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

This fragrance has the drydown to slay all drydowns. Talking about the initial two phases first - I have smelled pure unadulterated Indian oud a few times (haven't owned any myself, admittedly) - this kicks off with a sharp skankiness characteristic of Indian oud. In the middle phase there is a distinct spicy element which might be a variation on the myrrh, though it reminds me a lot of nutmeg. The drydown post the 4-6 hour mark is sheer heaven. Biscuity cocoa goodness. The relative skank of the opening makes the patently gourmand drydown that much more gorgeous and gratifying. Fragrances which exhibit genuine signs of interesting, non-linear development not only owe a lot the ingredients but also to the perfumer and his blending skills. Kudos to Russian Adam for this!

I originally dismissed this because of my love for Oud Picante, and the opening reminded me of beef jerky...It was a bit too much, but as time went by, I have not found anything like them—Others tend to be too sweet, too oudy, too smoky, too tart, too animalic, or the lack of, or maybe not warm/ambery enough, dense/rich enough, round enough, etc. Though I realized what gems they were, there was always something missing... Did Picante lean too much into the cumin & resins that the oud was neglected? Does this (almost tonka tinted) chocolatey dream need more salt & spices? Next time if he comes up with something that has the best of both worlds, I will snatch a bottle and perhaps I will stop reminisce about these two.

The cocoa is soft and understated, but it's totally there and for the first few hours rides shotgun along with the resins and the ouds. Then, after it dies down, the resins REALLY come out to play. The animalic elements linger about just far off enough in the back for you to notice them but NOT be put off, but by and large, it's a pretty solid, unified scent right here. Much like Agar de Noir in its DNA and inner mechanics, this occupies an interesting part of the real-oud dark resin trope, and whilst it does share similarities with other works by Russian Adam, I don't think they render each other obsolete or anything like that... That said, I need to trial these ones out a little more, methinks...

There is this dusty furry element to this and the attar version that I just love, and that I’ve never smelled in any other fragrance. It’s such a pleasing scent and is even interesting to wear in warmer weather. It goes on and on and is not linear. I liked it when I first bought the Extrait from ALD, but considered selling it when I saw the crazy secondary market prices. Then I passed on the attar when it came out, instead going for Russian Musk attar (which is also incredible). Then earlier this year I wore Russian Oud Extrait for the first time in forever and something just clicked. Glad I didn’t sell. I fell in love with it. And now I also have 2 bottles of the attar version.

quite a likeable and approachable resin-lab-oud scent... the oud is subdued (ha!) and the resins take the centre in this one. the choc is also somewhat muted, with all the edible features silenced and transformed. the labdanum, paired with the resins (mix of amber and raw myrrh) all work well with each other to create a friendly oud, in comparison to some of the other ouds ALD has churned out in the past... having said that, it's a little too esoteric for me own tastes, though, it is an amazing scent to try out. one that i'll pull out on the odd occasion and enjoy here and there...

For oud and cocoa lover: this is the best oud-gourmand ever created; magnificent. The two dark elements blend perfectly on the skin, evolving for 12 hours without ever being invasive for the others. This perfume, if you can find it, is worth the price it costs. A masterpiece.

I'd also like to get a bottle of Russian Oud...good luck, right?

The best resinous, ambery, powdery oud in the whole world! 🥰

Upon first sniff, this seems to head in the same direction of Oud Luwak, but it is actually a lot easier to enjoy. The balsamic base bursts through in just 10-15 minutes, contributing a lovely salted caramel labdanum+Myrrh combo to the composition. The castoreum and cocoa are also immediately apparent but start blending into the 'whole' along with the ouds, also within 10-15 minutes. What we end up with is a wonderful rich but rounded fragrance where the subtle smokiness creates a more incense like atmosphere. Everything seems to float around in good balance. Really high quality stuff and a treasure for balsamic fragrance lovers.

Oud is definitely there. It's like.. a cinnamon oud (gf pointed out spicy/cinnamon)? Imagine rice pudding (with cinnamon) + oud. Very wearable oud perfume! I sold my bottle though.. d'oh!

Russian Oud by Areej Le Dore is a very appealing Oriental gourmand. The perfume tames the Oud note with sweet cacao. Added to the mix is labdanum, cedar and slight hints of myrrh, musk and castoreum. The overall effect once the perfume settles is a warm powdery musky confection. It is nice but nothing extraordinary and there are many like this on the market. However it was the first and only one on the third Areej Le Dore collection to completely sell out ( given its relatively low price point compared to the other 3 more superior creations). For those who missed out don’t worry the new offering in the 4th collection Oud Luwak essentially has the same DNA and is an easy substitute. Unisex, moderate sillage and projection and good longevity. Quality ingredients and good blending. Enjoy!

Opens with Moss, Cow Manure and Sandalwood. The manure is quite distinct - smells exactly like the bags I get from the nursery and use twice a year to mulch the rose bushes. It lasts a long time, but unfortunately for me, the manure hangs with the scent for hours dominating the scent.

Russian Oud is like closing your eyes and breathing in seductive comfort. It has a tactile, subconscious allure that reaches into your senses and memory. Smooth pulsating transformations. Creamy oud-centric trails, swathed in leather, sweetened with the multi-sensory appeal of cocoa and caramel. I can smell tree resins, feel the cling of supple leather, and anticipate the feeling of childhood soothing emitted by powdery cocoa. A combination of favorites, reassuring and sensual. Like all of Russian Adam's creations, only the best ingredients, regardless of expense or rarity are procured. 'Choco Borai oud oil distillation' (love this!) and 'caramel guggel resinoids' produce a buttery soft cocoon that complement the ouds and animalic notes. Plush Mysore sandalwood, ethically sourced real deer musk, along with many other materials that are customized by Adam, produce the exact effect he wants. He creates a rich scent that is deliciously smooth and addictive. It has a warming emotional effect like wearing oud suffused suede gloves, holding a cup of hot chocolate. A scent that projects contentment!

If you like your Oud with a barnyard manure composition... here you go. And since it's discontinued you can pay some ebayer's mortgage for the month by buying a used bottle for $500 to 1,000 plus! No thanks. If I want to smell like a barnyard I'll just roll around in a horse stall made of old rotted cedar and filled with hay and lovely manure. A woman I see at the train station most weekday mornings has decided to make Russian Oud her signature. I kniow this because I asked her what was that "lovely" scent (I prefer to be nice to people). Anyway, when she wears this, I swear I sometimes see people lifting their foot and checking the bottom of their shoe. It happened on several occasions so I assume it's no coincidence.

Overly sweet myrrh. This has a grand Indian oud but the myrrah, cacao powder mix are adding some disturbing sweet note that alters the direction this fragrance is going to. The oud is playing that harsh note but it's in the middle as the cacao sweetness are playing the tough guy here with huge doses of myrrh making this blend acting weird. No castoreum in here, and there are musk, lapdanum, & cedar. Overly sweet to my taste and not what i thought it is.