Amber Wood Noir

Bit of a hidden gem it seems. An Ajmal original, and overall quite unique in itself. As such it is quite difficult to fully describe. That being said I can pick out some familiar elements of a variety of scents, yet the scent remains its own thing overall. I can see the Layton Exclusif comparisons but it's just the general foundation and not the key nuances AWN has. There is a more animalic aspect going on here in the first hour with an oud and hay-like notes (I can see why a previous review likened the smell to luxury horse stables). There's also some shades of the spices and resins of Boss Bottled Absolu, and of A*Men Pure Havane in terms of a cherry tobacco richness (despite of the absence of this as a listed note). Drydown also reminds me partly of L'Arc Evasion, and of Dossier's Lost Americana. For the larger part of AWN, it has quite a rich, almost boozy dried fruits quality (again despite the absence of such listed notes). Like rum and raisin atop some moderately smoked woods and dark but dusty vanilla (for brief moments I even get hints of A*Men Pure Malt). The opening is quite potent and animalic so I have tended to go with several half sprays across different pulse points, however it seems to have quite average performance overall so in future I will opt for some full blasts. This could quite easily be an Amouage or Xerjoff release, or one of the more adventurous Tom Ford efforts.

This is hands down my favourite Ajmal fragrance so far. It’s dark, sexy, and effortlessly appealing to all genders, classy yet mature. Performance wise, it’s very solid, with excellent projection and sillage during the first few hours. I’ve been testing quite a few Xerjoff fragrances lately, and honestly, if you blindfolded me and handed me this, I could easily mistake it for something from the Xerjoff house. The quality is absolutely on par. Ajmal uses real oud in their creations, and while it’s listed as a note, it’s not overly dominant. Instead, it adds a subtle depth and character that I truly love. Personally, I wouldn’t mind if the oud were dialed up a touch more. Rating: 9/10

This fragrance has totally won me over with its darker, more sensual vibe, perfect for evening wear. It has a mysterious and sophisticated feel. It opens strongly with authentic Indian oud and spices, quickly moving into a heart of patchouli, rose, and woody notes. The dry-down is pure perfection: a warm, smoky amber, vanilla, and sandalwood combination creates a sexy, long-lasting aura. Performance is great, easily lasting 10+ hours, and it projects solidly. This is definitely a scent for colder weather evenings.

The opening is fresh and sweet, apple note done right. Fruity, oudy, spicy, ambery. The dry down to me is layton exclussif+ambre nuit. High quality and addicting.

Received a sample vial from an expo, smells very high quality and expensive. Love the blend. A shame this is underrated and hard to find.