Oud 31 Kai Porten Parfums Privés 2023

When I go to a perfumery for advice, and I now enjoy being advised, I am usually quite open-minded with one small restriction. I never leave anyone in any doubt that I prefer lighter fragrances and know next to nothing about oriental notes. And so it came to pass that in one week in two old Bavarian towns in three perfumeries, this fragrance was recommended to me in the warmest of words and with the utmost insistence. So what else can I do but lead my nose to the test strip. (Actually the other way around, but that reads funny.)

There it is, a small square with golden liquid and a solid gold plaque and an even more solid gold metal button. Not too big and yet self-confident for a first. I like that. Just like the black box with bold, golden print, which is barely bigger than the bottle and not, as is now often the case, the size of a shoe box.

The fragrance is just as the name promises. Oud envelops you from the very first sniff and gives you the certain promise that it won't let you go any time soon. Even if I'm not a great specialist in oud, I now know that there are domesticated, soft, light, light oud and a few less tame cousins that are a little darker, darker, drier, heavier, more animalic. And it is precisely this animalic oud that is used here in all its glory. I can't help but think of the Augean stables here and secretly hope that I don't have to channel two rivers through my nostrils to get this smell out again. But that's how it is in the end. This rather dark and animalic oud is soon joined by a sweet and very aromatic (Bulgarian?) rose in somewhat larger quantities - in other words, nothing that could have been described in a container size such as a dozen or a bouquet, but rather as a bed, garden or field. You might guess that I'm not a particularly big fan of expressive roses either. So my enjoyment of this fragrance is just increasing. It's possible that I can also smell some lavender from afar, but I don't want to swear to it. In any case, this impression was not strong. If you look at the fragrance pyramid, fresh and green notes are also said to be present alongside other ingredients. Unfortunately, I am unable to perceive these, my nose is too overloaded and overwhelmed with oud and rose. Nor can I speak of a fragrance progression: Oud and its best friend, the rose, came and stayed until the bitter end.

I carried the fragrance strip, which had two sprays on it, in the breast pocket of my shirt for some time, maybe two or three hours, then unfortunately it became too much for me. Three days later, the shirt still smelled distinctly of "Oud 31". My skin took on the scent through the shirt and I still smelled subtly but clearly recognizable "Oud 31" the next morning. So you get your money's worth here. You should try to apply this fragrance in homeopathic doses, otherwise vehement unfortunately quickly becomes penetrating.

I'm trying to imagine where men and women - I'll call the fragrance 50/50 unisex - can wear such an expressive, potent scent. In the theater, on the train or in the office, I imagine it tends to be difficult. That leaves the private environment, the shisha bar, a club or a large Turkish/Arabic wedding in a large hall, if not a hall. Yes, that's where I imagine this fragrance would be in good hands, even though I've only attended two large Turkish weddings myself.

... and so it came to pass that, once again, these latest perfume tastings did not result in a friendship for life between me and oud. Maybe, if it didn't have the thorny rose in tow again!