Oud Monarch

Unisex Strong and beautiful dark cacao, not animalic and not smoky at all. Despite of two different roses in the middle notes this is not “rosy scent”. After a couple of hours a little bit sweetness comes from Vanilla but not too much to be sweet scent. It’s lovely like this but I would like stronger oud here. So if you are scared of oud, this can be a good choice for you. If you want more obvious oudy cacao, your choice is Lao Oud. *Full review coming later!* I was so happy to found the nice online shop inside EU where they are selling really high quality brands which are using as much natural ingredients as possible. It’s not so easy to find these so if someone has trying to find, this is legit online shop in Spain and you can choose many free samples when you buy something. @ecuacion_natural_perfumes I have wanted this Bortnikoff’s Oud Monarch for long time now and finally I got it with many samples from the house. 🤩 I describe the following scents with few words. The in-depth reviews coming later of next ones: Lao Oud, Zemfira and Triad (just ordered those yesterday), plus this Oud Monarch of course. Review of Sayat Nova I have already written but I will edit that as well to be more specific. Lao Oud: Really addictive, pleasant, soft and sexy oud with exactly perfect amount of dark chocolate. More complex than others here. I’m in love!! Mysterious Oud: Ambery, spicy and herbal, a little bit medicinal oud. Complex blend. Oud Loukoum: Nice and remarkable smoky balsamic oud Oud Sinharaja: Tropical, floral and fruity, Magnolia, Frangipani and Jasmine, beautiful blend with mild oud in the background. Santa Sangre: Mostly soft vanilla and sandalwood with aquatic and slightly balsamic twist from Lotus and Dragon Blood. Very comfortable and cozy. Triad: Beautiful Rose Oud, both are in balance, no sweetness, rather fresh Zemfira: Beautiful light Rose Oud for summertime, fresh divine roses are stars with mild oud in the background. Lighter and more airy that the previous one. 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. 🤗

Completely original piece of work this, I can honestly say I can't recall a perfume like this. However, the aroma doesn't feel entirely unfamiliar and still sparks some sort of deep memory which isn't of the vivid kind more the fuzzy, hard to place sort. The 'style' if you like, is of something like Tom Ford Black Orchid, (poor example perhaps) swathes of big, woody, gourmand with a beating floral heart, evokes a deep, brown, velvety, fabric with a fuchsia pink, silky lining to me, it's textured basically. I genuinely had no clue what to expect but I was taken aback with the opening and huge amounts of dark, woods and chocolate. The chocolate is not that synth cocoa accord or even the poofy theobroma cacao it's almost as if the oud has a chocolately facet. I've smelled various varieties of oud and hundreds of oud perfumes and attars and some of them do have a chocolate nuance, perhaps there already or brought out by other materials which have chocolately undertones. I'd say Styrax Tonkenisis Defintely, patchouli, strangely and vanilla more obviously. Anyway this feels that authentic not too bitter or dark but like a chunky milk chocolate. Let's not dwell on that too much because the heart of this fragrance is a massive floral accord which has an aspect of jasmine to it (probably the Fragipani or actual jasmine?) and a more open, less heady floral (which I'm assuming is magnolia?) it's lovely though and works perfectly with the rest of the composition. As I said there's a quality & familiarity about this perfume and for that reason it charms and endears but I can imagine the long lasting nature and inherent heaviness becomes cloying. In fact I don't 'Imagine'... it absolutely DOES become cloying and I'm not just saying this for it's largely floral theme's but this would be a statement piece on a woman I imagine. The kind of woman who likes big sense florientals. Yes it's high quality, innovative, Oud Monarch rates highly in my book and I haven't even began to describe the florals the oud the chocolate in any satisfactory way...this one absolutely needs to be sampled.

I wrote earlier of Bortnikoff's scents in overall. Here you will find better review of Oud Monarch. The general idea of this collection was to create understandable and wearable fragrances that would appeal not only to fans of smoke and tars, but also to mass customers. It’s a little bit sad that those “mass customers” may don’t find this the most beautiful chocolate scent since they may be afraid of Oud. Anyway Oud in this fragrance is elegant and soft because it is accompanied by floral absolutes and spices. The note of chocolate is very realistic, enjoyable and delicious and the whole base with all it’s notes (which may sound challenging for some) is unbelievably smooth, silky and versatile. I highly recommend all chocolate lovers to try this one, don’t even read the notes! There are two kinds of oud oil in the composition: The first with a strong chocolate start and the second with a softer and sweeter character with hints of flowers, fruits and vanilla. In the heart the roses are almost invisible behind the rich velvety Amber Oudy chocolate wall. Frangipani, which is very popular in Bornikoff’s creations, is amazingly blended here and creates slightly tropical sweetness to otherwise familiar chocolate. Top: Magnolia, Frangipani Middle: Rose de Mai, Himalayan Rose, Cinnamon, Tobacco Base: Oud Merauke, Oud co Chang, Cacao, Civet, Castoreum, Labdanum, Vanilla If you are interested in more challenging chocolate - Lao Oud is your choice. I have made a review of that one as well. 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. 🤗

OUD MONARCH 3rd Collection 2019 “Friendly Ouds” Dmitry Bortnikov The general idea of this collection was to create understandable and wearable fragrances that would appeal not only to fans of smoke and tars, but also to mass customers. It’s a little bit sad that those “mass customers” may don’t find this the most beautiful chocolate scent since they may be afraid of Oud. Anyway Oud in this fragrance is elegant and soft because it is accompanied by floral absolutes and spices. The note of chocolate is very realistic, enjoyable and delicious and the whole base with all it’s notes (which may sound challenging for some) is unbelievably smooth, silky and versatile. 🍫 I highly recommend all chocolate lovers to try this one, don’t even read the notes! There are two kinds of oud oil in the composition: The first with a strong chocolate start and the second with a softer and sweeter character with hints of flowers, fruits and vanilla. In the heart the roses are almost invisible behind the rich velvety Amber Oudy chocolate wall. Frangipani, which is very popular in Bornikoff’s creations, is amazingly blended here and creates slightly tropical sweetness to otherwise familiar chocolate. Top: Magnolia, Frangipani Middle: Rose de Mai, Himalayan Rose, Cinnamon, Tobacco Base: Oud Merauke, Oud co Chang, Cacao, Civet, Castoreum, Labdanum, Vanilla 🍫 If you are interested in more challenging chocolate - Lao Oud is your choice. I have made a review of that one as well. 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. 🤗

This is a 10/10. I have 4 other 9 ml Bortnikoff Ouds. Lao, Maximus, Triad, Mysterious. I was hearing Monarch is a favorite for many, so sample just came in and, wow! I thought it would be like Lao oud, because both have chocolate and oud. No, they are quite different. The chocolate is better blended into amazing fragrance accords here. Chocolate and oud, sometimes a chocolate and cinnamon. The chocolate is amazing here, as it does not smell sweet or gourmand. It is in the same frequency of scent with the particular oud Mr. Bortnikoff has chosen: ringing a perfect fragrance accord. It felt like there were dried fruit notes, likes apricots, dates, but none listed. Maybe it's the cinnamon and chocolate accord that smells bright as in dried fruit. Also the frangipani is hinting at tropical fruit. This is very hard to describe why it's so good, so I will do it simply. This smells very simple, because everything meshes so well into like, the perfect oud fragrance. It's not trying to impress with many high quality notes, it's just a masterpiece of blending perfumery craftsmanship. The hidden beauty is in the blending of fragrance accords It is my favorite oud fragrance. Also Amber Cologne is an exceptional fresh oud, with Ambergris and citruses. For me this outshines Maximus, which is a great all-arounder. I am an older guy. This may be more mature than Maximus. I like Monarch because it doesn't get gourmandy, it's a little dryer and more woody. A note about the Anamalic notes here: They are in the background, not pronounced as in "Mysterious Oud" by Bortnikoff. The Oud here is very good, but a little tame compared to Maximus. Rating 8.75/10 God bless. John 3:16

Oud Monarch Oud Monarch is a fragrance that truly lives up to its regal name. This scent is dedicated to a priceless oud, a precious ingredient highly valued in the East for its unique and captivating aroma. Historically, oud oil was not only cherished for its scent but also credited with healing properties. It was a staple in the chambers of kings and used by nobles and monarchs to anoint their bodies. In Oud Monarch, the oud is beautifully complemented by floral absolutes and spices, creating a soft and elegant fragrance. The composition begins with oud, adorned with notes of frangipani and magnolia, which highlight the refined character of the scent. As the fragrance develops, the heart reveals burning notes of cinnamon, tobacco, and sensual rose, adding depth and warmth. The base of Oud Monarch is rich and complex, featuring the prominent note of oud accompanied by cocoa, vanilla, castoreum, civet, and labdanum. This combination creates a luxurious and comforting aroma that lasts impressively for over 10 hours. While it may not be a massive projector, it is a scent that people find appealing and enjoyable. Oud Monarch is an extremely wearable chocolate oud that evokes feelings of comfort and contentment, much like a great meditation session. Its blend of oud with floral and spicy notes makes it a sophisticated and elegant choice for those who appreciate the finer things in life.

after many more wears i have to review this again because i feel like this is one of my favourite scents of all time. reviewing the second generation smooth cap . the scent opens up with the aroma of florals and oud, the oud is slightly musky furry and humid, slightly fermented, thick and as it sits on the skin it gets darker and woodier and this oud note lasts on my skin for 8+ hours. the floral opening( Magnolia and Frangipani) is vibrant, bright, slightly medicinal and tropical, the rose gives depth in the background and brighten up the composition even more and gives the scent that oriental feel that i love. the more it sits on the skin the woodier it gets and the cocoa, cinnamon, slight tobacco and the slightest castoreum and resinous labdanum shine more and darken the scent greatly. i can feel the civet strongly from the start to finish and it gives a beautiful creamy warm texture to the scent and compliments the oud well. the late late dry down is ambery sweet vanilla. the scent is basically animalic, floral, oriental, spicy and resinous. longevity is great (12hr+) but projection is very very close, overall highly recommended if you like the note listing and don't care alot about projection.

Smells amazing. This perfume is so smooth and wearable. The oud is soft, slightly medicinal, almost cheesy, but definitely there if you know what you're looking for. This perfume is on the sweeter side, almost gourmand. Lots of (not bitter) cacao and frangipani that gives it a tropical feeling. Drydown is a powdery cacao with remnants of oud and animalics. The whole perfume, from start to finish is very natural smelling and not at all aggressive or challenging. Doesn't open rough like Oud Maximus (that one gave me a headache the first time I smelled it) and also doesn't project too much. People around you can definitely smell you, but it's a soft experience for them. It's like smelling the actual ingredients in the perfume, and not a perfume. This doesn't mean that you can actually pick up individual notes easily: I couldn't at first, the blending is amazing. Longevity is good (6-8h) once you get used to the softness of it. I also suspect that the wearer can easily go noseblind to this one. In conclusion: very wearable oud. Will impress anyone looking for a real oud fragrance. Will disappoint anyone looking for a perfume that projects a lot and smells like perfume, rather than nature.

The current formulation smells like a different perfume to the older one. It's not bad, but it's totally different. It was spectacular before, now it's just very good. Something happened with Bortnikoff's citrus materials in the last couple of years, so all of the recent releases and formulations have this very loud, scratchy cleaning-product opening. This is where the formulations of Oud Monarch (and Oud Maximus for that matter) differ so much from their previous iterations. Another huge difference here is the tobacco. In the original it was damp, natural smelling tobacco overpowering the opening and enduring throughout. In the new version this is completely done. I the drydown there is a generic smelling tobacco note, suggesting the materials used have completely changed (and have been seriously downgraded). If you've never smelled the early versions, don't hesitate to smell this, it IS a good perfume. The oud is more prominent and more medicinal in the newer one, perhaps because the tobacco is more muted and less sweet.

An absolute beauty and a must have for me. Great intro to the wonderful world of oud for anyone who hasn't tried. I'd probably recommend this over Oud Maximus, although I personally adore both, but for very different reasons. The cacao pod and wood notes are very pronounced here, as the votes rightly show above. From a distance, it will smell beautifully clean.. Like clean laundry. Come closer, and the cocoa-wood will become more pronounced. The opening is slightly medicinal, but this one should not be judged by the opening, since that completely changes with the first few minutes. Notice I'm not even mentioning the florals here.. No animalic either. They play a role in the background, mellowing it all down a bit, but make no mistake, this is all about oud.. With a sweet touch of chocolate. Good longevity for me, I get easily 8-9 hours. It says on clothes longer. Projection is moderate - just the way I like it, it doesn't scream at the people around you, but only leaves a gentle trail in the air. 10/10 easy.

I absolutely love this one, wish the wifey felt the same. She's a little newer to niche fragrances and likes lighter ones in general... although she likes Fredric Malle's the Moon so I think she'll come around to this as well.... This is an oud/rose with a twist.... the cocoa is what my wife doesn't care for it but it's actually my favorite part... and the florals give it the perfect balance to soften it up. It's like a high end cigar but light on the tobacco... hard to describe... very dark juice so it will stain if you're not careful... very masculine, just perfect. Although very dark and strong, the florals make it wearable on summer nights IMO.... for example, If Montabaco were a light tobacco summer day scent this could be evening... but maybe not indoors. Anyhow I love it. My favorite Bortnikoff... Can't wait to get a full bottle. Scent 9.5/10 Longevity 9/10 Overal 9.5/10

Oud Monarch is cacao heaven. Or cacau, as we know it here in Brasil. If you have ever smelt cacao seeds in natura being toasted or roasted or, more specifically, cacao nibs - one of it's many "shapes" (or "cacao almonds" as some say in Bahia, one of the biggest producers of cacao in the world) - you gonna find it in here. Oud makes the blend very "woody", more than exactly "oudy" (maybe some of a "rubbery" feel). I could say that the flowery aspects are totally secondary, giving the blend some "color", mainly plumeria. From the late middle stage until the end, castoreum becomes very prominent. I found no civet. Not even the slightest trace. All in all, the result is great! On me, Oud Monarch goes full beast mode! One spray only on covered skin for sure. This guy Bortnikoff knows his craft, huh. 10/10 Bottle worthy in my opinion! Probably you're gonna end but the bottle is not.

This review is for the attar as fragrantica.com does not have it. I cannot compare with the extrait as I have not tried it. The attar is amazing. The oud is not that animalic, but at the same time is not western. It's beautifully in the middle. The florals cut the oud and make it approachable and unisex. The chocolate accords and labdanum make the base ambery and delicious. I have the attar so the projection isn't amazing but I get a good cloud about 3 ft around me. It's longevity is obviously amazing because it's pure perfume. Bortnikoff is quickly becoming my favorite houses of not my favorite. It's a nice crossroads between niche and unique and approachable to the masses. I feel like most people will appreciate this attar, and if they don't, stop communicating with them immediately ha. Try it, if you don't love it @me

I call this one a hidden gourmand. The opening is quite animalistic and confuses you about how the rest of the notes will come together for something pleasant after such opening. Then the animalic opening volumes down to a base where it meets the gourmand properties of the fragrance. It takes about half an hour for the animalic opening turn into very rich yet soft blend of oud, vanilla, tobacco and cacao pods. I can almost smell the individual cacao pods in the juice, damn... You can tell the ingredients in the juice are natural and high quality. You know you're looking at a bottle of fragrance oil not "eau de water". Once this reaches the midway and projecting, it will garner rare but over the mark compliments. People will know you have something different on you but not in a bad way, quite inquisitive actually.

The best balance amongst the Bortnikoff Ouds I’ve tried so far. I’m no expert, but I think that the thing is: if one is after the “rotting” qualities of Oud (that somehow became the benchmark quality for the common nose), you won’t find it here. The Co Chang (Koh Chang?) seems to carry zesty, fruity-sour character instead of the widely known cheesy/funky side. So much so that some animalic notes were added to bring weight to the base, that, otherwise, would be mainly focused on the vanilla/benjoin accord as other reviewers have observed. That said, Monarch is a pleasure to wear. Harmless, but I wouldn’t go beyond that in the Oud world.

A beautiful alternative to the oud rose combo. Here are more yellow flowers frangipane and magnolia expertly blended by Dmitry into an oud based perfume that is a very comfortable and creamy experience on the skin; dense but not too much, floral but not too much, oud but not too much. Fast evolution on my skin but longevity is really excellent. After 12 hours I smell a delicious scent of vanilla and castoreum that others describe as "chewy" but to me it is only sexy and light animalic with a floral twist. When you smell these perfumes by Dmitry on your skin, it's hard to go back. Perfect blend.

Extremely beautiful rich and expertly blended elements that meld into something rich decadent sumptuous and intoxicatingly delicious, the notes that predominate are the oud, cacao and spices, although the other elements are present they are blended in such a manner as to enhance and accentuate the primary notes that I mentioned as the stars of the show, I also detect a rich buttery quality that is deep and woody in nature hints of a toffee infused hazelnut are present also, a must try for anyone that is a fan of oud centric fragrances.

Yes, this is a very tame oud, very smooth and wearable. After enjoying Areej, Russian Adam Ouds, I can hardly notice the real oud here. Even Lao Oud is very tame. My most recent Areej purchase, Ambre de Coco, is the most wearable tame Oud by Areej le Doré. Yet the oud is definitely more cheesy than any Bortnikoff. If your ready for a real funky oud with dark chocolate, peach, amber and oakmoss, I recommend Ambre de Coco. I'm wearing Oud Monarch today. I'm getting an unlisted incense note from the mid- dry down. Well done.

honestly this is perfumery done right. just enough "stench" to keep it interesting but as little as making it still reachable to most users. everything is blended so well together, the oud, the florals , the chocolately facet. this smells like a super luxurious chocolate fondue mixed with abit of oud and it's amazing. only thing stopping me from coping a full bottle at this very moment is the price, but given the quality of ingredients i'd say it's probably justified.. :D

Deep, rich, impeccably blended work of art. My first exposure to Bortnikoff fragrances and I’m really impressed. I get a warming collection of floral notes and cinnamon followed by subtle vanilla and wood. I’m not a huge fan of tobacco-forward scents and this only carried a subtle tobacco note which works well. 10/10 all around. This is going to be a very nice winter fragrance but I think it works year round (minus excessive heat days).