The Uncompromising Sohan

The Uncompromising Sohan by Penhaligon's (Unknown date entry record, full review) The Uncompromising Sohan can be easily describe as Spicy Rose Oud fragrance. However, I think the uniqueness in this are the accord that are not too "Ambery" The dry down, is beautiful sweet rosy powdery sandalwood with hint of oud and vetiver. That other of my oud-rose fragrance doesn't have this quality. The oud in this, I would say is authentic oud that quite animalic. And the oud also enhance heavily by spicy property in this, but it make the dry-down beautiful. I highly suggests you to test out a few time before buying the uncompromising sohan. As this is not user friendly, it is spicy than other rose-oud I tired but it fit the theme as Sohan is Merchant who travel to Egypt and Africa. Also, the cap of Sohan is Falcon, which represents Horus (god of Light) in Egypt. And Falcon also important part of Middle East cluture. I think, that is a very well thought-out from Penheligon's Score 8/10 Longevity : 8 hours Projection : Massive for the first hour, become around 1 arm length for 3-4 hours. Classification : Leans Masculine Summary : a Spicy rose-oud fragrance with impressive dry down. A fragrance to impress in a day time for oud lover. ==== Edit 1 (unknown date): Comparision to Oud Isaphan (2017) I love the fact that this is much softer, wearable one than Oud Isaphan. There is certain sweetness, woody / nutty element that stop fragrance that go beyond usable. I think it might be coumarin. I know, and I can agree that Oud Isaphan 2017 is much better blends with deepness of patchouli. But it just might too earthy almost dirty. I appreciate this slightly more as It doesn't have overly strong projection with certain roundness, easier to use over all. ===== Revisit note on July 16, 2024 I retest 5 of my Oud fragrance (More than words, Yasmin, Oud Bouqet, Oud Ambroisie) At the end of the day, Sohan is still the most spicy with tint-of animallic note. Cumin like BO at the based, this is most spicy of my archive. But, the refinement of This combo, I think - Sohan is one of best case English fragrance interpretation for ease-of-use, on the day you think you need some slightly daring, exotic. Sohan still round out the base before going overly dirty, with that powdery woody, tonka amber experience. Classical amber kind of thing. I like Sohan for that. Unisex, with masculine leaning quality. After a few wear. I can see a glimpse being woman using this fragrance. But would say, slight too daring for daily use, except strong - bold personality. Please be careful consider re-test this a few time before commit a full bottle. 8/10 *** ==== Pre blind record ==== (Store test on July 19, 2023 - Skin test, first impression) Penheligon's sohan Oud and rose When start open with rose beautifully before oud is starting to be more prominent over. When we entrying mid note, airy but quite opelque oud taking over everything. However the rose still manage to overcome the scent beautifully. It has sweet undertone that quite syrupy but not overwheming What I do like the most is the dry down when sandalwood in little powdery manner try to emerge. I do smell something firey. This is strongly reminds me of oud abramad but with beautiful rose aspect and quite fascinating. When it reach final dry down, I do notice something difference than other oud fragrance. It is mildly animalic oud is that be real oud? Really bidding myself rather I will grab one but this is quite easy to use in reality 7/10 Edit 1 : on July 24, 2023 I decided to go with 75 ml.at 180 usd approximate. After reconsider every point of fragrance, I think this one is the one I should choose as this is easy to use overall. 9/10

I first came across this fragrance in the summer of 2018, when I popped into the Canary Wharf boutique to buy a new bottle of Halfeti to replace my existing one. I was with my sister and my friend, and was drawn to The Uncompromising Sohan mainly by the Indian-Iranian name and the appetising colour of its juice. I was hooked at first spray. It was powerful, and I remember telling my friend and sister that it smelled like an old Indian attar merchant on a hot day in a way that was right up my street. I offered my wrist to them; my friend recoiled in disgust, and my sister, who was being bewitched by Sohan's sister Yasmine, wrinkled her nose. I remember describing what I was smelling to them on my skin: a deep, plummy amber tempered with a smoky, aromatic note like roasted cumin - softer, slightly less pungent and sweaty than raw cumin, but still unmistakably masculine and brutish. At the same time, there was a hot and sticky sweetness balancing the deep aromatic notes, something that smelled very much like an Indian sweetshop to me. It was slightly reminiscent of Tom Ford's Noir Extreme, what with that being based on the Indian ice cream Kulfi, but much more complex and intriguing. This was a Gujarati sweetshop. One that sold freshly deep-fried savoury snacks studded with black pepper and carom seeds, served with fresh green herbs, along with saffron and cardamom laced barfi and jalebi, dripping in rose syrup. All of this within the first few minutes of spraying. As the sales associate took my box of Halfeti to the till, I was stood in the middle of the shop seriously contemplating whether to buy The Uncompromising Sohan instead. My friend was dead set against it, holding onto the old man reference, and the salesman offered me a couple of Sohan samples to try in the meanwhile. I reluctantly made my purchase, and we left to grab a drink. The whole time, this gorgeous scent on my wrist just kept developing into something even more beautiful. The polarising opening notes had mellowed on my skin to a deep rosy, ambery oud, always warm, always extremely sexy, and something I could not stop myself from sniffing. Even my friend ended up agreeing that Sohan had settled quite nicely, but both she and my sister still preferred the universally popular Halfeti that I had made one of my signature scents over the past couple of years. I continued to regret my decision as Sohan dried down to a still strong, rosy-amber with soft leather and masala incense notes on my skin even after I had had a shower. Luckily, my partner gifted me a bottle of The Uncompromising Sohan the following Valentine's Day, and it continues to be held up there as one of my favourites.

The first few minutes hit me with a powerful, dirty kind of rose, no doubt helped by the oud and saffron. It's a thick, syrupy, almost medicinal kind of scent, but in a very good way. The oud is equally strong and smells wonderful to me, not funky or animalic, but just a powerful, slightly smoky wood. This being primarily a rose-oud scent, these absolutely deliver. As it begins to dry, that medicinal feel goes away and I get more of the pepper and the rose gets a little sweeter, though still dirty. The vetiver makes itself known, adding a touch of green to the fragrance. Over time, things get just a little more rounded overall and everything calms down after a few hours, while still being very noticeable on you. Longevity, sillage, and projection are huge. You will be in a good sized scent bubble for hours. Definitely need to watch your sprays with this. This is the first rose/oud scent I've tested so I can't compare to others in that style, but this is great in my mind. A unique one for me, one that is not going to be for everyone. I recommend trying/sampling before getting a full bottle.

Saffron Paradise... I know the Oud in here is not the "real thing", but in this case I do not care.... This is the kind of fragrance that I do like the most. It's laud, bold, in your face, carrying a clear message: "I am here, and I know you have noticed it" This to me is leaning more masculine, but not at a classical masculine scent, at all. Saffron here is the king, pair with a big red rose macerated is some kind of liqueur. I can feel also the sexiness here, something close of what you get with Songe d'un Bous d'Ete.... who knows, this could be the contribution of the Laotian Oud listed in the notes breakdown... It is also sweet but not cloying. Dry-down is to die for. It settles more gently, not loosing its character, but making it easier to wear, allowing you to endure this aroma for hours to come. Uniqueness: medium Scent: 9/10 (dry-down based) Performance: high (huge opening + long dry-down) Would I buy it: Yes (already in my collection)

This is another outstanding spice fragrance from Penhaligons. It starts off almost fruity, sticky and sweet. An earthy beeswax, cumin note comes out and then never goes away. I think I'd rank this around the middle of the pack for Penhaligons despite this being great. As pleasing as this is Alizarin has more depth, Zizonia is more interesting to start with. Spice fragrances I find can be great to start with but tend fade down into a bland one note cupboard spice that sticks around for too long. This one stays interesting for a longer than I would have expected and when it does drop down to level where it slowly fades as a single note; I still like it. It goes quite sandy as it completely disappears. A lot of perfumes like this you have to be in the mood for, otherwise they are uncomfortable to wear. Sohan is wearable all the time and is one of the most approachable fragrances of its kind.