Opus XV – King Blue

Its actually redundant to own this and Silver Oud, wish i pulled the brake when i got Silver Oud. Personally, i prefer SO than this, but both are gorgeous imo. On Amouage's site, there's "Oud Silver" listed in the base notes of KB, idk if they meant it as Silver Oud or it was the name of oud variant, but my guessing would be this is basically SO then added a few new notes. To my nose this is 80% identical to SO, the only difference is, the sweetness from SO came from the vanilla (kudos to Cecile for this), and in KB it came from fruity notes. They listed black currant and mandarin orange as the fruit notes, but to my nose it smells like jackfruit. All those fruits above are so common to find in here, and im very familiar with those, so im confident enough to say that it smells like jackfruit. So its a smoky-woody-jackfruit scent for me lol. In the DD, the leather starts coming out, but its not that prominent as in TF OL or TL, its well balanced with the other notes. If u're not used to prominent leather scent, u might detect the leather sooner and stronger, but im used to prominent leather scent, so its pretty subtle for me, but its there. For me, SO is harder to wear, its more masculine and alpha male scent, while KB is easier to wear and more playful. Also SO is pretty linear from the start to finish, while KB has a slight change. It might be tiring to wear SO oftenly bc of the linear profile, so i'll keep SO for special occasions only, and KB for my monthly rotation. About the poop scent, at first, yeah u will smell a faint poop scent, BUT, it aint that strong like u just wipe ur dirty ass with ur bare hand, lots of people are exaggerating it. Also it only smells like it when u smell it up close to ur skin, but in the air its a different story, its so pleasant and beautiful in the air. When ur nose gets used to the Assam oud, u wont even be able to detect the fecal smell anymore, trust me, i've been there. There are a LOT of frags that listed oud in the notes, especially in the middle eastern cheap brands. Mostly they didnt use natural oud oil; or it was only oud accord; or it was natural/synthetic oud oil but only in a VERY LITTLE dose just to give slight oomph in the performance; or the worse it didnt have any oud oil neither natural or synthetic, they just listed the oud or put the oud in the name just to sell better. So lots of people who have never smelled the real natural oud oil had the placebo effect that they could handle or wear or love oud frags, but when facing with a real oud frag they talk shit about the frag for smelling foulish. So dont really trust the reviews on the internet, trust ur nose only, since its so subjective. Overall: Is it wearable? Absolutely! Is it repulsive? Only if u smell it upclose during ur first few wears. Is the oud prominent? Yes, but not that strong in beastly level. Is it good for rookie in oud? No, there are easier options to start with oud. Is it perfect for hardcore oud lover? No, to me its kinda in the middle between rookie and expert. Just remember, the important key to wear oud frag is, never smell it up close!

King Blue is the best Amouage they've released so far. Unfortunately the oud is almost non-existent, there's such a small amount used in this fragrance I'm surprised that they've even able to market it as an oud fragrance. When people think they're smelling oud here, they're really smelling the moderate doses of "ambranum" with a dash of cypriol. For those that are perfumers and have worked with "ambranum", as soon as you smell this work of art, you'll immediately recognise that those two ingredients are the core of the fragrance with mandarin and cassis woven into the blend. The mandarin and cassis pair well together and they sit present in the background. This past November for me birthday, I bought a bottle at Katara Village in Doha and ran thru it in three weeks. My only complaint is about how you can't see or feel how much perfume is left is in these bottles. Well I tried to buy another bottle and turns out it was the last bottle in ALL of Doha at the time. It's February and they still are sold out. I'm hurt lol. I've never received as many compliments from a perfume in my life until I bought that one, especially at work in the office. Males and Females, people from North Africa and the Gulf were asking me about it. People from back home in Germany and Europe were asking me about it. People from the US were asking me about it. A true compliment getter and headturner. I wear it on all occasions, all seasons. I do nothing less than 6 sprays, and I get at least 4 hours from it before I need to reapply so that's extremely long lasting for me considering most fragrances only give me 2 or 3 hours before I need to reapply. Now for all those people being immature and hyperbolic using words like "feces", "doodoo water", "poopy", you can just ignore them, you'll get nothing but compliments from this fragrance as it's a warm fruity vanillic ambery with hints of sandal and oakwood fragrance that has almost zero oud in it. Its extremely inoffensive and can be worn in all seasons on all occasions. The co-perfumer "Hamid Merati-Kashani" has made another hidden gem called "Oud Tuareg" by Fabricia Della Musa. If you love Nouveau Monde (Jacques Cavallier) and King Blue, you'll love "Oud Tuareg" as well. This is a 10 out of 10 masterpiece released from Amouage. On the same level as Silver Oud and Royal Tobacco.

I loved Silver Oud but I fell in love with King Blue more because it’s more wearable and easy reach, it doesn’t need a certain kind of mood. It needs certain kind of clothes though or no clothes at all. Assam Oud in King Blue is not as brash as it is in its predecessor Silver Oud and the leather which is quite strong in it is utterly tame in King Blue. I adore this scent. It’s so addictive with its fruity notes especially from Blackcurrant but Mandarin as well - those are so perfect with slightly dirty Oud and warm resinous Amber. Fruits bring sweet aromas which play hide and seek from the opening until the dry down. It’s like Blackcurrant jam covered with hefty Oud, not vice versa. Sweetness from fruits together with sweetness from resinous Amber works great. I love fruits and Oud together so much but here the combination is astonishingly beautiful because of other notes and a complex blend. Just right around of smokiness from Frankincense is not T*bacco like but smooth and hazy adding vibrance into this blend which is actually astonishingly calming like the deep blue sea. That is the only connection which I find here to the colour blue in the name. At the latest, somewhat cozy, creamy texture of Sandalwood blended with all these notes makes this one of my favourite perfumes to wear in the bedtime. These kind of scents are erotic as well imo (I know, sounds maybe strange). The most erotic scents from Amouage are "Gold Man | Amouage" and this one. I can’t get enough of King Blue. I want to enjoy of it as much as I can now when it’s warm since it performs so beautifully now on my skin. During wintertime my skin is too cold for this scent. This needs warm to shine and it doesn't feel too heavy in Finnish summer since it's not so hot, mostly 20-25c. Is this easy Oud? Yes if you love real Oud, this is gentle. If you don’t - you can forget King Blue. But I highly recommend to give it a chance. It’s ravishing. Yes, a little bit dirty Oud can be ravishing. Thank you for reading, I hope my review was helpful. I would appreciate a lot if you want to follow me on IG and/or YouTube (English subtitles): @ninamariahperfumes It gives me a lot of motivation to write more. 🤗

Crafted in 2023 by Hamid Merati-Kashani (Mr. Layton) and Alexis Grugeon (Mr. Flaming Lemons), King Blue is a surrealist fragrance that thrives on contradiction. It opens with a fresh burst of citrus (mandarin and blackcurrant laced with pink pepper) radiating brightness. But this lightness is fleeting. Almost immediately, a barnyard-tinged oud and smoky resins pull the composition into shadow, creating a tension that will define the scentsperience. This is where King Blue becomes truly interesting: it is both bold and restrained, abstract yet grounded. The heart reveals a smoky blend of frankincense and amber, while the base unfolds into a textured landscape of Assam oud, sandalwood, oakwood, and patchouli. A leather note emerges not as a dominant force, but as a bonding factor. It gives me the idea of worn suede, with a rubbery, rooibos-like (a.k.a. tea) nuance. After the 4-hour mark, the dry down reveals an ashy, more refined leather that lingers close to the skin, offering an intimate presence which will last for the rest of the day. Despite its potent ingredients, King Blue defies the weight typically associated with oud fragrances. It wears surprisingly well in heat, and - in my opinion - its abstract heart renders it genuinely unisex. This is not a typical oud bomb, nor a traditional leather-based scent. It’s a fragrance of dualities: fresh yet animalic, loud (in the first hour) yet wearable, ideally masculine yet fluid. King Blue is an outstanding olfactory paradox, where disparate elements converge into a composition that is abstract, powerful, and unexpectedly versatile. PS: if it is the first time that you are trying King Blue, avoid smelling it close immediately after you sprayed it - especially if you are not used to oud in general. Let it sit for a while and smell it in the air. On hotter days, I usually spray it on skin only just below my lower chest... It works like a charm.

Amouage has always been one of my favorite houses, and King Blue carries that DNA proudly. I don’t yet own a full bottle, but I was lucky enough to receive samples and I kept them aside, waiting for the perfect moment. This is not a fragrance for heat or humidity. It needs cold air, space, and time to breathe. That moment came in Adelaide. People may not think of Australia as cold, but on a dry winter night it can bite, and that was the perfect stage for King Blue. I sprayed it before heading out and immediately the air filled with lush, ripe fruit. Mandarin and blackcurrant burst out in a way that feels rich yet never childish. It is juicy, tart, slightly sweet, and at the same time you sense something darker waiting behind it. And then the oud rises. Not the heavy, resinous kind that dominates, but an oud that is alive and pulsing, carrying the fruit into the woods and leather beneath. It is bold and animalic, yet refined, the kind of oud that feels like it has been shaped by master hands. Layered with frankincense and amber, it shifts between brightness and shadow, like walking through a city lit by cold street lamps while your breath lingers in the air. What makes King Blue intoxicating is how it lingers around you. The fruits do not disappear, they weave into the wood and leather, giving off flashes of sweetness against the darker backdrop. With the cold breeze outside, it almost seemed to move with me, like the fragrance was alive and dancing in the air. This is where Amouage excels, creating not just a perfume, but an atmosphere. King Blue left me speechless. For me, it is a masterpiece of perfumery. If you want something that feels both primal and elegant, something that transforms with the weather and truly shines in the cold, this is it.

I have a bottle of silver oud, and I’m almost done with a 10ml sample of king blue. Once I’m done, I will buy a bottle of it. I will give an explanation of each perfume so you can find out which one to buy/sample. King blue; king blue has a unique chewy texture. The frankincense, which can give off a fruity vibe, is paired gorgeously with an overly jammy fruity accord. It smells a bit like a marmalade, a saltwater taffy, or a chewy fruit jelly of some sort. This blast of sweet chewy fruitiness is paired with a peppery and slightly smoky and animalic Indian Assam Oud. This will put a lot of people off, and it’s something most people will have to sit with to enjoy. King blue smells regal, playful, and sophisticated all at the same time. This is one of very few fruity perfumes that I love. Last about 14 hours on me, projects very strongly. Silver oud; silver oud has the same animalic Assam Oud backbone that king blue does, but it goes into a completely different direction. Silver oud opens much more animalic, raw, smoky, birchy, and challenging than king blue, but the blend is so well done that it doesn’t feel over the top (at least to me). Silver oud is much more dark, raw, and feral in a way. It becomes so smoky that it smells like a mixture of photorealistic burning wood, and tar. However, there is also the highest quality and smoothest vanilla that is absolutely making this one of the most wearable, yet challenging perfumes at the same time (from the animalics, not the vanilla). Lasts 17 hours, projects loudly. Conclusion: both perfumes are NOT for everyone, but I cannot stop going back to either. They are pricey, but honestly I think they’re worth it as long as you can get it on any sort of discount. Both are a 9.9/10 to me. I LOVE them

The press statements for King Blue are pervaded with language of contradictions - the real and the unreal, the impossible and the mundane, fire and nightshade. The main oxymoron present in this fragrance is the meeting of sweet fruits and amber, and smoky leathery oud. On first spray, you get a whiff of the mandarin and blackcurrant. However, these are not juicy photorealistic fruits but rather bitter and dark representations. A little later, the saffron-y amber emerges and adds a bit of sweetness, but not a vanillic creaminess, more like the sharp burnt cotton candy vibe of Baccarat Rouge 540 Eau de Parfum. Then the real star of the show appears: a smoky and leathery oud that in my head seems like a combination of Epic Man and Opus XIII - Silver Oud. Many have already compared King Blue to Silver Oud and there is definitely significant overlap in the oud accord in both. However, King Blue adds so many more dimensions. Another fragrance that is similar is Haltane which has a similar saffron note that gives the BR540 impression. However, the oud in King Blue is of a much higher quality. Overall, I think this latest addition to the Library Collection is a worthy successor to Silver Oud, and I can see it becoming one of my favorite oud scents of all time. The oud is toned down enough by the other accords to not be in-your-face and heavily animalic, but it is also not the clearly synthetic ouds used in Haltane, Oud for Greatness, Oud Wood Eau de Parfum, etc. One of my new favorites from the house of Amouage.

Edit: very satisfying and calming scent. This is many shades of Blue. Natural sea, night sky and sparkling moon. Only the ones who have frequented beaches of Khorfakkan on foot for years would know its meaning. Feels like sunbathing, walking ashore on moist sand, taking a dip in cool water and swimming at Khorfakkan. Sun is intense, beach is clean, sand is warm, water is cool and refreshing. Opening is intense-oud like intense-sun but soon after it takes a dip in freshness and sparkling mandarin will put a smile on your face. You want this to stay forever. But like life it descends into melancholy. Sun sets. Sea breeze stops blowing. Dark dry oud takes over like dead of the night. Before it gets too dark the sky magically goes Blue (literally) and a bright blue moon shines with a translucent quality. Its light drowns out all but the brightest star. You want this miracle to stay forever. But do not swear by the moon, for she changes constantly. then your love would also change. Opus XV is King of the Blue Kingdom. For Silver vs Blue discourse. Silver is smokiest Oud scent. Blue is a fresh aromatic oud fragrance. Silver opens burning Smokey, Blue opens bright fruity with punch of oud. Woods in silver are burning. Wood in Blue is fresh and wet. Silver is chaos within. Blue is finding calm. Silver is Fire. Blue is water Silver is Battlefield. Blue is rehabilitation. Silver is War. Blue is appeasement. I love silver oud. I love king blue more.

While I understand that some people have an immediate aversion to this fragrance—regardless of the stage it's in—I also believe many simply don’t know how to properly evaluate this type of scent. This second group often sprays the fragrance onto a strip or directly onto their skin, then immediately buries their nose in it, quickly concluding that it smells odd. But that’s not the best approach when dealing with strong, Oudh-based compositions. Here’s a better way to experience it: 1. Apply it to your skin, not a paper strip. Perfume oils develop more complexity when they interact with your skin’s chemistry. And whatever you do, don’t rub it in—that can disrupt the fragrance’s structure. 2. Spray it away from your face. A great spot is around the cubital fossa (look it up if you're curious). This allows the scent to rise naturally without overwhelming your senses. 3. Be patient. The saying “don’t judge a book by its cover” applies perfectly here. Let the fragrance sit on your skin for at least 30 minutes. Give it time to unfold and reveal its true character. 4. Avoid burying your nose in it. Instead, move around and let the scent come to you in gentle whiffs. That’s when the magic happens—this is how others will experience your fragrance too. They won’t have their noses pressed to your skin; they’ll catch subtle, enchanting traces as you pass by.

Oh my goodness. None of the Library fragrances appealed to me at first, but I decided to purchase the sample set directly from Amouage and I am so glad I did. After several wears, most of them finally clicked with me. But let us focus on King Blue. What an extraordinary fragrance. It may be one of Amouage’s most misunderstood creations, largely due to poor marketing and, honestly, an unfortunate name. Yes, up close the oud can come across as barnyard-like (it’s real Oud, see later). Yet as it develops on skin, it transforms into something far more refined, with a fruity, leathery character. And when you step back and spray it into the air, the real magic happens. That is the scent others will experience. It tells a deep, layered story, a striking contrast between a bright, zesty mandarin and a dark, authentic oud. Coming from the perfumer himself King Blue uses (a lot) of natural Oud named Silver Boya, hence the description “Oud Silver” on Amouage website. The longevity is unreal, yet it feels less fatiguing than something like Purpose 50. At this point, I believe Alexis Grugeon is becoming my favorite Amouage perfumer. Search, King Blue, and Timber. He is young and brings fresh, modern combinations to the table, yet he shows remarkable mastery in blending them flawlessly. A true masterpiece.

This is my favorite amouage at the moment, and after the last (and disappointing) releases I can’t be more happy to spray this on me. The opening is a little bit challenging and for those who are not familiar with the oud can be gross, the Oud starts shining in the first spray followed for a very sweet mandarin and blackcurrant, it’s super fruity but with barnyard vibes. After a while it gets really interesting and sensual, close to the skin you have a funky oud but as you move your nose you can feel a very luxurious wood and patchouli sensation, I want to say it’s dark but the fruits don’t let me catalogue it that way. Is very inviting and the animatic yet fruity notes are kind of sexual if that makes sense. After hours (more than 6) I have a final dry down that it’s indescribable, smell expensive, fancy and rich, it’s a sharp and intoxicating woody amber. The whole journey it’s beautiful. The silage is amazing and if you spray it in any fabric is not going away. In my skin I can detected it even the day after including 2 showers in the middle. I love it, every time I use it I can’t stop smelling my wrist and I catch a lot of people lifting their noses. For such a good crafted fragrance and the unbeatable Amouage quality the price is totally worth it, high but worth it.

This fragrance separates the men from the boys. The oud is ripe but not as bad as people would have you think here. To me the oud is blended superbly with the dried fruit accord made from blackcurrant and mandarin, to result in a deeply complex aroma that sings off your skin. There is no other perfume that smells like this. You get the oud prominently for the initial stage of the experience, maybe .75 to 1 hr and then it blends beautifully in harmony with the dried fruit notes. Finally some incense/amber melds with the sandalwood to create a lovely musky finish, though the oud has mostly been relegated to the background and there are still wafts of the dried fruits. The blending is masterfully done, and the result is a deeply rich scent that is a lighter expression of oud. Despite ouds typical colder temp categorization, i actually believe this is suited better for spring and summers, where the scent really becomes intoxicating and the dried fruits last longer and are enveloping. The scent bubble is noticeable. On my skin there’s radiant 9 hour projection, and is still easily noticeable after 12 hours, no longevity issues here I really recommend this fragrance, its my signature for a reason

If you would of told me that I would of love and purchase King Blue, last year. I would of told you that you are crazy because originally, I hated this fragrance. I used to say it's too fecal and animalic. Now after letting my nose mature and start to appreciate Oud, I fell in love with this fragrance. I do not get the fecal note anymore, instead I'm getting the blueberry and orange zest leading with a very buttery sandalwood similar to the sandalwood that Francesca Bianchi's fragrances. The oud in this is cheesy at the opening and later it matures to a smokey leather wood scent. At the dry down besides of the smokey leather wood scent, I get more of a sweet frankincense being supported by the oud and chocolate like patchouli. Projection on my skin goes from loud to moderate at the dry down. The fragrance last for an easy 8-12 hours. King Blue isn't a fragrance for the baby noses or JPG kids. It's more for a confident man who enjoys oud. Not the best Oud but sure it's still better than most ouds in the market. 9/10 Must have for oud enthusiasts.

See I'm from Oman and I live very close to Amouage factory. I smelled this fragrance in Amouage showroom, as it was released in Oman way before the announcement and pre-order. And I can tell you that at the opening it smells similar to Silver Oud with the addition of Mandarin and citrus notes. But after that this began to differ and became more woody with some smoke coming from the frankincense, but the smoke here is much less than what is in Silver Oud. In Dry Down, the fragrance became leathery with the smell of Assam Oud, which is the same Oud used in Silver Oud. The Leather here is very prominent. It's also a little animalic. I asked about the price and the answer was that they used the same type of oud used in Silver Oud which is Assam Oud. This oud is very expensive and that's why it's expensive. Another reason is the concentration which is above 30% I believe they said 35% (I can't remember clearly now). In my opinion this is not suitable for summer and It should be used in winter and autumn only.

If you survive first 10-20 minutes of literally smell of sh*t, the dry down is Gorgeous, very deep, warm, sweet and spicy leather. UPD: I tested it in colder weather - its more harsh, smoky, raw, tobaco and heavy oud, in warmer - its more powdery and sweet, suade, I personally like more how it sounds in warmer weather. Very unique scent, its absolutely seductive! When I first came across this scent (actually I was looking to try Opus XIII Silver Oud and picked up the wrong bottle), I opened the cap, smelled it and immediately put away, the smell shocked me... A couple weeks later, I got back to try the new Opus Timber, and gave King a try ( I tought it can't be so bad, c'mon no one will sell a cologne that smells like sh** for 500 bucks, there should be something) so i got blotter, put it in my pocket and forgot about it. Couple days later when I found it, I couldn't believe it is so good. I Immediately ordered a bottle Now it has special place in my heart! 100/10

I find the opening to be more challenging and fecal than silver oud, but within a couple of minutes, it becomes a very nice, sweetened, fruity oud. For the next hour, it's a very, very pleasant, sweet leather scent that is addictive and leaves a nice trail. I also find that there is a certain fresh, airy quality to it, kind of like an iso e super thing going on at the top. Two hours in, it starts to get a little closer to skin, but is still plenty potent. About 3 hours in, a lot of the fruityness goes away and it becomes quite similar to silver oud but less dark, rich and earthy and a bit more airy. From here it just slowly fades out for the next few hours until it's a very faint skin scent at about 7 hours. I enjoy this one a lot and really love the first couple hours when it's a sweet, fruity leather smell but I still think silver oud is superior, especially when it comes to performance.

What an incredible fragrance! Oud? A lot Animalic? Yes Barnyard? Yes Fecal? Absolutely not If you think this is fecal, then your nose is just not experiencia enough, and thats ok! You really have to like and understant oud for you tu get something like this but man, what an amazing fragrance, I’m in love. Opens up with this barnyardy slightly animalic type of oud, you also get some mandarin but it’s overshadowed by the very potent oud. Then, after 20 minutes, the oud settles and you’re left with a Smokey oud which combines with the mandarin and black currant and you get a beautiful fruity oud. Seriously amazing. To my nose, it smells like blueberries, not candy like but more naturalistic woody blueberrys. The craziest part is this has gotten me some crazy compliments, I’m not kidding. After those first 30 Minutes this really becomes a compliment getter for all of us Oud lovers. 9.6/10

Like great music, you may not like it on the first listen, it may take multiple times hearing that song, but at some point, it becomes a favorite, an instant classic. That is King Blue in a nutshell. It’s truly an experience. It feels like I am in Ancient Greece, fighting in the Peloponnesian war by the Med when wearing this. It’s animalic, it’s oceanic with a whisp of fresh fruit for good measure. It’s not meant to be smelled on a strip or directly from the skin I think, or you may be overwhelmed by the animalics. However, it does amazing when smelled through the air, wafting around you in a perfect cloud. This took time for me to grow into, multiple wears, reevaluating what it had to say.. but wow, I’m hooked now. A truly unique and wonderfully done scent. I think you can wear this all year round.. but it’s a vibe and mindset thing.

To my nose, Opus King Blue is like Layton, Carlisle, and Herod blended into one — yet deeper, richer, and with far more soul. It opens with a waxed, almost dried fruitiness of mandarin and black currant, brightened by pink pepper that adds a sparkling lift and seamlessly connects the fresh top to the warmer heart. An airy yet steady oud runs through the entire composition, bringing a subtle funk early on before settling into a smooth, woody-resin presence. Patchouli, frankincense, and pink pepper weave together to create a dry, aromatic, almost tobacco-like nuance. Leather adds depth and rounds out the sharper edges, while sandalwood eases everything into a creamy amber warmth with a vanilla-like undertone. The result is a fragrance that feels both commanding and unexpectedly alive. Phenomenally blended Addictive Fit for a king 👑

This is the SEXIEST most intoxicating scent I have ever smelled on my man. Purchasing a full bottle immediately omg. There is something so warm and addicting about this particular oud and while my husband is a huge oud lover this one does something a *little* different on his skin. His other ouds are perfect and comforting. He works in our garden a lot and it just suits him so well but THIS!! This is really special. Like rip my clothes off special. I have trouble thinking when he's wearing it and I can honestly say while I love his other fragrances this is the only one I have an actual physical reaction to. It smells like a hot hot hot man with a very healthy bank account but he isn't afraid to get dirty. It is just soooo good. This will be my favorite in his collection and one I will beg him to wear.