Ode

Top: Cumin - Ginger - Saffron - Strawberry Heart: Rose - Orris - Carnation - Cistus - Olibanum Base: Oud accord - Guaiacwood - Cedarwood - Sandalwood - Patchouli - Vetiver Got two sprays in passing yesterday whilst exiting a department store. Coolish 13° evening. Soft & supple. A very earthy almost "mossy" woody. Was not able to give it full & undivided attention, unfortunately, but whenever I sniffed the back of my hand the rest of the night (I got about 5 hours) I overwhelmingly encountered patchouli from my skin with this, albeit a very well blended, smooth & elegant patchouli... with the oud & sandalwood there quietly, again, nicely blended. I will go back to try this once more in hopes the contribution of carnation, cistus, and olibanum becomes more apparent to me; I would like to appreciate their presence. Potentially a keeper. Edit: Like a great second date this was worth trying again! Different day. Different understanding... we all know how that goes. I went back, gave it a proper go and had to take it home. To my humble nose this seems very well blended. Now I glimpse carnations! Here a hint of cumin & there a drop of ginger, yes. Now the cistus & olibanum have presented themselves, taking their sister, rose, by the hand... each to take up an instrument or voice in this familial choir - with soft saffron pirouetting around adding her dance to the mystic song. Oud & cedar have a supporting role where patchouli (whom first I mistook for lead tenor) is merely page-turner; welcome but unobtrusive. All culminating in a beautifully orchestrated sacred Ode! This concentrates my mind and elevates my spirit. What with the Lenten season upon us tomorrow this somehow seems apropos. Ode: "... an elaborately structured poem praising or glorifying an event or individual, describing nature intellectually as well as emotionally." (Yes. All that. And here, a quiet, serene but confident chant.) also, in Italian, a synonym for "to hear". I hear polyphony. Despite the intimate sillage and only moderate longevity I simply couldn't resist this. More "masculine" than "feminine"? Perhaps. Fine packaging. Fine bottle. ★★★★☆

In November 2012 Australian singer Lenka scored a surprise hit with the catchy song 'Everything at once'. It had originally been released in 2011 as a promo for her album but failed to gather any interest. Microsoft then used the song for a Windows 8 commercial and her fame was sealed. Why tell you this? Allow me to introduce 'Ode' by Acca Kappa, and I shall explain. Most fragrances have a series of notes. During the dry down process the different notes become more noticeable. Usually the lightest fruity notes come first, followed by heart notes (in the centre) which are commonly floral, and the scent usually ends on a woody note. There are only 4 fragrance notes listed above for 'Ode' whereas the card that accompanies this fragrance lists 15. These are: Top Notes of Cumin, Ginger, Saffron, and Strawberry. Heart Notes of Rose, Orris, Carnation, Cistus, and Olibanum. Base Notes of Oud Accord, Guaiac Wood, Cedar Wood, Sandalwood, Patchouli, and Vetiver. Quite a cast of players. Upon opening do we get the cumin, ginger, saffron or strawberry? Yes and no. And we're back to my opening remarks about the singer Lenka. You see just like Lenka's song we have everything at once. Everything. There's a slight medicinal note, which is a little spicy, and fruity, with a floral woody note, that also gives off a distinctive leathery vibe. All at the same time. To many this may sound awful, but it's not; smelling is believing. This crowded concoction works. You won't have smelled anything quite like it and not in a bad way. As it fades it holds all these smells. After about 3 hours you'll be reaching for the bottle to start all over again. It's bizarre, it's wonderful, I love it. Longevity moderate, sillage moderate, fun factor amazing. Everything all at once, an Ode to Acca Kappa.

This is a very beautiful and naturally smelling fragrance. On my skin it smells as an expensive leather mixed with spices. The smell is very expensive and, as with all Acca Kappa fragrances, I don't detect anything synthetic. It is not a projection or silage monster, however; a scent of this profile doesn't have to do that in my opinion. The beauty of this fragrance is in its subtilness. When it reaches the drydown, it becomes fresher while still maintaining the initial combination of spices. All in all, this is a beautiful scent and I am happy to have it in my collection! There is nothing in my collection that smells like Ode, which makes it a very unique fragrance for me and I will be reaching for that one quite a bit! Great release by Acca Kappa! By the way, I have recently smelled Oud Royal by Armani and they smell very, very, very similar! Thus, if you like Oud Royal, this could be a great alternative!

I've had this perfume for years but only recently started to fall in love with it. I always liked it and thought it was well done but I'm starting to appreciate it now. It's an exquisitely crafted Western take on oud, synthetic but reeled in and not screechy, supported by woods, saffron and rose. A bit on the short-lived side, I get a solid 4 hours of wear out of it but good things don't last forever.

Ode is a well blended, natural smelling, but short-lived perfume which is wood and spice dominant. A generous serving of saffron flowers and spices opens the scent. There's a creosotic note here that is medicinal to me, slightly leathery. Woody and floral notes rise gradually. An accord of Oud (synth) represents the heart, combined with other precious woods, along with aromatic flowers. The nose feel is full, mildly powdery, and somewhat sharp. A woody dry-down persists as spices and flowers fade. Projection is moderate, with longevity being below average (I get around 2 hours of useful scent). Ode skews masculine. Overall, a great combination of spices and woods. Don't expect to smell strong and skanky real Oud, but instead, Ode is a well blended and inoffensive rendition of precious woods. Very articulate and complex given its pricing, but the limited performance prevents me from giving a full recommendation.

According to its website, Ode is "a supreme fragrance that is evocative of mystic oriental nights with magic spices and heavy woods. A sensory journey characterized by the precious force of the Oud that meets the sensuality of Rose, Saffron and Ginger. A mystic force that gets free in the air, an ode to intense virility." I am guessing the creators call this a "virile" fragrance because of the oud; I have always thought that the reason oud is associated with an "virile" note is because it smells like passionate kisses during a hot make out session. Alas there does not seem like enough to stand by itself because the fragrance as a whole seems to lack "character". Also, there is something uncanny about the scent, like a robot taking on the form of a human, a la Ava from Ex Machina, Mother from Raised by Wolves, or Ash Starmer from Be Right Back of Black Mirror (you get the picture)...

This is the first perfume I have ever tried from the house of Acca Kappa. This is an ode to oud. It’s a very simple concoction with just 4 main notes. This is a really well-done fragrance. I love ginger and it brings some nice spice to the game. The rich oud mixes well with the sweetness and pepper notes of the saffron. The hint of rose is just enough to add depth to the mix without overpowering it. It seems rather basic at first, but as it dries down you get to pick up in just how beautifully composite it is. I think I am definitely going to be checking out more fragrances from these guys! @scentgasms