Reviews of Aoud Lime
by Montale

Aoud Lime opens with a sharp and bitter blast, though I can’t promise it’s lime that I get. Half an hour in and I get the beginning of soft, but ever so slightly bitter floral notes. These florals clean up into very gentle, fresh and clear rose over the period of the following hour. Like with Attar there is Sandalwood but it’s much more in the background. As a male I feel that rose fragrances need something like fragrant wood to suit my gender, in Lime Aoud (and Attar) the sandalwood provides a more smooth finish. Great longevity and a great daywear fragrance, Aoud Lime only needs a better name.

With so many excellent oud Montales, that are slight variations on a theme, it’s quite hard to pick out which to plumb for in the shop. Maybe what’s needed is an Aoud collection containing a wide range of 10ml mini’s. For me I’d have to pick Attar, Black Aoud and Lime Aoud.

Aoud Lime is a twist on the traditional gentleman's cologne with the addition of a very pronounced oud note. I initially turned it down. Back then, little did I know, that it would eventually end up in my wishlist. Definitely one of Montale's better scents in the oud line.

Yep, this is exactly what I’ve been looking for!

For those who are looking for a potent Montale oud that places less emphasis on the floral notes, this is the one to get. Personally, I get more oud than lime or citrus but that suits me fine. I find it less cluttered and fresher than most of the other Montale ouds, making this one a great candidate for hot weather (although I’m sure it’s great to wear during cooler months too).

This is definitely bottle-worthy and is now among my top three favourite Montale ouds.

******

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[Original submission date: 10 April 2008]

Ok, this is absolutely not like what I was expecting. It's proper name should be "Aoud Patchouli Rose." After it settles in around 20 minutes, all you get is metallic rose note (as PigeonMurderer likes to call it: "soul of lime"), that eventually develops into a monotonic rose note which reminds me of Rose Otto essential oil that I have. This rose note is not feminine but very wearable for both sexes. This rose note dominates the fragrance. In drydown all I get is spicy woody patchouli. If you like monotonic rose on steroid and nothing else then this your solution.

Alright, this one is just plain weird. (Don't get me wrong, I often like weird.) Aoud Lime is not of the relatively forthright oud-rose family that includes Attar, Royal Aoud, and Black Aoud, nor is it much like the sticky-sweet concoction Aoud Ambre.

Lime is not a listed note, but the top notes are true to the name: dark oud crashing over a bright, acidic citrus note. Immediately offputting for me, with the two notes scratching olfactory nails across a blackboard.

To be fair, I wait to see how this discord will resolve itself - troubling as it is, there is potential for something very interesting to emerge.

It doesn't. Rose begins to well up, but does nothing whatsoever to reconcile the clashing accord set up in the opening. By the time the patchouli shows itself, I've come to find the whole thing tiresome, like the schlemiel who follows you around a party spouting irritating drivel, or a yappy dog. At no point do the disparate elements in this scent never manage to come together. In fact, they don't even seem to interact in any meaningful way.

As I said, weird - but not gratifying.

No, this is much over the top. Lime and oud are so far away from each other that it is probably not possible to bring them together. And this combination of sour and bitter lime with oud is really nauseating. Turns more bearable when the lime gets weaker during the drydown, but still very harsh and unpleasant.

For me, this is the worst of Montale's ouds together with Red Aoud. Strange to find adorable scents like Steam Aoud or BA next to this horrible stuff in the same line!

This was a sour disaster on me. It smelled like Mexican food left too long in the fridge. I love limes too, but this was not good. I'm not actually sure at this point that there is any lime in the fragrance at all. The saffron and aoud are staunch and difficult.

I feel so classy when I wear this. It seems to smell the same all the way to the end with no changes. Is it the patchouli that I admire in it? I don't know for sure. I read somewhere that there is no lime in it but the ingredients make it smell like lime. I'd like to read more on how this fragrance was constructed because it's a great scent. Like to wear my black dress and green sweater while wearing it. this perfume makes me feel Italian. He he he. (I'm not italian).

First I thought it was a joke.
But no, they mean it, it is supposed to be a fragrance.
I asked about 20 people at my office to try it from my big sample.
They all hated it.
Thumbs down!

Rosy citrus and sandalwood? Actually, it smells a lot like M7 with a heftier tropical citrus instead. Not a well defined aoud/oud/aoudh/whatever in blazes you want to call it. I don't what all the fuss is about though not a terrible scent overall.

This is another unusual fragrance, I can't put my finger on it. It has a lime note but its not lime its like a chainsaw swinging,inbred,bastard son of a lime. Very pungent smelling when first applied but settles down after the first 30 minutes. Don't misunderstand what I'm saying as a negative criticism I give this five stars, I really like it. You should try it, make a statement, life's too short to sit on the sideline. If you wear this you will get noticed :-)

Greg

PS- Try black aoud too, another winner from the house

Aoud Lime is one of the most satisfying scents I have ever worn, it`s absolutely amazing gift from Montale.
It doesn`t actually have lime in it, no, but it smells like a "soul" of lime. (if you know what I mean) It is poisonous green, tart and sour, crispy. It`s also very warm and spicy, and it actually reminds me of the smell of pizza place or some other spicy food restaurant.

This ultra strong, forever lasting creations is one of the very perfumes which has a tendency to make my mouth water. I will never be without a bottle for the rest of my life.

It's not my thing to write bad reviews... usually I'd prefer to just forget it, but this might be a special case. I love lime notes so I ordered a sample of this along with a number of others from Montale. I didn't even need to smell my skin before knowing it was shockingly strong and awful... just the mist of what wafted up was enough to get me to wash off (I did smell my arm).

Try before you buy.

I love lime, and was hoping the might be my aoud "gateway" fragrance, but it was not meant to be (I should have known this would not be the gentle aoud I may need to start enjoying that note from the reviews). Right off the bat I got a whiff of celery seed that persisted. Bitter, and sharp, this note is not a favorite, as I recall my mother (an excellent cook otherwise) would use it to excess, and to no good end, in several dishes. There is lime, too, but an oily lime, not fresh and sparkling. Lime leaves or pith, not zest. And then there's the salt... Not to my taste.

The opening is huge and pungent, medicinal, almost iodine. Then a note emerges which reminds me hugely of Turkish delight - which I take to be chiefly the rose. I don't find any lime here, unless it is that here the rose and lemon of traditional Turkish delight is here subtly rose and lime. This mixes with the pungent notes in such a way that the overall effect is like eating Turkish delight washed down with a very peaty Islay malt - Laphroaig or a very aged Caol Isla.

As time goes on (and it really does last) the phenolic element die away and the rose/patchouli accord dominates, no longer Turkish delight. A rather dusty, musty rose, slightly oppressive.

I have to admire this fragrance for its grandeur, but it's not really something I would want to wear very often. I would class it as masculine rather than unisex.

Aoud Lime: smells like BA, but the difference is how the saffron-rose duo jams with lime, oudh and other woody notes...i find this one more enjoyable and exciting all the way from start to end. the addition of Saffron changes the approach and adds a lil bit of sweetness to the entire mix, bringing out the best from Rose. again, if one removes the oudh frm this, it'll be a different frag altogether in comparison to BA. BA with its heavy dose of oudh, leather and patchouli is a different beast altogether but aoud lime stands head strong. there would be days when you woudl go for this and not the BA

As a child, I was fascinated by the rotting logs in the woods behind my house. I'd roll them over to find salamanders, snakes, fauna of all kinds. More often than not there were beautifully white lacy rotting bits colonized by ants, or termites, or something of that sort. Always there was a very distinct smell, not bad, not beautiful... very sharp, highly organic, like the distillation of all damp woodland nature into one astringent aroma... almost macabre. I loved it. Nothing has ever come close to this smell, and in fact I hadn't thought of it for a long while until I sampled some of the Montale Aouds. Aoud Lime comes very close to replicating this memory of scent.

It takes a very specific time for me to wear this, and I should add that if you are looking for a citrus aoud, hmmmm. I think this is lime in name only, and what you do have is an abstract rendition of citrus, not the specific thing itself. If this were a painting, I'd say it would be limes painted by de Kooning; beautifully done, almost barbaric... deconstructed and then re-assembled by a masterful vision. A challenge to wear, I find, but perfect and unavoidable when the time seems right.

Aoud Lime is exactly what it sounds like -- oud and lime. A single lime is present in a forest of dark aoud; there is no citrus here, there is no fresh and soft breeze; rather, there is moist and dark air, billowing softly through the dense trees, which sunlight has trouble penetrating. Whistling with newfound piny notes of earthy patchouli and dark cedar, it picks up saffron, which clings to budding rose hips, and choke under the dominant presence of the oud. As the dark and sinister breeze continues, it hits a single slice of lime skin, and is instantly contaminated with the bitter presence of exoticism, and we arrive at our destination: one of the boldest and daring scents ever created.

You see, had the lime not been present, this fragrance would have been utterly despicable. It would have taken it's place as the worst niche fragrance ever concocted; the aoud is so thick, and the woods so strong, that it would not have a place in suburban society. Only Special Forces would be allowed to wear this -- and that would be to cover their tracks during deep-jungle covert-operation missions, away from the prying noses of guard dogs. The iris, too, plays a crucial role in bridging the lime and the woods; which, had the lime not been present, would have destroyed the scent and literally split it into two. Such dark and rich scents can not possess herbal hearts unless the key note of the scent is so polar to the base, that it needs to be controlled. (Our Iris blushes out the tangyness of the lime and offers a safe transition into the oud, where it blends the two together)

Both Aoud Lime and Black Aoud are stunning, and a mind-boggling take on the oud note. They are unique, daring sharp, bold, unforgiving, and proof that Montale creates some of the most original scents known to mankind. I hate to say this, but these are definitely not a unisex scent. Any woman who wears it better have sideburns and a moustache. In Aoud Lime, the saffron is rich and spicy, blending with the woods so effortlessly; resulting in a sweetly-dark oud -- perfect for lime notes to counter, because it offers a sharp, bitter citrus note that almost resembles our beloved smoky-wood scents, but is different enough so that we instantly recognize it as innovative and original. For how in-your-face this scent is, it's very well-composed and elegant. If there's one scent that will be the "wow"-er of these samples, or one scent that forces compliments out of strangers, Aoud Lime will be it. It is breathtaking and jaw-dropping; I'm speechless by how unique and unbelievably deep this scent is. While Black Aoud is slightly more inclined towards a unisex feel, the roses are definitely not similar to the ones present in most female fragrances, let alone in any other unisex fragrance. Equally stunning, but maybe not noticeable by the uneducated noses of the general public.

As the earlier reviews indicate, Aoud Lime hardly leaves anyone neutral. This is definitely a strong and somewhat agressive fragrance with a sharp personality. Can´t really think of anything even remotely resembling it.

My experience with oud is also very limited, but I certainly enjoy it in YSL´s M7. And after sampling a few of the Montales M7 seems to be true to the naure of this pungent wood.

Aoud Lime becomes something completely different though. The sharp lime combined with the smoky and semi-sweet woods creates a dry, herbaceous and medicinal aura. The dryness is further accentuated by the strong iris and organic sandalwood. The sillage is a killer - will take over a small room in no time, so be gentle on the trigger. Overall a very cool and unusual fragrance. Can imagine it working extremely well on the right femme fatale as well.

In the opening, the lime conspires with the aoud to inflict upon the wearer a truly threatening medicinal / eucalyptoid accord—anyway, that’s what I thought the first time I tried it. It’s amazing how, with repeated testings, the nose can become so quickly adjusted to novel accords—by the forth time I tested this, I could not only take it in stride, I had learned to love it. Aoud Lime is a heady stuff—powerfully aromatic and intensely exotic to my aoud-virgin nose. The first accord is powerful and casts loads of sillage; then it transitions into an accord of aoud aromatics / dry herbals / patchouli. Where the top accord projected a potent sillage, the newer, dry patchouli accord stays a little closer to the skin. I’ve met this middle accord in several other Montale aoud fragrances, and I again find it attractive but not compelling, but things improve: Two hours into the fragrance, the rose note appears. At first it comes in the form of a rather dry patchouli / rose accord. As it ages, the rich but discreet rose note continues and is joined by the sandalwood while the patchouli gradually disappears. The last throes of the drydown—hours and hours later—is basically sandalwood with the rose, patchouli, and aoud being mostly beautiful memories. This is a wonderful fragrance.

sharp, soapy, and a faint dried lime peel. not much else. thumbs down. montale has better aouds to offer.

Oud (or Aoud) has been used in perfumery since the dawn of time, according to the Montale folks. They say that oud is a fragranced ointment from Arabia, extracted from the root of the oud tree. It is then preserved in a cave for several years and by some secret process, the oud oil is obtained.

Oud (literally “wood” in Arabic) is also known as aloes wood, eaglewood and agar wood. It actually comes from several types of trees that have been infected by a fungus. The tree’s immune response to the fungus causes a growth that is collected and sold at exorbitant prices. The Wikipedia claims that oud is a complex smell but can be roughly approximated by combining ambergris, jasmine, earth, and wood notes. Some people think oud smells like band-aids or rubber or even a harsh chemical. Not me.

Aoud Lime includes oud from the Pakistan Mountains along with roses from India and Italian iris. The base notes consist of ambergris, patchouli, sandalwood, and saffron. I couldn’t find mention of any citrus (especially lime) as an ingredient…anywhere. I have to agree, I don’t smell lime in this.

When I put this on I get a burst of oud wood along with saffron and bergamot. As it dries down a little, I can smell the rose. This develops into the most wonderful rose scent I have come across in a long time. The oud/rose/patchouli/saffron accord is breathtaking. This is very masculine to my nose. I took this sample over to my mom’s house and she wanted to keep it. Although it wasn’t her favorite in the oud series, she thought it was feminine and dressy (whatever that is). I am reminded a little of L’Artisan’s Voleur de Rose with its patchouli, plum, and velvety roses. The saffron in Aoud Lime makes this more exotic. Sillage is fantastic and it seems to last about eight to ten hours. I feel a little naughty wearing this. This wouldn’t be good to wear to bed unless you don’t plan on sleeping.

The notes are: Patchouli leaves, Aoud, Sandalwood, Ambre, Iris, Saffron

The Aoud (agarwood) series of Montale fragrances are created around the agarwood note. My first encounter with agarwood was M7 - a finely crafted YSL fragrance. Motales Aoud line intrigued me - I was curious to see how diverse could Montale make its various aoud offerings. And Aoud Lime was my first target.

Aoud Lime, as the name suggests (and the notes dont) does start off with a sharp lime and agarwood notes. The lime is a bit sharp, and in my opinion, sharps contrastly with the smooth agarwood (which, with time, grows stronger and more prominent). For some reason, the way Montale has conjured this, these two dominant notes never flow along smoothly. After 1-2 hours, the lime note has nearly all but disappeared, and what you are left with is an excellent but boring base of aoud and sandalwood.

The longevity is excellent, but Aoud Lime doesnt do much except for provide a slight variation on the agarwood note. If you are a big agarwood note fan, you will ike this. I will pass.

Aoud Lime tempted me with its name, but I it doesn't smell like lime. Instead, after I inhale it, I get the memory of lime on my palate. I get a complex mix of soft/sharp, then a rush of very interesting, rich, fragrance built into a precious wood container. It dances through the notes and settles into a wonderful, subtle, close-to-the-skin fragrance. I own Clive Christian's X (for women) and it resembles it closely, at one third of the price.

To me Aoud Lime seems to be a less intense, less focused version of Montale's Attar. It seems like a softer oud, rose, and sandalwood scent to my nose, especially after it dries down. Again, I find this one to be completely unisex. Oddly, I think Aoud Lime may be the most inappropriately named fragrance ever. I'm not sure I get lime at any point in the development of this scent. In fairness to Montale, they don’t list lime as a note, at least in the listing I saw. Please don't take my comment about the name to mean that I don't like this scent. I do like it; I just don’t comprehend the naming of it.

I could just swamp myself in this fragrance...the oudh is very strong here, and i just want to drink it,almost. the smell reminds me of the scent of dried, crushed pine needles, and of the sharp odor that all the world has after you have fried your nose with bleach. but no, it's gorgeous! these are just the closest approximations to help explain what that sharp-yet-ethereal woodiness is like. the big drawback? unfortunately, it reminds me way too much of the odor of Deep Woods Off! bug repellant. I know it's probably something to do with the cedar-like nature of the woodiness, combined with the lime. it's actually an incredibly beautiful scent, but with the unfortunate association i have with bug repellant, i couldn't wear it daily without being uncomfortable.