The visit to the Krigler Perfumery in The Plaza Hotel in New York City has been one of my favorite parts of the last two Sniffapaloozas in 2010. Ben Krigler has revived his family’s proud olfactory history in a tiny corner of The Plaza Shops. At the 2010 Spring Fling I walked away with three fragrances the most unique of which was Established Cognac 66. I also walked away with an expectation of even better things to come as Mr. Krigler continued to revive and revitalize the perfumes of Krigler. One thing that Mr. Krigler loves to remind people who are learning about the line is the number of celebrities who have worn Krigler fragrances in the past. Ernest Hemingway, Marlene Dietrich, JFK, Audrey Hepburn, and Grace Kelly have all worn a perfume from Krigler.
At the 2010 Fall Ball we were introduced to Oud For Highness 75 which was made for King Hussein of Jordan and now was being released to the public. 2009 seemed to have a weekly release of an oud centric fragrance. 2010 has seen that release pattern return to more normal levels. As a result my nose is less sensitized, or worn out, to oud this year and so when I encounter one I think I give it a little more attention than I did last year. Which is good because if Oud For Highness 75 came out a year earlier I think I might have missed some of its quite beautiful subtleties.
Oud for Fragrance 75 starts out like so many oud fragrances before it, on a powerful wave of pungent agarwood and in lesser compositions that intensity drowns all but the most forceful of notes and accords. That is why rose is one of the most common partners of oud because it has the heft to balance oud. What I find so remarkable about Oud For Highness 75 is Mr. Krigler uses softer less extroverted notes which takes some time to let Oud For Highness 75 display all of its charms. As the oud softens amber and saffron edge their way forward and when they achieve a balance about halfway through the development of Oud For highness 75 that’s when this fragrance becomes something special. Honey and a creamy sandalwood round out the closing stages of Oud For Highness 75 and the sweet woodiness playing off the spicy woodiness of the earlier development was really enjoyable for me.
Oud For Highness 75 has excellent longevity and average sillage.
Oud For Highness 75 begins in the same place as many other oud fragrances but it is the journey that takes place from that point that places the crown on Oud for Highness 75.
Disclosure: This review of Oud For Highness 75 was based on a sample received from Krigler Perfumery.
–Mark Behnke, Managing Editor