Leather Oud Floris 2014

His full name was Charles de Batz-Castelmore d’Artagnan, and in the 17th century, he was a renowned French soldier. His life inspired the writer Alexandre Dumas about a hundred years later to create his legendary trilogy about 'The Three Musketeers', although the novels are only loosely based on the actual life of d'Artagnan and his companions Armand de Sillègue d'Athos d'Autevielle (Athos), Isaac de Portau (Porthos), and Henry d’Aramitz (Aramis, a famous Chypre shares the same name). Much of d'Artagnan's life remains vague between actual facts and fiction - what is certain is that he quickly gained the trust of the young Louis XIV, was entrusted with a variety of delicate and confidential tasks, and subsequently achieved an impressive career at the royal court. He was seen as an arrogant hothead as well as passionately and fiercely loyal: one for all, all for one!

Passionate and silver-bright, arrogant and full of pressing masculinity (though labeled unisex), these are the same attributes that the venerable English house Floris infused into Leather Oud - alongside the Honey Oud, which I have already enthusiastically described, another successful tribute to the ethereal oil of the agarwood tree. Leather Oud is a confident and capricious fragrance, penetratingly love-drunk like a heroic tenor - and a scent more suited for a younger than a mature man. The flowers (no rose!) and likewise the leather (glove-soft suede with an almost candied, melting sweetness) serve no other purpose than to stage the central oud in a radiant and triumphant manner - and they do it wonderfully! Thus, Leather Oud is a fiery and bright fragrance, to which reddish blonde woods give a kind of metallic, bronzed echo - and great beauty besides.

Conclusion: they seem to have a knack for delightfully beautiful (though pleasing, that is the only thing one might criticize if one wishes to nitpick) oud interpretations at the house of Floris. Rugged and sword-flashing glamorous at the same time, Leather Oud is - and effortlessly capable of turning around all those who were long convinced: 'with oud, I'm done!'