Aoud Leather (2009)
by Montale

When I first heard about Aoud Leather, I was intrigued. Oud Cuir d’Arabie is both one of my favorite Montale scents and one of my favorite leathers, so I was curious to see what else Montale might do with the oudh-leather combination. Having already discovered much redundancy among Montale’s oudh-and-rose compositions, my concern was whether the new scent would be distinct enough from Oud Cuir d’Arabie to justify having both in the line. The short answer: not really.

Don’t get me wrong, Aoud Leather is a nice smoky leather scent, but it’s not all that much different than its predecessor, and what differences there are make it (for me, at least,) a less compelling fragrance. Both Oud Cuir d’Arabie and Aoud Leather are smoky, but there’s smoke, and then there’s smoke. Oud Cuir d’Arabie has the smoke of a wildfire, whereas Aoud Leather has the smoke of a men’s club. Oud Cuir d’Arabie is boldly, unapologetically animalic, and all the better for it. By comparison, Aoud Leather is reserved and civilized. I would describe it as a domesticated Oud Cuir d’Arabie. No, not merely domesticated, come to think of it, but castrated. All the daring and danger that make Oud Cuir d’Arabie a great fragrance are missing in Aoud Leather. I can understand Aoud Leather appealing to someone who likes the oudh-leather concept but finds Oud Cuir d’Arabie too disturbingly animalic, but to me it smells like backpedaling.

I have come to the conclusion that this scent is much better when worn with another fragrance - not worn alone.

The linear scent of leather (very similar to Tuscan Leather by Tom Ford) starts with a very raw (yes, iodine like, as Trebor mentions below) top note that gets softer and simultaneously more realistic the longer it remains on skin. The absence of florals, powder or cigarette ash gives the scent a solitary minimalism - that I appreciate. It is the olfactory equivalent of slipping on a leather jacket and to me, this gives the scent a fashionable opulence. It also feels just as comfortable worn dressed up as it does worn with a white T-shirt and jeans.

However unlike other opulent scents I own, AL's linear accords bore me quickly worn alone. So, layering the scent (I've layered it with everything from Mugler Cologne to Youth Dew) is where it true magic shows.

Not a fan of layering scents? You might want to pass on this one, then?

The leather here brings to my mind rather old battered leather furniture, but what dominates is the smokiness, which is very specifically peat smoke. This is the most Irish fragrance I've encountered; that peat smoke is very evocative. The whole composition calls to mind something like a room in a country house out in the west of Ireland: old furniture and the whiff of peat from the grate.

Rating this scent with only three options is difficult. On the one hand, I have a lot of respect for it. On the other hand, is it something you want to actually smell of? This is certainly not a scent for everyday wear, and I wouldn't be tempted to get a whole bottle. Consider this one thumb up, rounded down.

I'll start out by saying that unlike the other three reviewers for this scent so far, I've never smelled Cuir d'Arabie. Maybe that makes this review less credible. On the other hand, it means I also don't have a preexisting bias when it comes to Montale leather/oud combinations. So onto the review... It's pretty good stuff actually. The leather here is nice and relaxed, and unlike Knize Ten, where leather seems to be buried under a Victorian potpourri, this comes off as clearly leather, like a new couch. Side by side with the leather is oud, reminiscent of the accord in Tom Ford's Oud Wood. It's kinda an unusual combination at first. Most perfumes combine oud with prominent rose or wood notes, but this smells like I sprayed the aforementioned Oud Wood on a new leather couch. Like many oud-centric fragrances, this one smells better wafting off my body than it does when I directly put my nose to my skin; something about oud smells a little off right against my skin but smells marvelous away from it. Not a bad release overall, better than a lot of other Montale Aoud's I've smelled.

There are two ways to approach a review of Aoud Leather; one is to review the scent by itself and the other is in comparison to other Montales.

Taking Aoud Leather by itself, Montale presents a full and rich leather. If Knize Ten smells of freshly made boots, Aoud Leather is a new leather easy chair. Oud is not a distinct note but rather gives heft to the scent. Overall there is a similarity to Tom Ford Tuscan Leather, and if you like the Ford then this is a more affordable alternative. Sillage, longevity are good and typical of Montale.

Montale's other leather, Oud Cuir d'Arabie (that I own) is a different beast. The oud is distinct, strong, and provides a 'shock value' not unlike the oud in Black Aoud. The leather accord is dry and secondary. I love Cuir d'Arabie, but it's really an oud, not a leather. Every house with more then a handful of offerings must have a leather, and until now Cuir d'Arabie was the only one. Therefore if you like leather scents - but not oud - Montale was not an option. Aoud Leather thus fills in one of the only gaps in its full line, and it does so very well. Perhaps the 'Aoud' in the title is misleading, but it doesn't detract from the scent.

Montale's frenzied pace releasing new scents is certainly curious, and the haste has produced some clunkers. However that is really a discussion in and of itself. Aoud Leather is a solid fragrance.

Where’s the oud?! The leather’s in there somewhere but it’s overwhelmed by a putrid iodine-like note. This also reminded me of L'Eau Bleue D'Issey pour Homme (yes, rotting vegetables / disposal waste territory here we come…). However, its ‘off’ smell isn’t reminiscent of Aoud Cuir d'Arabie’s initial stench (and at least Aoud Cuir d'Arabie developed into something more enjoyable).

Aoud Leather just remains static, boring and quite unpleasant to wear.

******

If you’re interested in purchasing any Montale fragrances, please consider our highly-respected Basenotes member, maisonstinky, as your first point of contact. He offers an exceptional service, competitive prices and special offers to fellow Basenoters. For further details, please cut and paste the link below:

http://www.basenotes.net/specials/montale.html