base notes evaporate, I realize that the loss of Zen Classic was no less tragic than that of Patou pour Homme, Feu d’Issey, or Globe.

Newsflash, 2011: Cause for celebration - the original Zen is back in US distribution (complete with black bottle, and for very little money,) as "Zen Classic." Try it before it goes away again!

11th January, 2011. (Last Edited: 18th March, 2011.)

Very occasionally a perfume will, with the first whiff, create in my mind an instantaneous impression of a particular place or situation. Zen is one of those. The first time I smelled it, I immediately pictured myself sitting in front of a fireplace on a chilly evening, sipping hot cider. This is a decidedly woody fragrance, and although there is no discernible (to my nose at least) note of smoke or ashes, the wood I picture is always in a fireplace, not a forest. I would describe it as a cozy comfort scent. Sometimes I will take the cap off the bottle and sniff just for the warm, cozy feeling I get from this fragrance. Some other reviewers have called this a "little black dress" scent, but I picture the little black dress being worn for an intimate evening for two (preferably in front of the fireplace), not a cocktail party. Highly recommended!

5th June, 2010.

Basenotes lists this scent as discontinued, but I just bought some EDC from Macys and was happy to welcome it back into my wardrobe. One other review calls this a "little black dress" scent and that's exactly right. Its powdery and both woodsy and oriental, very grown-up and sophisticated but not heavy or sweet. A real winner.

15th March, 2010.