Oud Assam

Absolutely oud-rageous. Phenomenal. One of the most astonishing things I've ever tried. Mainly because of its absolutely epic progression. If you had told me a few years back that I would be willing to spend good shoe money on liquid which makes me smell, at least for a while, of fresh cowpat... I would have laughed in your face. Cash money in return for smelling like poop? Hilarious! Well, how the sceptical are fallen, because now it seems like the most logical thing in the world to me. Because it's like this with Oud Assam: No doubt about it, this is barnyard oud at first - and further soured with the citrus, which to me gives it a truly antisocial pong of the vegetal-fecal, not disgusting or rancid but unmistakably redolent of some kind of droppings. At this point you might well think "oh sh*t, I've made a terrible mistake". Then, within 15-30 minutes, the most incredible metamorphosis happens and whoooooooosh you're rocketing into a magical land of spice and wood and warmth. It is just breathtakingly good, a wild joyride on a magic carpet of the darkest richest reds and browns and carmines ever dyed and woven. Not the cool, dark medicine-y oud (which I also love) but something softer and velvetier, both gentle and strong, shudderingly organic and real. The spices layer even more added extra plush and pattern into it. It is just something else - dizzying, almost narcotic to me. Certainly not a blind buy, and you cannot possibly make up your mind about it without letting it breathe on you for at least a few hours. On me, once the hostile half-hour's passed - during which time I could not really say how far it trails or how strongly, as my nose is just going "dung heap dung heap you stink like a dung heap" - the projection in the beautiful hours afterwards is moderate-to-close, and the scent hangs on tenaciously for up to 8h on skin and well into tomorrow and beyond on textiles. A spirited Arabian stallion for sure, but one with enough real life and gentleness within to make it a true unisex for anyone who's brave enough to hang on and hang tough through that wild bucking ride of the open. It is certainly dark, but not (imho) too butch for women. If you are at all interested in what oud really is and what the accord can do, try it ... and especially if you want to dodge the usual oud-rose combo - this should be a mandatory test. Definitive, life-changing biz, this one is. This is what noses are really made for. Just wow.

"العود للمبتدئين" زيت العود الهندي – الفيتيفر – البرتقال المر – البرقموت – مركب الكومارين ( مزيج التونكا والفانيليا) عود آسام من رانيا ج / النوع : خشبي ولاية آسام الهندية تقع ولاية آسام بين الصين وبنغلاديش على الجانب الشمالي الشرقي من شبه القارة الهندية، ولا تتصل بجسد الهند إلا بواسطة ممر لا يتعدى عرضه 22 كيلومترا ، وهي غنية بالنفط والشاي ، وقد شهدت المنطقة تاريخ من الإضطهاد العرقي منذ استقلال البلاد من بريطانيا عام 1947 تشتهر الولاية كذلك بأشجار العود الهندي ، وعطرنا اليوم يحتوي على خلاصة زيت العود الهندي ، قامت دار رانيا ج الفرنسية بشراءه مباشرة من مزارعي تلك الولاية ولم تترك رانيا شيئا للظروف انما قامت بتوثيق ذلك بشهادة أيكو المعروفة لضمان الجودة. افتتاحية غنية من العود الهندي مدعومة بالبرتقال المر لاضفاء لمحة صابونية زيسيتية وكذلك تواجد البرغموت الليموني برائحة أقرب لاأوراق الشاي ، العود هنا ذو طبيعة ارضية رطبة مع لمحة سكانكي انمالك خفيفة وطبيعة العود اقرب الى أن تكون مسكية. أتاحت لنا رانيا تجربة هذا النوع من العود الباهظ الثمن ولكنه ليس ذلك العود الإحترافي من عبد الصمد القرشي او حتى أنصار عود ، فقط هو عطر عودي سهل الارتداء ، الإفتتاحية هي اجمل مراحل العطر وتمنيت لو استمرت كثيرا ، لان العطر يبدأ يتحول في القلب الى عطر فيتيفري دخاني بحت مع لمسة سويتية كيميائية من الكومارين والسيدر متواصلة حتى اخر لحظات العطر.لمحت ايضا لمسة راتنجية في هذا العطر اضافت له تلك الخصائص البلسمية. عطر رانيا لم يختلف عن موضة العود في العطور الغربية ومحاولة اضفاء ذلك الطابع الشرق أوسطي مع الإحتفاظ بالطابع الغربي للعطر ، مثل نظيره ام 7 الذي كان اول اكتشاف لاستخدام العود في العطور العربية ، اكتشافا ضاهى في عظمته اكتشاف قارة امريكا الشمالية. عطر جميل قدمته لنا رانيا وتوظيف لابأس به للعود الهندي بدلا من عبير العود الدخاني سيعجب الهواة والمبتدئين أمثالي من محبي العود بصورته المنمقة ، ولن يروق لمحترفي ومتمرسي دهن العود بكافة مصادره الجغرافية ، والتسمية كانت موفقه بربطه بغابات ولاية آسام الهندية وأشجار العود المنتشرة بكثرة هناك. شكرا رانيا على هذا الجمال ،،، فوحان متوسط وثبات جيد على الملابس والبشرة. تقييم عام 7.5/10 دمتم سالمين :)

Rania J. Oud Assam is a peppery smoky woody oud mix with very slight animalic touches but mostly a centeredness of woods around the oud, which is not a prominent oud note in the medicinal or animalic sense. It starts out spicier but dries down mellower, a sort of dry, stereotypically masculine mix that almost has an herbal side to it. The standout notes are the oud, cedar, vetiver, and black pepper, with hints of tonka and musk, as there is something sort of smooth and sweet about it under the surface. Most of the suggestion of an animalic side is gone within the first hour and I’m left with a very balanced, fulfilling mix of woods and spice, primarily. It’s interesting, for sure, while not demanding quite as much attention as Ambre Loup. Still, I imagine Oud Assam is more wearable for more people given that it lacks an attribute that some would find especially off-putting like Ambre Loup’s frankly-decadent sweet-and-spicy blend. I reapplied a dab just to reacquaint myself with the opening again and it is very much a slightly animalic sort of wood varnish / leather mix that predictably calms down, and I like that evolution: more initial provocation followed by a more wearable, agreeable blend. The pepper of the opening gives way to the tonka of the drydown, though both aspects are present throughout. Overall, I’m very pleased with Oud Assam. It has an interesting sweet pepper leather oud slightly-animalic mix that I’ve not gotten elsewhere. Hardcore oud fans will likely find it to be underwhelming as oud goes, but I find that it’s a tastefully restrained use of oud while featuring some of the other players more so. A solid option for cold weather, especially. Oud Assam is priced at $149 for 50ml at EDP concentration, like the rest of the line. The Rania J. line is only sold in the US via Luckyscent, I believe, and that’s where I obtained my small dabber sample. 8 out of 10

I first tried Oud Assam last year, after receiving a sample set from Rania J. Although it intrigued me, I put it aside for further future discovery. This had nothing to do with the scent itself, but rather with the fact that I was moving from one country to another. Life was generally messy, with assorted belongings packed into boxes and suitcases. The other day I started a thread asking for perfumes that are similar to the scent of stables. Someone kindly mentioned Oud Assam as one I should try for that real feeling of manure. Of course I ran straight to the drawer where all my samples were still waiting to see the light of day once more. I will come clean immediately: Apparently I really like manure and barnyards. The first spray is very sour, both from citrus and oud. It gradually becomes more mellow, with oud and olibanum being highlighted on my skin. Do you know those pictures where if you concentrate on certain parts you see a fair maiden, and if you change perspectives you see a crone instead? To my nose, Oud Assam is just like that. One moment I enjoy marvellous wood and olibanum, while the next instant I can only perceive manure. And that is magnificent! Oud Assam seems to have moderate sillage, which may be good considering that this is not to everyone's taste. For instance, my husband backed into the wall when I stretched out my arm for him to smell, and then he sprayed Hypnotic Poison in front of his nose to ward off evil. Let's say he considers oud to be the preferred scent of the denizens of hell. While sillage is moderate, longevity is outstanding. Oud Assam was still there when I woke up this morning. It had turned into a woody, fecal and creamy skin scent, the traces of which survived a shower. If you really like oud, please try this! I plan to save up for a full bottle, to use for my own pleasure (particularly when I am alone, I guess).

On skin Oud Assam opens very bold with a warm, fresh, very slightly moldy and blue cheesy pungent punch of oud supplemented by invigorating orange juices of both the bitter and sweet variety and some bergamot. This is probably the best, most interesting and most authentic opening of a "Western" oud scent I have come across. Holy moly! Imagine it's a spring-in-the-step Friday morning and you just planted your best friggen polished Oxfords right and proper straight into a fresh, steaming and happy turd by a camel that has a fetish for citrus fruits and their bitter peel. What a start to your day that would be! Kudos! A further two couples take to the dancefloor soon after and diversify Oud Assam without obfuscating the focus on the oud: peppery vetiver and musky cedar offer a slightly dirty-fresh, earthy and somewhat funky woodyness whilst olibanum/tonka permeate and infuse the scent thus giving it a dimension that puts this scent into proximity of Abdes Salaam Attar's creations such as Mecca Balsam (which doesn't contain oud). Oud Assam's drydown maintains a restrained level of sophisticated skank. It's a fantastic and extremely versatile scent; you can put a drop of jasmine, rose or ylang oil right into it or just use it to give some oomph to another concoction. It's great fun to reapply Oud Assam over its own drydown - that opening over the balsamic and aromatic woddness is just awesome! Above medium longevity and moderate projection and for the price this an absolute steal.