Baz The Spirit of Dubai 2017

Recently got my hands on 3 samples of the "Ultra-Niche" collection from Spirit of Dubai (Nabeel?). I had sworn off these fragrances based on the bottles alone; the badly written plaque with Every Word Capitalized, and the sheer ridiculous gaudiness of it. Not to mention the absurd price these go for at retail. But DecantX had a decent Black Friday sale so I decided I should smell them at least once.

Before I get into the scent, I have to discuss the comically ludicrous note pyramids provided for the fragrances in this collection. As note pyramids have no empirical or scientific reasoning behind them, as opposed to the ingredients list, they are purely a marketing tactic. In general you want your note pyramid to explain to the potential customer in the simplest terms, without oversimplifying, how the fragrance smells. So obviously this stupidly long list is not helping in that endeavor. My conclusion is that whoever was behind the idea to have 50 notes for each of these fragrances is hoping that the consumer is dumb enough to think that these fragrances are more "complex" than others simply because of the overinflated note pyramid.

Essentially, Baz is a spicy, slightly fruity rose-oud with a bit of leather. There are many different styles of rose-oud, here it is a traditional "mukhallat" style that is found in many Middle-Eastern attars. And I would say stay away from this one unless you really enjoy this style. For me, I get an annoying "sweet" note that I can't place, perhaps it is the honey, that smells like a grandma-ish potpourri. Projection and longevity are phenomenal, especially for an oud-based scent.

For each of these fragrances I review, I'm going to provide a notes listing of the notes I actually perceive in the fragrance, since the actual note pyramid is less than useless:

Top notes:
Plum, clove, saffron, red berries (i.e. "fruity notes")

Heart notes:
Leather, honey, rose, frankincense, tobacco

Base notes:
Castoreum, Indian oud, patchouli, amber

Baz from the Arab House Nabeel of the United Arab Emirates is part of the Second Generation of the Exclusive Line The Spirit Of Dubai, it is an Oriental Leather Woody Spicy Amber Smoky Unisex perfume with a masculine inclination. It was released in 2017. Baz is a hymn to classic chypre perfumes and masterfully embodies the brand's Arabian roots. The animalic characteristics perfectly combined by a masterful construction, giving the composition the right dose of extravagance; combining rich, spicy and woody elements to create a multifaceted and unforgettable olfactory experience, which exudes sophistication and depth.

The fragrance already unfolds with a leathery, resinous, fruity, spicy, sweet, bold and seductive combination dominated by leather, plum, coriander and pepper, creating a spicy, rubbery introduction that captivates the nose. This initial accord is further enhanced by a unique blend of aldehydes, spices, coniferous woods, a steam of arabica coffee with cardamom and nutmeg, a sweet saffron, red fruits in evidence, and all this seasoned with cloves, cinnamon and honey, adding warmth, complexity and a touch of mystery to this already complex opening. This complexity, as usual in this line, makes it impossible to identify all ingredients in isolation.

At the heart of this composition, a rich earthy and smoky accord by the mixture of birch and steaming incense with resins takes center stage, creating a deep and smoky core. These notes are complemented by the luxurious floral elegance of carnation, rose and jasmine mainly. The golden sweetness of the honey softens all this intensity a little, adding a delicate balance to the fragrance. The animalic side with this honey note forms a pleasant accord, which is followed by more woody and leather elements, developing an elegant opulent character. I don't see any difficulties in this animalic leathery content, but Baz is an ode to leather perfumes.

The base notes provide a warm and sensual base, with the striking protagonism of an Indian 'oud with a leathery resinous facet intertwining with a classic animalic trio of civet castoreum musk, but I didn't find it super challenging. A slightly balsamic touch and a fine tobacco mist reinforces the smoky character of the fragrance, which also has patchouli and vetiver with its earthy green tones. Towards drying, more noble woods arrive, adding more depth. Vanilla and tonka form a sweet and traditional ambery accord leaving an impression of polished and refined finish. Despite its unusual nature, the fragrance is extremely pleasant and easy to wear for perfume connoisseurs with 'oud and smokey leather in the spotlight.

This is my second favourite from this line after Abjar. Its opulent, deep dark rich classical chypre. The notes are similar to Abjar with some variations. On initial spray the sillage is very powerful and then it became a skin scent after 12 hours lasting about 20 hours or slightly more. The first generation parent is Rimal and again this is reputed to have 600 ingredients whereas Rimal has 400. It's £895 and comes in a stylish heavy bottle. The box and bottle is quite heavy and also comes in its travel leather pouch. I am hoping to get this one to add to my collection. I have grown to like this brand. Nabeel has released 14 perfumes first and second generations. They have won the 2015 best packaging award and their gift bags are very luxurious. I am not new to Nabeel as I have used their (attars) perfume oils before. Looks like they have hit the western market where the ever growing demands of oud based perfumes have hit the roof. I have to admit some of their perfumes I have tried are the best ones I have come across so far. I was shown their most expensive perfumes which is Oud perfume, oil version, and agarwood chips and perfume loaded chips at an eye watering cost of £6000.

Today, right after the first spray, it was clear: This is not going to be an ordinary day.
The air in front of me vibrated, as if it knew that something majestic was coming. Baz unfolded immediately - no hesitant greeting, no cautious handshake, but a royal entrance.

Plum and saffron were preparing to embrace my senses, while leather and pepper in the background already held the scepter. I stood there like a football fan at the Champions League final, knowing: This is the moment I've been waiting for all season.

With every passing minute, the fragrance built a stadium around me with walls of incense, stands of oud and amber, and above all, a floodlight of warm honey. People turned around, not out of curiosity, but out of respect - just like one turns around when a star player steps onto the field.

In the evening, many hours later, Baz was still there. Not loud, not demanding, but like a trophy you don’t want to put down. For my nose? No question: Champions League. Not just made it to the final - won.
From the very first contact, I realized: This is not a scent that knocks quietly and politely asks if it can come in. Baz comes onto the field like a champion - with a proud look, broad chest, and the self-awareness that he is the star here. He carries an aura that you don’t just smell, but almost feel.

The opening truly overwhelmed me: juicy plum, noble spices, a hint of bitter almond, and the rich leather that feels like a luxurious interior. It was as if I stepped into a gold-adorned room full of warmth. And while many fragrances quickly lose this shine, Baz did not evaporate but continued to unfold: incense, resins, oud, sweet honey, and a velvety depth that feels almost infinite.

He accompanied me all day - not like a perfume, but like a loyal, self-assured companion who shows you that today you are not “one of many.” Even in the evening, when I thought he should slowly fade away, he was still there - a bit more composed, but still majestic, like a winner who doesn’t let go of his trophy after the game.

For me, Baz has today entered my personal Champions League not just as a fragrance, but as an experience. He is powerful, noble, and uncompromising. Not a “pleaser” for everyday life, but a statement for special moments. A masterpiece that demands respect while simultaneously offering pure joy.

A single spray on my right arm... let's see what awaits me, I'm curious.

The baz starts on my skin with an incredible wave of impressions... you don’t even know what to smell first. Everything comes at you all at once, and you are completely overwhelmed by the power and strength as well as the many impressions that reach you simultaneously.

After a few minutes, the scent settles. I get a lot of notes from the top. The fragrance feels green and fresh while also being very strongly spicy. After a while, I have an incredibly sultry rose... in fact, a whole bush that accompanies me for a long time. The whole thing has a somewhat grandma-bathwater vibe. There’s also brown, very fine leather and strong incense. The smoke is not real church incense... more like ashy campfire smoke. The black pepper is also distinctly noticeable.

The fragrance lasts for many hours and continually pushes different notes slightly to the forefront.

Just when I think "okay... this is not really my thing," the scent completely transforms. It becomes much softer, more floral, and friendlier. The incense, the strong spices, and the pepper are gone. The rose pushes forward with the now gentle leather and is accompanied by a bed of many light flowers. A delicate spiciness underlines the picture.

After almost 10 hours, the fragrance transforms completely again... welcome to the heart note.

I smell sticky honey, sweet tobacco, and in the background, the bouquet of floral notes.
The honey-tobacco mix is very pleasant and extremely authentic, not to be compared with Naxos. Here, the combination is clearly more realistic and refined.

After nearly 17 hours, there’s another shift, and we enter the base.

Honey and tobacco transform into sweet pralines, tonka bean, and myrrh.
Beautiful, high-quality, and simply excellent... just as I admire this masterpiece, something hits me.

Boom, zap... out of nowhere, loads of oud and animalic notes come rushing in and spread throughout the room. All accompanied by an almost creamy undertone.
Where did that suddenly come from? Unbelievable.

After 24 hours, a chocolaty sweetness, soft oud, and delicate woodiness remain. The fragrance is still distinctly noticeable and has bitten into my skin. A slight smokiness shows itself again.
Wow... how should I describe this? How do I find a conclusion here?

In short, the fragrance is a masterpiece. It takes you on a journey to another world. I have tested many, but I have never experienced a fragrance that transforms so completely so often.
Here you have another world before you, and you really have to immerse yourself in it, yes, pay respect to the fragrance.

This is not a strong oriental that you just wear casually. Something significant happens here, and that could overwhelm many beginners.

Nevertheless, I am quite convinced that everyone must test this fragrance. Here we have reached the royal class in terms of quality (and clearly also in terms of price). You can feel the love for the craft, the quality, the know-how, and the extreme ingredients, some of which are no longer allowed to be used in the EU.

I am glad to have snagged a 5ml sample of this fragrance, and maybe one day I will be crazy enough to buy the (incredibly beautiful) bottle. Until then, there are many more fragrances in the series to test. Abjar and Haibah, I'm looking at you.

So it was a fantastic journey that I am lucky enough to experience more often.