Reviews of Black Aoud (2006)
by Montale

First Aoud wearing. Not a fan of this scent and if all aoud fragrances share this volume and aromatic quality, then I'll opt to not wear aoud.

Immediately pungeunt and very little goes a long way. Very dark smelling to me and linear. Between the aoud and rose, it never develops past the first few minutes and just stays and stays and stays for days. If you only concern is for longevity, this is your baby.

My wife actually liked this and tried it. Smelled a tad better on her, but not much....yet she thinks it's an underrated spice scent. HUH??!!! As much as I like to try and wear different juice, this will NEVER make it into my rotation. I won't give Black Aoud a negative because aoud apparently is what it is.

A neutral is being kind....so I'll be kind.

Wow, this is fantastic. Starts of with a very loud medicinal aoud note then as the aoud fades slightly the rose comes forward in the mix. Its a very earthy rose that is,well,perfect. As it dries down I can smell the patchouli more. This lasts a whole day on me, in fact I could still smell it on a shirt that had been in the washing basket for 3 days. This really is an unusual and beautiful fragrance.

Greg

I'm all about originality, unconventional and... strangeness. I admire unusual fragrances even if can't carry them off. But Black Aoud is just too much to take. It's way to medicinal, bitter and artificial. At the beginning, I tried it on my skin for a few times. I knew that the opening would be very hard to take, so I didn't care much about it... I was eagerly awaiting for the scent to develop into something rich, deep and warm... Hours after, nothing happened, it was just as medicinal and synthetic as it was at the beginning.
Then I read some absolutely hilarious opinions saying that one should wait up to 12 hours for the scent to start developing!!! What??? Are you kidding me? Why in the world would I want a fragrance to become pleasant only after 12 hours? I'll probably be back home, sleeping like a baby when it would presumably start evolving. So what's the point? When the fragrance should smell good it stinks, and when the day is over it (allegedly) smells nice. I guess I should spray it on the day before going out, just to be sure that it will smell good when it should. As far as I'm concerned, it may turn into gold after those 12 hours, I just don't care, it would matter anymore.
Anyway, as I never spend more than 24 hours without showering, I tried it on paper as I wanted to see if it really does develop after many, many hours. It didn't... So I'm really surprised why so many people like this linear, simple, superficial and artificial fragrance.
As for comparisons with Czech & Speake No.88, none of them is apt. No.88 is light years ahead of Black Aoud. While No.88 is a masterpiece and one of the most complex, multi-faced and sophisticated fragrances, Black Aoud is just linear, medicinal and harsh.

I was eager to sample this, because it is so popular on basenotes, but I’m afraid this is not for me. The first impression is that is has a very realistic and very strong rose note. If there would be powder in Black Aoud, the rose would have turned very feminine. Luckily the rose is counterbalanced by woods, which makes this scent unisex. I still do not think, as some people do, that this is a masculine scent. I can wear sweet fragrances like Dior Homme without feeling awkward, but the rose note in Black Aoud is way too much for me. When after hours the drydown sets in and the rose fades, things get a lot better. This is an interesting scent, which would probably smell great on the right person, but I just do not feel comfortable wearing Black Aoud.

a rich and oily rose, the opulence you usually percieve when a saudi lay walks in front of you in the street.
a warm rose, slow and intense. one of those fragrances that underline the arabic sense of patience... everyhing has its time, and some things are worth waiting for. if you can stand the first opening which is a litlle pungeant and severe, this rich scent of 1000 and 1 night will be worth waiting

Oh sweet lord, I smell like a robotripping whore covered in band-aids. Okay, seriously, I love to smell different and interesting, but I don't want everyone I pass to wonder, "WTH is that dude wearing?" I much prefer, "oh, he smells good, lemme get another wiff."
The rose here is wayyyyyyyyyy overdone. It's just too feminine. If I wear this again I'll start having to carry around midol. I guess I've learned that I don't do rose, or at least, I can only do it in very small quantities.
And Mr. Oud...
I can't say I'm too friendly with this guy. I'll repost my little Oud lesson from a previous review I wrote...

Oud is so pungently medicinal because it IS, in fact, medicine. Oud is an antifungal oil that comes from an infected asian tree. The "wood" part of the word agarwood is misleading as it refers to the brown, resin stained parts of the tree, but the smell is the antifungal oil itself, not the wood.

My biggest issue with oud is this. Have you ever passed someone and gotten a heavy medicinal odor? The first thing you wonder is, "what's wrong with them?" Even if it's pleasant.

Black Aoud is a stunningly opulent perfume which balances a certain amount of harsh vulgarity with a profound sensuality. From the coarse, sharp, gnarly opening, it grips the wearer with thorny tendrils of woody, resinous, earthiness which envelop a pulsing heart of deep red rose, a rose boiling in rich brew of contrastingly arresting notes, velvety, rich rose which becomes somewhat sour and balsamic when combined with aoud, patchouli. I imagine these tendrils reaching out to those around me as I walk past, casting a mysterious wake. I can't simply apply this fragrance and go. I very literally must stand for a moment and ponder it. It stays with me all day, and I am nearly constantly aware of it for the first few hours. That said, it never interferes, never becomes annoying or too much. The next morning I am greeted by an incredibly soft, gentle, earthy patchouli note that is one of my favorite parts of the whole experience. A-ma-zing, if that's the kind of fragrance you are looking for.

Black Oudh: one of the most intense openings ever! hardcore OUDH blast from the past with heavy duty leather notes. The initial one hour or so, this stays pretty intense with the rose peeking out in middle...it literally "peeks" it may sound funny but thts wht happens. some where in the midnotes, the big bully finally allows the Rose to see the outside world...the rose in it smells a bit like the "Rose by crown perfumery" something like rose water...it's after couple of hours that BA reveals its true character and makes the entire journey quite interesting. it is here where the heavy dose of patchouli casts its magical base of earthiness along with the oudh..the combination of pathchouli, oudh and rose with leather notes cast a spell, so comforting, warm, earthy and woody...that it acheives an unbelivable depth and tone to the whole journey. lovely stuff, i would be surprised if anyone took to liking for this one immediately. i know i didnt, but this one showed it character in full wear. this ones called the king for a reason. it's sillage will have you fall to your knees...too good a frag to be missed. just be prepared for the intial hour or so...it's like Scotch...give it to someone for the first time and they'd be like...what the heck is this?..how cud one possibly drink this??...but steadily, it grows on you..and intoxicates one and makes them come back for more.

It's incredible.. to me, it's very grown up without being a 'classic' scent. There's nothing playful about it.. just a dark, mysterious rose with a medicinal oud that blasts you sharply in the initial application. As it develops, it becomes a crisp rose laced with the oud and what I perceive as a gritty, natural patchouli (though not a head shop type of patchouli).

Boy, I hate to be the turd in the proverbial punch bowl, but after sampling this, I'm afraid I cannot give it anything but the dreaded "thumbs down". I can pinpoint exactly what I dislike about this scent. It might be a total shocker so you should probably sit down for this one... the OUD! I just cant deal with it. In small, more discrete amounts, such as in M7, it's fine. But this is a full on oud-smack to the face. It comes strong and hard in the opening and even after several hours, it still rears its ugly head every so often. As for the actual "Black" part of Black Aoud, well it's very reminiscent of Czech & Speake's No. 88. It's dark, smooth, and handled well. At least the longevity is amazing, so if you do like it, you can enjoy it all day. For me, there are enough rose scents I absolutely love (the aforementioned No. 88, Le Labo's Rose 31, and L'Artisan's Voleur de Roses) that I won't lose any sleep over this one.

Try before you buy is something that's preached regularly around here, but I'm not sure I can stress it enough with this scent. Clearly, it has many, many people who adore it. It's pretty pricey, so there's no reason not to get a ML before you take the plunge.

And forget about that "unisex" label it has. This is hands-down a masculine scent. One of my worst nightmares is showing up on a date, only to find her wearing Black Aoud. I just don't think I could do it.

Rose. That's all I get is a weird rose note. Doesn't develop on my skin at all. It's very dark and mysterious, yes but doesn't conjure up images of bleak castles and Gothic clothing. Not terrible but not for me.

Spectculer, it definately grows on you it's much lighter than the Aoud Oils that you get here in Saudi.Would recommend that you smell it a few times on separate occassions in order to really appreciate it.

When you first spray it on, it smells medicinal, which quickly evolves into something else. Let's just say I won't have a moth problem with that scent... if I kept on using it. Which I won't. I actually felt uncomfortable wearing it. Perhaps it just doesn't work with my skin, though.

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After several further tryouts of this fragrance I felt I had to say something publicly. Black aoud, I'm sorry I said those bad things about you, I was ignorant and foolish, because I never really gave you a chance, I thought you were an ugly duckling, but in fact you were a swan.

It's a strong fragrance, in more ways than one, and it makes me feel good wearing it and I think that's what fragrances are all about; not really how they make other people feel, but how they make you feel. Several people agree Yatagan smells offensive, and I love to wear it because of the attitude it yanks me into. Black Oud is much more civilized than Yatagan in that regard, but you have to learn to appreciate it. Not that I would want to wear it all the time, but geez, there are times I wouldn't wear anything but Black Oud, and my tester is almost empty, so I guess I'll be heading for the shop now.

Goes on medicinal and repugnant. Then a transformation takes place--sweetness and roses wafting in on a cool breeze. Mellows into a dark, spicy rose. Devastatingly beautiful. Gothic.
After wearing this for a long time, I finally got my hands on a sample of real oud extract, and I have to say I'm unsure if any commercial perfumes actually contain real oud. The real substance is sweetly dirty, has an almost "repulsive" quality, and smells alot like rotten wood. It also smells like oak wood that has been sawed too quickly in a mill, and has a "destroyed" smell. All of the oud perfumes I have tested, including Montales, have more bitterness and an acetone edginess that real oud doesn't have. I think Madini's Agarwood has come the closest to the real thing.

This review is under revision.

Too dark, too melancholy, too simple. Too divinely dark, too well craftedly (is that a word?) melancholy, and simple...simply wonderful that is. Unfortunately also too unwearable for me, for now atleast, that's why the neutral rating. BUT if you are the dark, brooding, and simplistic type, Black Aoud is definately for you. Me, I'll stick to my Le Labo Rose 31 as far as rose scents go.

One of the best from the current aoud line, IMO.

As for all those comparisons to No. 88 by Czech & Speake, these two fragrances are completely different beasts. While No. 88 is an old-fashioned and gentlemanly rose scent, Black Aoud is a ‘take no prisoners’ rose and aoud combo that smells both contemporary and timeless at the same time. Black Aoud also possesses far better longevity and sillage than No. 88 (which disappointed me greatly in this department). Both are scents of great quality but they are definitely not similar to each other.

However, for those who are not used to wearing oud may initially have a shock, and some may not even ‘get it’. For those who find themselves in this situation, it’d be best to test Black Aoud at least half a dozen times before coming to any firm conclusion. The difference between Western and Middle Eastern perfumery is immense and, therefore, one should allow adequate time for olfactory re-conditioning – the potential reward for such perseverance is definitely worthwhile.

Although Black Aoud is an oddity, among the Western perfumes in my wardrobe, I dearly cherish its unrivalled quality and uniqueness.

A classic.

Do I dare to review the mythical beast that is Montale's Black Aoud. Oh, brothers and sisters.. I dare. I have a soft spot for heavy, dank scents and based on reviews, Black Aoud should have been right up my ally. I'm not sold. It's not that I don't see the value or artistic significance in the creation... I just don't enjoy wearing it. Upon initial application, the Aoud, quite expectedly goes on sharp and medicinal. I don't get much of the much discussed complexity in this scent. A hint of rose - a dose of patchouli - a bit of warmth. This fragrance has very little development on me and seems to drag. It becomes a lot more impressive in the drydown stage, but the initial 'paint thinner meets perfumery' character nags at me. I sold my 1.7oz bottle and have not regretted it. This is as neutral a rating as I can give. It's a good scent, if unspectacular. With my arsenal of scents that evoke personal response.. I would never even think to reach for it. Black Aoud.. the myth.. the legend.. the 'shrug'.

The opening has a medicinal character to it; I find it tolerable, but can’t say that I enjoy it. Thankfully it passes soon enough and the subsequent development is sensual, dark and mysterious. The rose develops beautifully. It develops and tempers the oud. It stays constant for hours; but I can’t say that it tires me. Great sillage and longevity. Recommended.

Savage splendor – that’s Black Aoud: an uncompromisingly dark and woody rose scent that makes hash of the notion that roses are for old ladies and potpourri. In my earlier, unenthusiastic review of Black Aoud I wrote that I was disappointed with the scent because it was linear and had a simple structure. That conclusion, it turns out, was based on two mistaken premises.

First, I have learned over time that simple does not mean “inferior.” In fact some of the greatest modern fragrances I know have simple structures: En Passant, Parfum d’Habit, and Tam Dao come immediately to mind. So even if Black Aoud is simple, it’s pungent oudh, exquisitely rendered rose, and robust leather and patchouli foundation make for an outstanding combination. Indeed, one of Black Aoud’s most distinctive and appealing features is its brash, almost barbaric, impact ill served by too much nuance or complexity.

My second complaint, that Black Aoud did not develop, was simply unfounded. Black Aoud does indeed develop, and in interesting ways. The trick is that it takes up to twelve hours for the development to commence! Given Black Aoud’s twenty-four hours plus longevity this ought not be all that surprising. When Black Aoud finally does start to evolve the rose note recedes to reveal more of the leather, which in turn takes on a warm, animalic edge. At the same time a rich, creamy sandalwood note emerges from the depths. The wood and leather notes are seasoned by patchouli, and then sweetened ever so slightly by the barest hint of amber.

As I’ve implied above, Black Aoud is an extraordinarily tenacious scent. In fact it’s one of the longest-lasting scents I know. It’s also extremely potent and leaves a great deal of sillage, so I advise applying it sparingly.

Like Vibert, I wanted to like it as well. But on me, I didn't care for it.

You guessed it, Black Aoud is exactly what it sounds like -- oud and roses. The roses, however, are done slightly different... it is not a field of roses; rather, it is a mere three or four of Earth's rarest roses that sit in close proximity to each other, and exhude such a powerful and seductive scent, that it appears to be an entire army of them. The immense power the roses have is breathtaking; as they are present in a forest of oud, which is known to be deep and dark beyond all notes. The roses possess what feels to be a naturally intoxicating scent, which results in a rose that is strong, yet subtle for it's strength, because it was not overdone or forced into a position where it could not otherwise work.

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.

Black Aoud has two major things going for it in my book. It is not hard to detect, and people absolutely notice and love it. I just wish I loved it. I find it pretty simple. I don't find it as magnificent as others. I really think Attar is way more interesting. But due to the two pluses for me, I won't swap it...yet (which I know would be extremely easy to do.)

I agree with pluran in that "Black Aoud is ultimately patchouli, oud and musk competing with each other in a frenzied orgy."

I love its sillage and its consistency, but have to admit that I was amazed by its lack of complexity, esp. given the price.

Black Aoud-- This reminds me of Paestum Rose by L'Italie but it is a bit cooler, with an almost mint or menthol effect which may be due to some pine or resinous base. It ends a little more musky and I think I'm getting myrrh and balsam. I think I prefer Paestum. This is higher pitched , in general a leathery damask rose with musk.

A warm and very sexy aoud. It's slightly similar to TImbuktu but much more sophisticated and wears close to the skin.

Best aoud of the series in my opinion.

Yummy! I get rose from Aoud cuir d'arabie and leather from Black aoud, so I find them to be similar. Black aoud is sweeter and softer though, it only has a little herbal sharpness from aoud and the rest is all rich, sultry, luxurious vintage red roses with a kinky leather basenote. I don't normally wear florals in general or roses in particular but this is just too dark and seductive to resist, a real vintage vamp. Now I have to try all of the other rose/aoud scents in the Montale line too...

took a few tries for me to decide on this one, then one day I said somethin smells interesting , realizing it was me. starts off strong but calms down but remaining dark and mysterious. thumbs up for this montale product

Since it’s an aoud, the opening takes getting used to. With this particular fragrance, though, it is well worth the effort. The rose note that develops is, as others have said, dark, rich, and luscious—it’s my second favorite rose note in the fragrance world; my favorite is the rose note in Montale’s Aoud Damascus . The rose in Black Aoud reminds me considerably of Czech and Speake’s No. 88, but I like this better—it is opulent without being overbearing; its depth seduces the passions, but it never overwhelms and suffocates. To me this is a less complicated, more refined, and more wearable rose scent than No. 88. My opinion of aouds in general is still on hold, but Montales’s Black Aoud is spectacular.

A typical Montale. Great top notes utterly ruined by a cloying drydown. Not a thumbs-down only thanks to the oud note, delicious until the sugar powder comes into play (quite soon into the progression).

I was quite disappointed when trying this one. I was expecting something to blow my socks off, but instead I was left there with a neutral impression. I don't understand how this scent can be "Black" by any means. It's rather clean and bright. There was something striking familiar to me when I first tested it. Ah, yes! Now I remember. This smells like a darker version of C&S No 88. It has the same citrus/bergamot opening blended with a rose note. The only difference is that this has oud, which contributes to making it smell more like cleaning solvent IMO. Sure, I can see how some people would like this. But to me it quickly conjures up memories of cleaning the kitchen floor tiles with Pine Sol. No offense to fans of Black Aoud, but I personally wouldn't buy this even if it were 3x cheaper.

I find this to be almost a leather scent, which I don't think Montale lists it as. Dark, moist, leather and deep rose. Of course it's got oud, so that adds the medicinal tinge. Very good longevity. A truly manly rose. I like it better than most of the others I've tried including: Voleur de Roses, Iquitos, Malle's Une Rose, and Ungaro III. The only other men’s “rose” scents I've liked as much were C&S no. 88 and Villoresi Musk. Good company to be in!

At the moment, this is my favorite fragrance - it's my soul fragrance and I'm enchanted with it.
Giraffe is right - the opening is strong. You're not sure if you're going to love or hate it. The big, piercing note is Oud wood, which is unique in being both high and low in tone. I understand it's from the presence of a form of uric acid, which some people's noses translate as... urine. But after you wear it a time or two, you don't even notice the wild opening anymore.
After the start-up calms down, the rose and (tmn) leather emerge and a beautiful, smooth combination they are! It becomes a bewitching fragrance from that point on. Deep, dark, sensual, winey. The unique high note of the oud keeps Black Aoud vibrationally high, even while possessing the darkest of roses, the smoothest of leathers, the mellowist tinge of black fruit... plum? It has similarities to Voleur De Roses, which I could smell in this from midnote on. VDR didn't work for me, so I consider Black Aoud my VDR.
I can't imagine this one not becoming a classic, or at least a cult favorite. It does something only L'Heure Bleue manages to - puts me on a different emotional plane all by itself. Two thumbs up!

As with any Oud, if you are not used to the mecidinal opening you will taken aback and most likely displeased. After a few wearings though the opening no longer bothers me. Not only is it a bit odd at first put damn does it pack a punch! After about 20 minutes though this is just sooo nice! The woods here are to normal woods what a fish like halibut or Mahi Mahi is to other fish. They just don't come off as very woody. The woodiness, instead of being super woody like say cedar is, is smooth. It adds tons of depth. There is just the right amount of sweetness in the composition to balance everything out. Overall an extremely well done fragrance.