Attainment Amphora Exotica

I'm finally starting to really distinguish between varieties of oud. The Hindi oud used in this fragrance, and is really the backbone of it, is drawing parallels in my mind to the similar oud used in another by this brand, Lavender Mirage, and Oud Hindi. Lavender Mirage takes the Hindi oud in a more fruity/aromatic direction while Bortnikoff's Oud Hindi goes more sour/bitter. But the oud in each, including here in Attainment, has a slightly sour fruity aspect that is common to all of them.

Moving on to Attainment: the oud is very apparent from first spray; the saffron gives it a medicinal tinge, and then the rose and vanilla come into play. It doesn't get too floral or sweet, but as opposed to Lavender Mirage and Bortnikoff's Oud Hindi, the oud here is tempered by the sweetness of the rose. The sharp sour aspects are cut down and replaced with floral austerity. Finally, as this magnificent oud-rose dries down, we get to see the more smoky aspects of the oud, complemented by ambergris and sandalwood.

A real gem and one of the better rose-ouds I have ever smelled. Longevity is great, but after a few hours, it gets very close to skin.