Nahr Al Oud by Al Fares

Nahr Al Oud (Al Fares, 2023): A Riot of Fruit, Flowers, and Oud

Nahr Al Oud is a 2023 launch from Al Fares, created as a unisex scent that sits firmly in the floral-fruity family. It opens with an exuberant mix of mandarin, cotton candy, pineapple, bergamot, saffron, jasmine, coconut, blackcurrant, and melon.

The heart adds red berries, blackberry, lily of the valley, oud, jasmine, apricot, caraway, orchid, nutmeg, peach, honey, rose, and plum, leading into a base of sandalwood, tonka bean, patchouli, chocolate, oud, vanilla, caramel, praline, amber, and musk.

Al Fares has packed Nahr Al Oud with an astonishing amount of material. The accords range from sweet and fruity to powdery, fresh spicy, warm spicy, woody, white floral, and vanilla, making it a perfume that reveals new facets with every wear.

The opening is strikingly sugary, thanks to cotton candy and pineapple, while saffron and bergamot provide a fizzy, sharp contrast. Coconut, blackcurrant, and melon round out the top with a juicy, almost tropical sensation.

The heart is a dense thicket of berries and blossoms. Red berries and blackberry bring tartness, while jasmine, orchid, and rose offer a soft floral elegance. The addition of honey and peach smooths the blend, and caraway and nutmeg keep it interesting. Oud makes its first appearance here, setting up the woody foundation.

In the base, sandalwood, tonka bean, patchouli, and chocolate create a warm, almost edible accord. Vanilla, caramel, praline, amber, and musk make the drydown sweet and creamy, while oud reappears alongside the other woods to give the fragrance a persistent, resinous character.

This is not a perfume for those who prefer understatement. It is a full-throttle composition that combines gourmand indulgence with floral freshness and a hefty dose of woodiness, all within a unisex framework.

Nahr Al Oud will suit anyone who enjoys generous, sugary florals with a prominent woody base. Both men and women who favour dense, opulent scents for colder weather or evening events will find plenty to like here.

With its sprawling note list and unapologetically sweet character, Nahr Al Oud is a distinctive entry in the 2023 fragrance calendar. If you enjoy exploring complex floral-fruity blends with an oud core, this Al Fares creation deserves a place on your sampling list.