Alhambra Oud Ramón Monegal 2019

Hey everyone,

I openly and honestly admit: I am an Oud lover! That’s why I dedicate my first review after such a long period of silent reading and sampling to one of Ramon’s challenging fragrances, the Alhambra Oud.

Scent:
We are dealing here with a very distinctive (just barely) Euro-Oud that opens the fragrance and defines it until the late end (more on that below). It is the undisputed star of the scent. Right after spraying, the wood is accompanied by a zesty, rather green apple, which, however, does not smell young or sharp. Mr. Monegal prevents that with the mature Oud. In the next two to four hours, the apple gradually transforms into a rose. This step does not simply transition from 0 to 1; rather, something exciting and very skillful happens here for me. During the metamorphosis from the Rosaceae fruit to a flower, the Alhambra Oud goes through many, many facets. Always underpinned by a truly authentic Oud that is not too medically clean, but NEVER (!) animalistic. (I once read that Ramon Monegal distills his essential oils himself. My respect at this point.) Once the transformation is complete, a softer, less intense version of the perfume remains on the skin until the end. Ambroxan and birch gently embrace, intertwine, and carry the star Oud until the end, without demanding too much attention themselves. An olfactory journey passes far beyond the borders of the fortress in southern Spain.

Longevity:
Long! It accompanies you from the morning spray (or whenever) until bedtime. It is probably very independent of skin type.

Sillage:
The crux of the fragrance is that it truly (truly) performs in a room-filling manner. Good: you get a lot for your money. Bad: so do others. So be careful and think beforehand about what you plan to do with it. I would rather not take this scent on a train ride or a flight, as it is very potent. Three, at most four sprays are more than enough, and you find yourself in an oriental cloud. Even though I wear scents only for myself and for no one else, this is an act of consideration. :)

Bottle:
As expected from RM, very solid. The atomizer is certainly not at Roja level, but - honestly - does it have to be? I particularly like the hinged cap, a nice idea.

Who is this for and how is it received?
In my opinion, it is not a good scent to get to know Oud. It demands attention with its intensity; it wants to be worn and perceived consciously. I can imagine that for someone who is not yet familiar with the note, the reflex may tend to wash it off more quickly. Therefore, I would recommend it to those who want to dive deeper into the world of agarwood after a few more palatable fragrances. (I can only warmly recommend this :D) For those who want to risk their first encounters with the topic of Oud, I would definitely refer them to fragrances by Jodi Fernandez (such as Infusion Velours Eau de Parfum or "London | Widian / AJ Arabia"). The man knows how to incorporate the wood in an understandable and palatable way like no other. Also, a good entry point in the Monegal house is Agar Musk.
I perceive the scent as rather masculine, but surely anyone with a certain present attitude can wear it. I do not want to impose age restrictions. It is definitely a statement scent and not a dated one, even though it is not an oriental "stinker". The counterpart may be overwhelmed without a trained nose. I enjoy wearing the scent for myself, and my girlfriend also really likes it when I wear it.
My secret tip: Apply it for yourself on a fresh early summer Sunday morning, lie down on the terrace, and let the sun and this scent warm you up slowly.

To bring the title back into focus. For me, divisions into European and oriental Oud fragrances are more vague orientations than hard boundaries. In my eyes (or my nose, oh well whatever nevermind...) the Alhambra Oud can certainly challenge big names like Nefs in the advanced Oud segment, but feel free to form your own impression.

Enjoy the next while and see you soon...