Oud Firbest is Firmenich's general Oud base, balancing woods, florals and animalic notes in such a way as to not focus on a specific terroir or variety of Oud. It was designed to give a consistent and cost-effective realistic oud note in perfumes as natural ouds can vary wildly in odour from batch to batch. It is a versatile base but is particularly well suited to oriental and woody fragrances. Firmenich's Firbest® range contains bases made of both synthetic and natural elements which replicate the scent of a natural extract without containing that extract itself. These bases solve problems often associated with naturals such as extremely high cost or, as mentioned, variability in batch quality. If you are looking for a 5-star alternative to the Firbest range, we also produce our own Oud Intense™ base which is, in the words of one reviewer: “one of the best oud bases I've tried.” We also offer Oud Laos Firbest—a lighter and more fruity-floral oud base, Pretty Oud, a rich animalic but extremely easy to use Oud base, Oud Synth 184007 a lower cost Firmenich base and Black Agar Givco from Givaudan which is really more fantasy than reality. And for those with the budget for it, we offer Oud Assafi® a glorious (but eye-wateringly expensive) natural Oud Assam wild harvested in Bangladesh. Alternatively you may like the much more frugal Aetoxylon or White Oud oil from V MANE Fils.
