Z11 HD 8.5 MIP

6 reviews for Z11 HD 8.5 MIP

1. 

   5 out of 5

   BK Scents – June 2, 2022

   This is just lovely. For all those who want to know the difference between “HD” and the normal Z11, …the HD is the highest “preferred” amber ketal isomer of around 95%, where as normal Z11 only has about 30%.

   So what does that mean, and what does it smell like? I wouldn’t say this new HD is 3x stronger than the normal Z11 variety just because the isomer is that much higher, but its is ‘slightly’ stronger and easier to perceive in a blend. Comparing HD to the normal Z11 in terms of scent, there is a difference. HD is brighter, crisper, almost a touch drier. But what I found fascinating was HD has a slight sweetness under it all that’s missing from the normal Z11. Its almost the same slight sweetness one would find when comparing Ambroxan and Cetalox, where Cetalox has a subtle shade of sweet under the woody amber that lacks in normal Ambroxan. HD carries that very slight ambrox-like sweetness that isnt found in the normal Z11.

   Z11 HD is not your typical “SUPER woody amber” like Amber Xtreme/Ambrocinide. Z11 HD is more subtle and delicate/elegant in comparison, but very effective for an ‘enhancing type’ material in a dry-woody-amber-musky way. Its longevity will also outlast most musks, so plan accordingly.

   Also to note, its best to just get the 8.5% MIP version as sold here, as buying the raw powder form is difficult to work with and picky with what it will or will not dissolve in. For example….raw Z11 HD powder does not play well with DPG…even down to diluting it to 5% in DPG it still wants to crystalize and become a solid. I’ve found out the hard way, lol.

   Amber Ketal was also an important role in the Paco Rabanne 1 Million formula (around 0.8% of formula), so for those who cant get the raw amber ketal (Givaudan) powder, …Z11 HD is your next best thing.

2. 

   4 out of 5

   studio – August 5, 2022

   I don’t know why, but my nose does not register Z-11 HD at all–though I can smell regular Z-11 just fine, although weakly. Even though it has a higher percentage of the more desirable isomer, no matter which solvent I use for dilution (IPM, DPG, EtOH, BB, or a mixture of two or more of these) and doing the good old place-in-a-tube-and-smell-it-later training techinque, I can still not perceive even the smallest bit of this material. Needless to say, I do enjoy regular Z-11 so if I weren’t so mindboggling anosmic to HD, I believe I’d enjoy it just as much.

3. 

   5 out of 5

   Jay Mann – October 23, 2022

   Lovely stuff! This is a trigeminal material, ambery, strong. Better and cleaner and purer than the regular Z11, though regular Z11 still has its place (but it’s less refined).

   It has a similar sweetness to Cetalox or even Veramoss, but it’s less sweet than either. It’s also got an effect similar to Iso E Super, but I can’t describe it.

   It’s also not exactly a musk, in the typical sense. It’s one of those very-unorthodox musks, like Cashmeran or Edenolide, where it can smooth and round and de-harsh-ify a blend, but it does so while not smelling musky at all.

4. 

   5 out of 5

   dragoncross329 – July 27, 2024

   I have Z11 and this is it but this is another level perfect wood. Even diluted to 1% it works amazing.

5. 

   5 out of 5

   Jiangqi – August 25, 2024

   Ambery woody. Works well with other ambery ingredients and musk

6. 

   4 out of 5

   Sam Hughes – March 7, 2025

   Although I find Z11 HD 8.5 MIP to be an enjoyable material to use to many formulas and it is quite versatile it did not smell quite the way I expected from doing research online before purchasing. Perhaps I am not well versed enough in super amber materials to know whether Z11 HD 8.5 is typical for a super amber smell since other materials such as cetalox, kephalis, ambroxan, and various types of iso e super are also described as super ambers. I would describe Z11 HD 8.5 as a very muted version of norlimbanol which I have always known to be an extremely powerful woody material (perhaps most powerful material in perfumery in fact) but not associated with ambery materials in any way. Z11 HD 8.5 is a much more subtle yet super long lasting woody material. Since it is described to smell like “wood rimmed with metal” I expected it to be a much more bright, fresh, & metallic material with mineralic ambergris properties. It is about 5% as aromatic as norlimbanol but smells very similar and lasts just as long. Z11 HD 8.5 also has a similarity to isolongifolinone in the way it has a dark musty astringent smell on its own that is similar to the lingering smell left behind when italian food is microwaved. Diluted and used very sparingly this material can add a subtle touch to a silvery metallic accord and even boost freshness in some formulas. It seems to be very versatile and worth using as a subtle performance enhancing material in very small quanitites. Thanks to the free samples provided by Christine I was able to compare Z11 HD 8.5 to Z11 10 MIP which has been available to the public much longer from what gather. Having a sample of Z11 10 MIP was useful for discovering the scent of Z11 in general since it can be used up to 10% in total formula compared to the HD version limit of 1% which makes it easier to experiment with and more forgiving.