Montale Dark Aoud and Moon Aoud: How Would You Like Your Oud?

 

 

When I first became aware of Espresso coffee drinks, almost twenty years ago, I was astounded at the number of variations that could be coaxed from a single set of ingredients; coffee and milk. Espresso, breve, macchiato, cappuccino, café noisette, latte, and more. As I began my exploration it took me awhile to find the concoction that was just right for me; a cinnamon flavored latte as my regular barista will tell you.

 

 

Pierre Montale has become a Barista of Oud when it comes to fragrance as he continues to find new variations on the core note of agarwood. With over 26, and counting, aoud fragrances to choose from there is very likely one somewhere in there for everyone who wants to wear an oud based fragrance. The two newest releases, Dark Aoud and Moon Aoud, are very different from each other. Dark Aoud is an intense doppio of oud and sandalwood. Moon Aoud is a spice flavored cappuccino of oud. Depending on how you like your oud will depend on which you would like M Montale to deliver to your dresser.

Dark Aoud

 

 

Dark Aoud, like a simple espresso shot, contains much more complexity than it should. Dark Aoud is a simple linear exploration of oud and sandalwood. Both ingredients are combined with an intensity that at first masks any subtlety. In the early going it is the edgy side of both ingredients that I experience as the more medicinal qualities of agarwood and the drier austere qualities of sandalwood are in evidence, For about the first hour of wearing Dark Aoud I was thinking I needed something more than edginess to make me want to wear this. What then happened is Dark Aoud began to transform on my skin as the oud became smokier and the sandalwood became smoother and creamier and the edge became less sharp. The remainder of the day Dark Aoud was a pleasure to wear as it continued to become softer until it was washed away in the shower the next morning.

Moon Aoud

 

 

As I said above I like my espresso as part of other ingredients and I think that is also true of oud, for me. Moon Aoud is a mix of many things with oud in the center of the mix. One of the notes M Montale has used very successful with oud is saffron. Perhaps my favorite Montale oud is Red Aoud which also begins with saffron. The early moments of Moon Aoud remind me of that as saffron and rose open it up as the froth on the oud cappuccino. The middle layer is made up of a raw leather and even rawer vetiver which are smoothed out by patchouli. Moon Aoud closes with ambergris and sandalwood bringing Moon Aoud to a smooth landing.

Dark Aoud and Moon Aoud have 24 hours of longevity and are among the highest sillage fragrances I wear. A little of any Montale fragrance goes a long way.

If you haven’t found your ideal oud fragrance M Montale has added two new versions to the menu. If you want a bold strong shot of oud you should give Dark Aoud a try. If you like something more with your oud Moon Aoud might be your cup of espresso. If nothing else M Montale has shown once again that there are still plenty of oud concoctions up the Barista of Oud’s sleeve.

Disclosure: This review was based on samples received from Montale Paris at Esxence 2011.

Mark Behnke, Managing Editor

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7 comments

  • Ahhhhh Montale, one of my favorite perfume lines……Red Aoud leading the way, i think after reading this i must give Moon Aoud a try at least. Thanks Mark for writing this review, it gave me new inside to the newest Montale fragrances joining the line up.

  • marcopietro says:

    I love Aoud Lime by Montale and probably I could fall in love with Dark Aoud.

  • Spending a week in Paris very soon, so looking forward to trying these at  Montale Paris….definitely on my 'must try' list……..

  • chayaruchama says:

    What a great comparison, Herr Mark !
    Like you, I'm a Red Aoud and Aoud Red Flowers kinda gal; but these sound terribly intriguing …

  • Moon Oud sounds perfect for my husband, who favors Red Oud & Black Oud.  For me, I would love to be able to tell people that I am wearing something called, Moon Oud.

  • I like the classic oud-rose combination, so Aoud Damascus and Aoud Roses Petals are two of my favorites. And Aoud Queen Roses of course. But wait, there's more! I forgot Red, White and Aoud Velvet. Of the two that you reviewed, my guess is that I would like Moon Oud.
    I no longer buy full bottles of the Montales, because I think that they would last me three lifetimes. But decants are just perfect.

  • kastehelmi says:

     
    Aoud Rose Petals is my favorite perfume in the world–although I have many that I really love, no other perfume so far has managed to steal that special place in my heart from it. Aoud Damascus comes very close, and when I am running low, I may buy Aoud Damascus (if I can swap a few decants for Aoud Rose Petals) Roses Musk is the other one I can't live without, so it's safe to say Montale is my favorite house, even if I can only wear a fraction of them…
    I haven't tried every Montale, but Taj, Aoud Velvet and Red Aoud are also great loves, as well as Roses Elixir. It's hard to say whether I would prefer Moon Aoud or Dark Aoud, but they both sound stunning. Patchouli isn't mentioned in the note list of Dark Aoud, so I think I might like it better? Moon Aoud could be reminiscent of White Aoud with a little more aoud-based depth and darkness–I think that could be very beautiful! If it is more feminine, then I will like it–I am very predictable in wanting my perfumes to somehow say that I am a woman, though some more masculine ones can wear feminine enough on me.
    My exposure to aoud has been through the best of the best (Montale) and random samplings elsewhere (including cheaper attar samples)–I find that I am craving a heavier less sweetened and flower-painted aoud these days, though I doubt I could start wearing such a special and intense fragrance very often. I recently re-tried Nejma 3 by Pascal Morabito, and find it has fruity undertones, but the strength of the medicinal+tar presence of the aoud was seductive this time instead of just feeling brash and lacking complexity. Nejma 3 still feels very Europeanized, and doesn't make my heart beat faster like the Montales, but I do wonder how dark Dark Aoud is in contrast!