Oud Maximus

Opening: glorious sour, almost stewed orange but with a bit of sparkle from the pepper and bergamot, possibly a touch of cheesey oud (maybe that's what's making the orange seem sour) and non-indolic jasmine with cardamom to smooth it out . Whereas I almost always percieve all notes in a given pyramid at once, this genuinely gives me only the opening notes (OK, plus the oud which is already there). The perfume keeps undulating and wafting out different elements, and seamlessly tránsitions to the mid: here the rose and clove comes through, with a sort of warming effect from the magnolia and tonka. I don't perceive the frangipani necessarily but I'm sure I'd miss it if it were gone. Maybe it's giving the creaminess... Now the tart blast of the orange has calmed down and it's become a sort of pomander with the clove, but the rose and other florals stop it from seeming festive. I'm trying to find a context that the smell evokes, but aside from sharing Bortnikoff DNA with other scents, it's totally unique. There are natural, almost agrestic elements to the way the florals come across, but also the opulence I expect from the house, an opulence with transcends showiness, money, brashness, and instead is just marvelous and elegant, an all-seasons class act who is also friendly and down to earth. The dry down: the sun sets and the perfume turns darker, but still retaining the sumptuous, semi-gourmand charm. The magnolia starts to dominate the floral side, and there's something woody or vetiver-like, but I think this may be a facet of the oud(s). Something else starts to pique my taste buds, birch tar! And there's a magic something or other I can quite place, which is when I remember there's natural musk in here, as I suddenly recall other natural musk perfumes, giving a fluffy buffer to the dark wooden edges. The real civet perhaps provides a slightly sharp, urinous twang, which I attibuted to the florals at first. It's an astounding perfume, even if you didn't like it, I think you'd recognise the staggering complexity. It's also rather more restrained that some of his other perfumes, making it wearable in most situations, while still having stellar performance. It's not gonna offend or choke anyone out.

Stay with me here... This was my very first sniff of authentic oud (unless the MFK Oud line has any substantial amount of REAL oud in it, which I sincerely doubt.) I wanted to smell the real deal. At first spray, I was bewildered. Real agarwood truly isn't comparable to anything. I got some of the barnyard funk that people describe from the Hindi Oud and also the medicinal note. Truthfully, at first sniff I was turned off. I think it's because I had no grid for such an aroma and my brain was trying to compute what I was smelling. Warm and wet. Sweet and bitter. Old furniture. Tea. Wet, mossy jungle. Brought to mind the colors brown and olive green. I gave it a few hours to settle down and the animalic funk had disappeared and it became much more resinous and honeyed. That's when I noticed the florals. Beautiful rose, magnolia, and frangipani (which gives it a slightly tropical vibe). Came back a few hours later and I'm smelling fruit - peaches, plums and citrus. It's like I experienced the note pyramid in reverse because my nose was blindsided by the oud. My overall impression is a good one. My advice is to not make a judgement based on the opening. It is a little scary for the untrained nose like mine, but if you have some patience it does mellow down to something beautiful. I don't know if I could pull off wearing this, but I am so glad I tried it. Very well blended. I can definitely see why this is highly regarded as a masterpiece. EDIT: After spending some time with this one, I am utterly floored at the composition. It is exquisitely beautiful. Now that I'm familiar with real oud I can get a sense of the orange and florals right from the start and see how the oud ties it all together, giving the whole scent a honey like denseness. It has been so much fun dissecting this one and learning as I go.

One of my very best purchases of 2018, This is a dreamy olfactory interpretation of what is in my opinion, the most multifaceted, polarizing, yet enchanting of all materials “oud”. Throughout the years I’ve spent collecting I’ve developed an immense affection for oud perfumes, I like my oud fragrances full body, syrupy and skanky, love my animalic ouds but preferably when they’re complimented by sweetness and beautiful florals to soften the beast that agarwood can be, and rich spices . I love my ouds paired to a good civet, jasmine, honey, vanilla, a good caramel accord is always a great compliment to oud as well. With Oud Maximus I’ve found everything I love the most in my perfumes exceptionally well layered out ,crowning the cocktail of natural ouds featured in this majestic composition with impeccable harmony from the juicy spicy opening, to the sweet animalic floral heart featuring rich fruity nuances, jasmine and three different kinds of roses gifting a majestic harmony throughout the wearing, and into the intoxicating and extremely long lasting gourmandish oud vanilla base, radiating a skanky caramelized aroma for many hours. This is exceptionally well put together, I’m highly impressed.

The first time I wore it, I wasn't so impressed but the more I wear it and pick up the nuances in the notes, the more I love it, especially the dry-down. The opening is a bit cheesy and skanky (although not overly so like a strong natural oud), this is due to one of the three natural ouds used in it (I'm guessing the Indian), but after a couple of hours it disappears and you are left with a beautifully pleasant, sweet and floral smell. I don't actually get much civet or musk from it, the rose, oud, and vanilla are more prominent. The sillage seems pretty good, I sprayed it upstairs and my wife (who has a very sensitive nose) was on the lower floor and shouted, "Are you wearing that deer-musk wee again?!" This is definitely for connoisseurs and the bold, always try before you buy. If you are a lover of natural oud oils, I would say it is a safe blind buy that you won't regret. Roja Dove would charge triple the price for something like this.

I have sampled almost all Bortnikoff line. This is by far the brand flagship in terms of smell and quality. It doesn't radiate much of the top notes listed. It's an animalic oud, which means oud smell composed together with animalic notes. Civet and musk is making this a sexy fragrance. Birch tar provides some darkness. It's a fragrance that can be worn by young adults. I don't smell vanilla and balsam even if they are noted, might be the low traces. Middle rose and flower notes are trying to soften the aggressiveness of the fragrance. It is still a statement making fragrance, but it's not as tough as I expected. It's definitely daily wearable. I will purchase a bottle absolutely. Due to the price tag, I would spray this in special occasions. But I believe it deserves the price tag because of the quality of the ingredients. It makes more financial sense than paying $350 to a synthetic smell.

When I first got into fragrances I sought out the best oud I could find.... I got 3 samples of Bortnikoff because thats what the internet told me was one of the best houses of natural oud.... I tried and it immediately turned me off with the fecal oud smell... looking back it was a bad idea, kind of like someone who's trying blue cheese for the first time and goes to the fanciest cheese shop and buys the most gourmet aged blue cheeses. Now that I've purchased several niche perfumes.... developed more of a better understanding of oud.... and know what it's like for a perfume to settle down and evolve, I went back to this sample and I just absolutely love it. I'm going to sample a couple of other oud/rose fragrances out there before I pull the trigger and buy one... but this one is very high on my list. If you love oud/rose this is amazing. 10/10

An Amazing composition here and my first from Bortnikoff. I'm so happy to tell you, it's a home run. The first note I smelled was the Indian Oud, and then Laotian Oud, some fine roses, other mild floral undertones and some tarty citruses (likely orange) oh my world, an overwhelming experience of notes, total nasal assault. The drydown brought out some hard-core notes, civet deer musk and some sweetness. There is so much going on here but the end result is a joy for oud lovers. So far of all oud notes, laotian and Indian are my favorite Ouds, mixing both together just right is pure bliss. If you enjoy Asrar Indonesia, this will give you some of that and a whole lot more. What a delight, a fragrance non oud lovers can enjoy, so much more than oud alone here. Masterpiece! without a smidgen of doubt!

A super interesting Oriental woody scent with distinct gourmand, floral and animalic facets, this offering from Bortnikoff showcases a nice natural Laotian Oud which grabs your attention the moment this lands on the skin even though it is really a base note. The opening and middle are brief. the perfume opens with citrus, pepper and jasmine. At the heart is a nice jammy rose, frangipani, tonka bean, clove and gardenia. The base which comes fast and remains throughout the stay of the perfume is a heavy dose of Laotian Oud, civet, musk, birch tar, tolu balsam and vanilla. The resulting juice has a nice three dimensional projection and leans masculine. It has moderate to strong sillage and good longevity. Particularly suited for bold unafraid personalities not deterred by slight musky skank. Enjoy!

let me be the first to say... This perfume is pure fire. It's very sensual, you get a tight opening of rose, jasmine, oud, and musk. Very prominent rose.. very natural and not over the top. For those that have never experienced a masculine rose fragrance this is it! it is animalic so if you're not into a more grounded niche scent you will not like this one. But for me it is a masterpiece using these ingredients. When it dries down the jasmine and sandal comes into play more, while the oud is always at the forefront. I think it's brilliant.. it is a scent for personal taste and pure satisfaction.. You have to try to understand. It's one of those that you smell and you are not sure but you can't stop sniffing it. And after some time you turn to really love it.

Amazing Floral/Rose Oud scent. Starts off with a blast of citrus, heady florals, oud and musk. This opening can be very hard to handle imo. The first couple of times I tested this Perfume on skin it was too much for me and it gave me a headache. I think for many people it will be the same. But you need to stick to this Perfume. After you get used to it you'll be able to appreciate its beauty. What is left after the harsh opening is a beautiful musky, creamy Rose Oud scent. It's very light and wearable. The scent doesn't project very much after the opening but it stays on your skin for a long time, leaving a sweet, pissy musk after a day of wearing. This also varies a lot depending on skin type, especially since its natural perfumery.

I think I have been influenced by other’s opinion and I have found myself blind buying this one, a full bottle... One can tell it’s from Feel Oud / Areej le Dorè, same footprint. Totally wearable. The vomit like smell given off by the Ouds in here dissipates in a few minutes. It’s soooo floral with rose and Frangipani (these 2 guys put this everywhere), a bit musky, bright, citrusy as hell when you spray it. Ottoman Empire is dirtier in my opinion. I though of buying a skanky beast, but I received a purring kitten. I think that these 2 amazing guys needs to refine and learn more. I am not referring to Oud oils, but perfumes

The more time passes with this bottle I get MASSIVE deer musk, plus all the other notes but barely a trace of oud. This is not a problem, because it's beautiful, but I've smelled a sample of the Autumn 2019 version and it has a huge cheesey oud for the first hour which is totally missing from my version (gold edged box, flacon with metal ribbed cap). Coming back to it again, the citrus is harsh and cleaner-like at the top. I have many Bortnikoff scents and this is probably my least favourite now. I like it less the more I have worn it over the last year.

If your beginning to dive into real odds, this may be the safest offering from Bortnikoff. It's a smooth cheesey oud. All the rough edges are taken out with florals, creamy woods and warm spices. I have a 9 ml, but will not get a bottle, as it gets old or a bit boring fast. It's very nice and made somewhat mass appealing. If your looking for something more adventurous and intriguing from Bortnikoff, in his oud offerings, I would recommend Lao Oud, or Mysterious Oud.

The more acceptable and accessible side of oud As long as you can get through the first hour In the first hour it reminds me of azmans risk although this is twice as good After the funk settles down it becomes a more intense and more complex dna of LV’s nouevua monde Performance is for the ages It lasts the whole day Very good creation by the brand Looking forward to try the rest

What to say this is oud lovers dream come true, complex yet wearable perfect from start to the end not your typical synthetic banyard oud. This is one of the most wearable oud so authentic, with astonishing citrus opening. Definitly best pick up of the last 5 years and in my top 5 oud composition of all time. Thank you Dmitry for this masterpiece 10/10 easily

My best oud purchase of 2018. This is amazing stuff. The oud is pleasant and not over powering or barnyard, it is still animalic, without being too dirty. The opening is powerful but this settles into a complex shifting fragrance. Spicy, Woody, floral all at the same time. This is the definition of masterpiece.

Wonderful scent. I believe this scent was dedicated to his son. Everything just fits. The orange oud opening just captivated me. The responses below sum it up better than I could. All I know is I bought a couple of bottles knowing it's time was nigh. In fact this Bortnikoff series has all been outstanding.

Tried it out hated it scrubbed it off decided to give it another go to get through the funky start my god wow what a fragrance incredible longevity and still I would recommend to higher trained noses this ain’t for a supermarket run lol

Frangipani OUD. Love it! Very deep yellow flower+oud animalic scent. sophisticated, but my nose definitely pick strong frangipani presence and stays with me for many hours. High quality - YES! will i buy the whole bottle - YES!

Wondeful. The oud is pungent at the start, yet pleasant to those who are familiar with real oud. The fragrance is complex and develops beautifully into a bitter sweet musky, floral oud. Leans Masculine IMO.

Be careful with sprays, I over-sprayed (3-4) and my wife was choked. I love this one, as them all from this house, but sometimes less is better. That aside, another masterpiece for sure.

Must have, but no rush because of having a FB of Triad. Big fan of oud and musk, and this hits a sweet spot for me. Love it!

Royal! Too bad I am not a king... as I feel I would need a throne and crown to pull this off.

My absolute favorite Oud fragrance.

So I dug up my old samples just to compare with Lao Oud, and I'm not sure if I'm testing the original or the '19; I know Oud Maximus is dedicated to his son Maxim, but contrary to the name, it's actually quite balanced & wearable! Not nearly as oudy as I remembered; it's smooth and bright thanks to the combination of citruses, flowers, vanilla, and musk, creating a golden hue casting over. This is good for enthusiasts & novices alike although there are better ones for either demography.

Just recently tried this and its nice don’t get me wrong but theres just something missing. I think it might be cause i was expecting more and its just kind of tame as oud goes i was expecting more punch from this. Considering the price $350 for 50ml i just think theres much better options out there infact i would prefer just to buy a nice pure 3ml oud oil instead.

Oud Maximus is beautiful.Non challenging Oud and rose combo.This blend have wide variety of rose and it’s very evident as you get fresh and jammy roses upfront.Slight animalic undertones with Civet and Musk.You will find disappointment if you are looking for more adventurous rose Oud combo.Easy to wear and somewhat sweet in nature.

Oud Maximus 2020, like other fragrances with the word "oud" in them, whether they are designer, niche, or artisan, unfortunately does not deliver any maximum amounts or impressions of oud. And for the steep price of this fragrance, lovers and seekers of holy grail oud scents would do better to purchase a nice quality oud oil from one of the best bang-for-your-buck vendors, Oudimentary, or even a rougher and more feral oil from Eden Botanicals. But of course, Oud Maximus is not an oud only scent. There are tons of roses, other flowers, animal products, citrus and more. I'm just not convinced that this particular composition highlights the most interesting aspects of oud, since they're overshadowed by flowers and musk. Given all the roses that appear in Oud Maximus, I somehow still get prettier—but albeit aleatory—compositions the old fashioned Arab way by layering spritzes of rose solifores, swiping some oud, maybe adding some bakhoor burnt all over, etc. For comparison, if you sample this fragrance and like its profile, I might suggest trying Ramon Monegal's Agar Musk. While it's true that this other fragrance is also overpriced, you'll nonetheless be saving yourself around 200 dollars and you'll get the same kind of oud-musk profile that's in Oud Maximus. In crude terms, it's a "dryer sheet" note, which in actuality I'm okay with. I just also prefer some soil, smoke, and waste in my life.

Very strong oud. Make no mistake, the most powerful note is this fragrance is oud. Again, if you do not particularly appreciate the funk smell of oud, then you will not like this. It is a little intense for my taste. It makes me think of someone wearing perfume in lieu of showering. It does not smell like a full barnyard, but it does remind me of the place where the horses' saddles are stored.

To my nose this is almost just rose. I did buy a decant from their website and glad I didn’t blind buy a full bottle because this is really really feminine to me. Just waaaaay too much rose on rose on rose. The Oud is there, but it’s not what I was expecting. It’s not skanky at all. Just a soft light Oud. It’s definitely not my favourite from the house. 4/10

This is waaaay too pungent for me. I was hoping for something a bit more sweet / pleasant / rounded but it mostly feels stinky - almost like sour urine / moldy cheese also seems to miss any kind of fresh / green / plant-based sharpness or brightness to break off the heavy animalics... the first Bortnikoff i didn't really enjoy. there was a stinky/animalic essence to Moss Cologne or Musk Cologne too, but not to this extent... this is extreme. Maybe a bit weird to say but I don't really get oud from this at all, at least not the oud I encountered so far in my fragrance journeys... it's not repulsive, i.e. - if i ate cheese that smelled like this I'd think it smells nice. but i don't want to smell like moldy cheese. interestingly, on PAPER i can sense a lot of the missing citrusy/fresh aspects, i wish i could sense them on my skin too. that would have made this much better for me. so i guess it's just my specific skin that's the issue maybe? *shrug* i also wonder if this new sample somehow represents a reformulation?

I lived in Switzerland for many years and loved my weekend hikes in the alps. The Swiss alps are quite crowded and you can barely hike for less than an hour below 2000m without stumbling upon a small alpine (usually cow) farm. Just before you turn the corner - as you draw close to the farm - the exact same smell hits you, every time. Sharp. Repugnant. Manure. Dirty animal musk. Since you're out in nature there might be some flowers lingering in the far, far distance. They might smell nice if not for the fact they are overburdened with farm scent. And not the nice, soft hay farm smell from a well-maintained horse farm. This is a dirty, dirty cow pasture or chicken coop. This is exactly what I smell here. Alpine manure. No other way to put it. Nostalgic, maybe. Not in a good way, at least on a human. The one thing I didn't love about alpine hikes, in a bottle. Everything I hated about growing up on a farm, in a bottle. I am an expert on farms and I hate this ever so much. Cannot understand the ratings on this one and, normally, even if I disagree I can see WHY people like a fragrance. Not with this one. Horrible. I visibly recoiled. And I like ouds. But they don't need to smell this acrid. It evokes in me many dramatic, very negative associations and emotions. Avant-garde, gone too far. This perfume is a New York City cowboy in 1000$ boots who doesn't understand the very irony of that. A contemporary art show, but they've picked artists who only do abstract monochrome paint smears and angry, somewhat grotesque metallic sculptures. They've filled the reclaimed soviet bloc building with the snobbiest hipsters and they are all wearing designer scarves in the summer. That's the person who would wear this, in my opinion. 0/10.

Oud Maximus already opens super natural wrapped in a sweet orange chord sweet to blow freshness in its cracks and another slightly spicy fresh chord. This all wrapped in a resinous dark animalic 'oud. Soon there is a bouquet of breathtaking organic roses with several facets: with time flashes of crystal clear fresh roses, timely velvety roses, with some moments of darker bittersweight resin, in other fruity fleshy roses; This really impresses rose lovers and especially the enthusiasts in the Duet 'Oud & Roses. And there is still very smelling Frangipani sweetness of enhancing the jasmine fragrance. From there these roses are beginning to be permeated by an infusion of natural or excellent quality or multifaceted or deeds: here we have' Indian smoky animalic or Thai or Fruit of Tract region and the Purple Koh Chang Fruit Fruit and Woody Green , adds one more fresh green footprint of Sri Lanka oil. And all dosed and mixed with mastery by Dmitry Bortnikov. There is no corral/stable nuance; here it is not about fecal characteristics, but animals. A very discreet balsamic vanilla/tonka/ chord, tolu softens any possibility of some fetid nuance. We also have great assistants in building this fragrance such as natural musk that remains light years away from synthetic musk used today in almost 100% of perfumes. Natural lunch with the civet add a very male animal dirt, but this chord was made with an intriguing, unpleasant or extremely challenging lightness. In its fullness, the 'grand finale' comes in a birch oil with its incense/smoky footprint [which I like a lot] closing the fragrance with a golden key with that famous steaming bakhoor aspect. Do not get carried away by the name: Maximus was a tribute that Dmitry Bortnikov made her son Maxim that following her father's footsteps recently launched her own indie perfume perfumes brand. Oud Maximus is not on a high level of challenge/difficulty for those who are already used to this perfume category, I would say it is an excellent choice for those who want to start venturing into the Universe of Artisanal Independent Perfumery (Indie). Here you will find an 8K sensory experience of resolution/definition of extremely natural notes and chords. Oud Maximus is not bombastic, but makes noise, no doubt you will be noticed.

This is the second perfume I've worn from Bortnikoff. In both, the vivid beauty of the ingredients is a pleasure. There's a conspicuous difference that I sensed before I read about the house. He is zealous about using only the best materials. This means searching the world for some of the rarest, most expensive, and difficult to obtain. It shows. Immediately after I applied Oud Maximus, a hint of refined rose opened. It seemed coated in honey butter, golden and succulent. It was the emerging oud. This wild oud blend is a shapeshifter. Different kinds, custom treatment, exotic blend, reacting with other notes . . . whatever the reason, the oud is a shimmering nebula that morphs continually. It has a warm peat smell that spans the continuum from ambery richness, to mossy marshland ground, to skanky, all the way to a resinous fiberglass aspect that is similar to epoxy. Probably aided by the birch tar, with variations in between. Animalics add a halo-like radiance coloring the other notes, combined in a delightful secondary accord to accompany the extraordinary oud. Bortnikoff's passion goes further than searching for the best ingredients. He moved to Thailand to distill his own oils. He's partners with Russian Adams of Areej Le Dore in their oud distillation business, "Feel Oud". (FO has its own YouTube channel so you can see it in action.) They have separate perfume houses and different aesthetics, but both are fanatical in making/obtaining the highest quality of natural ingredients. I recently wore an oud scent from a new Asian house that was lite, inexpensive and easy to wear. But bland and boring isn't excellence. Bortnikoff's self-distilled ingredients, extreme quality, and superior blending skills come together as perfume nirvana for the wearer. Oud Maximus is exemplar of the nuances that can be obtained with the right treatment. I can't wait to experience more!

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.

lovely combination. reviewing the new third generation wire shape lid. the opening is slightly herbal, woody, floral and aromatic. i do feel the pink pepper and the sweet orange peel in the opening. after half an hour the aromatic notes are gone and the scent is floral dominated mainly the rose with hints of frangipani, magnolia and sweet jasmine. the floral combination is sweet, creamy, slightly jammy and lovely and lasts for around an hour to hour and half on me. 2 hours after the spray the main scent is oud with some sweetness( combination of deer musk, vanilla, tonka and tolu balsam). the oud here smells woody, slightly lactonic, slightly fermented and got a creamy feel to it and there is a golden aura over the scent when i smell my hands and i don't know what causes it, is it deer musk? or the ouds? idk. i have read this perfume is very animalic but i get 0 fecal or barny notes maybe the new batches use no animalic ouds im not sure so if you hate animalics or fecal ouds this is the most perfect oud scent for you. it lasts for around 8-10 hours on my skin and projects closely for 3 hours. a must have for floral musk oud lovers.

I wish they would add the attar version of Oud Maximus because that is what I have and am curious of others’ experiences. For me, I get zero “poo” or “pee” odors from the attar version. Like most attars, the opening is slow to evolve as the thick liquid mixes with your skin. Because of this, it is easy to apply too much (or too little) making practice with each attar vital to the determination of whether I like it or not. On first application, it took at least an hour before i got more than just a mild fragrance of almost buttered toast with light cinnamon sprinkled on top. When the fragrance did start to evolve, it went nuclear to the extent it was too much and made me nauseated. This experience surprised me as I am experienced with attars and concentrated perfumes and this application was only a tiny drop from the glass applicator. Second try, I am Hoping will be more successful. I am testing it today and applied an even smaller amount. We’ll see what evolves this time!

All in all, comes off as a very dark, bitter-chocolaty, delectable, complex (as in: many instruments playing similar notes at the same time in an orchestra) gourmand, like extra dark chocolate. Musky-dry but floral sweet. I can tell this might be something that grows on you the more you wear it (also has heft). But beyond the quality of ingredients, it feels a little too impersonal. Also, smells sort of incomplete and flat, despite the quality or exotic nature of the ingredients. It doesn't really have a three dimensional character, not a very personal character. It doesn't seem to be a perfume that was meant for a person to wear. Regardless, I would say this is a VERY safe fragrance, despite the riskiness of the notes listed. None of the oud or animalic notes are overpowering. They really contribute to an overall eatable feeling. Not something I would go out of my way to procure.

Some bad news for lovers of this scent, they recently started to attach a paper sticker at the back of the new packaging with this text on it :" this product contains no animal derived ingredients, all fragrance notes are botanical or nature identical". Apparently no price change, and no real musk anymore. This makes me wonder if they ever used natural musk ever considering how widely bortnikoff is available everywhere specially in major places where restrictions on musk exists, and since muscone is naturally derived from deer musk, and is also made in the lab ("nature identical" as the new box mentions) and one cannot prove by gcms testing to know whether the older versions ever contained real musk, things get very sketchy if you think about it....

Been sampling from the discovery set. OOO!! this is so nice and cozy to me... I do not really get any citrus when I initially sprayed it. I got a blast of freshness and some floral. Then the Oud kicked in with the rose . I think Oud and rose are soul-mates and they belong together, this is so very well done. Nothing overwhelms any thing else. Very balanced. When this dried down, I lost the rose, but there was a hint of a floral, the oud and maybe a bit of musk. I must say this is amazing to me. PS> On me I do not get any animalistic or poo note. It is a bit peaty, but with the rose it is heavenly. As a comparison Rasei Fort's Oud Caravan gets animalistic on me :)

O.M.G. This perfume is incredible. The best Bortnioff in the collections. Beautiful, lingering oranges (I wasn't an orange fan before but Bortnikoff does them so well...) on top of rich and plentiful rose oils, and supported by a base of (in my opinion, non-offensive) genuine ouds. I wouldn't say this is an intense perfume. It's complex without being too abstract. The first application didn't wow me, but from the second test on skin I was sold, or rather a full bottle was! Yes it's expensive, but this will take pride of place in my small collection of full bottle worthy perfumes.

This is just what It promises: oud maximus! I can smell a high quality and very animalic oud. But this is not unpleasant, the rose, the frangipani and the citric notes balance the fragance making It more weareable. It has also a smoky vibe. If you like oud you Will like this fragance, but if you dont... Dont even try It because this doesnt sympathize anybody. Scent: 7 Longevity: 9 Sillage: 7 Quality/price: 5 Versatility: 5 Originality: 8 Global: 8.5

When i think of the name of this fragrance, I imagine something strong, powerful, assertive. Oud Maximus does that in a way, it is potent and robust. Not something subtle. Animalics shine through quite a bit. It smells more fecal than anything else, which is not what I am used to when smelling things like deer musk, civet, and quality ouds. They are more barnyard than straight feces. Need to spend some more time with it. 6/10

I've owned '19 and tried the 2020 edition. This new edition is definitely my favourite. Not that I don't love the cheese funk from the older editions but the oud being further in the back means that the rest of Maximus' beautiful profile gets to shine even brighter. Gorgeous, airy rose, amber, creamy white florals and a cleaner oud. One of the absolute best rose-ouds out there!

Initial impression from a recent bottle , likely 2025/26: I get mostly synthetic musk with rose and white florals . The oud is muted by all the other notes . I could not detect any civet in this one, and I am fine with that. Off note as mentioned earlier: my bottle said no animal products in this . Overall , I like it, but nothing groundbreaking.

Of all the Oud-centered perfumes in the Bortnikoff line, Oud Maximus, named after the creator’s son, remains the greatest. I am an ordinary perfume lover so I will not even attempt to technically break Oud Maximus down to its ingredients. All I know is that it is beautiful, and that’s enough reason for me to sing its praises!

I like it. Just too much civet in the opening. It dries down to a light powdery woody scent. It's a little different. Would I get a full bottle? Probably not. Oud, rose, and patch... try Montale's Oud Dream. Now, that I purchased a full bottle of. Not in the same scent family, but from top to bottom Oud Dream is to die for.

on a level of 1 lowest-10 highest, skank level is 3 , so don't be afraid thinking skank is high on this one. Wonderfully done fragrance frangipani & oud is prominent & rose is supportive. There are similar frags but quality is really very good. 8/10 for me

A veritable who’s who of regional Oud and Rose profiles with a hefty dose of animalics and a few extras. What’s not to love? I can definitely see why folks are going bonkers about this one. My fav Oud/rose-centric of 2018.

Whoah. The oud/civet? coming off the top has a solid poop smell. Stuck to my fingers just from handling the sample. Not sure I want to try it. Smells like an effective olafactive self-defense weapon.