Oudmazing by Montale

*****
Year: 2016

Notes: Sicilian bergamot and orange, pink grape, pear, fig, Egyptian jasmine, orris from Tuscany, Madagascan vanilla, Sumatran patchouli, Malaysian oud, leather, white musk
At first, Oudmazing sounded like an unusual, yet promising, Montale oud. However, although relatively brighter and greener, Oudmazing smells very much like a lighter and fruitier version of Red Aoud.

Instead of Red Aoud's slew of spices, Oudmazing has substituted these with an array of succulent fruits, which yield a somewhat green fruitiness. With the oud just as obscured as in Red Aoud, Oudmazing initially confines the iris to the background, allowing both the leather and wafer-smelling patchouli to fill the void.

As for the jasmine, when combined with the vanilla, it adds a creamy floral dimension to Oudmazing, whereas Red Aoud's rose (when combined with the sweet spices) is more jam-like. Ultimately, although there are some distinct differences, their general aromas are similar enough for olfactory parallels to be drawn.

Drawing to a faint woody-iris close, Oudmazing lacks the projection and tenacity of Red Aoud, but still persists on the skin reasonably well. With that said, Oudmazing would probably appeal greatly to those who found Red Aoud too overbearing (as well as avid Montale enthusiasts, of course).


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