Oud Bourbon

Byron Parfums Oud Bourbon is a 2019 release and a strong fragrance that immediate gives me wafts of a floral oud but with some added sharpness and heft, sort of boozy like the name suggest, with hints of sweetness, as well. Primarily, though, it’s oud with violet, jasmine, saffron, and neroli. The sweet hints of vanilla and blackcurrant are vaguely there, but it’s not an overly sweet fragrance. It’s far more to the sharp/powdery side (the violet feels reasonably heavy) than it is to the sweet or boozy side. I like it but it doesn’t feel like it reinvents the wheel—something like Mancera Precious Oud hits the mark better in this category, in my opinion, though Oud Bourbon does perform very well. Krystal Fragrance is the only boutique in the US selling Oud Bourbon, at least that I can tell from a cursory search, and its pricing is $140 for 50ml in extrait concentration. 7 out of 10

A violet-forward fruity oud. I am so used to rose oud that I feel like I still detect some rosiness to this but it could just be the underlying florals. The initial wear is pretty loud. However, the longevity is quite short. This turns into barely-a-skin-scent after 3 hours.