Dark Aoud 2011

Dark Aoud by Montale
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7.5 / 10 204 Ratings
A perfume by Montale for women and men, released in 2011. The scent is woody-spicy. Projection and longevity are above-average. It is still in production.
Layers well with Fortis - Eau Delà
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Main accords

Woody
Spicy
Oriental
Resinous
Earthy

Fragrance Notes

OudOud SaffronSaffron LeatherLeather SandalwoodSandalwood AmberAmber Black pepperBlack pepper TeakwoodTeakwood VetiverVetiver
Ratings
Scent
7.5204 Ratings
Longevity
8.8175 Ratings
Sillage
8.1167 Ratings
Bottle
7.0167 Ratings
Value for money
7.943 Ratings
Submitted by Kankuro, last update on 06.04.2024.

Reviews

7 in-depth fragrance descriptions
7
Bottle
9
Sillage
9
Longevity
8
Scent
HIRH

45 Reviews
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HIRH
HIRH
11  
Montal's unexpected dosing skills
Montale fragrances often have a very similar problem: the synthetic oud, which does not even try to hide its synthetic nature. This makes Montale's oud scents always seem a bit cheap compared to other scents from the same house like "Full Incense" or "Cafe Intense". The quality of the ingredients is not as important as with exceptional oud with its own unique scent character.

In the case of Dark Aoud, however, Montale has managed to get this problem at least somewhat under control. The oud remains unmistakably synthetic. But: Here it is not so important. Montale has succeeded here in doing something that he didn't want to succeed with other fragrances - the ingredients are harmoniously dosed and in a successful proportion to each other. Of course synthetic oud is much more negative when it is overdosed as mercilessly as in many a Montale fragrance.

The oud blends well with leather, saffron, amber and other woods. I can't smell all the ingredients in detail in this fragrance, there is somehow more. However, everything well dosed and a nice (spicy) bed, even for a synthetic oud. In this bed I even like the synthetic oud better than the authentic oud in the XerJoff OudStars Gao - this scent is generally drier and somehow more brown than the Dark Aoud. More pleasing despite a lower rating here. That's how subjective opinions are. (Whereby the rating is not much worse either)

That's why I like to wear it in winter when I don't feel like wearing one of my other perfumes.

Conclusion: One of Montal's best oud creations because of the successful dosage of the synthetic oud. Is in my collection and will be allowed to stay in my collection. If you expect real oud for 111€ (in the internet partly double-digit prices), you have lost control over your life anyway.

Cheers
3 Comments
5
Bottle
10
Sillage
10
Longevity
10
Scent
Miaw2

339 Reviews
Miaw2
Miaw2
Very helpful Review 6  
Dangerous stuff
Only few words can describe Dark Aoud: heavy, dense, linear, raw.

It's a very unidimensional scent: sandal, oud and musk from the beginning to the end.

Also there's a tiny note of incense (maybe frankincense due to the small sweetness that appears after some hours).

There's no comparision with other sandalwood bases fragrances: this is totally different.

If i could compare, i would say Bois des Iles is a little small bird and this is a hungry hyena.

Sillage, lasting power and projection are hazardous.

One of the best Montale releases so far.
0 Comments
7.5
Bottle
10
Sillage
10
Longevity
9
Scent
oliver1h

13 Reviews
oliver1h
oliver1h
Helpful Review 3  
Black as the Pit from pole to pole.
A rather linear (not a negative thing), yet beautiful blend of truly dark, somewhat medicinal aoud and sandalwood. Aoud lovers will almost certainly like this. I like it myself. I can imagine waring this in colder months of the year, and maybe at night, which in my opinion goes well with the dark mood the scent creates. I do not think Dark Aoud is feminine at all, but that does not mean ladies should not try... Longevity is great, projection is very good. Very interesting!
2 Comments
7.5
Sillage
10
Longevity
9
Scent
Steve0580

31 Reviews
Steve0580
Steve0580
Very helpful Review 2  
Excellent Fragrance
Dark Aoud is one of my favorite fragrances.

Obviously, the scent is woody and Sandalwood seems to stand out the most. As far as woods and Aoud, this one doesn't seem to be very harsh and leaves a very nice trail.

Sillage and Longevity are outstanding. Don't overspray this one or you'll clear a room out.
0 Comments
10
Bottle
10
Sillage
10
Longevity
5
Scent
Sherapop

1239 Reviews
Sherapop
Sherapop
4  
Blindingly Black
When a piece of metal is cooled to well below freezing, say by dipping it in liquid nitrogen, it becomes capable of burning the skin, paradoxically enough. It's not really a burn but a freeze, but it has the same damaging effect and the pain is probably very similar as well.

Upon donning Montale DARK AOUD, I was struck by the unbelievable density of this composition. It's so black that it could easily induce the olfactory equivalent of white spot afterimages. For a brief period, I was even struck by what seemed to be a dark shoe polish-like scent. This is incredibly woody, including oudy, but it is also very dense and thick, as though the wood has been compressed to one-tenth its starting volume.

I initially thought that I was smelling the base of so many recent launches, and I do continue to believe that there is significant overlap with, for example, Le Labo ANOTHER 13 and Balmain CARBONE, but DARK AOUD pulls out all of the stops in its quest for absolute blackness, and the result is somehow better not worse.

I suppose that I can tolerate this woodishness in an exaggerated dose because it's not clobbering everything else around. Why? Because there *is* nothing else around: no flowers, no fruits, no citrus, no sweetness or light--nothing mitigating at all. This is deep, dark wood in every form, from fresh hewn to petrified.

To me, this is obviously a masculine perfume, and I'm not surprised to see that although it is classified as unisex, three times more gents than ladies own this prince of darkness.
0 Comments
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Statements

2 short views on the fragrance
JDavidhiJDavidhi 3 months ago
5
Bottle
7
Sillage
8
Longevity
7
Scent
Very synthetic opening, not something to be blown away. Very masculine.
0 Comments
KimJongKimJong 4 years ago
8
Bottle
8
Sillage
9
Longevity
8.5
Scent
It's a bit dark but not heavy. Not fashionable, not fancy, not gorgeous, quite simple, very deep and meditative.
0 Comments

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