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.

Sohan, reminiscent of Frederik Malle's nocturnal essence (The night), evokes a sense of déjà vu with its ingredient roster bearing striking resemblance. Ostensibly drawing from the illustrious fragrance, Sohan seeks to carve its own identity yet falls prey to the shadows of its muse. Imbued with echoes of the Middle East, its essence is cocooned within Turkish rose, exuding an amalgam of incense and spices that bewitch the senses. However, the allure dissipates upon closer inspection, revealing a lack of distinction. One might be forgiven for mistaking it for its inspiration, for they share a kinship too close for comfort. The exorbitant price tag only serves to exacerbate the disappointment, casting doubt upon the authenticity of its raw materials. In light of these observations, Sohan fails to justify its lofty aspirations and merits a prudent dismissal.

This fragrance is discontinued, BUT check GEORGIANS GOLDEN PRECIOUX by FLAVIA. Elegant Oud, rose and vetiver still well present. For formal occasions, well dressed and definitely male oriented. Let the Flavia macerate for 3 or 4 weeks and you will have a nice alternative to the regular oud-rose formula. I used it at important social events, where I don't know anyone and I don't care to mingle with people (ie. Piano recital of my wife). Powerful and respect demaning statement that everybody understand, because the oud note is very well complemented with occidental notes. I recommend this for 40+ yo, serious leader type, no joking - fooling around, no pleaser good-boy. Excellent projection of 2.5 hours after 6 sprays. Duration? 16+ hours on clothes. Did I mentioned that you need to be AT LEAST business casual attire?

Also, i want to add that i sprayed 3 good sprays into my chest just underneath my t-shirt at around 3pm while shopping at bloomingdales. Its currently 8pm and Im getting a soft creammy rose/oud. I do like very much. Its not a beast. Not strong, but i like getting whiffs of it. Luckily its not strong because my wife hates those skanky rose/oud scents. This on the other hand is soft/light, and kinda creammy. I can totally see myself doing a few extra sprays on the chest, and a few sprays on my arms/hands with a non-scented lotion to make it stick better. And possibly a few sprays of molecule 01 just to enhance it. If i can get this creaminess to project better, then this is without a doubt handsdown a winner and fullbottle worthy!!

This is some really gorgeous stuff. First - the bottle - beautiful. Love the theme of royalty and the cap! I mean - yeah, typically I don’t care too much about the presentation, but I’m a sucker for this line. Red juice - fitting. I echo what many have said - this is definitely an oud and saffron scent. At first spray I felt the rose - and I thought it would stick around, but if goes away quickly. What you’re left with is a spicy - petroleum like mixture. It’s delicious. I think this is overtly masculine - I just can’t imsgine this on a female, but that’s just my opinion. This is high quality stuff - a true gem. 8/10

I actually love this. It's sultry and a bit witchy, but persuasive. The rose is daring — sure of its masculinity, flamboyant, borderline rude. Sean Connery in a silk kimono. The vetiver punches. (I'm convinced when reviewers write "I'm getting leather" but there's no birch tar or cade, they're detecting vetiver combined with other notes?) Soon enough this yields to a lovely, sweet, incensey oud in the drydown. I've been looking for a masculine rose scent since I was around 18, and very slowly manifested this. Word is it's being discontinued, which is a crying shame.

An excellent offering from Penhaligons here. The most prominent note here is saffron which is not easy to work with, and there is oud which I was told is real in comparison to the synthetic accord used in halfeti. There is good dose of rose which also smells really nice. It immediately reminded me of guerlain oud essentiel which I already own. I dont think its worth having both especially that the latter has very decent performance. Projection and longevity are both solid and not overbearing. Excellent one from Penhaligons.

This is my absolute favourite scent on a man. Not a completely new or groundbreaking composition being the typical rose, oud, saffron and warm spice fragrance but there's strength to this fragrance without punching you in the face (a quiet confidence). Unlike oud Ispahan which is in the same category as this that has a very irritating sharp note that I can't stand, this is more rounded and elegant. Theres almost a sweaty body kind of vibe (dare I say BO) but in a very sexy way. Gives off daddy energy. Love!

I love this one. The more I wear it the more it the more I appreciate it as the most bad ass rose I have smelled. It opens with a tangy rose and a masterful saffron. There's vetiver in the mid and along with slightly animalic cumin. Sandalwood, musk and oud in the drydown. Will easily last 10 + hours with strong projection and sillage for most of the time. My newest bottle is stronger than my last. Wife digs it on me and also wears it on occasion. Bravo Penhaligon's 🦅 Scent 8.5/10 Performance 9/10

I love how this is listed for men, when I find it squarely unisex. In fact, I get a juicy berry note throughout. The Uncompromising Sohan stands in for Midnight Poison for me, which has too much of that generic “blue” men’s cologne feel. Sohan carries the berry, rose, and woodiness but is perfectly dark and decadent. I asked someone’s opinion on it and they said it could be toned down a little...I said, that’s the point. It’s uncompromising. Love it or leave it.

Stunning oud and saffron with vetiver, sandalwood, and spices. Rose is listed in the notes, but I certainly can't smell it very much. This is rugged, muscular, sophisticated and manly af. I like the petroleum comparison that another reviewer noted. It has this leatheriness to it with that cumin flow and oud that is just divine. Of all the Potraits Collection, this and Monsieur Beauregard are my favorites. This would be glorious on a cold night. 8.5/10

There's a brooding dude on the box art, but this is totally UNISEX to me. I'd wear it. It's just not totally me, but I'd love smelling it on someone else. Tim Curry in vintage 1985 "Clue" was sooo hot!!! I can see him wearing this. Yummy! Spicy but sweet. Florals smelled more fruity to me, but I see that note pyramid. It's superbly blended and portioned as all Penhaligon's scents are. Very smooth, very nice.

To my nose this is quite a tame oud but that really allows the rose and saffron to stand out with both flowers dancing around the oud from opening until dry down. The saffron in particular steals the show, adding another dynamic element to the often rather simple Rose/Oud combo, bringing a lovely smoothness to the blend; I believe this to be a bit more of a crowd pleaser than your regular oud as a result.

This is a one of a kind ! I got seductive by the smell. The bottle itself so dominant and tells you come test me 😍👌🏼 the smell is just deep and spicy, you can smell the Safran kicking in right away. People will look back at you when you walk pass them. So much personality in this perfume, over 24 hrs already and i can still smell it hard on my skin and cloths

Very lovely, very unisex! This stunning Sohan is the result of a marriage between Brecourt's Farah and Majestic Rose de Yves Saint Laurent. It is so funny that in this perfume sweetness and bitterness are playing a nice Hide and seek game; when sweetness appears (a bit like the sweetness of dates) the bitterness will hide. Very chique

Very sweaty oud but the rose and saffron are exceptional here.. I had oud ispahan, xerjoff more than words and the oud was more offensive there.. If u could get over and love the sweaty vibe in here you will not regret that buy but again its and oud and Rose composition so don't have extremely high hopes

The blend of saffron and rose is genuinely enchanting. The oud itself leans toward the safer, more familiar side, but this perfume pulls off a beautifully addictive powdery finish that keeps things interesting. Longevity easily above average. Really, this thing refuses to leave quietly

Great oud and rose here, with some vibes of Zegna Indonesian Oud. I prefer the latter by an inch (because of a stronger oud and better performance), but this one is well blended too, and may be slightly more wearable, thus more crowdpleasing compared to Zegna's. Fall/Winter, 30+

One the best oudy saffron/rose blends out there. Great performance and okay projection. This one reminds not at all of Oud Ispahan, which is way more unisex and lighther whereas Sohan is darker and purely masculine. One of the best from Penhaligon's. 8/10

Oud and saffron. Reminds me of midnight oud by Juliette has a Gun. Well done. Lighter than others, not over powering, not cloying,..but u will have to be a bit strong on the sprayer if u want it to last beastly. Otherwise good scent.

Charming rose oud combination. The saffron in this makes it smell like halwa, a traditional Khalleji sweet. I love this scent with all my heart; it reminds me of beautiful winter days, showered in the spicy scents of my homeland.

This one is like the male counterpart of the more feminine leaning Byredo Mink. Maybe slightly less offensive though. Strangely enough I love the smell but I can't wear it because it offends too many people. Very sad.

Love this fragrance. Its light and likeable. Cumin isn't listed in the notes but I get a clear sense of it for at least the first hour or so. Oud is faint. The spices and florals are pleasing.

This is must have rose oud ! My absolutely favourite 🤩. There are similarities with oud ispahan by dior , but this is much stronger. Beast mode longevity and projection. Last 12 + on my skin.

Very potent oud scent. Drydown is a pleasant oud supported by a rose background. Shame it was discontinued.

It’s just like ombré nomade on the low key though not as strong as others LV Ombré... I love it!

either a homeless dirty man living on the street or a rich prince from dubai nothing inbetween

This isa really nice rose-oud-saffron sent. Good performance, perfectly blended. A True gem.

This very perfume makes the TFOW as misleading by using the word "Oud Wood".

best western made oud i ever. definitely lives up to its name

I only got it on paper sample. I got this and 2 other male portraits. After few moments it had literally eclipsed the other 2 samples. This is a very dominant, male perfume. It has a beastly longevity and is a very invasive perfume. I can only think of someone wearing it to make his presence noticeable. Not an office fragrance unless you're this kind of boss. It is heavy and sweet, like a bitter sweet syrup that remains on the bottom of the pot. I think there is something animalic although not mentioned in the pyramid. For cooler temperatures but I wouldn't mind wearing this day or night. I think one should be brave to wear this in order to support it nevertheless. Be sure to test beforehand, not blind buy it. Portraits are bit expensive but this one, once is your type, it worths every penny.

Ultimately, The Uncompromising Sohan is a warm, ambery combo of rose and oud. It opens with a sour-bitter oud note that's quite strong for the first while, giving the spice notes a bit of a burnt edge, and suppressing the rose's sweetness. At this stage, Sohan actually reminds me of a less animalic Oud 27. However, it gets gradually sweeter as it wears. The rose emerges and an ambery warmth develops that becomes almost creamy over the course of several hours. It's a provocative yet refined combination of sharp and smooth, acrid and sweet. Like a classical orchestra with metal influences. Masculine-leaning unisex. Definitely similar to Oud Ispahan, if perhaps a little bit sharper and spicier, without Ispahan's smokiness.

I got this scent after a recommendation. I am a big fan of Penhaligon’s, and own several of their Portraits and Trade Route fragrances. This fragrance is decent. As with the rest of the Portrait’s, it comes it a very cool bottle. The top-mid notes scent is very woody and there’s a faint bit of rose. On the skin, it develops a cardamom and cinnamon scent. It finally reduces to sandalwood and oud after 7 hours or so. It then lingers on the skin for a few more hours. I found that some of the scent still remained the following day. This fragrance is better catered for cooler weathers. It’s strong, spicy and oudy. Definitely more of a masculine scent.

It's a verrrry syrupy rose. But the pepper gives it bite. I would swear there's cumin in this though it is not listed, which is giving it that sweaty note. I'm not sure where it would be coming from otherwise. The oud is in the phenolic family or what some call "band aid" oud. Sandalwood is definitely apparent as well. On me, it performs ok for a couple of hours and then vanishes almost completely, like really leaving almost nothing. For the price, as with most from Penhaligon's, it really should do better. I got it at a deep discount, and won't need another bottle if this one ever empties out. It's ok but I won't be reaching for it that often.

Sohan opens gourmant, with a rose in syrup and saffron reminiscent of a good wine and which smells like a fruit salad with a thousand shades. The oud is good, soft, gentle and accompanies the rose that shows its petals only with the whiffs projected in the distance. Up close she keeps a more seductive aura from shiny red lips. She softens slowly darkening and settles on the skin with labdanum, sandalwood, vetiver, smoothly blended into a kind of spicy powder. For me a classic but satisfying combo of oud and roses. Well done, pleasant and sweet, on the edge of the gourmant, that starts well and ends ... better!

A twist on your typical rose-oud with a really smooth sweet saffron and spice mix. In the opening stages it has a really nice fizzy aspect from a good amount of pepper too. I compared it side by side with Oud Ispahan and they have similarity, though I’d say Ispahan is more elegant and Sohan is probably the more rich and masculine leaning (feels like a cardamom spice focus vs the floral focus). I do wish it projected a touch more but I really like this, definitely bottle worthy. Unisex leaning masculine.

This is a strong, dominant, mature fragrance. I only wear it in the winter IMO it’s too strong for warmer weather. With that said beautiful scent, but definitely not for everyone and not a compliment getter. It’s a very in your face loud powerful fragrance! Definitely for an older very confident man. Those saying that it’s unisex I can’t disagree more from my entire collection this is the last one I would want to smell on my wife. Best way for me to describe this: leather jacket, motorcycle, cigar

A Rose Oud with a twist this is a well blended but still somewhat redundant offering from the house of Penhaligons. The perfume opens with the central rose note surrounded by pink pepper and saffron that stays throughout the length of the perfume. As it begins drying down one notices hints of vetiver and labdanum first, and then sandalwood and Oud. The masculine leaning perfume has moderate to strong sillage and very good longevity. Not the most novel of perfumes but still a fun wear. Enjoy!

I layered this with a super e iso scent to 1- increase the performance, 2- brighten the very dark intense oud. I sprayed twice on my shirt and once on my wrist. I don't know how long did it last on my skin but I could still get whiffs of it from my shirt after more than 10 hours later!!! To me it's beautiful, dark, rugged and dirty. The smell of a classy aloof man. Oud all the way with rose flirting with your nose. For winter and fall, older well dressed men.

I found most scents from Penhaligon's portaits collection to be exceptionally underwhelming in terms of performance. The Uncompromising Sohan is an absolute beast in that regard. I don't see myself wearing this as I'm generally not too fond of this scent profile, but I can definitely smell that this is some good quality juice and one of the few bottles in the portaits collection I think is worth its asking price.

This reminds me a bit of L’Homme Ideal EdP by Guerlain, minus the almond and cherry sweetness. I think it’s because of the strong incense. But this goes in a more animalic and masculine take, with leather and oud. I also get some balsam and soapy lavender vibes, for some reason. I can see why this fragrance is challenging to some people, but I enjoy it.

At first spray I found it a bit "old lady" - generic and a bit astringent, with a hint of spice underneath. As it developed, though, the warmth and spice came to the forefront, and I found myself really enjoying it. I think most people would consider this a cool weather fragrance, but I love the intensity of the scent at warmer temps.

Always love oud and rose composition but I do not like it at first sniff. When it was just sprayed, the oud is too strong for me but wait for some time and its dry down won't let you down. Its dry down is so beautiful and at the largest extent expresses the charm of the composition of rose and oud.

This is extremely well crafted scent, and if you haven’t fully explored rose & oud on your frag journey, give this one a go, this is beautiful and it lasts forever. But if you are familiar with this combo - you can totally skip this one, because there’s nothing particularly unique here.

Strong to the fullest.On my skin smell so sweet,so I recommend testing this one on skin not paper. Not your typical compliment getter as not everyone will appreciate this type of scent .Very animalic ,sweaty,sweet and spicy same time. It projects and last hours. Not for every occasion.

Rich dirty scent with warm spices, wood and some animalic nuances. It smells really masculine for me with this dirty type of musks and dark oudy notes. It’s a classic Oriental combo but made in an elegant British style. Follow me on IG: scent.guide