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).

@Taliasmellofsense Do not be afraid, I am a person like you who is afraid of the smell of animals, try it and do not deprive yourself of this rare aromatic composition, I am a fan of cocoa flavor, especially with tobacco, but this perfume combines cocoa and tobacco in a way that made me a captive of it, and if you do not like it, you will not find the smell that you are afraid From them in a nutshell: It's worth a try, no adventure.

Mouth-wateringly good. Huge hit of chocolatey goodness which is moderately sweet. Feels like black powder yet somehow has a lightness of feel. I get an Amber presence with a sensuality that must be the animalic touches. The florals are there in the periphery never taking over but adding depth. Love this. I thought I’d prefer Oud Sinharaja - instead this stole the show. On my list. Will remain in second behind Sayat Nova ❤️

The exoticism of vivid magnolias, syrupy roses from the himalaya and a fruity frangipani, wrapped in the sweetness of vanilla, gifting the artisanal scent profile with a sophisticated perfumy aura that carries throughout the day, resting over a foundation of oud and delightful cacao. Like a King in his throne, Oud Monarch shines on skin with the luminosity of a fine exotic jewel, fitted for royalty.

Cocao, vanilla, cinammon and spice surrounded by beautiful florals. Easy to wear, day or night, casual or office. A great creation and one of the reasons he is one of the most talented perfumers out there imo. Performance is moderate but you will get noticed I believe. It is still available as of late August 2019 but I'm sure will run out soon. Get a sample soon before it's too late.

Oud Monarch is sweet and sharp like a dagger. Oud under control, with a slight rubber feel and does not go to “cheese-y” territory. Cacao dominates from top to bottom. Way less animalic than I expected at first. Performance is great. One spray and it radiates fairly far and lasts forever (wooden cap bottle). Savory and very “niche”. Brilliant blend!

an animal musky, strong opening with jasmine and flowers, after a short period the cocoa or chocolate scent floats with a wonderful vanilla, a little tobacco, and some sharp cinnamon مسكي حيواني ، بافتتاحية قوية من الياسمين والزهور ، بعد فترة قصيرة تطفو رائحة الكاكاو أو الشوكولاتة مع الفانيليا الرائعة ، وقليل من التبغ ، وبعض القرفة الحادة

Ok, I love this! However, beware, this is not a fragrance for everyone! The fragrances it ́s mainly about Oud, cocoa, tobacco and animalics (mainly civet). Very unique. It ́s hard in the opening but settles quite nicely, becoming somehow powdery in the end. Great stuff!

The positive reviews below are dead on, even if noses slightly differ. Incredible offering from Bortnikoff and going onto my must have list. Gedlive describes this perfectly, when it comes to my perspective (appreciate his reviews). Wonderful dry-down.

Immediate opening of some lightly stank oud paired with somewhat sweet boozy chocolate with the warm rose florals coming in way more during it's stay, mature and sophisticated as always.

@seacoins did you just say 5 hours longevity is bad? You must have awesome skin. Anyways if you love the smell they make an attar that lasts forever

Rose, oud and chocolate. Hard not to enjoy this. I get the illusion of deep dark red cherries dipped in bittersweet chocolate when I wear this.

This is Black Orchid's older and richer brother. Strictly evening wear only.

Unfortunately this comes off on my skin just like other Bortnikoff and Maksim ouds, a sweet, balsamic, fermented smell that's very likeable but also completely linear and drowning out everything else in the formulation. In comparison to something like Tabac Doré this fermented scent comes off much, much sweeter and lighter, and if I really put my nose into it I do get slight floral and cocoa facets, but they're very hard for me to pick up. It's both annoying and a big shame that my skin reacts the way it does to these oud fragrances, as they were all very distinct from one another on paper, as well as much more complex. As a result, before I use my remaining Bortnikoff oud samples further, I'll just test them all at once on my arms tomorrow and see which ones don't behave this way, the ones that act differently will get full wears, everything else will automatically be added to the Like category as they'd be functionally the exact same as one another*. Performance was a surprise as this has been noticeably better than the other ouds from Bortnikoff and Maksim I'm alluding to. Projection is moderate, just like most of them, but sillage is markedly more dense and present, I had no issue smelling myself for several hours. It's still a far cry from something like Dubai but it's leagues better than something like Maksim's Ambre de Noir, whose sillage is basically nonexistent. Longevity is great, as expected, reaching 8 hours with incredible ease. *UPDATE: I did this and got proven wrong immediately as none of the five ouds I tried were even close to smelling the way Oud Monarch does. I'm debating whether I should still give them all full wears but I'll give short thoughts on all five anyways. • Oud Kinam is very similar to Sayat Nova, however it's far less sweet and doesn't have the spicy "cozyness" I get from Sayat Nova. The oud is very prominent here. • Lao Oud is the base on which Maksim Bortnikoff built upon for his own Oud Indochine and L'Oud Marin. I think this is the most wearable of the three, however. • Not a fan of Triad, it smells odd. It smells like a very rustic wood cabin in the middle of a damp forest. It's better on the dry down, though. • Mysterious Oud smells to me like you took Maksim's Chypre de Grand, gave it a prominent oud base and toned down the medicinal aspect of that fragrance to almost zero. • Oud Maximus has tangential similarities to fragrances like Musk Khabib and Amber Cologne in its white florals, just add oud to them.

This perfume is quite unique. It opens very floral with magnolia, frangipani and jasmine (jasmine is not listed, so I may have been fooled by the magnolia and frangipani duo). I can perceive the rose notes almost along with the opening persistent florals. Undoubtedly there is cinnamon (not at all sweet) and some tobacco hints in the heart. The oriental twist is perceived almost from the start as well. Both ouds listed are not the barnyard type and there is a bit of a smooth medicinal oud touch in the air. They blend very well with the persistant florals. You just get a non floral oud in the drydown. There is an animalic accord present that I tie more with castoreum as the typical civet pee smell is tottaly absent to my nose. The dry down for me is all about a smooth oud background, an animalic accord, the (not really sweet) vanilla and cocoa pod, and hints of tobacco and cinnamon. The traditionally sweet notes have a strong spicy behaviour but are not really of the gourmand type. This fragrance is somewhat complex for a spicy-woody oriental perfume, but I also classify it as an oudy-oriental for beginers as the usually strong oud and animalic notes are really tammed from start to finish. The global performance is high, with an above average longevity, and an average sillage and projection for the existent notes. _______________________________________________________ Overall rating: 8,1/10.0 Opinion: An oriental unique scent, and I like it very much. An oriental gem. Recommended? Only if you feel like paying the niche Bortnikoff price. Other niche and not niche Oud Perfumes satisfy me as much as this one, and they sell for 1/5 of the price. Blind buy worthy? No! Do try it before you buy it. I thank my pal Armando Raposo for sending me an Oud Monarch decant to enable this perfume review.

Managed to spend some time with this composition and listen to what it has to say. as in most of my reviews, i am trying to provide as best of a description and guidance as i can, so one can decide whether it will suit him/her, before, or, if blind buy happened, or to overall get impression of what it is based on memorized scents. To start, it is a very likable composition, though i would not sing an ode to it. the best notes that come off here are cacao, it is dusty, dry but not as intense as i imagined it to be. Cacao is followed by spices, and best description is allspice, which comes from combination of cinnamon and vanilla, probably labdanum as well. spices mix is very nice. all this, is rounded by oud (not stinky one :) and tobacco, but they never, at least on my skin, take main role in this spectacle. i cant detect rose or magnolia, civet or castoreum, but they are most likely there since it has depth to it, and a bit of powder. to give even more complete and easy to understand picture, its toned down Ambre loup by rania, with cacao mixed in, rounder by oud. Dusty spicy cocoa with a little bit of sparkle. and i dont know where sparkling effect comes from. also it has velvety feel to it. Running through the pages over here, ambre loup seems to have something similar to russian oud by Areej, and notes here are similar to it as well, so for people who might have missed Russian oud it might be a good chance to try this one out. Silage wise - its not killer by any means, but the one wearing it, will always be aware of its presence. Longevity is around 10 hrs on me, so that is very good. Is it safe blind buy - in my books yes, and with 9 ml option available, it is fairly affordable as well.

A rich resinous Oriental gourmand with distinct floral and animalic musky facets surrounding a nice natural Thai Oud, this is an evocative offering from Bortnikoff. The perfume has a very fleeting opening and heart where one can detect floral (jasmine, frangipani, rose) and gourmand (tobacco, cinnamon) notes. The dense powdery musky drydown comes fast. In this base is Oud surrounded by civet, castoreum, pronounced cacao, labdanum and vanilla. The perfume is a juxtaposition of many type of facets used in Oriental perfumery and has a somewhat rough opening but settles soon enough into powdery bliss. Unisex with moderate to strong sillage and good longevity. All in all, a nice if not exceptional addition to the new wave of natural Orientals hitting the market recently. Enjoy!

Oud Monarch starts off with a strong oud and civet presence coupled with floral elements. There is less rose here than Oud Maximus and the floral elements are more pronounced to me. The cacao remains throughout the duration of the scent. It projects strong for 1-2 hours and then sits close to the skin for 5-6 hours. I did not get super longevity, but it was sufficient. People seemed more intrigued by the smell rather than appealed by it. I'm not a big fan of florals and they seem to be quite prominent in all of Bortnikoff's fragrances, so it is a pass for me although I appreciate the quality of materials and the fine blending. I only get a very slight resemblance to Ambre Loup and Russian Oud, Oud Monarch is quite unique in that sense. I would not recommend a blind-buy.

Definitely a feint, subtle cacao oud, if it can even be titled that. If you are thinking this to be in any way close to say, Russian Oud I or II, think again. This is a light, deft touch with the oud, to the point where it is almost underneath the clean, fresh magnolia floral underpinning the whole perfume. And the cacao feels like a tad watery. I like this but I was a tiny bit underwhelmed when I blind bought this, given the price, and the ingredients and the hype around this scent. I prefer my cocoa ouds to be a lot more pushy, punchy, loud, bitter and even dark.

Explosion of flavors! I get cacao, then frangipani, then vanilla, rose, then cinnamon, then magnolia! this is fleur, desert, & amber blend that i can't detect the oud in it! it whiffs between cloying sweet and oriental fleurs, & ambers which takes out the focus on the cloying notes in away that makes it quite interesting and bizarre to like! The drydown shows the roses quite clear, with some creamy animalic cacao, & creamy magnolias. The blend is quite weird but can't denied that shocking at first then addictive as i sniff. Beautiful.

Got a sample of this, On my skin the main accord is Cacao and medicinal/bandaid Oud. The Oud from this one is not skanky or barnyard, the bandaid smell becomes more subtle in the dry down but still, I don't really like the way it smells in the opening or in the dry down. Longevity and Projection are very poor, with 5hr longevity is simply unacceptable like most of the offering from this house. Performance is the Achilles heel, absolutely NOT full bottle worthy.

Distant cousin of Heure Exquise, but with rose and champaca (it does not smell), or at least I do not distinguish it too much. I think he doesn't have much to contribute to the other great works in the house like Oud Maximus, Heure Exquise, Musk Khabib. It is a pleasant, formal perfume, but not more than that. I think the rose is the out of place protagonist in this composition.

This is incredibly elegant & comforting. As far as oud goes, it's probably his softest. I get predominantly frangipani and rose with some chocolate, light cinnamon, & animalics; don't believe the votes, and it's not that alike Lao Oud. Highly recommended for those put off by "barnyard" as there is none, yet still produces a solid drydown!

Definitely pleasant, not strong but most natural perfumes arent. You get oud and cocoa and it mellows out to a soft oud which lasts around 3 hours.

After testing a few different fragrances now from this house and i just dont buy into the hype. The opening is too sweet and fruity for me and the dry down just has a overpowering smokey scent and it just kills the fragrance. Longevity is good soild 8 hours sillage very poor for the price.

Mostly cocoa butter lotion smell plus hints of florals and synthetic oud (ala King of Oud by Nabeel). Cocoa lotion is cheaper. For oud and cocoa in a perfume Sheikh al Faransi is still by far the best!

The florals are the most prominent note, the Oud, civet, cacao, and castoreum all noticeably linger in the background. This smells like animalic bubblegum. The scent is a 9/10 and this is a fragrance that I would recommend checking out if you are into ouds.

I am a fan of Bornikoff's work. My favoriets are Lao Oud and Triad! But on Oud Monarch, something went wrong. I bought an FB last year, it has a strange rancid aftertaste to it. I think some natural materials are not taking aging well. A real disappointment. The smell has nothing to do with what I got in 9ml purchased before that, which was amazing and FB-worthy. Anyway, it seems that it is discontinued, maybe it is discontinued due to this "aging" issue. If someone lives in Thailand I give away an almost full bottle in the box, maybe a new owner will enjoy it more ( message me).

Does the word "Oud" scare you? Do you imagine "Dirty Goat" or "Cow Dung" when you hear the word? Well , not anymore. Oud Monarch can serve as the entry point for someone who always wanted to try an Oud Fragrance but ended up with wretched nose. This right here, is a breathtakingly beautiful, relatively sophisticated and screams Opulence from the get go. Oud Monarch's strength lies in its blending and the balance struck between different accords. Frangipani and Cacao play the role of backbone but it never feels overly Floral or Gourmandy. Oud, as indicated before, is not fecal at all but carries a very soft, slightly tropical profile. That particular profile might be due to its amalgamation with Cacao. As i said, this blend is so masterfully blended that even though you may pick apart different notes but you will still be surprised by the way everything comes together. Now onto a dreadful news. Oud Monarch (Extrait) has been severely watered down if not reformulated. I was unfortunate enough to try newer version and i could not even catch a whiff of it after 2 hours. Good news is, you have option to get Attar instead. Attar might not be as potent as older batches of Monarch but atleast it is better value for money and may prove an excellent layering companion. Oud Monarch by the other "Russian" genius is one of my favorite perfumes of all time. It has been for past 3 years and i suppose this will not change soon considering my infatuation towards exotic floral scents. Not only would it be a perfect entry point for newbies but it will also entice "oud addicts" like myself.

I get cacou and that it’s an oud rose combo. But a better than usual one if u asked me! Castoreum is detected but it’s almost non animalic to me! I would go as far as to say the civet listed isn’t enough to steer one away from trying this! Im starting to change my view on florals for men, Because it seems to be flowers or the roses in my head giving this an almost syrupy sweetness at the start. We buy home made jars of molasses once a year when we get out towards the country in East Tx & that thick dark syrup is all 100%natural & reminds me of it alot in the beginning Even tho it’s not too sweet! I like Oud in things when it’s done right & not overly done & I like this a whole lot. I really can’t & shouldn’t even be trying to explain this fragrance, But love trying to figure things out in this one & Lao Oud right now! I just need to figure out which of the two to purchase first!!

Oud monarch is a very good oud perfume by bortnikoff. It has some sweetness which comed from the cocos, the vanilla and the frangipani, mixed with the animalic and almost fecal vibe which comes from the oud and the civet. This perfume share some charecter with the other bortnikoff perfumes and goes un the same line than other perfumes like Dhanal oíd ruwah by rasasi. The performance is good but is not a beast. It lasts on my skin about 6-7 hours, less that i expected for a fragance with this intensity, this quality, this price and based on the oud. And the sillage is very moderated. It is unisex although i think probably a bit more masculine because It is a bit strong, but i think oerfectly weareable for a woman. Better for night use and cold weather. Scent: 8 Longevity: 8 Sillage: 7 Quality/price: 5 Versatility: 5 Originality: 7 Global: 8