SOTD

@PEARL - Totally agree. That orange, animalic, pheromonal complexity just does it for me. That slight fruitiness, that I find mouthwateringly sour, is amazing. Definitely weird. And I can definitely see what you and 5MeO are talking about, a fine line between liking and not. I've just given up on the not.

@5MeO - Can totally second that. It definitely has a Chinese profile IMO, Al Shareef II that is.

I see there is a Dubai Oudfest. I wonder how many signatures it would take to get Ensar and Thomas to the states?!?

Hirta from AA. This oil has grown on me a lot. The wood notes, especially in the dry down is beautiful. This oil has oomph!

Today I wore my first Al Shareef's Oud called Khulood. Simple and elegant. It seems like its the twin of Oud Yusuf by Ensar.

Nice! I have not tried any of his but certainly will in the future!

Just one! The signature of the US consul on Kruger's visa application form!

Anybody here with any pull with the government?!? I'm sure it would be a success. I know I'd travel to meet you guys.

Khulood is nice.. I will say though, that this is the most ordinary Al Shareef oud I have tried - several of the others he offers are really unique smelling, they have the Al Shareef signature so to say - "Ridhwan" is magnificent, you'll think it is some sort of exotic attar or perfume rather than an oud, though with an incredible oudy depth, if that makes sense.. Speaking of Attars, his are fantastic - these are old-world royale smelling concoctions..

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SOTD for me today is "Kaliman Kala" (EO) - do you ever sort of forget about an oud in your collection, and then come back to it after a long break, and realize how amazing it is? Well, that's what happened today with Kaliman Kala - this is such a blast of forest energy, really dynamic scent..

Royale #5 today , its Royale what else can I say...?! I love Maroke ouds .
The existing news is my oils order on its way to me (right now in transit), it will be here Thursday or Friday the most .
The only thing is I am down with flue and its a bad one , sinus infection ( I am off work today and may be tomorrow) , I hope that will go away
By the weekend so I can spend it enjoying the new oils .
(Although I have a Dog nose (I mean it) I can smell anything when everyone else around me smell nothing ( and some times its really annoying me)
But I want to be fully aware when I test the new oils).

God bless you all.

Sucre et Brun form Agar Aura, available only from The World in Scents. This is really different, given my experience with Taha's other oils. Much darker and with a distinct top to bottom profile. The sweetness oscillates from a dark brown sugar to white flowers while a dark resinous oud scent permeates and loudly hums at the bottom. Beautifully balanced oil here. Definitely artisenal but classic at the same time.

Count on me making it as well my friends!

Hope you get better soon Joyoud! Care to share what your shipment includes?

Count me in also!

Oud Emerald (EO) - a blast from the past here - bitter, green, medicinal - a most unusual scent, the medicinal quality is quite pronounced.. Some ouds I smell and immediately the pleasure receptors light up ("this smells great!") while other ouds are more of a study in exotic olfactory landscapes that may or may not be pleasurable - Oud Emerald is one of those for me - and sometimes I can't get it into it at all, while other times it is super enjoyable and I think "why don't I wear this one more often??"..

My SOTD is Tigerwood Royale ,
Do you remember Alla'auddin and the Monster inside the bottle ?*Be careful before you open the bottle of this oil , you are about to release a Monster !!

Yes mannnnn! the graceful queen take my mind away...

The tigerwood royale is superb, I was worried it would be too similar to the '95. It takes everything you love about '95 and just multiplies the beauty, complexity and satisfaction by 10...or even 100.

today though, I have on the spicy sister of shano shokat...from a different region, nagaland.. Mokokchung I believe. The same traditional feel to it with more brightness and spice compared to the dark honeyed notes of shano. Traditional Hindis are favourite...and this somehow gives me all the satisfaction to be had in a funky hindi..without the 'funk'.

oh and my 4 month old is wearing layali..awesome.

Borneo 50k. This to me is the most scintillating oud if have smelled. The scent almost tingles. Menthol, mint emanate like rays, alternating with wisps of gold and honey. After some hours, when I was done at the gym, the scent was of a gorgeous green wood. A wild ride at the beginning, especially since I have never been a fan of mint, but this stuff has multiple personality disorder which makes it extremely interesting.

OR1985. Inhaling this is just the most wonderful experience...so much majesty and mystery in that bottomless deep green. Dearest @Ensar is there a comparison to be made between this and Xiang Liao Ling I wonder?

I feel so grateful to be able to smell ouds like this. Wishing you all a good night from London.

I have found that vigorous exercise makes the aroma of oud so much more vivid and enjoyable afterward - using oud after a good workout at the gym is always a divine treat..

Today - a Chinese oud feast courtesy of Ensar - started with Yunnan '03, then Chinese Exclusive, and now Chen Xiang Exclusive..

Love it 5MeO! Tell us a bit about Chen Xiang Exclusive.