Al Oudh (2009)
by L'Artisan Parfumeur

Al Oudh

Al Oudh is a spicy, musky, warm oriental fragrance. Despite the name there's no oud - at least oud oil. It might give the merest hint of oud wood - however that's by a long stretch.

Al Oudh is primarily an assortment of spices over a musky base with woody notes, and with a slight edginess. Cumin is the leading spice, together with cinnamon and cardamom. This is amply supported by a musky accord of civet, castoreum, and honey. The florals are there in the background, with rose being discernible. This lends a good balance to the composition.

At first there is a striking accord driven by cumin, and supported by animalic notes of civet and castoreum. The honey immediately comes through. Once this calms down, one can pick out the floral elements. The final dry down is more musky, with hints of wood, and a balanced spicy sweetness. The fragrance is not too dry, and only very slightly smoky initially. There are leathery (mid phase) and resinous (dry down) elements in the composition, but to me musk is the dominant theme.

This would be in the same group of fragrances as Absolue Pour Le Soir, Salome, MAAI, Kouros, and by a stretch Arabie (because of the warm spices).

Sillage is average, and longevity is good at around 8 hours on skin (based on a generous application). The other notable point is that despite the notes and the structure, this is more of a middleweight composition. This makes it an ideal everyday scent, more so in cooler weather. The great aspect of Al Oudh is the harmony and balance, and how the different elements interact without dominating one another - typical of Duchafour's compositions, though the interplay is not as dynamic as in, say, Dzongkha. This only adds to the abstraction of the composition.

3.5/5