Aoud Cuir d’Arabie was launched by MONTALE Paris in 2006 and is one of my favourite pairings of leather and oud. On me, it opens with a strong leather/animalic note. To me, this smells of sweaty, dirty, worn leather, and it smells wonderful! It’s matched with a gorgeous cold, medicinal note of oud. The leather stands up to the pungency of the oud here, giving the scent a skanky character right from the start. Just as it starts to get to the outer limits of ‘skank,’ a note of tobacco shows up. It’s rich, warm, and herbaceous, with a bit of sweetness from its caramel aspect. It reins in the skankiness and adds depth and plushness to the fragrance. As it blooms, Montale’s signature rose note appears. It’s soft, floral and opulent and the classic pairing with oud. At the drydown, the leather morphs from raunchy to refined, and the oud softens, becoming warm and resinous. They complement each other in this phase as they do in the opening so that they both shine. Aoud Cuir d’Arabie dries to a sexy, sensuous, intimate scent that stays close to the skin. It's ideal for cooler weather, but I love the way it stands up to summer heat. Notes: Leather, oud, tobacco, rose.
