Aurelian Guichard Perfumer (formerly of Givaudan)

 Robert Piguet Parfums has been prolific in it's expansion. With three of the perfume world's most worshipped fragrances to its name, (Bandit, Fracas and Visa) perfumer Aurelien Guichard, now at IFF,  has stood at the helm of most every new creation since Baghari in 2006 (Fracas was recreated from the Germaine Cellier classic by Pierre Negrin of Firmenich). The most recent offerings are Oud Devin and Oud Delice, new versions to the 2012 Oud de Robert Piguet, from the Nouvelle Collection.

Oud Devin and Oud Delice de Piguet

Our dear Editor In Chief Michelyn has had me on quite an oud trip recently. Considering it is usually not a note I enjoy, even before it became massively over-used, I have actually had a few pleasant surprises. In the case of these new fragrances, the signature 'oud de Piguet' accord has been used to tie the three perfumes in the collection together. Described as a “proprietary blend of resins and woods", it was used in a heavily animalic way in the original Oud. Whilst in Oud Devin it still packs a pretty funky punch, the almost gourmand approach in Oud Delice is much softer and more palatable.

Coffee and Wood collage

Oud Devin features top notes of espresso bean and tonka bean absolute, a heart of “oud Piguet” with  patchouli and a base of vetiver. The coffee in the opening is sharp and smoky for a moment, yet within seconds it turns almost creamy. The sweet tonka bean and coffee against the beastliness of the signature oud accord is off beat, then factor in the damp green vetiver and earthy patchouli and you have one intriguing fragrance.

Daniel Craig drinking coffee

I enjoy the power of it; how the potent masculine oud seems to swallow the aromatic coffee and breathe out the fumes. This is a tenacious scent, and that's putting it mildly. Its presence lingers on the skin all day, into the evening, with traces still smouldering the next morning. If you are a hard-core Oud-a-phile with a penchant for black coffee then I think you might adore Oud Devin.

Oud Delice de Robert Piguet  and honyecomb, wood collage

Oud Delice is the sweeter of the two siblings, featuring top notes of caramelised amber and Miel de Provence oil, an oud Piguet heart and patchouli and vetiver in the base. It opens with a delightful, almost melon-like honey note that deepens and becomes more golden with warm amber. The oud here is heavily tempered with sweet resin, taming the animalic growl into a little kitten meow. It's definitely still in there, which becomes evident in many, many hours that it lasts on the skin, but the opening few hours are all about the gourmand interplay between honey and woods.

Cate Blanchett drinking tea

Oud Delice manages to be both warm and fresh at the same time, the Miel de Provence bringing a delicious impression of fruit nectar to the woody greenery of the patchouli and vetiver. It is a more carefree sibling to its big brother Oud Devin, and for me it is more to my taste. This is the one to go for if oud scares you and you take sugar in your tea.

 Both of these scents are unusual, with Oud Delice being the more “palatake” of the two. This makes a pleasant change from the constant tidal wave of oud flooding the market at the moment. There has been an intelligent use of seemingly mismatched notes to produce perfumes that challenge and diversify the concept of oud in perfumery. Definitely worth a try if you enjoy a little eccentricity in your fragrances.

Disclaimer: Samples gratefully received from Robert Piguet Parfums. Opinions my own.

Susie Baird Editor and writer at Epiphany.

 Currently Robert Piguet Oud Devin is sold exclusively at Selfridges and Oud Delice is exclusive to Harrods in the UK, with a worldwide roll out scheduled for 2016.  We have a 5 ml sample of either Oud Divin or Oud Delice for a registered reader’s choice in the US, EU or Canada. To be eligible please leave a comment with what you enjoyed about Susies reviews,  which seemed to intrigue you,  the Piguet Oud you would like to win and where you live by 7/24/2015

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