Mysterious Oud

Update: the below review still stands, but a newer decant of Mysterious Oud that I got shows slight changes. The opening is still that majestic, powerful, slightly fermented Oud/orange/castoreum/resins smell, but projection takes nosedive after 30 minutes and it becomes a noticeable skin scent. I know that using naturals can reduce staying power, so that’s always a consideration, but it seems like an earlier iteration of Mysterious Oud I had stayed strong longer into the drydown. And due to that double edged sword called scent association, in the newer drydown all I can smell is Chap Stik, the original black label one. I love Bortnikoff and this is still a great creation and good introduction to real Oud. Dense oud, resins, animalics, spices and deep fruit. The initial blast of oud is pungent and magnificent and reminds me of primeval jungle. The intensity of the oud mellows out after 5-10 minutes and I get sweet, deep resins - opoponax, myrrh, tolu balm and amber blended with the cinnamon, cloves and orange. Castoreum is definitely noticeable, but very well blended so it just underpins the resinous and spicy notes. The florals are there, but not prominent. I really like this one. It's the darker, denser cousin of Oud Maximus. (On a side note - something about this one reminded me of Amouage Jubilation XXV. I cross checked notes and Jubilation and MO share no fewer than 9. I'd say Mysterious Oud and Jubilation XXV are in the same category, with MO upping the animalics, oud and overall strength.)

Mysterious Oud from Bortnikoff. By far, my favorite offering from this house. For me, the house was a miss for the most part. None stood out the way Mysterious Oud did. I first tried this perfume when Dmitry was launching his line. However, back then I couldn't appreciate its boldness. Funny enough, it was the one to last the most from the original trio, yet by the time I made the courage to purchase a bottle, it barely sold out, and then it got changed. To my nose, it got reformulated, and after comparing, the OG is more dense, base-heavy, and Oud-dominant. It has more oomph to it. The subsequent light-colored wooden cap and the Roja-style cap bottles feel more sheer, less Oudy, almost Cedarish, and a touch more ambery/spicy. More tailored for the Western palate, let's say. Still, very similar in DNA. This perfume is a gorgeous melange of warm spices, lots of natural Ouds mixed in the base, sweet and gooey resins, and a beautiful leathery, chewy castoreum. The overall effect is of an oud perfume, supported by the warmth of the spices and resins, with a bit of a dirty touch from the beaver. Rather simple but very well done and unique smelling. I can't compare this to anything on the market. It shines in cold weather, even though I wear it all year round if I feel like it. In the cold, all the warmth surfaces to envelope you into a most satisfying aura. In my books, this is the best offering from the house. IG:@memory.of.scents

A very Oud centered Oriental chypre which is the signature presentation of the Bortnikoff line. This is clearly a perfume only for the most initiated since it has distinct animalic and gourmand notes with only slight florals added to a strong base of Laotian Oud. The perfume opens briefly with notes of orange, lime, cardamom and amber before proceeding to a brief heart of a prominent castoreum surrounded by aromatic notes of pepper, cinnamon, tonka bean, rose, jasmine, nutmeg, cloves and myrrh. The perfume quickly settles into its dense base of real strong Cambodian Oud, surrounded by slight hints of tolu balsam, vanilla, labdanum, sandalwood, opoponax, lotus and cedar. The perfume is nicely blended, leans masculine and has a pronounced sillage, projection and longevity. It also opens a bit edgy with the barnyardish Cambodian Oud and castoreum coming out very soon but it settles into powdery woody Oriental bliss quickly as well. Recommended for those really into bold Orientals, others prepare to be horrified. Enjoy!

In the opening the orange really popped on my skin. It was peppery and the cardamom was pretty prominent. Really enjoyed the juicy orange. I started picking up myrrh, which was surprising so early on in the wear. I got a light touch of watery pink rose and a more substantial note of jasmine. There was a bit of fruitiness, which I’m guessing was the Thai Oud. I think I was picking up a little medicinal floral note from the lotus. The Vietnamese Oud became the main attraction for a good while...nice and resinous. The tonka and vanilla started to show up as the Viet Oud was trading places with the Hindi Oud. For a while it smelled a lot like L’Heure Exquise (which I love). Finally, the Hindi Oud took over with the castoreum and labdanum forming a nice and sweet, leathery, amber finish. The complexity and Oudiness was really impressive and I would love to have a bottle of this one.

On my skin the Mysterious Oud has the main accord of Oud and Castoreum in the front and center. The Oud from this one is quite heavy and earthy, not barnyard or medicinal/bandaid. Dry down to a sweet Tonka. This could be a very polarizing and challenging scent to some people, but I absolutely love it. Decent longevity of about 6 to 7hr on my skin, projection and sillage is decent in the first two hours, but don't expect beast mode from these natural ingredients. This is a must-have for Oud addicts. Update on 7/1/20: I love this one so much I've gone and ordered two more bottles as a backup before it got discontinued and went extinct. Most definitely my favorite from this house, hands down.

I really enjoy it on some days.. A light spray is plenty enough. To me a lot of designer fragrance wearers will not like this one but for those that love natural perfumes like myself will enjoy it. It is sweet, resinous, animalic and leathery. Lasts overnight and all day easily. The opening is not so great but as it wears down and down throughout the day the oud/castoreum shines.. and it becomes something you can always smell on your own skin even after 8-10 hours you still catch it in the air without having to sniff your arm like a maniac..

Divine, but polarizing. I am in love with this fragrance, it smells of freshly split wood that has started to soften from decomposition. Nutmeg stands out most prominently to me amongst the note list. I have never smelled anything quite like this. It has an addictive quality; when I wear it, I find myself repeatedly going back to wear I sprayed it so I can get another whiff... Zesty, a touch barnyardy, in the best way imaginable, and bright invigorating woods. My partner hates it though, so definitely try before you buy.

I've been wearing Areej le Dore ouds recently. This morning Mysterious Oud with wooden cap. It's a lightweight as far as Oud goes. I predominantly get incense. I would say it's my favorite incense fragrance. It may be my favorite Bortnikoff for Winter. Love the orange and spice reminding me a bit of Terrr de Hermes. Overall very well blended, enjoyable easy wear. Not much oud, but more amber and resinous, woody.

I think scentdoctor is overreacting a tad, but yes, this is very animalic to the point that I have to concentrate to pick up oud specifically. On my skin I just smell this animalic cloud with a sharp, almost chilli-esque, spiciness smouldering on top. It feels fairly linear to me. I like this perfume, but not sure if I could pull it off.

So addictive. Seems I'm able to tell most accords from the Pyramid. But all these accords are merged and intertwined so well. I cannot describe the unified scent as it's so unique and different. I just cannot stop smelling it.

Smells like my girlfriends breath after drinking Fireball cinnamon liqueur while sitting on hay bales behind a horse barn. I bought a full bottle. Big love. 👍

@Workshop your review made my day, haha:))). I hope it doesn't get pulled down. Glorious. And accurate. I do love MO though.

Mysterious is the dark orange oudy persian beaver vagina of heaven. Can’t get enough!

I'm a big fan of Bortnikoff but got quite late into their/his perfumes and unfortunately Mysterious Oud was the eighth I tried, a few weeks after sampling other Bortnis from his newer collections. All of this is to say I wasn't wowed by it but I have no doubts I would have, had I sampled it the first. From my humble imagination, I guess Dima wanted to start his venture into his brand showing all he had in mind and come up with a big thing, something to show his skills, so that his first oud-centered fragrance had to be EVERYTHING at the same time. It is indeed a perfume with MANY ingredients but to my nose lacking the blending magic he's reached later on. It is unique, long lasting, solid and above most of the genre, but I sadly get nose fatigued by the first hour... so many things going on, a bit chaotically, and my main issue: it feels strangely familiar and old school. Be it the strong castoreum, be it the balsam galore, I don't know, but it smells slightly dated to me and too thick. The first 20 minutes are gorgeous, the following 2 hours I become less enthusiastic and the drydown finds me looking for alternatives as I plainly put dislike what I smell. I think this smells like a draft of his best perfume to date: Oud Maximus. In that one Dima reached stardom level with quite the same ideas overall (orange, oud, spices, animalic notes) but done in a way where you get to enjoy a modern mix from start to end, being able to enjoy each stage and ingredient. I hope no one will dismiss sampling it though as I believe it is only a matter of taste and I am sure this would stand as the best Bortnikoff for many, given its strength, longevity and complexity. What for me is a wonderful start for his later achievements, which display subtlety, elegance and seamless blending, might be experienced as watered down juices by others, so there you go.

I think I'll just review Mysterious Oud, Oud Maximus and Lao Oud in one go here as I think all three can be placed on a spectrum. First off, I'm not seeing Mysterious Oud as a lesser brother of Oud Maximus. They do have many similarities but while Oud Maximus is a bit fresher, brighter, softer and creamier, Mysterious Oud is a bit spicier, herbier and more medicinal. Therefore both can stand on their own and I don't think they are necessarily redundant. Though those mentioned differences are not _incredibly_ loud either. So while Mysterious Oud was on the spicier, herbier and more medicinal side of the spectrum, Lao Oud is the exact opposite. It's the most barnyardy and funky of the bunch on the first whiff but at the same time it's also very sweet, chocolatey and boozy, which immediately turns your subsequent impression from barnyardy to some chocolate truffles with orangey, creamy, cognac/rum filling. It's an oddly addicting smell for sure. As mentioned before Oud Maximus fits somewhat between Mysterious Oud and Lao Oud. It's somewhat spicy and herby, yet not as much as Mysterious Oud. So it's softer and creamier but instead of the heavy boozy orange chocolate sweetness of Lao Oud, it's more citrusy and peppery instead. From all those I think Mysterious Oud is the most mature scent. Oud Maximus is pleasantly neutral and probably fits any occasion and weather. Lao Oud is noticeably different however. I don't think it's an offending smell due to it's sweetness and almost edible quality but it's surely unusual. Off all those I think I prefer Oud Maximus because it's fresh enough for hotter days and neutral enough for any occasion and also a good addition to Oud Monarch, which I probably prefer the most out of Bortnikoff's collection so far.

Very high-quality notes here. For me it opens with a strange scent with the citrus' mixed with the Oud and Castoreum. Give it a few minutes and it calms down to a dark leathery oud and a mysterious combination of other notes which gives it the mystery. It's a pleasant earthy/woody fragrance that you have to appreciate in order to enjoy it to the fullest. It's complex and deep, this is probably one to wear around the guys as I imagine girls won't enjoy this as much, but you'll definitely smell unique, and people will wonder what scent you have on.

This is more of a spicy amber than an animalic oud. I was actually hoping for an animalic oud seeing the notes so I am a little disappointed. As far as the smell goes, it reminds me of the Thanksgiving/Christmas holidays in America. Not a bad scent at all, just not what I was expecting.

got a sample of this from luckyscent-- i also ended up buying lao oud from bortnikoff as well. i do find that this has many similarities to lao oud, and i think having both would be redundant. it's like a tamer lao oud. beautiful and delicious-smelling

idk how people don't like this its a spicy orange cinnamon like yeah its not mass appealing but its defiantly a beautiful spice that makes a statement and the performance on this is insane.

One of the most complex in my collection along with Silencethesea from Strangelove. Quality is oustanding but boy ... you better not be a beginner when you put your nose on it !