Taif T04 is actually not a scent I would have immediately associated with myself. I don't consider myself someone who can wear dominant oud, and to be honest - I don't particularly like it either. However, I have no general aversion to oud, just to clarify!
So when I stumbled upon Taif al Emarat and clicked through the various creations, I was almost sad that a large part of the Taifs apparently has a very strong oriental touch and all of them ooze oud and sharp spices, which really doesn't suit my taste and probably doesn't suit me either.
However, I eventually came across Taif T04. Honey is usually a reason for a blind buy for me; I totally love the smell of honey, and the rather unusual combination with oud and a generally (at least for me) unconventional note of cranberry piqued my curiosity. The mentioned ingredients were already enough for me, and I can't really make anything of Prunus dasycarpa, and the base notes didn't stand out to me while reading.
In my search for where and especially at what price I could get a bottle of the yellow elixir, I initially thought my dream was shattered. Almost 100€ for 75ml is well below my pain threshold - 93€ for shipping from the UAE unfortunately is not.
However, through a very fortunate interplay of some unlikely coincidences, I actually managed to hold half a bottle of T04 in my hand the very next day, without having to pay the horrendous shipping costs.
But now, after this rather lengthy backstory, let's get to a few short praises for the bottle and the scent itself:
The bottle is high-quality, heavy, and looks very appealing. The racing yellow liquid, in my opinion, does not match the otherwise so noble presentation of the whole thing, but it is compensated by the excellent sprayer and the great, elaborate packaging.
And now to the scent:
When I spray T04 on my skin, I primarily smell a note unmistakably and naked, in all its fullness. Oud. To my delight, it did not repel me but hit the mark perfectly. This oud behaves like oud that I highly appreciate. It is less biting and animalistic, more woody and airy, without having even a hint of mustiness. In fact, the top note of Taif unmistakably reminds me strongly of
Oud Wood Eau de Parfum.
This is probably not for animalic fanatics and oud purists, who will still find something in the portfolio of Taif al Emarat.
I waited with excitement for the honey, which, to my disappointment, does not come across as sweet and full-bodied as I had hoped. However, this is probably nothing but a gain for the scent. A honey like in a honey jar would probably pose the danger of being completely swept away by this sweetness combined with vanilla into the mass of sweet-woody gourmands. Because that is exactly what T04 is not: sweet.
Sure, it is probably sweeter than fresh and sweeter than smoky or biting leathery, but really sweet? No.
I would primarily attribute the characteristic of balance to this scent. Balanced in the sense that "all notes are similarly perceptible," as well as balanced in terms of the fragrance pyramid and its development: For me, after a while, there is no clear division into top, heart, and base notes. Upon application, it is clear - the oud dominates at first, honey, cranberry (also not sweet, rather herb-bitter) join in, but do not replace the oud. Likewise, none of the base note parts replace any of the preceding notes. In the drydown, the scent merely complements itself with fragments of its DNA and ends with a harmonious coexistence of all the listed notes. I only detect a slight imbalance between the oud - which is already the most dominant ingredient by a small margin - and patchouli, which I unfortunately can hardly sniff at all.
Regarding longevity: top-notch. The T04 remains perceptible on the skin all day long, even for oneself, and does not become unpleasant.
Regarding sillage: at most upper mid-range. Strangely, the sillage is less impressive in contrast to the excellent longevity. It is not weak, but you have to be quite close to actually perceive the scent.
Without having tested other Taif al Emarat fragrances, I can imagine that T04 is the softest and most pleasing, at least from this line. However, it is not a crowd-pleaser, as I have received very mixed reactions to it. If you are looking for the total oriental spice bomb or the primal instinct-triggering oud overkill, T04 is not for you.
If you want a scent that is quite extraordinary in Germany, which unmistakably has an oriental flair and definitely requires a few attempts to appreciate, T04 is probably a good choice. I advise anyone who has the opportunity to buy or trade without the criminal shipping costs: go for it!
Oh, by the way, I find it relatively distinctly masculine, but with the right aura, it can also be worn by a woman!
Top Notes 
Honey
Oud
Heart Notes 
Cranberry
Base Notes 
Cocoa
Patchouli
Vanilla
Mfarid
Eggi37
TheBladi11
Ame299
Duftmeister
Chris5ch
