Jadab Eau Fine soOud 2014 Eau de Parfum

“Floral notes” - a cryptic announcement. Especially since the opening surprises in a powerful way otherwise. Tobacco! Almost pungent, it fades after just a few minutes, making way for the dry spiciness of saffron. Yet, the tobacco remains subtly present. I have no idea what Nicotiana smells like as a garden plant; we never planted it out of concern for the children. However, I think this trace leads to nowhere anyway.

After a good hour, the fragrance smells about how I imagine a sensitive Oriental in person. He certainly does not ride a cliché-driven camel through the desert or sit in a musty tent, but “mine” reads Arabic love poems to the lady of his heart. He only smokes alone out of courtesy, but you can smell it, of course, despite the other pleasant scents with which the gentleman surrounds himself.

During the second hour, the tobacco-saffron loses its aroma and becomes a bit dusty-musty. Fortunately, a distinct, sweet accent quickly develops. The third hour presents smoke. Frankincense. Myrrh perhaps. In any case, I distinctly sense a bitter note, clearly perceptible into the fifth hour. In the seventh hour, I ponder a kind of thickened oud note. Actually unlikely, that would have been noted. Oud is always noted if in doubt. Period. In the eighth hour, the fragrance ends in a pleasant, above-average amber-vanilla base along with a portion of quiet frankincense, not too sweet, not too bitter.

And what about the flowers now? We probably need to think more unconventionally. After all, in the fourth volume of the Harry Potter heptalogy, the hairy giant Rubeus Hagrid sticks a flower in his buttonhole that resembles “an oversized artichoke.” The artichoke reference is, of course, to be understood metaphorically here; it doesn’t smell like that.

Could there be a frankincense flower? I know some perfume lovers (I don’t even have to look far for them) who would gladly stick a frankincense flower in their buttonhole at the right opportunity - whatever that may be. Ha, that’s it: The frankincense flower! A person needs a mission. We are searching for the frankincense flower! Therefore, you must be in on this!?!

I thank JoHannes for the sample.