Well, today, I’ve just received four highly anticipated samples from Montale. I’ve only had them on my skin for a couple of hours but here are my first impressions (I’m not very good at telling notes apart, so please bear with me):
Golden Aoud: This one seems to be lighter than most Montale Aouds and not as harsh. It’s very similar to the more genteel offerings from this line (Attar, Ambre Aoud…). There’s no ‘in your face’ oud present in this one and that was something that I sorely missed. What I got were mainly dry woods – I could detect some cedar and sandalwood but have yet to dissect the composition fully (the oud was just about there). Unfortunately, I found this one to be too underwhelming for my tastes. Also, there’s a noticeable smoky or metallic accord during the drydown, which could be either irritating or addictive to some. For those who love the more discreet Montales, this one should appeal to you.
Chocolate Greedy: I’ve long given up on finding a chocolate scent for my collection and, at the moment, Chocolate Greedy’s not going to change that. It starts off with a blast of dry, dark cocoa (and possibly a wafer-like accord). After a few moments, a cake/biscuit dough mix emerges with some vanilla underlying the whole development. Credit should be given to Montale for anchoring the vanilla firmly in the background, while the cocoa notes continue to dominate. The dough mix accord, however, never disappears and this is the problem I have with Chocolate Greedy. I’ve read that there’s a cardboard note during the drydown and I’m sure this originates from that very dough mix note. At times it’s pleasant but other times it’s just downright irritating. It’s not a sillage monster but seems to have very good longevity. There’s also a creaminess that occasionally presents itself but never sticks around long enough – I probably would have liked this more if it did. An interesting take on the whole chocolate/gourmand concept, which I may test out a couple more times.
Velvet Aoud: Wow! The opening blast was truly amazing! Comparisons to Chinatown were completely spot on – the Peach Blossom, Ylang-ylang and Tiare all present themselves almost at once (along with a strong but not harsh oud note). It stays this way for several minutes before the vanilla rears its sweet head. At this point, Velvet Aoud is extremely intoxicating and creamy, and a definite contender. And then it all goes wrong – the sexy scent mutates into something very powdery and old lady-ish. It smells somewhat Dior-ish by this point, and it’s also at this point that my heart sinks and I give up on it. By the time I’ve decided to sniff it again, faint traces of the previous notes linger against a sandalwood drydown. But the sandalwood is more of the dry variety rather than the creamy sandalwood that usually entrances me. What was very promising at the beginning has now become somewhat of a disappointment. Pass.
Red Aoud: Now, this one is spectacular! Personally, I see no real resemblance between this and Black Aoud (and I still consider Aoud Flowers to be a more suitably darker version of Black Aoud) but it does come across as more masculine. At first, my nose is met with a very sharp combo of oud and, what I can best describe as, a rich red plum note. Initially, I don’t know what to make of it – it’s so astringent that my nose is desperately trying to make sense of it all. However, these opening notes are absolutely intriguing. Once the opening blast calms down, I can detect some floral notes but am not able to distinguish them. It’s only when the vanilla (?) later emerges that this baby really comes into its own. It then develops into a kind of gourmand scent, with 'vanilla', oud and the remnants of the 'plum' note (now somewhat boozy) quite prominent. To my nose, there’s a sexy gourmand vibe occurring that’s very reminiscent of the drydowns of Musc Ravageur, Hermèssence Ambre Narguilé and even Spiritueuse Double Vanille. This stage persists for almost an hour before the 'vanilla' subsides and the oud takes centre stage again. All the other notes have now settled down at this point and all I’m left with is this slightly fruity (not floral) oud drydown. I gently breathe onto my arm, to generate some heat, and notice that the 'vanilla' and boozy 'plum' notes suddenly reappear (but not as prominently as before). Although it’s still early days, Red Aoud wins hands down here! I was pretty much getting a bit tired of Montale’s offerings but this one has rejuvenated my interest in this house. It’s now definitely in my top three favourite Montales (along with Black Aoud and Aoud Flowers). Bravo!
Golden Aoud: This one seems to be lighter than most Montale Aouds and not as harsh. It’s very similar to the more genteel offerings from this line (Attar, Ambre Aoud…). There’s no ‘in your face’ oud present in this one and that was something that I sorely missed. What I got were mainly dry woods – I could detect some cedar and sandalwood but have yet to dissect the composition fully (the oud was just about there). Unfortunately, I found this one to be too underwhelming for my tastes. Also, there’s a noticeable smoky or metallic accord during the drydown, which could be either irritating or addictive to some. For those who love the more discreet Montales, this one should appeal to you.
Chocolate Greedy: I’ve long given up on finding a chocolate scent for my collection and, at the moment, Chocolate Greedy’s not going to change that. It starts off with a blast of dry, dark cocoa (and possibly a wafer-like accord). After a few moments, a cake/biscuit dough mix emerges with some vanilla underlying the whole development. Credit should be given to Montale for anchoring the vanilla firmly in the background, while the cocoa notes continue to dominate. The dough mix accord, however, never disappears and this is the problem I have with Chocolate Greedy. I’ve read that there’s a cardboard note during the drydown and I’m sure this originates from that very dough mix note. At times it’s pleasant but other times it’s just downright irritating. It’s not a sillage monster but seems to have very good longevity. There’s also a creaminess that occasionally presents itself but never sticks around long enough – I probably would have liked this more if it did. An interesting take on the whole chocolate/gourmand concept, which I may test out a couple more times.
Velvet Aoud: Wow! The opening blast was truly amazing! Comparisons to Chinatown were completely spot on – the Peach Blossom, Ylang-ylang and Tiare all present themselves almost at once (along with a strong but not harsh oud note). It stays this way for several minutes before the vanilla rears its sweet head. At this point, Velvet Aoud is extremely intoxicating and creamy, and a definite contender. And then it all goes wrong – the sexy scent mutates into something very powdery and old lady-ish. It smells somewhat Dior-ish by this point, and it’s also at this point that my heart sinks and I give up on it. By the time I’ve decided to sniff it again, faint traces of the previous notes linger against a sandalwood drydown. But the sandalwood is more of the dry variety rather than the creamy sandalwood that usually entrances me. What was very promising at the beginning has now become somewhat of a disappointment. Pass.
Red Aoud: Now, this one is spectacular! Personally, I see no real resemblance between this and Black Aoud (and I still consider Aoud Flowers to be a more suitably darker version of Black Aoud) but it does come across as more masculine. At first, my nose is met with a very sharp combo of oud and, what I can best describe as, a rich red plum note. Initially, I don’t know what to make of it – it’s so astringent that my nose is desperately trying to make sense of it all. However, these opening notes are absolutely intriguing. Once the opening blast calms down, I can detect some floral notes but am not able to distinguish them. It’s only when the vanilla (?) later emerges that this baby really comes into its own. It then develops into a kind of gourmand scent, with 'vanilla', oud and the remnants of the 'plum' note (now somewhat boozy) quite prominent. To my nose, there’s a sexy gourmand vibe occurring that’s very reminiscent of the drydowns of Musc Ravageur, Hermèssence Ambre Narguilé and even Spiritueuse Double Vanille. This stage persists for almost an hour before the 'vanilla' subsides and the oud takes centre stage again. All the other notes have now settled down at this point and all I’m left with is this slightly fruity (not floral) oud drydown. I gently breathe onto my arm, to generate some heat, and notice that the 'vanilla' and boozy 'plum' notes suddenly reappear (but not as prominently as before). Although it’s still early days, Red Aoud wins hands down here! I was pretty much getting a bit tired of Montale’s offerings but this one has rejuvenated my interest in this house. It’s now definitely in my top three favourite Montales (along with Black Aoud and Aoud Flowers). Bravo!
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