Oud Al Sahraa Berdoues 2015

Berdoues, the French traditional house founded in 1902 and based in Cugnaux near Toulouse, where the entire manufacturing and marketing chain is still in the hands of the family - was completely unknown to me until now... Neither the consistently successful and still appreciated fragrance "Violette de Toulouse" was familiar to me, nor did I have any idea that brands like Jacadi and Molyneux now belong to this medium-sized group. The sparse websites for the group and the Berdoues brand don't offer much beyond a few marketing details, and they have so far shamefully neglected to mention that a new Cologne line called "Cologne Grand Cru" has just been launched with six fragrances.

I actually like the concept of this series: take six regions of the world, capture their typical olfactory ambassadors, and try to implement this in the context of somewhat richer Eaux de Cologne (in which Berdoues sees its roots and home) to create something original.

We are currently experiencing what seems to be the hottest week of the year, making it the perfect Cologne time. Therefore, I had the series sent to me for a closer look, and I was immediately drawn to "Oud al Sahraa." On one hand, because I find it quite accessible, and on the other hand, because it conveys the Oud theme, which I joyfully and attentively follow, in a way that is not overly innovative but very pleasant.

Oud has many aspects and faces, ranging from dark herbal to piercingly medicinal to bright silvery, combined with the usual companions like vetiver, rose, and incense. Berdoues chooses a less trodden path here and leans towards the citrus-spicy side.

Very traditional Cologne, "Oud al Sahraa" starts with a citrus top note. However, it is not the bright, sour, shimmering bergamot or neroli or something similarly traditional, but rather an interesting, juicy, pleasantly relaxed orange mandarin, very appealing.

Almost seamlessly, after just a few minutes, myrrh joins in. This component is currently becoming one of my favorite notes, with its aromatic, often brittle, sometimes slightly bitter, fragrant resinous nature, here not smoky or harsh but very civilized and soft, slightly balsamic.

And into this structure fits perfectly the gentle, slightly creamy woody quality of the Oud used here. This often complex, bold, unwieldy, and highly interesting accord is recognizable from the start, but at no point is it intrusive or loud; everything is very civilized and smoothly integrated.

Certainly not necessarily a great, innovative, different, or outstandingly high-quality fragrance, the sillage is decent but the longevity is, of course, Cologne-like - nevertheless, it is a very nice perspective through the lens of a Cologne on what I find to be a very appealing and wonderfully wearable variation of the unabatedly popular Oud theme for this hot time.