Dark Aoud

Since perfume became an obsession, Montale Dark Aoud, Black Aoud and Full Incense have always been on my horizon; I knew one day I'd have to know. Given their very limited availability even in Toronto - a city now half a million larger than Chicago and on track for 10 million people in ten years' time - and the fact Montale neither ship to Canada nor answer their email, I had held off until now. There was always something just a bit more collectible, more compulsive to come first. A dubious reputation for hype over quality among the hardcore perfumistas exceeded only by Creed and Bond No. 9 was also a consideration. I started with Dark Aoud. But first two words for the perplexed concerning Montale, reformulation, and the merits of linear development: Some commenters to this thread expressed concern their bottle might be the result of a change to the formula resulting in a pale version of a former powerhouse. This is a not unreasonable concern given the vagaries of IFRA restriction, the specter of EU regulation, and the less then candid attitude of most perfume houses toward their most loyal enthusiasts. In this instance I think it is unlikely. Neither of Dark Aoud's key themes in oud and sandalwood - or rather, "oud" and "sandalwood" - will have been affected by IFRA restrictions imposed since that time. By contrast, Montale is admirably clear as to the difference between concentrations offered in store (45% for regular buyers) vs the more consumer friendly concentration for products sold online (28% and 35% depending on the fragrance). Given the evident confusion this difference elicits among that part of the market capable of finding Montale's Facebook page, or this one, but unlikely to plumb the depths of the firm's website, they should consider making this distinction entirely obvious when providing samples. But as I've said, they don't answer their email so I wouldn't hold my breath on this one neither. As to linear fragrances, this is neither a good thing nor a bad thing but a question of taste, expectation, and cultural practice. While not a Middle Eastern exclusive, Dark Aoud strikes me to be a good emulation of the effect of Gulf Arab fragrance culture. Even in those instances where someone is wearing a Western perfume, this will be layered with other perfumes, a musk or, in the case of a close friend from Bahrain, a house blend created and re-created on an annual basis by the family matriarch and worn by the extended family throughout the year. This same friend enjoys Thierry Mugler's Alien but, believe me, you've never smelled it on him. Luca Turin famously described the unfolding of a perfume as a chemical poem; it is an astonishing turn of phrase, one of the most beautiful figurations I have ever heard. In the West, we wear poetry, relying on the artistry of its creator to tell a story for us in its wearing. By contrast, my friend is wearing a symphony, one he composed and composes every day, throughout the day, by and for himself, combining the house fragrance of his extended family with a fine oud, ta'if, saffron, or white musk (in small quantities of fine grades in all instances) and the predictable - here predictable is an important and a good thing - progression and limited "frequency range" of Alien's jasmine and sweet white amber or Stella by Stella McCartney's evocation of rose. He can tell what part of Europe both sides of your family descend from by the scent of your coat hanging on the back of a chair and then tell you what fragrance notes will work well with your body chemistry. We Westerners, even those few of us trying to pay attention, might as well be blind. You will forgive my vexation to hear a fragrance dismissed as "linear". I can't speak to the rest of Montale's line, though I shall be exploring it in detail as the opportunity arises, but if Dark Aoud strikes you as linear, and this term carries for you a negative connotation, you need not worry: It wasn't made for you and you'd wear it wrong if you tried. Not that I'm wearing it right. I don't have the finesse to take into account my diet, my mood, the ambient humidity, etc. etc. But I have at least in outline an impression of what I'm missing and how much I have to learn. So instead of offering a truly educated opinion, the best I can offer is a evocation of scent in a few words. You will know the feeling: The excitement as I took the package from the courier's hand, arriving from Oman a full day earlier than expected, the hurried unwrapping of the parcel and the quick but careful incision into the box, pulling the canister from its cradle and - new to me - working the clever clip and fob free so as to free the atomizer. Then the decision... A small hit to test its potency? No, not good enough. I've waited so long and now I must know. A big hit, my hand steady even as my heart wasn't, and firm, forceful and even pressure with the plunge of the atomizer registering with the juice, squirting onto my shirt, my neck, my shoulders, and somewhere a fleeting... wetness... on my hand, my wrist as the cloud dispersed. I scramble for the clip, trying to replace it around the neck of the atomizer in those aching moments between the mystery and knowing, finally knowing, and just as it snapped back into place it hits. The rush. "This is what a Pharaoh smells like." I heard the words. Someone had said them aloud. It was me. Or rather, some part of me still trifling with words on the far side of the eternal, the oceanic and without perceptible boundary. Those words were spoken by some abbreviated version of me, whereas I was now here, and here, and here, each incarnation, each iteration, now comprehensible as a kaleidoscopic tessellation of a simultaneity itself only a shadow in four dimensions of some experiencing fact beyond mere Being. Mind a bird set free. Thoughts as passing clouds. "Death is the moment of separation, which comes to every person in every family. When the body grows cold and stiff like wood, it has to be burnt like wood." This is Montale Paris Dark Aoud. To think I hesitated.

Bats are black, fly only during the darkest hours and squeal in such a way that your blood freezes. Blackbirds are black, fly only during the day and sing like a nanny cradling a baby. If you take a can of Montale's Dark Aoud aiming at bringing home a bat, wou may get a blackbird instead for you to deal with. I like Oud and I like dark fragrances. I confess I blind bought Dark Aoud. Why? Well... - It has got "Dark" in the name. - It has got (A)oud in the name. - It has got Oud, Black Pepper, Leather, Sandalwood and Vetiver in the notes. I was not expecting to buy a "bully ugly vampire bat" like Swiss Arabian Dehn El Ood Malaki. But I was quite far from imagining that this fragrance darkness was closer to Disney's ugly duckling instead of the Wicky Witch of the West. Now that I gave rein to my disappointment, let me tell you that Dark Oud is a very nice Oriental Oud fragrance. - It's not Count Dracula's reincarnation in terms of darkness, - it's not the dark side of the moon, - It's not even Malefica cooking dark potions in her cauldron ... It's just a typical Montale western Oud well designed fragrance, trying to please a lot of oriental scent lovers and really not caring about using a misleading name to fool a bunch of Trolls that prefer to smell dark caves rather than flowering forests. I am included in that bunch of Trolls. You may tell me that it isn't so but in my opinion Dark Aoud is ment for Hobbits and Dwarves, not for Orcs and Trools. I do think that this fragrance is more "sandalwoody and leathery" than "oudy". That's just an opinion and I like the heavy sandal and leather as well. The scent is quite linear - that's not a defect - with a bit of an evolution towards the sweet during the dry down, maybe due to olibanum or incense even if those notes are not listed. In summary it's a very agreable wearable oriental woody fragrance with some very good quality ingredients, an above average performance and with the traditional Montale's golden can presentation. Remark - I have the recent golden bottle and not the older one with black circles over gold. Probably the juice has been reformulated and watered down together with the current only gold color can release. My math for Dark Aoud goes like this: Scent Opening: 8.0 (my judgement; the oud note is a bit medicinal) Scent Dry Down: 9.0 (my judgement) Longevity: 9.0 (10 hours+ with two sprays) Sillage: 8.0 (more than 8 feet at its peak with 2 sprays) Uniqueness: 7.0 (not unique to me) Compliments: 7.0 (not a serious compliment grabber; Typical of oud fragrances) Wearability: 7.5 (Use it day or night during winter and fall, and in cold spring nights) Versatility: 8.0 (You may use it in almost any event, although some perfumes are more adequate for specific situations. Beach, workout and kindergarden visits are ruled out. I consider it to be unisex) Quality: 8.0 (my judgement; After spraying, there is an Initial unpleasant alchool burst) Presentation: 7.0 (efective and simple. The can container lacks a bit of class for a niche player) Price: 7.0 (100 ml non tester for 60 Euros + shipping) Overall rating: 7.77/10.00 I recommend this fragrance if you seek a nice wearable oriental woody and leathery scent. if you are looking for a DARK and BOLD oriental oudy perfume, just keep searching...

Wow this is great! Reminds me a little of Mancera's Aoud Vanille without the vanilla sweetness. I love Aoud Vanille and I love this scent too. This is a classic Montale/Mancera fragrance - oudy, warm, dark, mysterious. It may not put a more accomplished nose like François Demachy, Francis Kurkdjian or Dominique Ropion out of business, but it is very good for what it is - a warm, dark, Arabian scent that has been adjusted to suit non-Middle-Eastern preferences. I'm quite happy that there is no overwhelming rose note in this fragrance. Rose and oud are a common (and supposedly harmonious) pairing, but it is nice to find an oud that is rose-free for a change. Actually, it's more than nice - it's a huge relief. This is one of those rare situations where there was one spray on the back of my hand from a 2ml sample, then the online purchase of a 100ml bottle as soon as I'd checked that I also liked the drydown (kind of unnecessary since this is as linear as most Montale fragrances). No doubt in my mind as soon as I'd smelled it. I can't guarantee you will have the same experience. But for me this had an instant appeal. To my nose, this is a more masculine fragrance, due to its woodiness and lack of rose. But I can see how it would appeal to women too, because it is such a great scent. It might suit brunettes in particular, because of its darker, more mysterious qualities. I find it funny that many people share an irrational belief that warm, dark, woody fragrances like this can't be worn in warmer weather. There is no actual reason for this belief - it's just a belief based on faith, almost like a religious belief. But do you think people in the Middle East or India don't wear their oud scents because it is hot? Of course not. They wear their heavy, warm scents whenever they like, because it is almost always hot there. So many people now accept the modern Western (and traditional Arabian) belief that there is no such thing as a masculine scent or a feminine scent, yet they cling to the old prejudice that there some scents can only be worn in winter and others can only be worn in summer.

I just got a delivery from Montale in the form of something called My Little Treasure Box. In it were three 20 ml bottles of perfume. Black aoud, aoud cuir d Arabi and this little stunner. I can't wait to try the others as well. Dry and sharp right from the bottle. Almost dusty. Rob2b below said it aptly when he said it smells like fresh road tar. I also pick up leather. This is my first Montale fragrance and if the other two are as good, then I'm glad I bought them. II'm not sure about fortitude yet, but projection is across the room. I keep turning my head and catching whiffs of this. Delightful! Reminds me a lot of another favorite, Royal Oud by Armani So I've had this on for a few hours now and it's toned down a bit but I'm still catching great whiffs now and then. I really love this frgrance. It's developed into a nice, smokey, chewy sandalwood. More so than oud. One of the best perfume I've ever smelled This just lasts and lasts....it has an oily quality to it. You can see the circle of juice on your skin for a long time after you spray it. It's just very good quality. Scent 10/10 Projection 10/10 Fortitude 11/10....amazing on my skin...15 hours and it was still projecting scent. Ordered a full bottle from Montale...I will never be without this scent for as long as they make it. It's just that good

Dark Aoud. Combination of smooth sandalwood and raw, medicinal oud. The top layer is oud. Strange, medicinal, and disturbing. The layer underneath is sandalwood. Smooth, deep, and alluring. Together, these layers are harmonious, dark and majestic. The effect on the wearer is that of wonder, introspection and slight melancholy. Somewhere deep at the bottom of the scent you can smell a certain sweetness. Dark Aoud a perfume for the imagination. It is a smell of dark woods, fur, night, spices, tar. It is a story of another world, hidden from, and forgotten by our civilization. It paints a picture of a dark temple in the middle of a forest, majestic and calm, slightly frightening, but alluring. Dark Aoud is emotive and suggestive. It is Like waking up from a dream from which you can not remember, but which will leave you emotionally effected for the entire day ahead. Dark Aoud is the smell of a hut in the forest, filled with dried mushrooms, herbal medicines, leather bound manuscripts, berry preserves, and bee’s wax candles. Dark Aoud is a modern fragrance, which reminds you of some truth hidden from modernity. Original review at veteverian.wordpress.com

The perfect, non vanillic scent for Autumn! This smells like woods, dark woods, with a creamy sandalwood underneath. I don't detect oud, in the traditional manner, but rather a deep, persistent and linear wood note...very dark. Projection/sillage are on the moderate side, but the longevity is through the roof! I am in love with this, very masculine. Post Script: in Chanel de Lanvin's review he stated that labeling something masculine or feminine is a prejudice in perfumery...I disagree. If, as a culture, women typically wear certain scents as do men, than one cannot help but associate those scents with a gender. In Brazil, rose is associated with older women, and many men have trouble with that scent...olfactory conditioning. I say wear what you want, but I do not see labeling as a form of olfactory prejudice...it is just what we are accustomed to...maybe it will change, but not overnight...time will tell.

One of the best in the Montale line. I agree with some of the other reviewers here that this chameleon oud changes quite a lot from bottle to scent strip to skin. It's a favorite for me because of the balance of the fragrance-- after drydown, it's not immediately apparent what the separate notes are, and for me this is a plus. It's enigmatic, mysterious, and lives up to the name "dark." After application the first note is leather, and I agree this really needs to be added to the notes above because it's quite strong. This eventually dissipates and gives way to a clear sparkling oud almost matched with a strong incense accord. As with most of the Montale line, there is some kind of chemical or ozone note in there too but I don't mind it, it seems to be an important fixative. Additionally, the strength of this fragrance is intense, and the sillage is huge. Everyone will know you are wearing this.

Opens with a strong camphoric/medicinal wood (not really burnt, but on the burnt side). A few minutes in, and the oud gets rounded and creamed, with the sandalwood showing up. Then the oud slowly gets tamed, and the sandalwood will be supported by pepper, incense and possibly some other vanillic wood (palo santo?). Performance is heavy in the first hour, than becomes moderate, with decent longevity. While I think the department store price tag (~$200) is a rip-off given the designer level quality, you can find it now at online discounters, for ~$70, and that's a great price, considering that, imo, it has much more personality than TF Oud Wood, and the oud note here is way closer to the real deal than what you'll find in Oud Wood. That said, it should have been named 'Dark Sandalwood'. Recommended if one can find it at a good price. 25+, Fall/Winter evenings

A different offering from Montale, away for the rose-oud combo they have been churning for years. There are more notes than suggested here or on the main website. For example, vetiver is very clear especially in the opening. The sandalwood is not the creamy Mysore sandalwood but rather it's a sharp one. There is also some very mild floral sweetness but its subdued, probably rose. I like it, but I believe vetiver should be in the name because it's the main player here. Certainly not the fresh citrusy vetiver found in other vetiver perfumes (Guerlain, TF), but rather a woody and earthy vetiver. Sharp sandalwood notes emerges after few hours and takes the driver seat. So maybe call it "dark vetiver sandalwood" , not dark aoud. This leans masculine in my opinion. It reminds me of Encre Noir by Lalique. It's quite addictive and green.

i bought it and it is fantastic !! real oud shot with santal alba, sandalwood, really a very dark smoky and wrapping scent ! not so heavy that ive expected and im a litte disapointed about the strength i think montale had put real good oud quality in there so they did not put a lot and that is the cause of the loose of strength of this one comparing with others aoud of this maison ! but the quality is real it smells nearly exactely like some oud oil ive got from al qurashi a great maison of seoudi arabia specialised in oud ! for those who fear that it would be weak, dont worry nothing to do with killian or other western oud scents really weakened to suit western users, Dark oud is erally strong and has a wonderfull lasting power, if you want to make a big impression, a dark somber really serious oriental impression get this !!

LOVE OR HATE... for me I give it 2 thumbs up! I feel it is the Essential Montale DNA. Maybe the backbone to many of their fragrances. I love to layer this one with my other Montales to give an extra oud bump... You do have to love Oud's to understand what this scent is all about. A fresh woody sandlewood from start to finish. I get a good 6-8 hours. Also like someone below said, I agree that this one can be worn even summer evenings if applied lightly... It just smells so elegant! I LOVE IT! I have owned this for a few years now and just WOW!... It is the back-bone of Montale Fragrances of OUD!... this is the OUD vibe just by its self... that goes into most of their Fragrances! IF YOU ARE LOOKING JUST FOR THE OUD SCENT THIS IS THE ONE! I LOVE LAYERING THIS FRAGRANCE to anything if you want to add OUD to anything!....

The opening is a blast of that signature Montale medicinal oud along with a sharp sandalwood note that accompanies it. I have really grown to appreciate a synthetic oud over the years and Dark Aoud is a good example of a synthetic done well. It is a very “wearable” oud that doesn’t have any of the more barnyard/fecal qualities that are out there. Most importantly it is not jam packed full of floral notes that are in a milieu of oud based fragrances on the market. As it dries down it seems to take on an almost petroleum-like quality as black pepper and a subtle vetiver barely mix in with the oud and santal. There is also an airy openness that is present that I can put my finger on, but really seems to open the scent up into a wonderful, “heady” experience. Excellenct sillage and longevity.

Back in 2016, I had a customer who used to wear this to every meeting and I was so intoxicated that I finally asked her what it was. It was the first time ever that I smelled OUD. She was an artist, with olive skin, dark sweet eyes and looked sexy like Shakira in the nineties, when she was singing in Spanish only, singing rock like "Ciega, sordomuda". I bought it because I wanted to feel like her. I grew up as a teenager in the 90s wearing very intense parfum. Ff 2024, I still have the bottom of the bottle and I want more. I have read in the comments that this fragrance has been changed and the potency is decreased. Could anyone recommend an alternative? Anything as intoxicatingly sexy as Dark Aoud in the original version? Thanks a lot!

I think an older woman can easily wear most of Montale's unisex creations, even the strong Aouds. The 'strong' scents of my youth (Opium, Ciara, et al) just don't work anymore. Greyland was love-at-first-sniff, then Cuir d'Arabie, Black Aoud, Aoud Musk (heaven!), and now Dark Aoud, maybe my favourite of the bunch. I wouldn't characterize it as a 'Woody', though. On me it's very much an Oriental/Chypre type scent. It layers amazingly well with Molinard's Habinata, which feminizes it a bit. Isn't quite as long lasting and dominant as Black Aoud, but that makes it easier to combine with other scents, which I love to do. It will, of course, outlast anything you pair it with, whereas Black Aoud will simply bury anything you pair it with.

I've just sampled and tested this, and the opening is wonderful! This is one very forward, powerful, stark scent. This is an amazing scent that really works well for me. (You can hear the 'but' coming, so...) The longevity and sillage on me was a bit disappointing. Granted, I didn't apply very much and should probably have tested with more of the sample, so i'll give this another try once I've done that. But within a couple of hours, this had vanished on my skin. I suspect there's a tricky balance at work -- too much and you'll create a cloud; too little and it dissipates within hours. But oh my God, what a scent this is. Little wonder that Montale has become the de facto reference standard for Ouds. This is outstanding.

This for me is a classic signature scent. Not excessively loud on my skin but you are aware it is there for a good few hours and so is the person next to you. Sandalwood mixed with a medicinal Aoud note, full bodied thick and simple yet comes accross complex if that makes scense? Masterfully blended, simply breath taking, completely unisex and utterly unique. Simpley the best woody/sandalwood fragrance I have ever put my nose to. Big props Montale you have created a legend at least to me. Edit... Please god... please no reformulation talk... :( Ive got the gold bottle with black bubbles type graphics, ive noticed the new bottle is just gold without graphics. Plrase dont tell me this has been reformulated now aswell...?

Awesome masculine, woody, earthy, tame oud scent but can only smell it every few minutes with a faint whiff at best - an outrageously unjust bait and switch. Poor projection after 1 hr. Sprayed half of a 2 ml sample on my neck. I'm so disappointed. I want to dive into a pool of this so I can enjoy it. I know...I have problems. Update 11/30/20: I now have full bottle and love it. If you apply Aveeno moisturizer to your neck, then spray this over it, it has excellent performance. I used 7 or 8 sprays at 7 AM and I can still smell it clearly 9 hours later. Truly a pleasure to wear this incredible and unique fragrance. Careful as it is oily and will stain your dress shirt.

The immeasurably Dark Aoud encapsulates the Montale designer oud essence with a whole lotta of Mysore and spicy bits. The opening rush is a dance of honeyed saffron and black pepper that rumbas cheek to cheek to an ambery shake with leathery fumed teakwood and vetiver, whereby the resulting vapour of coffee-esque petrol makes its way into the Montale ballroom of leather-oud chaps and widely parched santal hips. The final number is dusty dry yet chocolaty rich and full of an opulent presence. This is scent that wears nicely in the cool with eternal abandon and adds more than an inch to one's wooden heel. I would say it is a darn priestly come hither of a scent!

dark aoud my second montale loving this house my fave niche house so far blind bought this one another wow for me opens up strong as usual with that medicinal note the aoud here is more stronger than black aoud with that slight of sweetness i think thats the saffron and vetiver this one does tingle my nose from start to finish dry down is much sweeter mixed with the aoud and wood note another great release from montale darker than black aoud for sure this one more on the masculine side. longevity 10/10 sillage 10/10 uniqueness 10/10 over all smell 10/10 price vs quality 10/10 first class juice moneys worth versatility cold weather day and night

This is special. I don't know about everyone else but mine starts off with a strong rubbing alcohol note then transforms into something beautiful. I get a smooth velvety oud and a creamy, dry sandlewood. It's a breath off fresh air having a non oud rose combination that works even better IMHO. This thing is tricky because you kinda go noseblind to it and you don't think it's projecting but it is. Excellent longevity, I can smell two sprays on the back of my hand from over 24 hrs ago after multiple handwashes at my restaurant job. Got a sweet leathery vibe and I think this is a standout from the brand and is definitely flying under the radar.