Crop 2019

Just received a bottle yesterday, and it's beautiful (the fragrance and the bottle). Each year The House of Oud releases an annual fragrance in their “Crop” collection, which contains genuine Oud, and is mixed with other natural ingredients. Each Crop year is unique in its own way, with no two years alike. I own all releases from all the Crop years, and they are all stunning in my opinion, each in a different way. The oud in these Crop fragrances is definitely the real stuff, no synthetic “oud accords” going on here. Crop 2016 focused on Smoky Kalimantan Oud mixed with fresh mint and softened by tea notes. They all harmonize to create he overall vibe of girl scout thin mint cookies with a powerful yet subtle smoky oudiness that deepens all the notes. No fecal/barnyard going on here. Absolutely wonderful and totally unique. If you don’t have access to girl scout thin mints, there’s this shampoo by the brand OGX called Tea Tree and Mint, which is very close to the smell, just add the smoky oud. Weird I know, but I think it’s accurate. Crop 2017 is a focus on major notes of anise, resins and more smoky oud. The oud profile is very similar to the Crop 2016 release. It’s a mix of natural black licorice (the high quality root stuff, not the cheap candy bag stuff) mixed with rich oriental resins, combined with the smoky depth of natural oud that lends a special power to the composition. I also get a sweet frankincense accord, mixed with what I can only described as “evergreen forest floor”. This stuff smells extremely natural in terms of the forest floor, you get a sense of woody airiness, and a bit of musty wood from the fallen trees surrounding. Absolutely no “pine-sol” notes here, nothing synthetic. Crop 2018, this one is the closest to pure oud oil, and is an absolute monster. This one is for serious oud fans only (go read my review on the Crop 2018 page). The opening of this fragrance especially is not for western noses, but once that dissipates in about 1 hour, the rest of the journey is just stunning, almost spiritual in nature. I can see why people say oud is addictive when smelling this, there’s a natural complex woody depth that is completely missing from all the synthetic oud fragrances on the market today. Longevity and projection on this one are massive, go easy on the trigger with this one. Definitely the most "oudy" and my absolute favorite of all the annual Crop releases. Crop 2019.....To be frank, I was nervous purchasing this, but I'm quickly learning that the Crop collection does not disappoint! I initially didn’t see how Oud and Coconut would work. The thing I was missing though is, that Crop 2019 has a genuine aroma of coconut water NOT coconut. I repeat, coconut WATER....no suntan lotion beach vibes here, no sweetness. At all. It is mixed with a very gently smoky woody oud, with a tiny hint of dried fruit accord, and the most prominent note of a fresh mentholated/camphorous accord with a very smooth leather base. Just the slightest hint of powderiness from the coconut milk but not really powder like your thinking, more of a very very very faint shadow of the smell of natural green coconut flesh (again, unsweeneted). Going back to the weird comparisons with stuff you may have smelled, go pour yourself a glass of Vita Coco coconut water (unsweetened), and then go to your local drug store and purchase a stick of Chapstick Medicated (specifically this type). Smell them together, mentally subtract some sweetness from the Chapstick, and add a smooth leather and smoky accord, and there you have it. Sounds weird, but actually smells meditative and again, spiritual. All these minty/camphorous/smoky/leathery facets come directly from the Oud, and the coconut water complements it and provides a lightness and airiness to the composition. There is absolutely zero fecal/barnyard smell here, no funkiness here whatsoever. I was also a bit underwhelmed hearing that this fragrance is just 5% perfume concentrate...at this price, it had still better last! But here’s the thing with genuine oud.....just a little bit goes a VERY long way. While the projection is not very strong the longevity is actually excellent, and as is the case with natural oud fragrances, wafts in and out of your consciousness but can be detected by everyone around you. Unlike Crop 2018, which is definitely for hardcore Oud fans only, this one will not offend anyone (even "Western" noses). This fragrance speaks quietly, it doesn’t shout, but it’s there 10 hours later on skin, and the next day on clothes. If I had to pick a fragrance it's most similar to that I know of, it would be in the general ballpark of Amouage Memoir Man, but more subtle, less green, airier, and more natural smelling even plus leathery facets. I highly recommend reading Sergey Borisov’s article on Fragrantica where he describes this fragrance, I think he’s spot on in his description. All in all, I’m thrilled with this purchase, and can’t wait to see what Crop 2020 will bring. Stay safe everyone.

Not only is the bottle a work of art as per usual with THoO, this scent is incredible. I've never smelled anything quite like it - the oud is potently woody and smoky with essentially no animalic element to it at all. This combines with the coconut which is not a sweetened beachy, sunscreen-y coconut but rather a totally unsweetened powdery essence of coconut smell. Over the top of all that is something imparting a light mentholated smell without going full mint leaf - just enough to tingle the nose ever so slightly. All of this together creates a natural oud scent that is perfect for the hotter months - it's bracing and has a freshness to it that will keep it from being cloying in the heat even despite its potency and lasting power. Amazing stuff. I received my bottle sealed in 2024 and was unsure if I should even open it given the scarcity but I'm very glad I did.

Can someone leave a review please, I’d like to know why this has such low ratings (I’ve never smelt it, it’s just the lowest rated frag I’ve seen on this site).