Opus XV - King Blue Amouage 2023

King Blue opens with a juicy mandarin paired with pink pepper to bring some zing. This is not fresh territory, but I still had a giggle given the name (get out of the way BdC!). On my skin, the mandarin slowly gives way to blackcurrant, with a woody background. Like its sibling Opus XIII - Silver Oud, King Blue is a treat for my sweet tooth (although SO takes the cake in the sweetness department). An animalic component is there, but, in my opinion and on my skin, we’re far from blue cheese or hardcore barnyard funk.

At its core, it keeps on being fruity with a luminous amber and frankincense coming to add a citric incense note. Smoky nuances of oak wood bring complexity. The base is chocopatchouli and creamy sandalwood. I don’t get a whole lot of leather, but it’s there.

To me, KB is beautifully blended. The notes are contrasting on paper, but it feels very coherent and progresses effortlessly, keeping enough edge not to be boring. Performance is above average but not nuclear: longevity is amazing, projection is moderately high.

I want to close my review with a word of advice for the newcomers: don’t let animalics scare you away. As I got into this hobby, I kept hearing that the kinds of fumes King Blue and Silver Oud belonged to were never love at first sniffs. Well, I might have waited too long to sample them, because in both cases, it was instant love. Granted, my nose might be weird and my skin might take animalic notes too well, but keep an open mind and explore – that’s what it’s all about, isn’t it?