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.

First application of Rania J's Oud Assam last evening and before I get into my thoughts, the fact that my wife approved, scent (sic) shock waves through my very being. That's probably because Oud Assam is "roseless". Now, I like---even love rose, but honestly, in conjunction with Oud, it has begun to get on my nerves. I just sold a bottle of Montale Black Aoud, because it was frankly nauseating. But I digress... Oud Assam starts out of the gate with a true, legitimate Oud punch. The reviews that call it fecal, I would strongly take issue. It does have barnyard, earthy, aged blue cheese notes, but isn't that EXACTLY what Oud-lovers want? It's what I want...and Oud Assam delivers in spades. The dry down is very good and, if possible, even more powerful, but rather intensifying in the Oud, the musk accord moves to the forefront. I still get a faint whiff this morning, twelve hours later, but it has all but faded away. So, I rank longevity at a 7/10. Sillage is strong at the onset, but doesn't seem to shoot off of your skin...moderate, 6/10. For most of its life on your skin, you are going to get a musk perfume, which, imo, is slightly disappointing, as I would have preferred a more linear perfume, with more time devoted to the top notes. This still gets a thumbs up from me. Rania J is a talented perfumer and I was quick to procure bottles of Lavande 44 and Ambre Loup. Would I "blind-buy" this? I did. Your mileage may vary.

Now THIS is oud. Damn I love it. It's totally barnyard, very challenging, literally smells of horse shit and damp hay. Perfect honestly, this is how oud should be. The opening notes of orange and bergamot are fleeting on me and they take a back seat to the oud, which is fine with me. Eventually the soft tonka bean and musk in the base come out. It's honestly so well done. This is not linear, it changes quite a bit over the first hour. The oud is the star player and is really barnyard, animalic for the first 30 minutes or so. Then it begins to morph a bit. There's a strong spicy component that comes out, peppery and warm, and then a gorgeous warm wood accord, oaky and balsamic. There's some beautiful phenolic notes in there that go beautifully with the woods. This is a masterpiece, and for the price!! It will NOT be liked by everyone, this is something that people with only casual experience with oud will probably be immediately repelled by, but to me it is perfection. Performance is excellent, I wouldn't call it beast mode but it is really good. This is not a safe scent, not a safe blind buy, not safe at all-- very dangerous. ;-)

Nose Note #887 I've only tried two from the brand, this and Lavande 44, but I'd give both near 10/10. Just absolutely amazing at every point: 1) price, 2) quality, 3) performance. This is the best of the best quality. Super interesting profile, very unique amongst the ouds. It has a very similar base with Lavande 44, Oud Assam also feels lavandery and a bit soapy-clean. Beautiful oud, nothing barnyardy, slightly fruity. The scent is not sweet, it's dry, but not like wood-dry. I can't help but feel like this has a lot of lavander. It performs wonderfully, solid in terms of long-lasting. This orange accord is very very prominent on top of the oud+olibanum. You wouldn't guess that it's orange, but if you think about it it definately evokes an image of some citrus. I don't know, I guess love this immensly alongside with Lavande 44. Makes me want to try everything for men from the brand. The perfumer Rania Jouaneh has made very interesting choices, very sophisticated connoisseur-type of scents. Totally wearable. 9.5/10, I'm absolutely won over

In the first moments you can smell citruses, but the oud makes its way immediately. Strong, pungent, barnyard type oud, mixed with citruses (neither the bergamot nor the orange stands out), this gives an extremely rich oily oud scent. Few minutes, and your nose gets used to the oud and the scent becomes softer after the initial blast. This is the longest and strongest part in terms of projection. A few hours later you can still smell it, and this is my current favourite part currently. The dominant notes here are the musk, cedar and frankincense, giving a soft, flowery, woody feel. I cannot imagine this parfume on a woman, quite masculine for me. Its more an elegant, fragrance, fits to a shirt and trousers (not jeans). Due to richness and heavyness, this one is for colder times: autumn and winter. I thought that this is not a safe choice, but my friend who is not into fragrances at all liked it really much. So it can be an every day fragrance after all.

Bought on a spot. Entered the shop without any intention to buy whatsoever just to see what are the news so to say. Tried a couple of things but then this one... In the whole history of my purchases, this is maybe the fastest buy ever, between the moment I smelled it first time and gave my credit card to pay... I have a couple of oud based Amouage Attars, and a bunch of so called 'wester ouds' (e.g. from Pure Oud of Kilian to Leather Oud of Dior). This is the closest to the oud oil the non-oil version of an oud perfume. First blast is sustainable only if you have an experience with oud oils. However the 2 and later hour -- just fantastic insence oudy fragrance. I do not really smell a lot of vetiver, while I have an impression that the vetiver in a perfume just kills everything else. Here it is not the case at all, it is next to non-existent. All in all, for the price, just 5/5 perfume!

This smells just like a skanky version of oud wood by tom ford. There are some differences but like all other fragrances that remind you of each other, of course there are. I think saying that this is just a more skanky version that lasts wayyy longer is fair. Other than that this is just like it. Now when I was emailing this perfumer she did mention that she uses 100% real oud not synthetic in this and also in Ambre loup which is one of my favorite fragrances from this house. That's what gives this the skanky oud smell and longevity. Overall, if you own fords oud wood I would say your not missing out here, but if you don't then don't cut yourself short by not sampling this as I have talked to many who prefer this over oud wood. I myself like both the same but feel you get better ingredients and performance here. Great masculine fragrance.

This is a wonderful creation by Rania J, It is that good I ordered 2 bottles , I think I finally found the OUD perfume that suits my taste. I think most base their experience on the first 5 or 10 min of the initial spray, This is one of those Oud Perfume for those who understand and enjoy Oud, The magic of this perfume starts 1/2 hour after the first spray, Best performance on a well moisturized skin , No dry skin. This is a very creamy and enjoyable Oud , Not that barnyard strong Oud or medicinal Oud. It lasts an estimated 24 hours on skin and an estimated 5 days on clothing, 4 Sprays and you are good to go. Scent 10/10 Silage 10/10 Long lasting 10/10 Thanks,

After a challenging opening with a burst of Oud, the barnyard blue cheese type , Oud Assam slowly settles down and merges into a very well balanced woody oud on a soft and warm incense base. Dark oud and creamy incense in a delightful harmony. The drydow finally becomes more woody-creamy with a clear cedar presence but still with a hint of oud. Oud assam was love at first sight. I have been looking for what I imagine to be a genuine oud-centered scent for some time, and with Oud Assam I have found a first wonderful example of what I have been searching for. For each new encounter I get more and more impressed by the works of Rania Jouaneh.

With the recent oud craze it seems there is a wide continuum for fragrances ranging from the "barely oud present" and the "oud dominant", most Western fragrances lying near the former. It's great to finally see what a proper "oud dominated" fragrance smells like that doesn't also smell like barnyard feces (I am looking at you Oud 27 and Leather Oud). I really like this one. I can pick up an earthiness/incense in the background but this seems primarily like pure oud. It smells much more natural than the oud found in the Montale line and I enjoy it quite a bit, especially with it being free of STANK. 7.5/10

A very wearable fragrance with a distinct oud note. It starts with some fresh-citric notes with slightly bitter accent; oud is from the beginning very good perceptible. Oud has a slightly animalic touch, but - apart from that - is very clean and thus pleasant to wear. Sometimes the grasses smell like tea indeed, but this tea note is peripheral imo. Although the scent hasn’t the thrill of being a radical and polarizing, it’s a really lovely perfume. Among the fans of light and fresh oudy fragrances, it has a potential to fall in love with.

As an oud lover with experience with some real pure wild/plantation oud oils of Ensar oud and feel oud, I instantly fell in love with this one. Great quality and absolutely love its opening! I use it for mood lifting it transports me to sacred land where I am with myself safely and sincerely. Like I'm heaven or some holy place. That the power of complexity of the oud scent.

A great representation of oud in all its naked glory! The vetiver and incense add natural wholeness and soften, without fully taming the oud's powerful presence. If you are a fan of REAL oud based fragrances where the oud note isn't buried and virtually non existent, then this is for you.

A cosy, oud-dominant fragrance with a trace of chocolaty orange in the opening and woodsy frankincense in the base. It's a real, cowshed-smelling oud, which personally I enjoy, but many will not. An uncomplicated, yet unusual and natural-smelling perfume. Perfect for a Winter's evening.

Very strong cheesy oud opening that works really well with the orange - I love this stage and it does hang around for maybe 1-2 hours. After that it goes to a slightly mundane incense that lacks body, but livens up again when the vetiver joins the party. Overall, very nice!

Yay! I finally found a real oud scent that is a little barn yardy, but not overly so.. this to me is about perfect! It's rich, deep, warm, and sophisticated. it's also long lasting, with moderate projection. And for the price, what more could we ask for?

This is a very beautiful on a masculine side oud, it's the first oud perfume that to me didn't smell like a dental office. This is very smokey, gentle, beautiful and simply gorgeous!

Very good work here. Well composed. Got notes of a clean Oud accord but also a really beautiful animalistic Oud. With the citrus, vetiver it is well balanced all around. Beautiful.

Best Fragrance I own, can’t get enough of it! Was put on this fragrance 4 or 4 months ago and I’m on third bottle. I basically bath in this fragrance

Potent and high quality oud fragrance. Not for everyone!

Fantastic oud fragrance, clearly made from real indian oud oil. The opening has a strong bitter orange (leaning nearly feminine for a minute), which slowly fades out to leave the stage to a magic pungent cheesy-barnyard-ish oud. Just imperial! After an hour, the oud lower its voice (but stays clearly present) and combines with the frankincense, tonka and woods to create an heavenly warm drydown, kept fresh by a solid earthy vetiver. I also get a subtle animalic note in the late drydown (musk?). Simply a masterpiece. On a "pungency" scale of 0-10, considering: - designers oud at 1, - N Black Afgano/LM Black Oud/Gucci IO/Terenzi Ursa/G Santal Royal/Armani OR at 2, - Boss DO, Saab Oud, Amouage Epic, MFK Oud EDP 3 - Zegna IO, Penhaligon's Sohan 4 - Malle The Night at 8 - Dusita OI at 9 - Pure oud oil 10, I would give a 7 rating to this one in terms of pungency. Malle's The Night is rounded by a subtle rose but, - unlike Rania J Oud Assam - it has a beastly projection, that makes it hardly wearable in public in western countries. At the opposite, Oud Assam has a great projection in the first hour, then it becomes moderate/good (not invading, but still a good sillage), making this one (slightly) more wearable. Longevity is top (still noticeable as a subtle skin scent after 12+ hrs) Just a word: beautiful. Unisex leaning masculine (oud) but I can see a strong woman wearing this. For colder nights, 30+. Edit: for fragheads on a budget, I strongly suggest to try Rasasi Dhanal Oudh Naswah, which shares close similarities with this one for 4 times less, and smells very bold and natural. (a 6 to 7 on my pungency scale)

It took me awhile to like this one. I'd gone through 2-3 samples before deciding I needed a full bottle. I finally took the plunge and bought a 50ml. To me, this was almost like wearing a fougère, kinda dirty/earthy barbershop fragrance. I was easy on the trigger at first as I found it quite powerful, doing so I think I was mostly getting the oudiness. Eventually I got into wearing several full sprays and that's where I started noticing all the fresh citrusy top notes; Oud Assam turned into one of my favorite perfumes. Recently I decided to buy another bottle as mine has run low enough to worry about running out; heaven forbid, lol. My first bottle is the silver cap release, my second ended up being the current black cap release which can be seen at Rania j's website. Black cap version is not as impressive as the older silver cap bottles. It's very noticeably lacking power, almost a cologne compared to the original; the stinky, barnyard, cheesy oud is almost not present but replaced by a more baby-powder note. I'm a bit let-down by this change. It's still a nice fragrance but not what it used to be. I've boxed-up my silver cap bottle and stored it away with other treasured bottles; I'll be trying to make due with the new black-cap bottle as of now. Hopefully the perfume matures/strengthens with some time, it's still a freshly opened bottle, sometimes things change after a few sprays. I hope.

#1748 in my “Tour de Fragrance” Got a spray sample of this from luckyscent.com. This is nice juice. But $185 for 50ml? Probably not that nice. Still, I can’t think of anything I have or have had that comes close to this in scent for less. I have dozens of oud and incense combos already that I won’t live long enough to use, so probably not a buyer for this, but this is an attractive scent I would wear in the office or on a date. Won’t offend anyone unless you overspray. Acceptable staying power on the skin, but intimate silage after the opening unless you’re generous. I actually prefer a more barnyard oud than the sweet flowery Indian stuff, but this is likable, just not my idea of “oudy." I ultimately decided I don’t mind the sweetness of the orange here, because it disappears quickly. I’d give it 20 minutes to let the sweet orange fade before writing it off as too sweet and citric, because initially it verges on Orange Slices Jelly Candy, but that’s pretty much died down in 10 minutes and just a hint remains by 20, at which point the floral oud is pretty much all you get. Samples are inexpensive and I definitely would not blind buy anything at this price. Good Luck and Good Hunting!

I was bracing myself for an overpowering experience, picking up on the negative comments of previous reviewers, but found myself rather surprised by my first sampling of Rania's work. This is no off-putting stinkfest, but an intriguing gateway into a woody and mentholic inner sanctum. The initial nose-wrinkling impact wears off after a while and I get a warm, grassy scent coming through. It reminds me of a Buddhist retreat on a working farm, where the walk from the farmhouse to the barn, - converted into a contemplative space, - exposed me to the ripest of farmyard smells, before the mind was cleansed by the calming effects of meditation. Oud Assam represents a good example of the transformative power of fragrance: from skank to Nirvana in 15 minutes!

On paper, it smells very classically funky oud. On skin, it becomes this rich, deep, slightly musky smoky wood. I guess that is also classically oud. It is a scent that you need to warm up to. It took me three weeks to finally understand and appreciate this beautifully aggresive scent. The bergamot and bitter orange really pop on my skin initially, but they quickly fade to give you the prized heart note of expensive and regal smelling oud. It very much needs skin to really appreciate it, which goes for many ouds. The beauty is in the warm vanillic woody dry down, which helps to cut the funk of oud into something more familiar and comforting. Cannot stop spraying this on my skin now.

I'm not normally a big fan of the "oud" fragrances and nor am I fan of this on first applying. I find it a strong and an unpleasant musty smell. Though upon dry down which happens extreamly quick, it falls back to reveal a mature masculine scent that sits very close to the skin. I don't detect any of the citrus top notes, but rather more of a creamy mix up of the middle and base notes. This is smooth, dark, mysterious and quietly suggests quality! Oud Assam to me is quite an unique and interesting fragrance, and something I would certainly wear at a formal occasion. I may just have to get this intriguing scent in a larger bottle.

This was surprising. I tested on a strip first and thought for sure that I would be disappointed or it may even be a scrubber. Totally the opposite. On skin, it was fantastic. The first 10 minutes there was a little funk. Afterwards, a wonderful citrus oud with spice. Lovely. I had about 6 hours out of it. The shocking part was my wife didn't turn her nose up to it. Of course, I shared it with her after the "funk". But shockingly, she said it was nice. 😮 it is pricey at $160 for 50ml. I normally shun that type of commitment unless it is an absolute need. This may become that over time. We shall see. Fantastic.

What a wonderful fragrance. I am very little experinced in oud fragrances and I cannot go into any detail really, I just am amazed by this quality. Rania said she is going to introduce her fragrances in smaller bottles later on, definitely will buy this. An interesting coincidence is that I have now learned to appreciate original M7 even more.

After testing this for quite some time I must reluctantly admit it ́s not oudi enough for me. I like it very, very much but it has become so that I like oud without so much other stuff added better. Still, it ́s extremely good if you want the oud a little more relaxed.

I was expecting a funky Oriental oud, but from my 1 ml sample, I mostly get the sweet orange, tonka bean, and olibanum. Definitely an East-meets-West style of oud. Very wearable, if a little too sweet for my taste.

Reminds me of Kilians Oud Incense a bit (which I prefer) and yes Piguets Oud too as others have voted. A slightly stanky fermented oud with incense, pepper and just a touch of sweetness from tonka. Pretty good.

I like the base notes where the oud is toned down, but the opening is too potent for me. On my skin, the orange amplifies the oud rather than softens it. A like but not a love.

Indian oud, no doubt about it. The fragrance is very nice, a bit too balsamic for my taste. Excellent longevity and very good projection.

How happy I would be and oh how I would have kept my bottle and not sent it away if Rania J allowed that very good oud accord to just... be itself. Here, in T. Habanero, and in Ambre Loup (maybe others I have not smelled), the house pairs it with a Terry's Dark Chocolate Orange accord that infiltrates the whole composition, giving a murky brown, stale, shabby professor's wool blazer smell. But I support those who vaunt it and who are lucky to love everything Rania's ouds have to offer. Because this house is generous and giving of real quality perfume and the true oud flavour that many seek. The blending, unfortunately, is just heartbreakingly out-of-sync with my tastes.

I found an excellent deal for a bottle of Oud Assam, and since i've seen it mentioned around the community more than a few times, i decided to add it to my collection. I have to say i'm disappointed. The first let down came from the cap. The cap is a very cheap plastic, with shiny paint job. Otherwise the bottle is nice and heavy glass. Most important though, the smell. Upon fisrt spray, i was delighted! This indeed was an excellent representation of real Indian Oud! The "barnyard" smell was poilshed nicely by the clever addition of orange. For a split second, something reminded of vintage M7. Not the oud, because M7 didn't NOT have this kind of oud. I think there was orange in M7 as well. The scent is absolutely gorgeous at this point. The trouble is, this totally fades into mediocrity. After 30 minutes, it shifts into a cheap incense bomb. Oud gone. Orange gone. Its like some off the shelf incense aromachemical was tossed in, and the perfumer said "yeah good enough" Annoyingly, it stuck to my skin for 10 hours so far, and while the projection isn't huge, i smell it constantly. I will experiment on clothing once more to see if i can stop it from morphing into the nasty cheap incense bomb.

Damn, this opens up smelling exactly like the barnyard, old-blue-cheese-like stuff that us westerners imagine the purest of oud would smell like - rotting and musty. If this were to continue, I wouldn't expect any europeans ever buying this scent. Luckily, after about 30 minutes this slowly morphs into something much smoother, woody and smoky but still with an oud vibe present and ends up almost like a soapy vetiver. I'm very impressed with the longevity of this one and also the oud smells very realistic, actually I'd be betting some money on the real stuff being in here. Nice to try an oud based scent that doens't lean on to the rose path (though I do detect a slight vanilla sometimes in this one), but if you're a newcomer to oud territory, you'd better try before you buy.

Hmm...my co-workers say the opening blast smells like buffalo dung. More precisely they say it smells like you pull some grass (that's the vetiver part) from the ground where the dung is and rub it between your hands. Well....they may be right since this is quite a 'real' smelling oud fragrance. It has confirmed my point of view though, that I prefer more blended and subtle oud fragrances, not the in-your-face ones. It dries down rather quickly to a general wood-smelling fragrance with some spices and vanilla. Projection is quite good, but it is rather short lived on my skin. The fragrance may give a realistic impression of oud, and real oud was probably used in the composition. But in the end it is not my cup of tea since I'd rather attract people than drive them away.

I ordered a sample of Oud Assam as I was interested in smelling a real, authentic oud just out of curiosity and so that I could try and appreciate it more in other scents. So far, I haven't had the nerve to spray this on anything other than paper because the opening is repulsive. I guess it's meant to be like that, I just don't find it appealing yet. I'm working up the courage... I can tell that when I do wear it, it will last for years on skin and won't come out of clothes, so I'm waiting for the right moment. So far, real oud to me smells like putrid blue cheese and bile/vomit. Not sure I understand the appeal.

Blue cheese, sweaty old cheese with plenty of tonka bean. This oud is not for me. I would however assume this settles rather nicely after far too many hours for me to have the patience to wait. Absolutely a no go on my skin. I can only recall one other perfume that I have tried having this strong cheesy smell, and it was one of Xerjoff ́s Oud Stars. Was it Mamluk perhaps? Not sure though. I don ́t get any barnyard smell, nor the slightly pissy note from some ouds. Only cheese. My respect to those of you who can pull this one off. I couldn ́t.

I had the same experience as aphexacid did. The opening is fantastic, and at first I thought I had found the holy grail of Oud fragrances. But pretty soon this fantastic scent fades away into something stale and boring. This fragrance is up like a tiger and down like a sheepskin.

A very harsh scent that smells like faeces. The oud is definitely there and the quality is also really good but hey would you go around knowing that you smell like faeces? Not really my cup of tea, sorry. Scent: 3/10 Projection: 7/10 Longevity: 7/10

Received sample....it's ok but does not compare with ouds from Areej le Dore or Bortnikoff. Mainstream oud....not that offensive but just meh. For a beginner into ouds this could be a start but the mix with vetiver drowns out the real oud to me.

This is quite similar to Ajmal’s ‘Alf Lail O Lail’ as it similarly starts with the expected pukie-poopie oud opening, but then the florals quickly come out to play. Nice, but I’d get the much cheaper Ajmal oil which is better.

Not for me! The intense oud and orange together hit my nose like bile (though, I enjoy the softening effect of the musk and olibanum on the dry down).

Be warned, Westerners! This has all the trapping of proper, authentic oud, even down to the semi-cheesy syoofi opening. It’s either a clever reconstruction of oud's gnarlier characteristics, or there’s a hefty dose of the real stuff in it. In other words, this might wrinkle the noses of people who only know the uber-friendly Westernized ouds that are far more tame and, well, non-oudy. But with that said, it’s not too challenging an oud when placed in the context of the whole blend. Upfront, it’s mainly the pungent focus note flanked by some coniferous green items on one side, and some sparkling citrus on the other. Yet it all works together quite nicely and I suspect you’d be pushed to pick out the individual materials themselves. There is a prominent vetiver than gives the blend a slightly old-school masculine feel, but it’s rendered warmer through the presence of some spice notes, shading the scent in a way that brings balance. Thirty minutes or so in and much of the opening oud drops away, leaving behind the more coniferous notes, and spinning the scent further toward a familiar, masculine blend. It ends up as a bit of a glum mossy base, but it’s probably a good choice for this scent given its forest-floor leanings. Although I do like real oud scents (the stinkier the better), I struggle when oud is merged with green foresty notes (Piguet’s Oud is one of the worst things I’ve ver smelled)—plus, I have an aversion to anything with a formal feel to it. Oud Assam is extremely polished and refined to the point where it slips out of my personal comfort zone. It performs beautifully, and the form itself is thoughtful, but I picture it being worn by one of those middle-aged models you see in suit advertisements in magazines—big, toothy grin, briefcase, looking at a watch. It’s just not me at all. I like my real oud raunchy and my fake Western oud screechy, and this is tailored and upscale from top to bottom. I see it as a bridge scent—one that pushes at the edges of mainstream, but would be well suited for the Western wearer to break into the territory of the real thing. Very nicely put together, but it’s not quite right for me.

Oud Assam from the French House Rania J of Niche Perfumery is a perfume 'Oud Amber Spicy Woody Smoky. Oud Assam was launched in 2013 and the perfumer behind this fragrance is Rania Jouaneh of Arab origin based in Paris and founder of the brand, described as an innovator and creator of modern and sophisticated eco-perfumes. Rania's passion for fragrances and perfumes stems from her childhood in the Middle East and North Africa, where she was surrounded by the scents of jasmine, spice markets, souks, bazaars and African markets. Right at the exit, the opulent 'Oud 'Assam, the main star of this creation, wonderfully shows up with its sweet/corral/animalic facet mixed with slightly citrus and sweet oranges. Incense evokes and reinforces ancestry side by side with the mythical Indian 'Oud, bringing the smoky oriental tradition. Its woody and spicy base complete the typical Middle Eastern character. A great value for money for a natural oud perfume, which does not contain an exceptional oil but of a certain quality for what it is charged (average quality). After this beginning and heart of the fragrance arrives Tonka reverberating a vanilla vibration, which bridges the gap with the oranges there in the opening, creating an ambery accord with a delicious background and with musk balancing this sweetness. The perfume has a certain level of sophistication, it is elegant, arabesque, smoky; a Big YES for lovers of 'Oud Natural, a Big NO for those who turn up their noses, and a Maybe or Beware for curious beginners. It's not bombastic, but it performs very well.