The Library Collection Opus VII by Amouage

Spicy and dark opening, with a very marked cumin note even though it’s not listed. It lasts a long time, leaving a sweet leather base from the amber after an hour. Smells familiar, reminiscent of Laurent Mazzone’s Black Oud and Liquides Imaginaires’ Fortis, but with more punch and quality. I love that trail of leather, oud, nutmeg, and spices. In my opinion, it’s masculine, ideal for winter or crisp days. A mature, elegant, and mysterious aroma. 6.5/10 scent, 8/10 trail, 8.5/10 longevity, and 8/10 projection.

The scent from The Library Collection that has most caught my attention, alongside Opus XI. In fact, few Amouage fragrances are boring. Opus VII smells dense and distinct, moving away from the paradigm of generic, light fragrances. It delivers a real punch to the blandness of designer men’s scents. It is smoky, spicy, resinous, earthy, and green, an antithesis of the dominant criteria in current perfumery. In the niche, there are daring proposals like this. A note that stands out is the cypriol (nagarmotha), which creates a woody, dry, and earthy atmosphere. It is a creation worthy of being called niche, ideal for autumn and winter on specific occasions. Frankly, it leans heavily towards the masculine side.

I like it. A strong and dark opening reminiscent of embers that relaxes and transforms into something greener due to the galbanum and spicier thanks to the cardamom. A touch of pink pepper as well. In the base, the oud stands out with an incense-like touch, some leather and sandalwood, and the cypriol giving it a dry edge. It’s a fragrance seeking balance between woods, spices, and incense, with that green touch that throws you off. Masculine. Excellent quality and very good performance. I like it more from the heart note; the opening is a bit misleading about its evolution. For autumn, winter, and night. Very long-lasting longevity and a heavy trail.

Opus VII comes across as sober and imposing from the start. Upon application, its darkness is noticeable thanks to the oud, leather, and resins, with a medicinal aspect but lightened by the green and spicy notes. In the first phase, there’s a struggle between the dry and dark against the green and spicy; it seems there’s no winner, but there is one. The oud and leather dominate much of the development, leaving a woody, dry, and slightly smoky imprint. Finally, patchouli appears, nothing scandalous, alongside spices and a settled amber sensation. Here, the woods and leather are calmer but present, while the green and medicinal traces from the beginning disappear. It’s clearly winter and masculine, with performance above average, though not as potent as Interlude. I liked it, although it’s not really my style nor one of my favourite Opuses (I stick with the IV and VI), but it’s a good perfume to keep in mind for lovers of woody, dry, and difficult scents. Its official price doesn’t help, but it can be found ‘relatively’ well. One drawback: I would have liked the green and medicinal nuances of the opening to last longer.

This fragrance played a trick on me: upon testing it, I rushed home to tell on Facebook (in the PerfumeAddicts group) that it seemed like a very good, heavily tobaccoed tobacco, yet as wild and raw as witch’s tobacco. What a mistake. A fellow group member told me it had no tobacco. It is a smoky fragrance, nothing cheerful, stately, potent, refined, and ‘original’. Upon analysing it properly, it indeed wasn’t tobacco, but for an unprepared nose, it can be confusing, so beware. It is a great fragrance, one of the best in the collection. However, I agree with Tami Franco: I would not wear it myself.