Black Aoud (2006)
by Montale

I just can't get past the huge Rose note in this that blasts in from first application and lingers for many, many hours. It's reminiscent of Amouage Gold Men and I'm not into that either. Powdery rose and men just don't go together. Call me old-fashioned, I don't care. If you want a masculine rose that doesn't make you smell like you raided your grandmother's fragrance collection, seek out some Iquitos and wear that.

16th January, 2012.

I finally finally finally got this.

Black Aoud

It's starts very strong. The oud casts a huge shadow over a darkened and mysterious rose garden.

As the oud slowly loosens up, we witness dark roses start opening up their personalities.

Patchouli assists the longetivity of the story. I also sense a bit of Musk.

What is this?

This is a somewhat daring scent. It's a strong, exotic and mysterious play whose actors are the best seasoned actors you can find. Think dark, think sultry. It is simply a fascinating fragrance that lasts such a long time.

I like this a lot. My 50ml will take me a long long way. I am glad it's in my collection.

7th January, 2012.

I feel a little guilty posting this review. When I do write one I usually try to have tested the fragrance I'm reviewing on my skin at least a few times. I want to give it a fair chance to prove or disprove itself. But with this fragrance Black Aoud I only tested once for reasons that will become apparent. And so this review is a kind of first and probably last impression. I wrote down the word "sumptuous" to describe the scent's opening. Yes plastic. And rubber. Lemony bandaids. Leather. Disinfectant they spray on grocery store bins or at the hospital. I all sounds dreadful on paper or course. But with the rose note emerging behind it it is all raucously magnificent in some way. But as the rose emerges, the setting, the rest of the stuff in there settles into a horror. The rose is fine, nice, but not very deep. It is never captivating. And underneath is a smell of rubbery wet mud or cement and disinfectant. My mind search out a beautiful rose but my nose won't let it because of the interference of the accompanying cast. For me the other components do not enhance the rose in any way. At best it's the artificial scent of a rose candle from the grocery store. A rubber note is always a deal breaker for me. Malle's Vetiver Extraordinaire, a fragrance highly thought of by many of the more thoughtful reviewers here is a scent I cannot stand because of the rubber note I get from it. I don't know what's causing the rubber note in Black Aoud . I suspect Aoud is a contributor, and no I have never smelled a good Aoud oil so I have no personal reference. When I'd had enough of Black Aoud I scrubbed and scrubbed, soap, hot water, dawn. The rose washed right off but not everything did. Guess what was left ? Rubber. A very unpleasent rubber. I actually fantasized about covering the spot on my arm with duct tape. A lovely smelling duct tape of course. I would encourage anyone interested in interesting fragrances to give Black Aoud a try. Obviously many reviewers appreciate it. I may test it again someday. But for now or at least until this rubber smell wears off my arm I don't have the least desire to.

5th December, 2011.

Black Aoud by Montale - The opening is a fantastic splatter of the harsh, camphoric aoud and a heavy, smooth leather, furnished by the sensual labdanum, wrestling with each other. This moody, thick and syrupy duet percolates and simmers for a time, and in the distance, a faint rose beckons to be recognized. Transitioning to its heart, this rose seemingly usurps the duet, and is joined by its accomplices, patchouli and some other dark fruitiness, to form a intriguing concoction. The aoud here works its magical powers to highlight the rose, not as a pretty and prim rose, but a dusty and dark rose, a rose harbinging a fully fragrant bloom soon to decay. After a time, this transfixing middle yields to the smoothness of the musk and an apparent sandalwood vibe, which may be the tiring aoud, to form its quieting base. The transitions aforementioned do not occur rapidly but develop over hours. Truly, saying this is a sensational adventure is an understatement. The projection and longevity are superior.

11th November, 2011.

Black Aoud starts out with a pure medicinal note of Aoud accompanied by rose. Very, very strong! It basically screams to everyone else: AOUD+ROSE!!!!

Through time the Aoud note begins to decay (when talking about Black Aoud, decays = looses 10% of it's power) giving an even more evident space to roses where the fragrance starts to get better on my skin but even with this happening, I still can't enjoy this fragrance. Too overpowering to my nose, and with a lot of roses in it.

Advise: you only need the 20mL bottle of this fragrance. Anything more than that and it will stay in your collection for generations! 1, 2 sprays max and you're done.

25th September, 2011.

Like a rose buried under asphalt.

I cant get into this one at all and Ive tried. It smells like the inside of a head shop. Lots of dark patchouli floating around, with wafts of inscense, leather satchels, rose oil, and the stink of the fresh laid tar. But theres also a medicinal note from the aoud to deal with. That eventually fads then its pure head shop in the drydown.

Its a dark scent, with major power. I love dark scents, but unfortunatly this one doesnt hit the right chords.

29th August, 2011.