Dark Aoud by Montale

My favourite perfume from the entire collection. On skin it doesn’t project much, but it clings to clothes. That sweet, original, simple oud with touches of coniferous resin and a musky, spiced base. The most satisfying blind buy; ideal for dipping your toe into oud at a very reasonable price.

It seems very similar to its cousin Mancera Aoud Vanille. The latter is a bit sweeter due to the vanilla, without being cloying, while Montale is less sweet and creamier thanks to the sandalwood. The listed notes are minimalist, so there’s surely more. In short: if you have one, you don’t need the other. If you have neither, go straight for Mancera: it lasts longer and costs the same or less.

Personal sensation and review! For me it’s the perfect oud blend: wet, dirty, bordering on patchouli (earthy, nothing like its actual smell) and slightly musky at the start. As it dries down it’s impeccable: the creaminess of the sandalwood emerges, soapy and clean. The most elegant oud I’ve owned; I even compare it to Tom Ford’s Oud Wood and this is another level, more niche, with spectacular projection and longevity. I dare say it because I own Amouage’s Silver Oud and Montale crushes them all on the street. Completely unisex if you have character and like the different; it’s imposing on women too. Without a doubt, a top pick.

In the end, a review is just a subjective opinion, not science. It’s an expression of feelings. Let’s talk about Dark Aoud: a super woody and masculine scent that reminds me of Gucci Pour Homme 1, Gucci Guilty Absolute, Bentley Absolute or Dunhill Icon Absolute. I bought it guided by the statistics on this site, which promise an outstanding trail, but in my experience it wasn’t so. I expected a bomb like Dior Homme Parfum or Mugler’s Amen. Perhaps the longevity was good, but the projection was very skin-close. A subtle perfume.

Reading descriptions from elsewhere, they qualify this fragrance as so mysterious it seems like entering a taiga listening to Gorgoroth. But on my skin, it wasn’t like that. Great disappointment. It’s very woody but with little personality, bland to be frank. It smells of oud wood, sandalwood and diffuse spicy accords. It’s like a ‘diluted’ version of Amouage’s Epic Man; they resemble each other somewhat. And frankly, I don’t see anything unisex about it. Dark Aoud is totally masculine. The longevity, projection and sillage are weak for a Montale. I’m surprised, because by the name and the house, it should have density and depth. Perhaps the sample was in poor condition. Suitable for autumn, winter and formal occasions.

I tried it several years ago with a 1 ml sample. I noted a very woody and spiced scent, without many pretensions of originality but with certain richness. I also found it dry, like friend Oscarsh86. According to Fragrantica, it only has oud and sandalwood, but I perceived notes of saffron, cedar and something earthy. It’s true that on other sites they attribute more notes, such as perfumerie Le Secret du Marais, which mentions Indian sandalwood, oud, black pepper, saffron, vetiver, teak, leather and ambergris. For me it results totally masculine. Longevity and projection are moderate to be a Montale.