Mountain Within
Kuoca's first extrait opens with aldehydes and juicy raspberry, then settles into incense smoke, powdery orris, and Virginia cedar. A quiet, grounded scent built around Yoo Youngkuk's idea of the mountain within.
Perfumer: Cécile Matton
Aldehydes open the scent with a clean, transparent air, and raspberry and lychee bring a juicy brightness. The fruit brings brightness, while elemi resin adds weight and quiets the sweetness.
As incense smoke spreads, the fragrance moves from clear air to the feel of damp ground. Labdanum's amber-like bitterness and a creamy cocoa softness round the edges of the smoke. At the center is orris: a dry, powdery root note that gives the composition the calm of walking deeper into a mountain.
Virginia cedarwood closes with a dry wood tone, joined by the musks of Sublimolide and Tonkitone and a touch of vanilla. Orcanox smooths the wood into a long, quiet finish.
This is Kuoca's first artist collaboration, inspired by the world of Yoo Youngkuk, a pioneer of Korean modern abstract art. It is also the brand's first Extrait de Parfum, blended at a higher concentration than its eau de parfum for richer depth. The packaging translates the red mountain ridges and violet energy of his 1967 work into a gradient across the bottle and case.
One or two sprays are enough. A light application lets you explore the contrast of incense smoke, dry wood and bright fruit. It suits late hours and days that ask for quiet.
