Chinese Oud II

中國沉香

Areej Le Doré 2023

Personally, I can't say that I find this version of Chinese Oud that similar to the first. It does have the exact same structure, and it eventually evolves into an almost identical scent, however, the Oud used here feels completely different to my nose in terms of profile, quality, and especially texture. My skin also amplifies woody notes, and maybe that makes it pop even more, hence, making the differences more notable. In the first version, the oud's profile is smooth as silk, mostly coming across as a brown, suede leather accord, working along the other notes. In part 2, the oud is sour, smoky, very textured, like a bumpy wood surface, and much drier. To me, this profile is very apparent and it stays like that, quite noticeable for some good hours before it finally recedes and becomes something closer to the first version. I still love this version, as it provides a nice variation of the same theme, but if I were to choose between the two, I'd go for the first one.