Zafar

I purchased the Oud Stars Discovery Set, and was impressed with all 6 entries. I cannot understand how most of the fragrances included have such low ratings and bad reviews. As a few others in the collection are similar enough to fragrances I already own, I went with Zafar as the full-bottle choice. I see a lot of the typical "barnyard" oud comparisons, and in the first few minutes, Zafar does present some of that. It has a rich, damp, woody smell. You can certainly detect some hay, some fecal elements, again a damp barn of old, dilapidated wood from a bygone era, kept in check only by the smokiness of the incense, pepper, and a splash of cedar. But 20 minutes in, this is a woody fragrance of pure class. The reason I bought it is the cedar. Growing up, I encountered a few old clothing trunks. They were in rough shape, but closer to their time of creation they look to have been top shelf. The lids were domed, the inside of the lid lined with laid-in artistic prints of socialites and aristocrats from many generations ago, enjoying the luxury they were fortunate enough to be ensconced in. The walls of the trunk were constructed of cedar planks to protect the clothing inside from moths, a problem most of us have not experienced in modern times. The oils contained in the cedar may have been for that specific purpose, but that did not mean their oils could not instill bliss every time a garment was retrieved from the trunk. What does Zafar bring to the table in that regard? The cedar is strong, fresh, and neverending. The 200-year-old planks in the trunk have long lost the bite and impact of fresh cedar, but walking through a lumber yard with, yet again, damp, fresh bundles of cedar planks can recreate this quite well. And so can Zafar. But Zafar's inclusion of high-quality oud to the trunk walls may very well be a recreation of what it was like to be an aristocrat that adorned the meticulously-crafted pinnacles of those sartorial fortresses. A heavenly scent.

Zafar will forever be the scent of summer 2018. Some fragrances have the potential to mark you with their character in such a way that you become aware that your existence has been in some way shaped by their encounter. Zafar is one such fragrance to me. Working in Selfridges over the summer, opposite the Xerjoff counter, I spent most of my breaks exploring their line, but I always found myself coming back to Zafar. Zafar, meaning "victory" in Arabic, is a triumph in Oud. Every accord of this perfume is built in such a way as to highlight the complexity of real Oud, rather than take away from or simplify this material as often frustratingly occurs (especially in the rare cases where a natural quality of Oud is employed)! In the opening, Zafar greets your nose with a rich sour accord with hints of green hazelnuts, black olives (castoreum) and a cow manure-real oud. Personally I find this moment exceptionally beautiful and to my own surprise, utterly mouth-watering! Soon the incense and black pepper rise with both natural and synthetic qualities of cedarwood and vetiver along with the warm and enveloping cashmeran. The effect is powerful, animalic, triumphant, with the scent of Oud at the forefront from top to drydown - each and every other material serves the purpose of framing the Oud. Surprisingly, for such an impactful opening, Zafar settles very quickly on skin and is but a faint memory after the 6 hour mark, but I find this beautiful and reassuring - how such a presence can successfully avoid becoming obnoxious, this is a lesson! I would add that any technical approach to increasing "performance" would have diluted the art of this perfume. This perfume opened my eyes to the potential of Oud and given me the fervent desire to explore the language and culture of Middle Eastern perfumery. I now understand how a whole scent culture can revolve around one raw material. Chapeau bas to Laura Santander: truly sensational!

Black pepper is the dominant note here. It was not what I expected, but I was looking for a very spicy/ peppery fragrance a while ago. This is it for me. More recently I was looking to get a few genuine Oud fragrances. I heard Zafar was the oudiest of the Xerjoffs. I thought the oud would be more barn yard ish, like the oud in my Diptyque Oud Palao. But no, this is more the band-aid, medicinal oud. What I get is oud, lots of black pepper, cedar, some musk, and gladly a fruity, tart apple. It really needed the tart apple, to make it more pleasantly aromatic. The oud, and the black pepper make for a harsh, burning accord. After the harsh opening settles into the mid, the Oud becomes less harsh, and more barn-yardish, poopy. Zafar is very much like a favorite fragrance, Comme de Garson "Wonderwood". It is a dry woody, peppery fragrance with a similar oud note. This is Wonderwood, with the Oud note amped up, as the dominant woody note, which I like a lot. It projects strongly, and is very spicy and woody. The oud in Zafar smells just like in Wonderwood, which uses synthetic oud. So one knock I heard about Xerjoffs in general, their fragrances are very synthetic. I have my doubts about this being a genuine Oud. It also has a strong Iso E Súper, aroma chemical, like in Encre Noire. I ordered 2 Bortnikov ouds, Maximus and Lao Oud samples. I heard they have better quality barn-yard ouds like in Oud Palao. They also sell from the Bortnikoff web site, their 10 ml decant sprays for $90. Very reasonable. Rating: 7.5/10 God bless. John 3:16

Dear Xerjoff, I think my Zafar is BROKEN! That is all..... I love a scent challenge. I made this purchase soley because of the reputation it has acquired as being one of the most offensive fragrances created. Maybe it's not the Zafar that's broken, but my own nose. Where's the cow patty? Where's the Band-OUD? I want my own blue cheese experience! For me, it opens sharply with pepper, apple, oud and musk. Once it settles after a few minutes, it becomes an apple and (quality)OUD scent. I'd say the first hour or two are the most comforting for me. Warm... Animalic.... Slightly smokey..... Outdoorsy and organic...... WAIT A MINUTE! OK, I can actually understand the comparisons but my mind only sees(smells) it when I think about it. After a few hours, it settles to OUD mainly with some fresh apple and incense thrown in for good measure. There's also something faintly powdery trying to poke through when I put my nose to my skin but there's still no mistaking that this is an OUD fragrance... PURE HEAVEN! Will I wear Zafar out? Maybe not... I'm sure one day I'll be in one of those moods to have some fun at the expense of others with this assault on mainstream olfactory pleasures. To any Zafar "neigh"sayers, I ask that you please direct me to the farm or animal(or pile) you ran into that smelled like this so I can snuggle it closely. ***FYI...One of my all time favorite fragrances is the similarly poo-compared LM Parfums Hard Leather.... Hmmmm. Oh HUSH!! :-)

I consider myself somewhat a hardcore oud lover, the skankier, dirtier the better actually. I see oud and all logic just flies out the window so naturally I couldn't help but blind buy this fragrance due to the notoriously barnyard-y oud and while I did get what I came for, it's something else that made me stay. Let me preface this by saying Zafar is not an oud fragrance in the traditional sense. Although I do get a deliciously cheesy oud bearing hay-like and fecal qualities upon application, musk is the star player after the scent has reached its drydown - a big, fluffy powdery musk that I can never ever get enough of! Zafar is how I imagine if you take the powdery woody musk in classic men's woody aromatics, eliminate all the herbal and floral elements, add Chris Maurice's signature cheesy oud touch and then mix them altogether with a polished yet antiquated smelling cedar note. The end result is a sumptous and mellifluous woody oriental that feels beguiling rather than formulaic. While it does not project as far as the other ones in the Oud Stars line, nor does it leave as noticeable a sillage, it easily lasts a whole day on skin. A big win in my book!

Arabic for “Victory”, the simplest way to describe Zafar by Xerjoff would be to say that it smells exactly like walking into a centuries old temple in the heart of a Middle Eastern city, capturing the scent of ancient wood benches and dusty book pages that have long absorbed the spiritual aromas of burning oud wood and omani incense. The fragrance opens on a precious barnyard oud that feel powerful enough to carry the weight of the earth, conquering the infamous blue cheese animalic tone that some had referred to when describing the smell of pure oud, I personally find this portion of the development quite fascinating, but for those who tend to shy away from the rugged nature of this multifaceted material, know that once passed the commanding introduction, a victorious dry down awaits for you, as the heart of Zafar gets penetrated by a peppery green apple accord spinning around soft floral nuances that round the edges of the beast as the animalic facets of the oud begin to fade away. The ending result, a memorable Oud Star.

If you do not like middle eastern Oud fragrances then pass this up and dont waste your time because with a name like Zafar you know the oud is strong. I on the other hand I am in love with oud fragrances from the Middle East and in fact my signature scent is an oud fragrance By Frederick Malle called "The Moon". Anyway Zafar's ingredients are top notch with a lot of naturals. The Oud smells genuine and non synthetic and it aligns itself with the incense, rose, musk, pepper, cedar and flowers. That note package is often found in middle eastern fragrances because they create a familiar and loved scent. On a final note this contains Agarwood which is the most westernized and pleasant of the Ouds. If you want to smell what barnyard is like go smell some Hindi (Indian) oud. Try Oud Maktum Sawalef , That will set your nose straight. I am a fan but I do not have a full sized bottle just a sample. If you tried and hate this one and want to trade or sell yours send me a message.

Zafar may be considered a gateway drug to the hard stuff. It has the same earthy, fecal richness of an unadulterated Indian oud, but it is balanced skilfully with complementary notes of musk and pepper. There are two main phases to Zafar, each enjoyable in its own right. The opening twenty minutes is an intoxicatingly pleasant effect of sweet, moist rotten wood such as you might associate with the earthy decomposition of a rainforest tree stump. One can easily detect animalic notes of Indian oud, musk, and civet, along with faint peppery and fruity notes. Gradually Cambodian oud emerges and strikes an accord with the musk and pepper to achieve the dry down, which is an immaculately smooth, dry, and slightly powdery antique wood. This lasts four to six hours with modest projection. I have received several compliments on Zafar. It is not the monster of legend but a scent of refinement. Scent: 10/10 Originality: 6/10 Sillage: arm’s length Longevity: 4-6 hours

An incredibly changeable fragrance! It opens earthy-woody with some animalic notes. One can smell real oud in a remarkable concentration. Many can perceive this animalic note as too strong. But it’s definitely too early to form an opinion since this is not the essence of the fragrance. After approximately half an hour this rampaging oud begins to settle down, and one can smell some fresh notes. Just at this time fine woods and incense begins to appear and getting stronger over time. Finally, vetiver takes over. The development proceeds smoothly and fluently (the characteristic of all Xerjoffs imo). When you are a fan of oud, you will truly enjoy this remarkable development! Highly recommended in my opinion!

Zafar opens up on my skin with a beautiful sweet peppery-apple flowery accord while the Oud and Cedar are sending subtle nice waves who’s trying to take the command but the fresh accords are starting to blend beautifully with the base creating one of the best fragrance that Xerjoff has to offer. I am really shocked about the ratings. If you don’t understand Oud or you are a beginner, you are not going to understand this fragrance so this one will not be for you. Those with years of sniffing Oud or Oriental perfumes will find Zafar being a lightweight beautiful summer fragrance. I really love Zafar and many other Xerjoff’s Oud stars. Enjoy! This is Beautiful stuff!

I purchased and reviewed this last Winter. My smell wasn't back yet from covid. So I appreciated the strong projection. Now my smell is almost back, and I'm really liking this alot. I always wanted to have a great pepper fragrance. The black pepper is great here, as it's balanced with the green apple freshness. This reminds me of Wonder Wood fragrance. Oud, woods and very spicy. But this is so much nicer. The fresh apple brightens it up. The floral are in the background, but just smooth out the otherwise strong medicinal Oud and pepper. This is crisp enough to wear in warmer weather, except hot Summer perhaps not.

Smoky Oud perfection with an unfairly notorious reputation . This amazing combination of oud and pepper sweetened by a lovely green apple note is something that just has to be experienced to be believed. The Laotian Oud makes for a slightly indolent opening which very quickly fades away to reveal the gorgeous middle eastern tapestry that reveals the above mentioned pepper, green apple and other slight notes such as vetiver, rose, neroli, and incense. With the right patience, it must be experienced it in its full glory from its striking smoky slight skanky opening to peppery middle to its sweet drydown. Amazing!

this is the elite in the plethora of 'ouds' out there. deep DEEP wood that only sweetens slightly with time on skin, then the (frank?)incense mingles so beautifully and convincingly. this is a heavy hitter that suddenly bails on the party about four hours; it literally just disappears, whicis strange from such an assertive scent. expensive but also trés authentic, which i wouldn't exactly say about some other in the uber-posh 'ouds' (you know who you are :) the packaging is xerjoff rococo. wonderful juice; if you can afford it. thankfully i got this as a gift from avant garde perfumista friend - sweet!

Unadulterated Indian Oud. Smells like zoo, ranch with a touch of green-est. Not for newcomers but can absolutely be an entry perfume for hobbyists that are exploring oud scents. Would give it a 7/10 simply because there are other perfumes that smells somewhat similar, and the opening to its drydown wasn't too non-linear for me. Sillage is moderate and longevity is pretty good!

This has a strong Oud right from the start. I was hesitant in purchasing at first but after browsing around for a bit (half hour) it turned into a beautiful musky wood with a little sweetness to it and a faint powder note and all this mixes in wonderfully. Purchased : Feb/2022

God save us all from the Zafar's opening. The same as with Dahn Oudh Al Shams Ajmal or Banat ... raw oud, horse stable as some would say. It needed some time to settle and then ... f suprise! Very nice,almost elegant scent. Alpha men OO of steel needed to pull this one out.

the initial blast of skanky oud assaults your nostrils at first, then the most incredible spicy/balmy saffron/rose/oud combo guides you into bliss, nice and expensive!

Ouverture basse cour pommes après c’est le vetiver et le cèdre qui prennent le relais, très agréable à porter il est unique je n’ai jamais senti une telle odeur

Really good woody Oud bottle. I really like it. Like it says up top fresh spicy, oudy and woodsy. I agree!

This is the boss in Xerjoff gang 🥰

EN I discovered this company at the fair Fragranze 2012 in Florence Italy. It wasn't easy to find then the store that sells fragrances to the regular customer like me, but in the end I was able to buy the whole line from the site ausliebezumduft.de I must say that there is a system to buy perfumes Xerjoff paying the relatively low price (the normal price of the bottle of 50 ml is up to US$ 260-325). Since the Shooting Stars line and the Oud Stars line are the masterpieces of artistic perfumery, it is worth to buy the Shooting Stars - Discovery Sets - Part One and Part Two and Oud Stars Collection - Discovery Set that cost US$ 208 for each of the first two sets and US$ 254 for the Oud collection set. Of course there are the Discovery Sets for XJ17/17 Collection (US$ 331) and XJ Casamorati 1888 Vintage Collection (US$ 182), but personaly I do not like the last two lines, so I didn't order them. In each set there are 6 fragrances of 15ml each and therefore the price for a volume of 50 ml drops to US$116 for Shooting Stars collection and to US$142 for Oud Stars collection instead of USD$ 260 and US$ 325 for full version bottles. IT Ho scoperto questa casa di profumi alla fiera Fragranze 2012 a Firenze. Non era poi facile di trovare il negozio che vendesse i profumi ad un mortale come me, ma alla fine sono riuscito ad acquistare tutta la linea dal sito ausliebezumduft.de Devo dire che c'è un sistema per comprare i profumi di Xerjoff al prezzo relativamente molto basso (il prezzo normale della bottiglietta di 50 ml arriva a circa €200-250). Visto che tutta la linea Shooting Stars e la linea Oud Stars sono i capolavori della profumeria artistica, vale la pena a comprare il Shooting Stars - Discovery Sets - Part One and Part Two e Oud Stars Collection - Discovery Set che costano €160 per ciascuno dei primi due e €195 per la collezione Oud. Ovviamente esistono anche i Discovery Sets per XJ17/17 Collection (€255) e per XJ Casamorati 1888 Vintage Collection (€140), ma quest'ultimi a me non piacciono. Nel ciascun set ci sono 6 profumi nelle bottigliette di 15ml e quindi il prezzo per un volume di 50ml crolla a €89 per Shooting Stars collection e €109 per Oud Stars invece di €200 per Shooting Stars e di €250 per Oud Stars.

Listen. This isn't the most massive appealing fragrance in the world. I'm going to be honest and say at first sniff my brain went to the barnyard and stayed there overnight. I don't think this is a fragrance a woman is going to wear to attract a man. However! I can see this on a very confident, alpha male. In fact, I personally think it would be very attractive. After the barnyard goes away, which takes about 5 to 10 minutes, there is something quite nice about it. Still very masculine, almost sexual. Strong pepper and strong musk elements. Perhaps even a leather jacket aspect mixing with the extremely forward oud. This is a fragrance that does not enhance your masculinity, but it doesn't diminish it either. Almost strips you of your outer layer. And there is a certain attractiveness factor about that. This is for a man who is not afraid to expose himself authentically. There is no fluff going on here. But there is still style! And there is still quality. The more I am describing this, the more I want this person to be real. I have this on my hand as I am writing this, and every time I smell it, I double down on this idea of a quiet confidence. From all different aspects of the world, there there is a certain type as a certain quality of man that permeates every society. One with fire in their eyes, but completely controlled in their demeanor. This fragrance was created for him.

I saw this had a bit of a reputation so I had to try it out, and to my suprise for my admittedly untrained nose when it comes to real oud this isn't very stanky as the reputation suggests at all imho, it's actually a very nice very peppery, woody and clean musky fragrance. Yes ok there is some mild cheese aspects at first but I found this melted into the other notes fairly quickly. So either the more recent batches don't have much oud, or I am more tolerant to the barnyard elements than I thought I would be. There are some mild (mainly white) florals and that apple accord in the mix to give it a bit of an airy quality over that deep spiciness, but it is mainly a masculine spicy fragrance. Longevity could be better in my opinion, but not bad.

I read the reviews after blind buying it is dry somewhat sour not very loud or powerful dry old smelling. Its drydown to a skin scent I was sad I spent money on it but I showed it to my father and said no one would wear this he said let me smell it and he said he didn't think it was that bad I gave it to him as a gift he said he will wear it to church so that made me feel better about spending the money

It is unique I'll say, but still i wont buy full bottle of this. Absolutely not for the masses as they might tell you this fragrance smells like not-so-fresh cow dung-ish. Don't wear this during high heat. Definitely not for summer.

Not my favourite. I'm not keen on the combination of oud and vetiver, it comes off a bit pickley, especially with the apple. I'm a fan of animal skank but this is bin-juice skank, and at best I feel like I'm wearing spiced chutney.

Zafar's opening is quite challenging. There is a definite whiff of stable - mix of manure and straw. As it starts to evolve, the barnyard retreats and turns into a strong cheesy odor. This evolves further into the final scent, overall taking about an hour. To me, it ended up as a very dry woody scent probably a combo of the oud, cedar and vetiver. Performance was quite good. The reason for my dislike is not that first hour. To be honest, the barnyard and cheese were not that bad or overpowering. The reason I dislike it is that the final woody scent is really nothing special. The destination isn't worth the journey. If I want a dry, woody scent I could just as well go with Encre Noire or EN Extreme. Both of those have more to offer in the drydown than Zafar, except for performance.

I just bought a sample of this. I DID read the review of Radeque beforehand. However, I have read many reviews of other fragrances where people state that it smells of feces or barnyardish. All those times I did not agree, well, maybe sometimes it was a little bit present (e.g. Harrods Oud by Bond no 9), but not overwhelming. Now, for Zafar, I do agree with Radeque's review. Completely. This is just putting your head in a pile of manure. I have never smelled something like this. Quite well done, but unwearable. 7,5/10 (quality) 2/10 (wearibility)

I have this one as well and would have to agree again with Jack like I did with Mamluck.I got a full bottle of this and appreciate it more 30min.-1 hour after applied. I would deffinitely apply this 30-60 min. before going out in public.lol

Jeeeeez Louise this is pure cheese!! I had to sample this out of curiosity, and since I’m relatively new to the more hardcore offerings of oud this hit me like a ton of bricks. Rather than moderating and rounding out the skankiness of oud like many perfumers do in an attempt to make it more pleasing to the masses, Chris Maurice has done quite the opposite with Zafar, and kudos to him for such a bold creation. This is a work of art. The black pepper ignites this already very skanky oud and a very green, sour apple feels as though it accentuates the fermented quality of real oud, of which there seems to be a fair amount in here. Somehow, beneath one of the most challenging openings I think I’ve ever experienced is a very crisp, yet damp, earthy cedar which I find to be exquisitely realistic and makes me imagine a densely rich rainforest. If the rose and a slightly fruitier apple were more present I might find this wearable but as it stands Zafar, to me, is a scent to be enjoyed only by those who truly appreciate the rawness of real oud, though I’m grateful to have been taken on such a journey.

My fellow reviewer Jack Hunter was so right about this one. Talk about a "bumpy ride"- this is a roller coaster ride through the farm I think. This begins with a cheesy note and then goes right to the barnyard with a totally fecal smell. Sorry, folks, but that's what it is. I grew up on a farm and I know that smell-this one is somewhere between horse and sheep manure. It lasts for almost 15 minutes, then the juice smells like maybe flowers growing in the manure, and then like rotten fruit left in the garbage too long. I was regretting even the $4.00 I had paid for my tiny decant but decided to let it air for over an hour and see what the final drydown was like. Finally after much patience, a pleasant oud, woody fragrance emerges, really smelling like fresh cut wood. To my utter amazement it was nice. This is definitely a man's fragrance, but if any of you guys decide to wear this, please warn your significant other that this one will take a while before it smells good. Otherwise they are likely to chuck that expensive bottle right in the trash!

Not sure if it’s been reformulated, but my new bottle (purchased this year BATCH 03521N) smells entirely of Casmeran musk. Any slight floral nuances in the opening, are quickly overtaken by this one material. I find it to be incredibly poorly blended. The “barnyardy” notes that others have written about are here slightly, but not in an animalic manure way (which I like), it’s all just the very sweet, spicy and musky effect from the cashmeran. That said, it doesn’t smell bad, but I feel entirely duped that xerjoff, with its reputation for using high quality materials, have the audacity to charge over $500 bucks for a 100ml bottle of this, when Casmeran musk (for the raw material) costs about 20 bucks for 100ml. You can make a dozen fragrances for 20 bucks and smell exactly the same after a minute and a half. Brutal. Jovoy Private Label and Atelier Des Ors Larmes du desert blend Casmeran beautifully and uniquely for less than half the price. Brutal disappointment.

This is surely the most challenging delivery among the Oud Stars series. A blast of smoky agarwood opens this terrific composition bringing to mind of creamy bluecheese and animalic secrections. The initial accord is everything but pretty but it's a tremendously realistic interpretation of real oud. It's an assault to your senses in the meaning that unless you're completely aware of what you're just about to smell, you'll probably be disgusted. The fragrance clams down in a couple of hours turning into an intensely woody base of incredible depth. Vetiver and peppery hints reinforce the general severity serving as a discreet support to let the real star shine in all its complexity! A no-compromise oud with little more added. Something that will make the happiness of the most daring perfumistos out there. Great stuff but definitely not for everybody. Rating: 8/10

Strap yourself in and prepare for a bumpy ride.lol...... This opens with a strong smell of cheese in a barnyard with a peppery apple freshness. This takes at least thirty minutes to calm down into something acceptable and when it does a incense accord comes to the forefront with that apple freshness. Then woods and some florals start to come through the peppery incense apple freshness. In the drydown the woods & vetiver start to dominate over the incense accord. Are you still with me.lol Well this is imo definitely one for the Oud connoisseur as I cannot see many people getting past the first half hour. The ingredients are top notch as you would expect from Xerjoff and this does have real Oud in all its skanky glory. lol If you can get past the first half hour or so it does become moore wearable as a woody incense fragrance but this one is just not to my taste.

An amazing fragrance when you first put it on. YES I got the cheese note but it doesn't last for long and I like my fragrances skanky anyway...just like my women :) This is definitely a heavy hitter of Oud scents and for those that wear the note well. If you like the idea of playing around with a few oud scents then I don't think this one is for you. If you are well experienced with oud and like to rock the eastern vibe thing this is great. Manly and Exotic without a doubt. UNFORTUNATELY even at this price point there are LONGEVITY issues. " Say it ain't so sam....but unfortunately it is" Marvelous opening then (drum roll please) like most fragrances today is doesn't develop and it falls off the cliff in an instant...roughly 1 hour later I smell a powdery residue on my arm. Buy something else besides this.

What to say about this fragrance.. ok, so after reading some reviews I didn't know what I'd get but I was extremely intrigued. At first I get that cheesy note but I'd liken it more to a soured milk more than cheese which is a little funky but instead of repulsion I'm drawn deeper to see what else is there, the top note fades rather quickly 10 minutes or so and is all but gone in about 30 leaving behind a unique creamy woodiness that has nice longevity which I get wafts of throughout the day (also its the middle of summer). I gotta say, I thought I was getting to know oud but it's kind of like I walked in on it eating a cheesecake in a dark closet. I'd say this fragrance is quite niche and maybe not everyone would get it, but there's something about it..

Zafar is the king of the kinkiest oud fragrances. Zafar starts with a smooth accord of blue cheese grilling in a barnyard. Barnyard notes that have animalic / fecal inclinations - actually the opening is very fecal and dirty indeed. If you can survive first hour, you will be later rewarded with one of the most sophisticated smell of wood I have ever experienced in perfumery. After an hour or so, the cheesy notes go away. Zafar develop into a musky oud monster hidden in the deep woods. Noble woody notes come up to a surface, being softened by white flowery & fruity apple nuances. Drydown is heaven that lasts for hours, no words can describe it. This is highly recommended, top quality stuff.

I own most of the Xerjoff Oud Stars and among them, Zafar is the skankiest. While I wouldn’t describe it as “fecal,” it’s definitely leaning in that direction. For any of you familiar with the Sukhumvit area of Bangkok, this fragrance is very similar to the smell wafting around that area. This is a wonderful primal, earthy formulation. The smell is reminiscent of the muck from which life first sprang. After the dry down, the skank subsides into a dry woody, slightly spicy scent, but still maintains a mildly putrid overtone. While I quite enjoy Zafar, I wouldn’t wear it on a first date.

starts off with a huge dose of genuine oud (maybe thai/cambodian, it's dusty and quite tart-sweet), and something in the background sorta-kinda woody. not quite sure to be honest, the oud dominates and doesn't allow anyone else to get a look in, sorta like a mic-hungry vocalist or something like that. i like it, but i just wish there was more to it other than oud...

Very beautiful opening that scream - Real Oud. Barnyard desert, sweet fermented wood, gentle fruitiness. Very full bodied, serious and matured. Absolutely delicious and authentic. Then to my nose, sadly heaps of Cashmeran takes over everything. It swallow the composition like a tsunami... :( it became clean , polished and shiny. So sorry to say...

Like Amouage's silver oud attar only lighter. While silver oud seems like it has been sitting around for centuries developing an increasingly complex olfactive profile (as though it were a precursor to petroleum), Xerjoff Zafar has been left to sit for 15 years, and over that time the Laotian oud has developed similar yet easier-to-love nuances.

Oh boy people....this is a hot spicy beast at the top. bull on fire. The combo of oud & incense is a lot. It does dry down quickly to a wearable oud with a hint of floral. Leans into Al-Khat territory. Great for a rare occasion male leaning when he wants to make a "don't F with me" statement.

I don't get any blue cheese in this. I get a very pleasant camphorous wood instead. There may be something in it that slightly reminds me of my stays in farms when I was a kid... It's not that skanky in my opinion and I like it. But it fades too quickly for the price

Smells like incense from get go...don't smell barnyard ..I'm into more floral perfumes so I wouldn't buy this but it's a good one nevertheless. Very similar to CDG's Black due to black pepper and incense note

lo siento no me gusto este aroma, al menos no para usar cuando quieres gustar a alguien, yo lo usaría para cuando no quieres gustar a alguien,huele plano no agradable.

@tobassam: Zafar : ancient Yemeni city. (ظفار). It can also refers to an Persian origin name meaning "victory" .

A more oudy version of Commes De Garcon Black Pepper, to my nose. Gorgeous stuff though, if you like oud.

Not sure if this was intentional, but Zafar in Arabic refers to a "bad smell".