Montale: Red Aoud

So, a friend was telling me that Red Aoud in extra parfum concentration smells a little different from the regular. I went ahead to order it in extra parfum concentration anyways, since it was what I sampled from a decant months ago, and I loved it.

Are you a fan of iris? Saffron? Oudh? Well, you better be! Ok, Red Aoud's opening immediately boasts the robustly pungent and amoniac-like aroma of oudh. And, where the combination of iris and saffron hid their gourmand qualities in Felanilla, this same marriage decides to wrap the oudh up thinly with a chocolate-like veil, smoothening the slightly abrasive texture of the oudh, and serving up a gourmand oudh scent.


In between all that pseudo-chocolate goodness, you will notice a rather heat-y note - like that of a red pepper/chili of some sort. Red Aoud can well thank that chili note for giving it its oomph. It isn't as adventurous as it may come across. And like those chili-flavored chocolate bars you can find nowadays, Red Aoud is a well-balanced piece of work. And when the main players blow away, a really pleasant and smooth sandalwood base lingers on the skin, many hours later.