Pale green to yellow-green translucent resin tears
Odor Strength
High
Producing Countries
Oman, Somalia, Yemen
Pyramid
Base
Frankincense at its freshest: piney, citrusy, green-bright resin straight from the tree. Olibanum sacra green is the raw tear before it yellows -- all terpenes, no church.
Pine-sharp, lemony-bright, with a clean, dry resinous transparency. Fresher and more citric than aged frankincense. The balsamic-sweet base notes are minimal -- this is the top of the frankincense pyramid. Brighter than standard olibanum, less heavy than church incense, with a crystalline, almost mineral quality. Think of freshly scored Boswellia bark, the white sap still liquid.
Gentle balsamic warmth begins to emerge underneath
After a few days
After a few days
Clean, dry, faintly sweet resinous trace
The Full Story
Olibanum sacra green refers specifically to the fresh, green-terpenic fraction of Boswellia sacra resin -- the top notes that dominate when frankincense is freshly tapped or when the essential oil is first opened. This is olibanum before the heavy, sweet, balsamic base notes develop.
The green character comes from the high monoterpene content: alph a-pinene (piney, dominant at 30-60% of the oil), limonene (citrusy), sabinene (warm-green), and alph a-thujene (herbaceous). Boswelli a sacr a from Oman's Dhofar regi on is particularly known for high terpene content and bright, clean green profile. The 'green res in' designati on implies either a very fresh, top-note-rich distillati on or a specific fracti on of the oil.
In perfumery, olibanum sacra green functions differently from standard frankincense: it provides citrus-pine freshness rather than warm balsamic depth. It works in the top-to-heart zone of fresh-incense, aromatic, and modern-amber compositions where traditional frankincense's heaviness is not desired.
This note in Première Peau. Albâtre Sépia · Simili Mirage. Sample all seven extraits in the Discovery Set.
The finest Boswellia sacra resin comes from Oman's Dhofar region, where the trees grow in the fog zone of the Dhofar Mountains. The fog (khareef) provides just enough moisture for the trees to survive in otherwise arid conditions. First-grade Omani frankincense -- known as 'silver' or 'hojari' -- commands prices exceeding 100 EUR per kilogram for raw resin.
Extraction & Chemistry
Extraction method: Steam distillation of fresh, high-quality Boswellia sacra resin tears, with a focus on capturing the light, terpenic fraction. Some producers offer specific 'green' or 'light' distillation cuts enriched in monoterpenes. CO2 extraction at lower pressures can also yield a greener profile.
Pale green to yellow-green translucent resin tears
Flash Point
~54°C
Specific Gravity
0.862–0.890 @ 25°C
Refractive Index
1.468–1.490 @ 20°C
In Perfumery
Olibanum sacr a green is a fresh-incense top-to-heart note providing the citrus-pine-terpenic quality of frankincense without the heavy balsamic base. Dominated by alph a-pinene and limonene from high-quality Boswelli a sacr a res in (Oman/Dhofar). Works in fresh-incense, aromatic, and modern-amber compositions where traditional frankincense's weight is not desired. Brighter and more contemporary than standard olibanum.
