… is a fragrance - so much can be said in advance - that is not for everyone. Sure, Oud is always a tricky subject, but many people immediately associate Oud with feces, farm, etc.
However, Oud can be so many things: sweet, leathery, the scent of dried fruits, green, and much more.
With 'Ilm, however, I can understand this association, even though I don’t perceive the farm aspect as strongly as some others do. For me, it is rather herbaceous, peaty, woody, and a bit sour/sweet, almost like wild berries. When I smell the fragrance, images of the Scottish coast come to mind, rough wind, wet wood, peaty single malt. The 'Ilm doesn’t really develop, it remains very subtle throughout. It stays woody from start to finish and only sheds a bit of its peatiness, becoming slightly berry-like. I would definitely say it is something for those interested in Oud, as you do not get a sweet or creamy everyday or even mainstream fragrance here. Perhaps it is something for people who are curious about the different facets of Oud and who already have a somewhat trained nose in this area. It is definitely worth testing, even if it is simply too herbaceous and linear for my taste. It is always interesting to see what this fragrance material offers in terms of possibilities, depending on processing, origin, and age.
Just a small addendum.
I have been able to extensively test both the old 'Ilm from Kemi and the Xerjoff reissue and must say that here (at most due to maturation) there are hardly any differences to be recognized.
Funny that there's so much talk about Oud here (not just in your review) even though there's no "real" Oud in it. The new Ilm from XJ only contains white Oud, which has nothing to do with the Oud resin from agarwood.
Where did you get a sample of the Kemi Ilm? I'd love to compare the two as well!
Okay, thanks for the interesting fact. Still, I find that it smells like oud and also woody. I had the Ilm from Kemi as a bottle, but I think you can also find something here on the platform ;)
Yes, Oud can smell this way or that - except for the barn direction, I get along well with it. Your description is vivid; I find the Scottish coasts appealing, but I do miss a bit of liveliness in linear scents.
Where did you get a sample of the Kemi Ilm? I'd love to compare the two as well!
Now, I don't really like this type of fragrance anymore.
Oh, a stable can be quite nice too 😅
Thank you so much, my dear :)