Year: unknown
Notes: pepper, saffron, rose, agarwood, patchouli, cedar, sandalwood
Comment: Al Oud is only available in the United Arab Emirates and Qatar
Al Oud is Hind Al Oud's signature fragrance, which is an exploration of the agarwood accord.
Although it's nothing extraordinary, regarding the combination of materials that encompasses the agarwood, its execution is more skillful and restrained than its Western counterparts. With all the accords playing an equally important role, they are well-blended and oscillate in strength throughout most of the composition's lifespan.
With a balanced woody base, the agarwood settles down considerably but the creamy sandalwood rises to the occasion (accompanied by non-intruding cedar and patchouli nuances). Both the pepper and saffron inexorably interweaves throughout, as a sweet powdery rose softly exudes a pulpy facet (highly redolent of Bulgarian rose essential oil) that exhibits a greater presence over time.
Overall, it's beautifully constructed, as it dries down to an alluring pot-pourri of rose, woods and spices. At first, one was weary of smelling yet another saffron-rose-oud creation but Al Oud certainly stands out, with plenty of interesting twists and turns (as well as comparisons to the Montale rose-ouds and even Sisley's Soir de Lune). And although its emission off the skin is somewhat conservative, it lingers for a considerably long time.
With that said, it comes highly recommended.
Although it's nothing extraordinary, regarding the combination of materials that encompasses the agarwood, its execution is more skillful and restrained than its Western counterparts. With all the accords playing an equally important role, they are well-blended and oscillate in strength throughout most of the composition's lifespan.
With a balanced woody base, the agarwood settles down considerably but the creamy sandalwood rises to the occasion (accompanied by non-intruding cedar and patchouli nuances). Both the pepper and saffron inexorably interweaves throughout, as a sweet powdery rose softly exudes a pulpy facet (highly redolent of Bulgarian rose essential oil) that exhibits a greater presence over time.
Overall, it's beautifully constructed, as it dries down to an alluring pot-pourri of rose, woods and spices. At first, one was weary of smelling yet another saffron-rose-oud creation but Al Oud certainly stands out, with plenty of interesting twists and turns (as well as comparisons to the Montale rose-ouds and even Sisley's Soir de Lune). And although its emission off the skin is somewhat conservative, it lingers for a considerably long time.
With that said, it comes highly recommended.
* A special thanks goes out to Joseph for making this review possible.
