UAE Oud – Long Live My Country

Dark. Animalic. Potent. This stuff is the real deal! Sure, it's another Rose/Oud fragrance, but it's done at such a high scale of quality it makes many of the others pale in comparison. The alcohol by volume on this line is only 67%, so you're getting a higher concentration of essential oils, making this last forever and a day (correction: in my haste, I forgot Taif Al Emarat claims to use all-natural ingredients; instead of alcohol, they use sugar cane and water). Unlike many other Rose/Oud-based fragrances, this one goes through quite a bit of slow development, something I personally tend to really appreciate in the higher-end lux department that shows real artistry. The rose here is present but never fully takes over the stage, which is shared with Cambodian Oud and Musk as the leading players. As it develops over time, the amber base comes into play and adds just a bit of a powdery and resinous sweetness to it (edit: and I'm not so sure it's amber. After many wearings and struggling to make sense of what I'm smelling vs. what I'm reading as notes, I'm convinced it's ambergris, not amber, as it has a nice, addictive salt-tinged marine-like accord.) Top-shelf stuff for sure, as is the nicely lacquered wooden box it comes in - this has me anxious to try others from the same GCC line from Taif Al Emarat.

the quality is amazing for the price, I would say same or even better than boadicea but a bit less than the Night by frederic Malle mostly because of the evolution which is more linear. Insane performances and smell 10/10 If you want a niche take of ombre nomade it’s for you

A real high-quality oud fragrance, made with great art, powerful and causing great pleasure, for oud lovers!!!

I am skeptical and yet drawn towards this fragrance. Should I do a blind buy??

I've never had nebulous from BTV or FM the Night. I understand them to be a touch animalic rose/ouds.That is indeed what you get here at least in the opening. I like it. I don't wear animalic ouds every day but I have some in my collection. Since I've never had the above, I can only reference what I have had. For me this one opens up like Ombre Nomad in that dark rose/oud way. Its not quite as biting as the birch tar experience with Ombre. The other difference is UAE Oud and has a touch of animalic oud at the opening. It starts off animalic like many real ouds do and then settles into that dark rose/oud with a hint of amber or perhaps sandalwood (Year of Zayed has a similar amber/sandlewood in its base). The initial animialic touch fades in less than 30 minutes. As you may know, Ombre Nomad doesn't use real oud but rather its an accord. If they did then it would I would imagine it too would have that initial animialic touch. I don't become nose blind to this one but my sense of smell does dull. If I leave an room and return it; it hits me. Its a room filler just like Ombre Nomad. In summary, UAE is a dark rose/oud with what I assume is real oud that has an initial animialic touch that settles into a softer birch tar rose/oud much like Ombre Nomad. Taif touts itself a selling more natural fragrances. Whether true or not, I've heard Ombre Nomad uses Phthalates. In taking Taif al Emerat at their word about using more natural ingredients and the real oud that does create a differentiator if those sorts of things appeal to you.