The Different Company GIN-SENG Review (Meng Gu) 2026 + Powerful Green Giveaway

The Different Company Gin-Seng

The Different Company GIN-SENG  by Oli

There’s always been a clue in their brand name; and for someone like me – a millennial who’s obsessed with the process and construction of perfume – The Different Company has always been… just fascinating. Early releases allowed perfumers like Jean-Claude Ellena, his daughter Celine and Emilie Copperman to create perfume without boundaries, overload ingredients and work in pursuit of olfactory perfection – as a result Jean-Claude Ellena’s 2003 Bergamote for The Different Company is unrivalled in my eyes, with its huge overdose of the Calabrian fruit, its support structure of orange blossom and accent of woody rhubarb.

There are multiple high points dotted throughout their collection. Alexandra Monnet’s 2013 released Santo Incienso Sillage Sacre made me fall deeply in love with incense and is a rare instance of a perfumer mastering the use of palo santo in fine fragrance. Celine Ellena’s Pure eVe (2011) is a tour de force in almond focused musk, Christine Nagel’s Une Nuit Magnetique (2014) is permanently on the tip of my tongue when someone mentions blueberry as a fragrance note and last year’s Emilie Copperman signed Azhi Ardara is a zenith for that style of thick, raspberry, wood and vanilla that is everywhere, all of the time.

The Different Company Extrait Extreme Collection

The Different Company Extraits Extreme range, as presented by the brand

At this year’s Paris Perfume Week the brand was showcasing a new concept, Extraits Extremes, a collection of five new extraits that are all served up at least 50% in concentration. And whilst I’ve never been that much of a willing or vocal participant in the perfume loudness wars (I’ve forsaken so many stunning fragrances because they simply lasted too long or hit too hard) this kind of concept coming from The Different Company and the quality of perfumers they work with certainly intrigued me.

Within the offering are two gourmands, Maddy (reviewed by Nicoleta here) and the toffee tones of Salty Kiss, the moreish leathery, floral of Crazy Tubereuse and the quite wonderfully bizarre steel, pepper and liquorice combination of Serge de Oliviera’s candy toned Gothic Incense. But it was Robertet perfumer Meng Gu’s Gin-Seng that really grabbed me  by the nose fusing a foreign, bitter greenness with a strong base of Haitian vetiver.

Meng Gu Perfumer at Robertet

Robertet perfumer Meng Gu via the brand

And whilst my initial thought upon smelling it was definitely that’s strong… it’s worth noting that The Different Company GIN-SENG is most definitely not a ball of loud, caustic woody amber molecules. If you’ve ever smelled those types of materials neat (not recommended) you’ll soon recognise the way a slight heavy handedness of them will make your eyelids tighten around your eyeballs as a reflex. There is none of that here and Gu isn’t taking these kinds of established or easy shortcuts for tenacity at all. The composition is thick, balanced and very present and whilst, sure, I have to wonder what this would be like at an EDP concentration, one has to trust that the perfumer has a reason for delivering it at 50%.

Perhaps it represents the intensity of a scent memory? Or at least the vividness or importance of it? Regardless, even at this huge concentration there is still an ample sense of nuance to it. The first few seconds are a bit difficult, bitter as every material rushes out at once, but shortly after that the impression dissipates and the characteristic smell of ginger and basil introduces the titular accord which feels uniquely earthen, green and piquant. Somehow the perfume retains this green hued, fresh kind of levity throughout the wear with the vetiver incorporating itself perfectly, extending the earthen facets and turning them woody.

Gin-Seng Extrait by The Different Company

Photo by Oli

It smells foreign and new, as one would expect a root so heavily used in Chinese medicine might do to a Western nose, but Gu works well to present it in ‘perfume terms’, using weightless materials referred to simply as ‘grassy musks’ and ‘watery fruits’ that help smooth, soften the edges and soothe the overall shape of the smell. And whilst there are certainly aspects of the perfume that  some may find  challenging, the real reward is in the wear of it  and as an execution of an idea it should be celebrated for being accomplished as much as it should for being different.

 Notes: goji berries, ginger, basil, blue chamomile, red ginseng, watery fruits, grassy musk, Haitian vetiver, hyper concentrated cedarwood

Disclaimer: a bottle of Gin-Seng and samples of the Extraits Extremes collection were provided by the brand for review, opinions my own.

–Oli Marlow, Senior Editor

Gin-Seng eXTrait de Parfum The Different Company

Thanks to the generosity of The Different Company we have a 50 mL bottle for one registered reader from EU and USA You must register or your entry will not count. To be eligible, please leave a comment saying what sparks your interest based on Oli’s review and where you live. Draw closes 8/15/2026

Maddy (reviewed by Nicoleta here. You can read other The Different Company reviews Dance of Dawn, Majaïna Sin, I Miss Violette, The 3 You should be Wearing and Pure eVe.  Please read Luc Gabriel’s Creative Directors in Perfumery here. The Different Company Red Burning Night was one of Michelyn’s favorite perfumes at Esxence 2024 and a top ten best perfume of 2024. The Different Company Rose Poivrée is in our Modern Masterpieces

Available on the brand’s website, and at fine stockists including Jovoy Paris and Luckyscent.com

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42 comments

  • vbmask says:

    I appreciate the description of being earthen and green. Recently fell in love with the use of galbanum. Certainly would like to experience the ginseng married with the vetiver. Very intriguing. The opening may be challenging. But that isn’t the whole. Who doesn’t want a reward for wearing? US. Mississippi.

  • Euglena says:

    Nice, I don’t see the ginseng note very often, and I think it’s a shame. The only perfume I could name would be The Silk Road by d’Annam, and that one I liked a lot when I smelled it. I also remember ginseng bubblegums, which I used to buy in a health store during my university years. When I read that “earthen” and “green hued”, it immediately sparked my interest 🙂
    Czechia, EU.

  • Scentofme says:

    The new Extraits Extremes collection sounds great with the high concentrations. GIN-SENG sparks my interest with the unusual ginseng note, but also with the piquant, earthen and green accords. Greetings from EU.

  • opalbear says:

    I wanted to try all of these as I’ve loved The Different Co for years! But I’ve only managed to try the one that intrigued me the most, Gin-Seng and it is incredible!! I was a little worried that it might have that omnipresent fake wood you mentioned which I’m beyond tired of and thankfully true to TDC tradition it did not! I don’t find it heavy or strong at all. It has an elegance. And uniqueness and I’d loooove a full bottle. I am located in the U.S. thank you for the generous giveaway.

  • sloelichen says:

    You had me at ”not a ball of loud, caustic woody amber molecules”. Joking aside, I applaud any attempt at doing strong perfume without reliance on super ambers. All the best, from EU

  • rackex says:

    Would love to experience a strong fragrance without trying to be overtly loud and dominate the room. Thank for a lovely review! USA

  • Karissa says:

    I like how Oli Marlow recapped a bit of the brand history and play on words of being different.
    I am fascinated by using ginseng and goji berries both used in Chinese medicine I believe. You had me at vetiver and that it might be challenging but the reward is in the wear. I live in Chicago

  • Jeremi says:

    The bitter-green ginseng fused with Haitian vetiver, keeping that earthen, piquant freshness without any heavy amber shortcuts – sounds uniquely rewarding. I live in Poland, EU

  • lkali says:

    This sounds so unique. I remember growing up on Chinese herbs and my mom still makes them for me sometimes. I’d love to try this. I live in Pennsylvania USA

  • Marques M Burgess says:

    I love that this review gets into the why behind The Different Company rather than simply listing fragrances. The idea of pushing perfumers beyond boundaries and then taking that same philosophy into a 50%+ Extrait Extreme concentration really grabs me. And Gin-Seng sounds especially intriguing—the combination of bitter green ginseng, ginger, basil, watery fruits, and Haitian vetiver feels completely different from the typical “beast mode” fragrance. I’m definitely curious to see how that intensity translates on skin.
    I live in New Jersey, USA

  • Ramses Perez says:

    Ginseng is such a unique ingredient and to me an acquired taste. Now for those who do find it in them to enjoy it, it’s miraculous (really). This is zingy and sort of spicy while at the same time fresh. I know this because I wear a lot of Korean beauty with ginseng in it and the burst of energy I get from it putting it on my skin is revitalizing. In fragrance form I think you’d get the same idea: a burst of energy mixed with some woody notes to support. This is for sure a beast mode scent. I’m located in the USA.

  • Taleofarose says:

    I love strong fragrances and what I love even more is something that smells “foreign and new”. My husband’s family comes from Hong Kong, and for them ginseng is a staple kitchen item. For me it’s still very foreign, thus appealing. “Grassy musks”? Yes, please!

    Greetings from Portugal, EU

  • StealthECat says:

    I’m also not big on projection or longevity, but I like that a perfume can finish its story after a few hours so I can layer something else on top and experience a different vibe in the same day. I’d be interested to see how these notes (which as was said in great strength will singe your nose hairs) work at an extrait concentration but still produce a perfume and not an apothecary. I hope not by being watered down with the fruits or chamomile. I also hope the concentrated cedarwood doesn’t read pencil shavings – but it does go against some stronger notes that may tame it. (PacNW USA)

  • Bradley says:

    50% concentration is such a confounding concept to me but I trust that if they executed then it’s surely incredible and an exercise in balance. Goji berries and watery fruits, plus grassy musk and ginseng? This is so different to my western palate and I think we should all be open to these less conventional note breakdowns and structures. I’d love to smell this soon, and thank you for the giveaway opportunity! Hello from NYC 🙂

  • Monika says:

    I’m always up for interesting new herbal notes and this company always delivers on quality. Since I smelled Sel de Vetiver, I have been intrigued by their offerings and this certainly sounds like a great addition to their line up.
    I am in the US. Thanks for the draw!

  • DuftHochZwei says:

    Only yesterday I wore my beloved Sel de Vetiver. This Gin-Seng feels like the next gen equivalent of it. I’d love to find out where the mentioned challenging parts are for me or if the opposite watery aspects are my kind of scent. Please let me win this to Germany, thank you for the draw!

  • Patricia R. says:

    I was interested in Celine Elena mastering the use of palo santo and other rare materials and I wander what grassy musks smell like. I live in the EU.

  • Jos says:

    The combination of bitter green red ginseng paired with Haitian vetiver sounds genuinely fascinating. It’s refreshing to hear about an extrait-level concentration (at 50%!) that achieves depth and presence without resorting to harsh, modern woody-amber molecules. The balance between that initial piquant, bitter-green rush and the smoothing elements like grassy musks and watery fruits makes this sound like a remarkably nuanced wear. I would love to experience how Meng Gu translates these traditional Asian medicinal notes into fine perfumery.

    Greetings from Eindhoven, EU!

  • bustednose says:

    Oli’s review of Gin-Seng provides a wonderful look at how the perfumer balances botanical crispness with botanical depth. I love how the composition plays with that bracing gin accord alongside the earthy, invigorating energy of ginseng, creating something that feels both refreshing and deeply grounded. It sounds like an exceptionally chic and modern take on a green fragrance. I’m in Texas USA

  • AmyVA says:

    The descriptors here – bitter green, fresh, possibly challenging, unique and vivid – are all terms I am drawn to in perfume so this is an extremely exciting offering! Basil, grassy musks, vetiver – all notes I gravitate toward and am thrilled to see listed. I am so intrigued by the formula decisions Gu made with this scent, which, given the combination of notes and their potentially overwhelming intensity, obviously reflects a brilliant and inspired talent for blending. I have not yet tried any fragrances from The Different Company, but many have caught my eye, and would love to have GIN-SENG be my introduction to the brand. Many thanks for the opportunity to win such a fantastic creation! ♥ I am in Virginia, USA.

  • Penguin says:

    What sparks my interest in Oli’s review is how he frames The Different Company’s 50% Extrait Extreme concentration, particularly Meng Gu’s Gin-Seng, as a deliberate exercise in artistic nuance rather than a play for sheer volume. Instead of using caustic synthetics for raw projection, it balances a bitter-green, earthen botanical core with surprising freshness and levity. It sounds like a masterfully crafted release where extreme concentration sharpens a vivid scent memory without overpowering the wearer.

    I reside in the United States.

  • ericwaynebiscuit says:

    I really appreciate Oli’s perspective on this! Less effusive praise and more focused on grappling with and understanding what’s going on and what was intended by the perfumer. Ginseng in perfume is already a point of interest and intrigue for me, but after learning more about The Different Company’s past work through this review (they got multiple Ellena’s on board!) I’ll definitely be diving into their catalogue now.

    Fingers crossed for the special opportunity to potentially win this one.
    I’m located in VA, USA.

  • Salem says:

    Oli’s review made Gin-Seng especially interesting to me because it sounds unusual without being simply loud or overpowering. The combination of red ginseng, ginger, basil, goji berries and blue chamomile, together with grassy musks and Haitian vetiver, sounds fresh, bitter-green and earthy in a way I haven’t experienced before. I also like the idea of a fragrance that needs some time to reveal its character instead of being immediately easy to understand. I live in the EU.

  • RH says:

    Ginseng isn’t a note I think I would have ever gone looking for in a perfume, which is probably why this review caught my attention. I like the idea of a fragrance that leans into something green and a little unexpected rather than going for the usual fresh-and-clean approach. The description of Gin’Seng makes me wonder if it has that crisp, almost energizing quality you get from being around plants after it rains.

    I’m in the US.

  • Annika says:

    An astringent green fragrance sounds bracing for the hot, humid dog days of summer. The ginger and basil give some spice to the earthy green ginseng, It sounds well balanced with delicate notes of watery fruits and grassy musks on a strong vetiver and cedarwood base. Love the Extraits Extreme collection. MD, USA

  • MarciaL says:

    I am drawn to the many natural plant scents in this, and the description of it being strong and challenging, yet superbly blended. It sounds really interesting!
    Seattle USA

  • Ensorceler says:

    I’m most intrigued by Gin-Seng because it sounds intensely concentrated without relying on harshness or sheer volume. The idea of something initially unexpected that settles into a balanced, polished, and distinctive experience really appeals to me. It feels like the kind of scent that rewards patience and skin time, and I admire The Different Company for giving perfumers the freedom to create with that level of intention.

    – USA –

  • Southirina says:

    I have to admit, ginseng is what pulled me in here. I’ve always found the smell of ginseng fascinating, but I’ve never really thought about how it could translate into a perfume. The thought of it mixed with ginger, basil and vetiver sounds incredibly intriguing, especially with that green, earthy freshness Oli describes. And the fact that even at half concentration it still keeps its nuance rather than simply becoming overwhelming makes me even more curious to smell it on skin. This sounds like a perfume I would need to spend some time with. EU

  • Alex_h says:

    There is something about this one that really makes me want to smell it for myself. I’m especially intrigued by the contrast between the bitter, almost medicinal character of ginseng and the freshness of ginger, basil and watery fruits. I love when a perfume has a slightly unfamiliar side to it, something that doesn’t immediately feel easy or predictable. EU based

  • SammoB. says:

    I can’t say I know what ginseng smells like, but this expression seems rather delightful. The combination of ginger and basil with earthy/grassy vetiver sounds lovely. Its interesting to hear the scent is a bit challenging, which I think is a good thing! NJ, USA

  • foreverscents says:

    The new Extraits Extremes concept appeals to me because I have the skin chemistry that just eats up even alleged beast-mode fragrances. I also love fragrances that start out “difficult.” My skin chemistry seems to adjust everything quite nicely. Gin-Seng’s notes of ginger and basil sound earthen and green for sure. I am very curious to find out what goji berries smell like.
    I live in the USA.

  • Jonathan Drake says:

    Love green fragrances and really excited by the medicinal ginseng notes here. I live in indiana

  • goknitintheocean says:

    It is always a joy to read about another offering from THE DIFFERENT COMPANY. Haitian vetiver sounds truly motivating; I love the green aspects of this note, in general, but when accompanied by some grassy musks, I can feel my curiosity getting the best of me. And it is still summer, after all. Thank you for this thoughtful review and giveaway.

    Deborah
    NYC/USA

  • olgAPOISON says:

    Different company is the oldest niche one. I REALLY want to try this new ginseng scent. This story and article about all the famous noses and iconic creations is so cool. I am from eu.

  • mmerline says:

    Oil makes a compelling case for the Different Company lineup, which sounds opinionated and diverse; I’ll have to make a point of trying these next time I visit a boutique. Santo Incienso Sillage Sacre, Gothic Incense, and Une Nuit Magnetique sound right up my alley (I love a blueberry note used in a surprising way.) GIN-SENG caught my attention more than any of those, because it sounds like it explores a note I haven’t experienced in a fragrance before. I’m intrigued by the potency (even at 50%), the bitter-earthy-green tonality, the “piquant” herbal opening, and the soft touches that smooth this composition out for easier wear. Aromatherapy in a bottle.

    I’m in WI, USA.

  • wallygator88 says:

    Thanks for the fascinating review! The Different Company Gin-Seng sounds like a really intriguing study in intensity without simply becoming loud. The opening of ginger, basil, and bitter green ginseng sounds almost bracing, but I like how the Haitian vetiver gradually gives those earthy facets a woody foundation while grassy musks and watery fruits soften the edges. It makes me think of walking through a dense forest after a hard rain—crushed green leaves and roots underfoot, with the damp earth slowly revealing itself as the sharper freshness fades.

    What really catches my attention is the contrast between the 50% concentration and the apparent lightness of the composition. Rather than using sheer power for projection, it sounds like the concentration gives the unusual ginseng accord room to remain vivid and textured throughout the wear. There’s something appealing about a fragrance that asks you to lean in and spend some time with it rather than immediately trying to impress. Gin-Seng sounds challenging, earthy, and genuinely different—I’d love to try it!
    Cheers from WI, USA

  • Kenneth says:

    This fragrance sounds incredibly unique and original. I don’t own anything with these kinds of notes and I would love to try something new that isn’t just another carbon copy, designer fragrance, that everyone else is wearing. Oli’s review has left me very intrigued by and curious about The Different Company’s fragrances in general. This would be my first introduction to this particular perfume house, and Meng Gu’s Gin-Seng sounds like it would make a great first impression. I love the way Gu incorporated notes like Gin-Seng, paying homage to Chinese culture. I reside in South Carolina, and I have no doubt that Gin-Seng would set me apart from all of the boring generic scents everyone around here is wearing. lol

  • C. says:

    A medicinal root’s scent presented in ‘perfume terms’ is definitely interest-sparking! I haven’t tried a fragrance with such a high concentration before. USA reader here.

  • Parinnia says:

    I like medicinsl scents and do not see Ginseng represented very often. I wonder how it smells paired eith basil an vetiver? From eu

  • Regis Monkton says:

    I’m really interested in trying The Different Company GIN-SENG. I’m under the impression that it is a good woody/herbal fragrance, and I feel that the cedar and vetiver combo is what would make it a woody fragrance. I’m curious to see how the fruits would pair with the woodiness and the herbalness. Also, I appreciate the insight into some of the complimentary aspects of the fragrance when Oli mentions: “It smells foreign and new, as one would expect a root so heavily used in Chinese medicine might do to a Western nose, but Gu works well to present it in ‘perfume terms’, using weightless materials referred to simply as ‘grassy musks’ and ‘watery fruits’ that help smooth, soften the edges and soothe the overall shape of the smell.” I live in MD, USA.