Russian Oud

Russian Oud is considered the "grandfather" in the heritage of Oud Zen and Oud Picante according to Areej Le Dore, though it was officially released after those two acclaimed batches sold out. This is a true handcrafted oud extrait. It's bold, animalic, smoky, resinous, darkly rich, and bittersweet. An exotic and rare perfume made in small batches only. Russian Oud is loaded with Indian oud, cacao, resins, leathery castoreum, and an exotic oriental incense and sweetness which come off almost cinnamon "spiced" to me. Heavyweight opening, and make no mistake, the oud dominates the extended dry-down as well. I have some actual Indian oud my dear friend brought me from Saudi Arabia (Medina). What really blows me away is how the "gourmand" elements of Russian Oud become clear as day when comparing the two! Indian ouds are a bit "hardcore" dark woody yet enjoyable for oud lovers on their own. Russian Oud is like a dark-chocolaty, spiced dessert with a drizzle of Indian oud syrup! It was nearly sold out when I managed to get two small 9ml vials directly from Areej Le Dore in Thailand. I'm elated to have a creation from Russian Adam in my humble collection, and I will hopefully explore and acquire more from his artisan perfume house in the future...Masterpiece!

Woody fragrances are powerful, they connect me to nature in a way my daily lifestyle won't permit. Sandalwood, Oakmoss, Cedar, Vetiver, Patchouli, and the almighty Oud are my favorite woody notes. There's just something about the forest that takes my breath away, from the majestic evergreen of the amazon to the untamed Kakadu of Australia, the smell of rotten woods and the sound of exotic birds, as the wind whistle through the tree branches... Conjure that image for a second...That's what oud does for me, It brings the forest to me, not just any oud but @areejledoreperfume oud. Top notes of Russian Oud will make you feel like you're swimming in cacao or super dark chocolate but the drydown is where the symphony of notes interlude on your skin, very meditative. Castoreum, cacao, labdanum, myrrhe, musk and Indian oud cooked by @russianadam himself. I still need more time with this elixir to fully indulge in it's hidden pleasures; but so far, it's a splendid introduction.

What a breath of fresh air. Well, technically there is nothing fresh about the scent, but the style and artistry in this perfume is breathtaking. It opens with a spot-on natural oud smell - barnyard/cheesy, with a cavernously deep profile of what natural oud brings... you can smell the beautiful woods, faint florals, and resins. After the opening, the labdanum kicks in really nicely, along with an intense animal (not barnyard, but truly animalistic smell). I love when I find perfumes like this. There is just so much going on here, but not in a throw-everything-but-the-kitchen-sink manner... it totally works as a cohesive statement. This reminds me of a more natural, more authentic version of the Xerjoff Oud Stars entries such as Gao. But again, I prefer the overall impression I'm getting. This isn't a trendy oud. This is hardcore and it is wonderful. 10/10

I managed to aquire a barely used bottle of this from ebay. It wasn't exactly cheap, so a risky blind buy but I knew how special this was, kinda once in a lifetime chance to own a fragrance like this. I wasn't disappointed... It's stunning. The oud is there right from start- quite pungent & barn-yardy but it starts to mellow out after about ten mins with the comforting deer musk and the lovely sweetness of cacao along with the resins. Russian Oud is an incredibly rich,deep & complex creation...full of natural materials which envelop you in a warming, animalic cocoon. Performance is exactly right for a frag like this....projection is slightly above average, but not to the point of being cloying or annoying and it lasts for hours. If you like 'real oud' based fragrances, snap this up if you can find it. The jewel in my collection

I have smelt hundreds of ouds and I don't find it to be "barnyard" whatsoever. What you do get is a luscious chocolate Borai oud coupled with cacao and castoreum that give it a warming and sensual feel. It projects strongly initially and settles down further in creating a nice cloud around the wearer. Legally obtained Siberian deer musk, myrrh, sandalwood (missing from Fragrantica), and labdanum all inhance the sensuality of the fragrance. This is pure sex in a bottle and has a very addictive nature, I ploughed through my 50ml bottle in a very short space of time. Only limited quantities were produced with the highest quality natural ingredients. This is my favourite release ever from this house. It was only released in January 2018 but now already a cult-classic never to be recreated. Instagram: @osphresiophile