The Oud

I got a 10 mL sample of this and have been testing it the last 2 days. So far this and Essence Rare are my favourites of the line and I have tried them all now. I liked 1 but the leather note was too strong for me and it came across to me as super masculine as a result. This one is very different. It opens with some short lived citrus notes and it doesn't take long before rose, patchouli and clove are evident with a light touch of something leathery, but light and more like suede in the background. The oud accord is detectable but it is a cleaner out like you find in FdB Parisian. Eventually clove and saffron peak through. There is also something slightly smoky but also sweet in the base, which makes the rose warm and inviting rather than aggressive or prickly. It has a dark sexy mesmerising dry down to die for. I would compare it to Kilian Rose Oud which has a lot of similar notes and sexiness/wearability, mixed with Portrait of a Lady because of the rose patchouli combo. Edit: @updog - I agree that 4 is the best...I just bought it last night as my first PdV after getting a sample just a few days ago. It is totally unique and can't be compared to much else on the market, while many of the others have some overlap with other fragrances, such as 9, which I also got a sample of a few days ago; it is like Uden, but with worse performance. Still quite nice, though.

wow, as usual roja showing a masterful blend. Very eastern, very good

My one of the best in the line Very nice composition

If you like oud fragrances and you like roja, this one is definitely worth a blind buy. @acorn, 4 is possibly the best one. I also haven’t sampled 9.

Not my cup of tea really. It's like Rojas UAE with slightly more florals. DM me for swap.