Reviews of Aoud Flowers
by Montale

Stuck in the middle between Black Aoud and Wild Aoud.

I regularly wear Black Aoud and Wild Aoud, and, as a consequence, Aoud Flowers strikes me as a neither here nor there fragrance. It neither has the aromatic burst and smoky dry down of Wild Aoud, nor the rich, barbaric opulence of Black Aoud.

The bergamot and geranium add a brightness to Aoud Flowers that does not gel with the rose and aoud heart. In Wild Aoud there is Artemisia to go along with the bergamot and geranium, and the extra note makes all the difference. While Aoud Flowers is pointlessly bright, Wild Aoud is aromatic and strident.

The teak and gaiac add a dry woodiness to the base of Aoud Flowers, which the musk never entirely integrates with. The base lacks the moist earth feel of black Aoud’s patchouli laden dry down, and lacks the smokiness and roundness that Wild Aoud gets from tobacco and amber.

Aoud Flowers is a fragrance in permanent tension: the pieces just don’t come together. It’s got all of the right Montale constituents, but I can’t give it better than a neutral rating.

I find this to be a potent aoud coupled with a mixed floral. The floral aspects fail to captivate me at all and I would never reach for this if I have Aoud Damascus on the shelf (or Black Aoud or Royal Aoud, for that matter). It is an okay scent, but I think other Montale Aoud offerings are superior and more interesting.

This is another Montale where, to my nose, the Aoud grabs complete control of the opening and maintains a strangle hold on the accord. I get aoud with a weak mixed floral – primarily rose – background, and the aoud hangs on forever, it seems. In many of the more recent Montale Aoud offerings, the potency of the aoud has been reduced and with each reduction, there has been a corresponding increase in my appreciation of the fragrance. With Aoud Flowers the aoud is back with a vengeance. It’s not that I dislike aoud, it’s just that there are now six or seven Montale fragrance that present themselves to my nose in a such a way that they are basically the same potently aromatic wood fragrance with some miniscule variation in the background. I already own two of these aromatic aoud power houses and, to my nose, there isn't that much difference between them to justify further adding to the aoud collection… I don’t need to own another like that. I like the background in this one and I think it would make an excellent fragrance for one whose nose doesn't find the aoud all out of proportion.