Black Aoud Montale for men

Black Aoud by Montale earns a commendable 8 out of 10 in my review, thanks to its exquisite rose-centric composition that delivers a captivating olfactory experience. However, its predominantly floral nature may lean towards the feminine side, which could be a consideration for some.

At the heart of Black Aoud lies a rich and opulent blend of roses, intertwined with hints of oud and spices. The opening is a bouquet of velvety roses, exuding elegance and sophistication from the very first spray. As the fragrance develops, the rose accord deepens, revealing subtle nuances of oud and spicy notes, adding depth and complexity to the composition. The result is a scent that is both luxurious and alluring, evoking images of a romantic evening in a Middle Eastern garden.

One of the standout features of Black Aoud is its exceptional longevity and sillage. It boasts impressive performance, lasting well into the night with just a few sprays. Its powerful projection ensures that you make a statement wherever you go, leaving a lasting impression on those around you.

However, despite its undeniable charm and sophistication, Black Aoud may not be for everyone. Its predominantly floral scent profile may be perceived as too feminine by some, which could limit its appeal to a certain audience. Those who prefer more traditionally masculine fragrances may find Black Aoud to be too floral for their taste.

In my own experience, Black Aoud has always been a fragrance that captivates and enchants with its intoxicating aroma. While I appreciate its exquisite composition and exceptional performance, I can understand how its floral nature may not be to everyone's liking.

In conclusion, Black Aoud by Montale is a fragrance that shines with its exquisite rose-centric composition and exceptional performance. However, its predominantly floral nature may be perceived as too feminine by some, which could be a consideration for potential buyers. With a solid score of 8 out of 10, it's clear that Black Aoud is a fragrance that excels in many aspects but may not be suitable for those seeking a more traditionally masculine scent.

The first time I sprayed this I hated it. When I tried the tiniest spritz a week later I fell in love. This has all the longevity most of my favourite fragrances lack and it's dark, damp, and earthy, like a potting shed full of roses hanging up to dry and sacks of spices, and rich soil. It's way to easy to overspray, but the right amount just hits all my olfactory buttons. More please!

This my older brother’s signature fragrance, i love it, it reminds me of his old car which was so fun (300c SRT) it reminds me of his room, every time i try to take a step all i smell is cigarettes and this, to me this is the best scent ever, I wouldn’t wear it tho, bc it’s his signature fragrance, not mine.

Really good fragrance. Nice rose along with other aspects I can’t really describe. It has very good silage along with longevity, I believe all montale has really good longevity. Would recommend buying

Black Aoud is a Rose, Oud, Patchouli BOMB ! That 24 hours later dries down into a Rose, Musk, Incense with moderate projection & sillage.

This is a very concentrated fragrance. So its very hard to clearly pick up on its Floral notes. However, theres a White Floral note of Jasmine, & also a note of Ylang Ylang.

The Ylang Ylang is adding a "Waxy" accord.

This "Waxy" accord is blended in with the Oud. The Oud itself smells Dark, Oily & Woody. This combination of Oud & Ylang Ylang is whats making people feel like the Oud smells synthetic.

The Oud here doesnt smell synthetic. People just arent used to smelling the Waxy character of Ylang Ylang.

The Patchouli note is a beast in this fragrance. Its extremely Earthy, faintly peppery, & subtly Green. Theres also a note of Saffron adding a dark Leathery nuance.

In the final dry down you get Rose, Musk, & a heavy dose of Labdanum. This combination smells like a very Heady Rose Incense.

I cant speak on the performance of new batches. I bought my bottle in 2008 & the performance is formidable. Quite literally 24 hours later this thing still has projection & sillage.

I feel like Black Aoud can be worn year round just so long as you're VERY EASY on the trigger, & its worn at night.

Its a great fragrance for a Black Outfit, or when you're wearing Black Leather. Or any night time out doors event.

This is not a sweet Rose/Oud combo. So I wouldnt consider it "Sexy". But its definitely mysterious, which has the potential to be sexy depending on the wearer.

Black Aoud is a commitment. Because it doesnt wash off, & wears on you for days.

i love a rose, oud and patchouli composition. however something about this particular fragrance made me feel sick... and it never left my skin. if i had anything to compare it to, itd be irish spring bar soap... on steroids

Industrial-grade rose bomb, could be useful as some kind of bioweapon! -1/10

Especially harsh opening, make sure you over spray this for the full black aoud experience.

80% Rose, 20% Oud mixed with musk. Can't say that I like it, it is too mature and loud for me. Perfectly unisex

It's not bad but for me it's too much rose on it, reminds me to a rose incense that you can get outside some church around Mexico.

Not a fan of this house in general I was hoping to find some perfect scent which has oud and rose, tell you that it's better to my nose than Gold Rose Oud by T Terenzi. Not fan of both as they smell too medicinal to my nose. Like a lab in a pharmacy and when I was a teen I used to work in a lad at school. My family actually are working in this field or used to I should note. So, not my favourite direction.

More aptly named: Gag Me with Rose

I got this fragrance a few years ago it was not love at first sniff to me i was actually disappointed at first smell in away that i thought this would sit on my shelf unused until i gave it away in case if any one i know would ever love to smell like this even though i always wanted to have a strong oud perfume and based on the reviews i decided to give it a try, one spray on my forearm and the whole house smelled like black oud the entire day it was so potent which made it even harder for me to deal with, i left the bottle on my shelf for years untouched until one day i decided to give it another shot, again that potent rose oud smell that's almost scary i couldn't understand but something about this perfume that i started to crave every now and then like a guilty pleasure, one day i was going out with a friend that is not an oud lover and i decided to give it a wear as a teaser, one spray on my nick i did it for funn to see how he would react and what a surprise he loved it said that i smelled amazing and wanted to know what it was, maybe that encouraged me to give it another wear and got another compliment after compliment its not a guilty pleasure any more and i wear it very often now specially when in open areas when its cold, its becoming one of my favorites and i do enjoy the dry down alot, now after years of wearing i can provide a solid reviw: its not mass pleaser but it gets you compliments, its a cold weather scent do not use it for summers or closed areas, try before you buy, nuclear projection and longevity 9 out of 10 for me love love love

What is this thing made of? Stenght, projection and longevity are beyond belief. Upon spraying you are hit by an armagedon of rose. A real assault. It is so pungent that you can't even bring your nose close to where you sprayed without getting a burning sensation in your nostrils and start gagging.
This is not a perfume, this is more like a non leathal weapon. I can easily see it replacing CS gas for riot control or being carried for self defence in place of a pepper spray.

I am not a huge fan of rose notes but this is not the problem with this one, rose intensity here is just overkill. It is so strong that it's ridiculous. It is like droping synthetic rose essensial oil on a plate and sniffing it maniacally, like Steve O from Jackass did with wasabi.
Don't try it! You can't easily wash it off and chances are you are not going to like it.

If you want to know what a high quality oud-rose combo smells like give Guerlain's Santal Royal a try. That is a true masterpiece, Black Aoud is trash.

I have a soft spot for Montale. You need to love, really love, rose and oud in this case as they are really strong. Not maybe the kind of office safe frag, but if you love to walk around smelling like an oriental garden, go for it, it's one of the best Montale frags out there

A very choking scent reminds me of an insecticide

old lady scent maybe something chanel women fragrance but most def overpowering rose. smells really like an old women cheap parfume. i smell something great in it but its in the background… not what i would use

I wrote a whole post about how the longevity is mediocre at best, then I asked my wife. Apparently I was anosic and choking her out.

I really don't like it...

It opens up with the most abrasive oud, not the resinous and sexual kind, but rather very synthetic and rubbery.
After a couple of minutes, the oud shies away and gives space to rose scented hand soap, the kind you find in public restrooms, staying this way for most of it's life.

The only pleasure I get from this is very far into the drydown, when the oud dissipates and the patchouli becomes evident, giving the rose a certain shine factor. And It's just at this moment it reaches some kind of ballance.

Then, after 8 hours of pain, and a couple more of underwhelming enjoyment, it's finally gone.

Overall, I'll just stick with the restroom hand soap.

I love this one so much. One of Pierre Montale's classics with an amazing performance.
Very well balanced
It also reminds me of Mancera black Intensitive Aoud
Just give the harsh opening 30 mins and see the magic come.
It lasts 12+ hours

9/10

I had a bottle some years back and performance was average at best...
Mostly jammy rose and musk, but not bad as such, just OK.

This is known as a beast mode fragrance. But the one I have doesn't even last 2 hours , it's 2020 version.. Does anyone know the reason?

No comparison with Portrait Of a Lady.
The reputation of Black Aoud is well established regarding its potency, so if you don't like powerful perfumes, there is no point in trying them and then complaining about them.
A little consistency in reviews would be welcome.😉

Thank you Montale Black Aoud for reminding me that beast mode, over the top, eternal longevity fragrances are not my thing.

Portrait of a Lady is the better dupe.

for context, im a dude. im on the fence about the smell, but others seem to really enjoy it. every time i get a whiff, i either love it or im indifferent to it. still getting used to it, it's very dark and i feel like i have to give off very stoic, charming vibes to pull it off.

this stuff is worryingly strong. my friend could smell it from 2 meters away, 4 hours after i applied it. i stopped smelling it on my skin about 7 hours later. this was from one spray on the back of my wrist which i rubbed the crap out of.

this one's really good if you want to get noticed. some people will adore it, most will like it, few will find it a bit strange.

Just found a sample of this I'd been given and thought I'd test on the back of my hand. Showed it to my partner with no expectation and he said it smelled like Turkish Delight. Not sure that I'll buy it yet but I'm definitely going to try more rose/oud now. Maybe look for something more masculine leaning, but to my nose this one is very unisex.

Unreal performance. Leans very feminine. Stunning scent though if you are a chick

Rose and oud are one of the combos I don't seem to ever get tired of. Black Aoud is probably my 8th perfume featuring these two notes, yet it is again different from all the others I own. The opening is almost medicinal; the oud here is neither leathery nor fecal. The patchouli note is also very prominent. Several hours later, during the drydown, the rose becomes the dominant player, and the scent profile becomes more tame.

As much as rose is typically considered to be a more feminine note, I feel like Black Aoud is perfectly unisex. The performance is absolutely nuclear, both in terms of projection and longevity. Don't overspray—you might suffocate people around you, especially in small enclosed spaces like cars.

This scent is bold and anything but understated. My personal discovery and recommendation if you own both: I find Black Aoud to be especially nice when layered with Montale's Oud Pashmina.

#454 in my "Tour de Fragrance"

It's kinda like that old song, "I'm in love with Attila the Hun." This scent will definitely "pillage a village and kill everyone." It is not playin'. What a potent scent! I actually liked this better than MFK's Oud Satin Mood, for about five minutes, then I just couldn't take it any more. It is way sharper and way more pungent. It's like the "Cheezit" commercial they play during NFL broadcasts where a cheese wheel in shoulder pads screams, "I woke up feelin' the cheesiest, coach!" This scent woke up feelin' the "oudiest!"

You know I hate on rose notes a lot, think they almost always scream "granny frag", but this one almost works I think, it's just not for me. At first it reminded of something I couldn't remember, and then I did. A friend in the ROK Army had this super-expensive custom ping-pong paddle, and the combination of rare woods and layers of adhesives actually smelled a lot like this. I can't imagine he actually had a layer of agarwood in that thing, but it had this same rich, woody, lacquer smell that was just addictive.

I will never own this and wear this. It's just too much, even though it gets much more tolerable and likeable after an hour or so of drying down, but getting a sniff every now and then would be nice, probably kill some liver cells, but it would ne nice. Not nice enough to buy a bottle for the occasional whiff.

Night wear only. Anything over a spritz they'll call the fire department about a chemical spill. It's a nice smelling frag, it's just overwhelming. You'd wear this to the office on the day you turn in your notice, just to punish them for the pitiful last raise they offered. A hint of this might actually be attractive, but do not blind buy this!. Get a sample vial from Microperfumes or a sprayette from Twisted Lily and preview this first.

I purchased a full bottle last week after testing it in Faces a while ago. The tester in faces was very strong & lasted on me until the next day, however, my bottle lacks this longevity as it lasted on me 5/6 hours maximum. Production date is June 2022. I will let it macerate for a few months & then assess it again. I got my bottle for 55$ from Amazon.

For the scent itself, it is the typical Oud/flower combination so, it is not unique scent. you smell this type of scent profile everywhere in Saudi/gulf in general. suitable for winter only.

Bought a sample out of curiosity. I just felt in love with this scent. Powerful and well blended oud rose. It’s amazing how it develops. A wonderful piece of art and glad that my wife loved it. Definitely buying the full bottle.

If I had to compare this fragrance, it smells like Oud SILk Mood by MFK.(don’t be confused by satin mood) it also smells like the dry down of portrait of a lady by Frederic Malle. I don’t need to say how powerful this scent is. I do like it. I use it more as a room spray for my home.

it last for days on your cloth, you will be asked a lot about the perfume, the silage is amazing.

Good choice for colder weather, smells better in the air than up close. Oud is not animalic which is nice. Performance is strong & 4 sprays is enough for several hours. Dry down is better than the opening which is a bit harsh but after 1 hour it is better. Close to many eastern oud + rose scents. A lot of people in the arabian gulf region wear scents close to this one. I might pick up a bottle for the next winter.

revisiting this,

I was really surprised to see there was no Rum accord in the breakdown. For me, it smells exactly like rum in the opening. Thing is, the more I smell it, the more I am realising that it's just the rose, it's so jammy harsh and synthetic especially in the opening. It starts to dry down and the softness of the rose is peeled back and starts to come through.

it's... alright. There are plenty of other rose Oud fragrances I would reach for over this, which is why I'm glad It's only a sample I own.

Strong, dry and dark woody-rose-patchouly combo, with usual india-shop smoke-stick feeling at initial, but it is not bad once it tamed down. Elegant, dense and manly floral-woody oriental. Rather for formal occasions. I like it. Give it to a good half an hour, before you go out with it. Of course it is not for canicule!

Montale - Black Aoud is a fragrance i sampled, didn't like much, yet i still got a bottle of it when i stumbled upon a good deal. Did so because of the hype of being a strong fragrance, back when that was the leading reason of making a purchase (sigh). The very first time i've smelled this i found it very synthetic, like a rose scented laundry detergent. Now i get more of the medicinal OUD. It smells dark, cold, with a heavy dose of the signature Montale soapy rose.

This fragrance has gotten me negative remarks when i wore it and even after having it in my collection for a while im still on the fence with it. Its better smelled in the air then upclose and i enjoy it more in the drydown when it smooths out. I cannot judge others finding it a "grandma rose smell", its a challenging perfume. Its not funky or animalic or anything of the sort, its simply unfriendly. Depending where you live, it is not a scent you just dumb reach for.

Frequently i've seen suggestions that a more fitting name would have been BLACK ROSE and i have to agree. I don't find it jammy and i have a jammy rose fragrance in my collection. The medicinal oud wraps itself around the rose very tightly, creating a synthetic and astringent tone to the scent.

Having said that, there is something about this that makes me crave to wear it every once in a while...you know...like a ghost whispering to me from the drawer lol.
This perfume reminds me of the movie Stephen King's Rose Red. If you watch the trailer you will understand how i interpret this perfume.

Update: This is a fragrance that smells better when you move around and outside, not one to be smelled upclose. Im starting to pick up some of the mandarin orange and infact i think it is partly responsible for the medicinal feel because its quiet sour and tart.

A seriously powerful fragrance. I got a 1ml dabber bottle of it, and only applied a tiny bit to my wrist and neck. Despite the tiny amount I used, people a few feet from me could smell it. It projects like crazy and it lasts literally all day.
As for the scent itself, it's just divine. I had never tried a rose fragrance before and I was apprehensive about smelling like a flower bouquet, but upon trying it I completely changed my perspective. It's a sweet, jammy rose balanced with musk and oud, and further bolstered by labdanum and patchouli. I think the only problem I have with this fragrance is the mandarin note, it comes off really synthetic in the opening to the point where it almost smells like Pledge. But once that wears off, you're left with the most beautiful thing you've smelled.

More than 2 sprays and its chemical warfare.

It opens with a very powerful smokey, alcoholic rose. As if someone decided to create a new flavour of turkish delight by giving roses the same smoking treatment they give to salmon. Then the unpleasant burnt smell disappears, and the smell of beautiful roses emerges, kept together by the oud which mellows almost immediately. I don't really like it, I would never use it, but I can say that it is one of the few rose notes around which remain sweet and close to fragrant rose on my skin, which has the tendency to transform any rose fragrance into a undefined acidic, wilted concoction.
If I ever wanted to smell of roses, Black Oud is what I would put on.

Many here accuse this scent of being outdated and primitive.
The fact is that this fragrance can safely be called a classic, it was thanks to it that Monsieur Montal introduced oud into the European perfumery market
With him, so to speak, the real unification of East and West began.
If you try to remember any European "oriental scent" of the 80s
There was everything there except the wild and unkempt Oud.
All kinds of clones of Oud, roses and patchouli came after this scent.
Now about the wildness and naturalness of Oud...
Gentlemen, if you want to have a real oud, then you need to consider a completely different price category.
And this is not even discussed, nor is the fact that such perfumes begin to bloom and tame after 1.5-2 hours.
And yes, you must match this perfume; it is heavy in the good sense of the word and expects the same from you.
A good suit, a snow-white shirt, the perfect shoes - this is the final ingredient that will allow you to feel whole with this aroma.. In all other cases there will be wild dissonance
Which, it seems to me, many people here are trying to talk about.
And yes, as has already been noted, this “beast” needs air and space, only then does it appear in all its glory.

Reminds me so much of GUCCI OUD

Kind of underwhelming - the classic Montale oud with dark roses. Deep forrest filled with roses...and oud.

The classic to start with.

I'm going to purchase it after trying the vial/decant 🖤

This is the first fragrance I've smelt from Montale, & it's failed expectations.. It's not awful but it's a very generic rose oud fragrance, except the oud is really stale and synthetic smelling, it's definitely not real.

After about 6 or 7 hours the oud completely wears off and your left with a whole lot of rose and not much else. It doesn't even last that long. Projects will, silage is good too but man was this underwhelming.

I do not like this. I got a carded sample, and boy oh boy is this thing straight from the chemical weapons stockpile. Opens up very rosey with the underlying oud. That's all I smell for a while; rose and oud ... or should I say (like a wolf howling) aoud. The rose is too much for me, and enters hyper-floral territory. Oud seems to fade away. The dry-down smells like industrial floor cleaner, or some type of cleaning agent I've smelled in the past. I have little idea why this is marketed at men. This is at the very least unisex if not downright feminine. Powerful as hell, still trying to wash the thing off me. Bad ... but! Credit where credit is due, incredible performance.

This is easily the strongest and longest-lasting perfume I've ever owned so far. Everyone within 10 meteres from me knows when I've used it.

However it really does smell more like an "old lady" perfume. Maybe it's the rose. I can't help but imagine it would suit an elderly female more.

I basically use it to add scent to my shoes now as it smells too unisex/feminine, It's too strong to apply it on me.

It will probably be my last perfume that has Agarwood or Patchouli as I am not really a fan of smelling like things that do not grow naturally where I live but at least it's obvious the Rose is the main player here.

I like this and it reminds me of every other Rose & Oud fragrance, there's a weird 'old lady' quality with this scent, I think its the rose note its got that cloying jammy quality but at the same time its powdery.
Normally this would put me off a fragrance, but with this I like it, the rose is quite clean and refreshing and I like it; tat must be the citrus element that's adding the acidity to cut through the cloying nature.

I like this I would give it an easy 6.5/10 but I don't think I would buy it, as I already have franck Olivier's Oud Touvh which is near enough the same and cheaper. And much better

I still am looking for an Oud for the Autumn/Winter, this ain't it

I’m starting to feel like most Montale fragrances smell pretty much the same.

I just ordered a bottle of this and it should arrive later today. But I'm wearing it right now. I ordered some Bois De Yuzu and a restock of Versace L'Homme yesterday and I always get to choose two samples to go with my order so I came here and compared the available ones with what I read in reviews and decided to give Black Aoud a try. But it seemed so scary lol. After what I read here I was nervous AF as to what it would be like. You guys...

But it's not nearly as scary as I thought it would be and I like it a lot, like a LOT, so much so I ordered a full bottle. I'm fully into chypres and light classic scents, always have been, I rarely if ever go for the darker heaver ones but this is sublime on me and is going to be perfect for colder months for my darker side and of course for extra special occasions like the opera or premieres. And yes it is very strong, you all got that bit right, it only needs a couple of light sprays and you're done so this 100ml eau de parfum bottle is probably going to last me a lifetime
.
Two words which come to mind when describing this scent would be 'power' and 'sex'.

EDIT: 14 hours or so later and I can still smell it occasionally pleasantly wafting up from my chest where the heat is under my v-neck t-shirt, this is amazing. When I smell my forearms up close it's quite faint now but still there so I would have thought it was almost gone everywhere else too, but every now and then I get a good whiff of it floating up still.

I will add something I learned about this fragrance, and that's that I sprayed the paper a half hour before putting it on my skin and I still have the paper on the table in the kitchen. During the past 14 hours it has mellowed and traveled a beautiful journey on my skin, the patchouli, the oud and the rose mellowed a lot and melded into one sensuous cohesive smell, whereas the rose started off front and center and almost too much and overwhelming everything else. But the paper now smells exactly the same as it did when I first sprayed it, very very strong rose and not much else. So this behaves very differently on paper, in a way I have not seen from other fragrances which do go through some kind of change to a degree (just not as good as on your own skin), and I do not recommend anyone just spray it on a tester paper and decide only on that, it has to sit on your skin (well they always do), but in this case it just doesn't move out of the initial stage on paper at all from my experience so you have no choice but to use your skin. This fragrance is totally sublime. I'm in love with it.

Like Icarus, sound warnings were ignored as I flew too close to the sun.

Black Aoud, I tried to tame thee, only to meet my demise in the sea.

Black Aoud 2022 Batch review:

Montale was one of my favorite brands, up until recently...
I got my hands on some of the ones i loved the most, Black Aoud included, but unfortunately, it seems that the smell changed or there was some reformulation, as it's not nearly as potent as it used to be.

I won't talk about the obvious lie of using real oud in any of these, as they are clearly using a synthetic base. I don't care if a brand openly use synthetics, i care if they lie about using naturals when they are obviously not.

Black Aoud 2022 smells extremely close to the older batches, but I do notice an obvious change in the quality, performance and finesse of the end product. The same goes for Aoud Lime, which got a plasticky and metallic note in the newer batches. Maybe I just got accustomed to the smell of the old bottles..

I called it oud for dignity 🤯
Beeeeeeeeast mode nuclear energy mass Appealing complement magnetic 🖤

Black Aoud should be called "Le Jardin des Roses" on my skin because the rose is front and center, supported by the oud.

This is a lovely rose/oud combination. The beginning is a touch screechy, but once it settles, you're left with hours of a gorgeous oud supported rose to enjoy.

Smells like a really strong synthetic cleaning solution, albeit not a bad one. Nice frag for a robot. On paper this is a big zero. On skin it’s not much better. The synthetic aura overpowers any nuance. I might want to try the intense version in the name of religious penance.

Laughing to the reviews saying weak or not projecting.

This has nuclear reactor mode on. Fills entire building, not just a room.

When I put it on at home, neighbors notice it at their home at another building across the street.

Regarding the perfume, it is hard-core f.ck for the others around you in 50mt radius. So wicked. Dark as hell. Very deep black rose forward. It should have been named actually as Black Rose rather than Black Aoud.

It is fun for me sometimes wear to the office, ahahaha.

Challenges even the trained noses.

★★★★★

This is one among the most beautiful rose oud combination perfumes released somewhere in 2006. I have Jeroboam Oriento, which was released in 2015. Both smell exactly the same! In the middle east, a 100ml bottle of Black Oud costs about $105 and a 30ml bottle of Oriento costs about $120! I'd recommend Black Oud anytime!

Super classic Arabian profile. Like every Arabian market/ friday mosque wearing gentleman smells like this and a hint of smoky bakour.

My initial impression is that this smells exactly like those pink musk sticks lollies/candy. And when I smell it closer, there's a minty/nose clearing quality to the scent. Interesting.

I really enjoy this fragrance. It has a harsh opening dominated by Rose, Oud and is borderline medicinal to my nose. In fact it makes me sneeze if I smell it too closely in the first few minutes. After an hour it settles down on my skin and the Rose becomes more dominant with the Labdanum and musk giving it a soft leathery background. The dry down is awesome and lasts at least 12 hours on my skin.

A general warning: I only use 1-2 sprays of this at a time. When I first used it, I made the mistake of using 5-6 sprays. This will overwhelm your nose and the noses of anyone within a few metres.

I wouldn’t use this in summer or hot weather. It’s not an everyday scent either. I wear this to things like funerals, weddings, art exhibitions, old bookstores, church visits, or when I’m out with quirky friends. It’s not a crowd pleaser for sure! For me, the dry down is clean, powdery, and the rose hangs around throughout the lifetime of the scent. As a man, it’s a rose dominated scent that I am comfortable wearing.

It’s not for everyone. Test before you buy. It’s probably a hate or love on this one. My wife actually hates this fragrance as she thinks it makes me smell like "musk sticks" (a popular but odd smelling & tasting Australian lollie).

Usual oud, rose and saffron combo. So boring. So many fragrances use the same combo. This one is more on the rose side. Very potent and long lasting. There is a vibe of lemongrass here which makes it smell somehow medicinal and mosquito repellent like!

This one is a rose bomb on my skin and and the rose stuck around for so long it’s starting to outstay its welcome.

At first spray it was a beautiful blend of oud and rose. There’s a bit of sweetness at the opening that was even giving me Noir de Noir vibes. Sadly the oud left after 20mins or so.

For the rose, after a few hours it smelled like a beautiful Damascus rose before settling into a warm soapy rose. It’s inoffensive but it lingered into day 2 and still going. Day 2 I layered it with something woody and the rose still outlasts that. If you like changing up scents daily be prepared.

Very strong, but this is what I think is a simple oud and rose scent. It's dark and has a soapy vibe. It's not massively strong, but not many sprays are needed. It carries with the wind nicely.

The opening is such a turnoff and it smells like women's hair colouring. It gets slightly better in the dry down but as a man, I would not want to smell like this. The fragrance itself is potent and will definitely get you noticed.

For me the opening was kind of weak and unpleasant. The drydown is okay, but nothing special. It's kind of tame for what I was expecting. I don't really pick up the rose as much. The mandarin seems to overpower it. Quality is in line with other Montale/Mancera fragrances. It sprays on super oily. I find these brand fragrances are very hit or miss for me, and this one is unfortunately a miss. Not a big fan of the bottle or canister, whatever you would call it.

Years ago this was my introduction to Montale as it is for many. At the time I was intrigued by it but was not comfortable enough with rose to want to wear it. I've since gotten used to other rose fragrances and decided to revisit it.

There are some reports that it's been reformulated and this seems to be true to me. Before it was a room-filling scent that was a mix of the rich, medicinal, brutish oud with a realistic rose. The recent bottle I got seems mostly the same but not as strong and rich in the base. There's less oud and the rose has taken more of the stage. It's still a good scent and has ample strength and longevity, it just doesn't have the nuclear power that I remember.

Rant all that you want. There's a reason why this is one of Montale's best seller.

Another masterpiece from montale.

This fragrance is crazy ,when I bought I didn’t know what to except because the only other oud fragrance I smelt was oud by Acqua di Parma but it definitely dosent disappoint, I was expecting a very harsh smelling oud but it’s really pleasant it’s got great strength and last 8hours+ in my opinion

Price is great saying I got this on discount for£52

Strength 6feet

Longevity 8+

Smell 8.8/10

If you like oud fragrance definitely can blind buy but if not I would definitely say to sample it

Statement piece.

The presentation is really love it or hate it, but I dislike it, the aluminium canister looks tacky and feels light.
The scent is a rose/oud combo, and from what I’ve heard, this scent really relies on skin chemistry, sample this first, I’ve heard horror stories of this smelling like old grandma or bug spray. Thankfully, on my skin, it smells like a gorgeous, smoky, incense, dry rose and dark, mysterious oud, with hints of green patchouli and laudanum. Amazing, not really synthetic on my skin, I guess I got lucky.
The performance, wow. Montale are infamous at this point for having borderline offensive projection and longevity that survives a multitude of washes. This is no exception. I find that one spray on the nape of the neck delivers perfect spillage and projection for the vast majority of western tastes, this 100ml will last you years.
The price is really good depending where you look, I was lucky enough to find my bottle for $160 AUD. About standard market price for designer men cologne such as Chanel or Dior.
The versatility and mass appeal of this is hard to gauge. This will differ depending on where you live, the more east, the better. For westerners, this isn’t mass appealing at all, you must be into unapologetically middle eastern perfumery to enjoy this fully.

Phenomenal on my skin, give it a shot.

$160 AUD - 9/10

The oud is definitely there, but what makes or breaks this fragrance is the synthetic rose. I find it smells very feminine, but I'm not a fan of rose in colognes. I'd probably try before buying.

I love it, definitely strong so spray light. Be careful, not many people enjoy this and it does have a very bathroom cleaner opening.

this isn't as bombastic as i thought it'd be but i did do a small spray from the sample because i have previous experience with montale. ;) i get mostly rose, oud and labdanum at first with a hint of patchouli. in this i get the greenery of the rose and the labdanum/patchouli calms the oud down a bit. the rose is subtler in this one than the other montale rose/ouds i tried. i like it, a very wearable oud rose.

Yes I bought it when I was in the phase of looking for the most nuclear fragrance out there. After a blind buy I sprayed a test on the back of my hand and went for a walk. It literally choked me out and I was walking into the wind. I didn't use it for a while and then had another crack at it. This time a couple of sprays and at first it was overwhelming rose. Tried again and after a few wears my nose was able to latch on to the woody nature and the patchouli. Now it has become a guilty love. Only for when I am by myself for the day as anyone getting a whiff of this for the first time will be assaulted by the rose and switch off to the more subtle journey of the fragrance. This is not a fragrance for beginner noses or people who don't like that powerhouse rose. The oud makes this very masculine and creates the perfect compliment for the rose backbone. Compared to my other rose oud combo's this is without doubt the one that screams the loudest. One or two sprays only and if you get it on your clothes you own that smell for a week.

There is real and synthetic oud. Then, there is good and bad synthetic oud. This one is a beautiful and addictive synthetic oud. It blends perfectly with the prominent rose. I get rose and oud, that’s pretty much it. Linear. Nothing else needed.

This smells like awful. I guess oud isn't for me. At least not this type of oud. This is too strong and is sure to offend people. I like some of the others Montale and Mancera fragrances but this is cloying and odd.

It’s should be named black rose. a unisex rose bomb on your skin! I love it! But not a good blind buy as it will be polarizing.

Montale Black Aoud is one of the scents I missed and was the first thing I grabbed when I got back into the hardcore fragrance hobby. To me - this is one of the benchmark rose ouds - sharp roses, leathery oud, quickly identifiable, lasts for-ev-er, practically unscrubbable, and capable of obliterating any other scent in its path. I wear this scent for me, when I know I'm not leaving the house for an extended period, and with the knowledge that I can't wear anything other than rose oud combos for the rest of the week. Highly recommended as reference, if not to wear.

Reminds me of Portrait of a Lady by Frederic Malle. Though i much prefer that.

dab (very sparingly) -- don't spray.

it's very good that way.

An absolute grenade of rose and synthetic oud. The only place I really wear this is to the gym because I am amused by how this screams over any other scent in the room. I would advise against wearing this if you are going out drinking, because that droning and impossible-to-ignore synthetic oud is extremely irritating when I am drunk or hungover. You are sure to be noticed while wearing this, but it is a little bit too abrasive for daily use for me.

What In here is resembling citronella candles ?

Is it the mixture of labdanum ,mandarin & patchouli ?

Beast mode and a great value, but not the style of rose / oud / patchouli I like. Im a bit of a softy, and on my skin I pick up on a medicinal not that comes across a little sharp, so at the moment I cannot see myself picking up a full bottle. I think i'd need to wear this in very cold weather, but I think ill eventually develop my oud appreciation to these less straightforward interpretations, and ill revisit this again.

Probably the strongest perfume I have ever tried, believe me, I’ve tested it a lot.
Iconic smell and really unique, only a few sprays recommended.
Strong rose smell, especially works in cold weather.

I love it for the cold days at the mosque, its a very deep and beautiful rose scent but not for the faint hearted.

I don’t know Pianogoon, but I’m not happy with him.

Unbeknown to me, he arranged the rose lap-dancer to pop round mine and gyrate for a good few hours. Hard.

However, I didn’t scrub. The dark side of me told me to keep wearing this scent and sporadically throw $10 and $20 bills on the stage in front of me.

Look, this would make a special scent for someone. I’m not sure I’m it’s intended audience. I’ve tried wearing this a couple of times and the rose is ultra, super, hyper bold. It’s like being smashed in the face with a crate of Turkish Delight.

But I do like Turkish Delight.

To be continued…

My wife told me to change my shirt and scrub this off my arm.

I thought it started off well as I nice rose and oud combo but then the oud left the party early and the rose came and danced HARD. The rose did not want to leave, it was doing a lap dance on my arm shoving its dirty rose all up in my face and grinding it there in-front of the whole family.

No one was impressed. I was slightly embarrassed.

It’s a persistent over the top rose screamer.

Go for it if that’s your jam!

If anyone is looking to trade this fragrance please check out what I have I would love to do a swap!!

The nose 618 made laugh with the prostitute bathing... image. I guess I don't want to smell like that. The weirdness of this clown world.

Readers on this forum are looking for honest reviews...not rants.
I do not care for Montale Black Aoud---the way it smells, not the image it portrays.

When we see the olfactory signature of a distressing banality of some people, we should not be surprised that they do not like perfumes that have more character, as they say, we do not mix tea towels and towels .
Montale perfumes are of an excellent standard, I'm not saying that they are all super terrible, but we must recognize their qualities.
This black Oud is a success

I personally really enjoy this one for cooler weather or evenings outs, formal or date night fragrance. It’s a smooth Oud and rose combo with a subtle hint of citrus, the musk is strong to my nose for the first 30 minutes but it wraps the fragrance up so nicely and as it settles down it turns into a floral woody mostly to my nose and the patchouli comes out a bit more. It’s more of a dry fragrance is the best way to explain it, but it’s very clean smelling, very masculine on my skin after giving it a few wearings. Dark and mysterious perfect for a man that’s not afraid to stand out in a crowd.

On first spray a brass band of rich, velvety rose marched into the room, then aoud like a single trumpet played one short note and then the aoud almost immediately went silent, to be blasted out of the way by a dark bass note of musk. And the musk stayed. The kind of musk you find in vintage bottles of Joy (Patou) pure parfum. An extended tuba solo of musk with repeated riffs on musk. A couple of hours later the musk suddenly packed up and left and just the roses lingered. It's lovely. It really is. It echoes beautifully on sleeves. It calls to mind vintage Shocking (Schiaparelli) with its densely packed, dark, ancient roses. I would have called it "Black Rose".

After a year from the purchase it remains my favorite, the one I instinctively choose to wear because it makes me feel good. The fragrance ripened inside the aluminum flask, it became rounder, deeper and darker. The rose remains the absolute protagonist: austere, opulent, baroque, refreshed by the brilliant touch of unripe mandarin at the opening. Agarwood is not synthetic and I am sorry for those who continue to despise the fragrance: as a chemist I can safely argue that it is Cambodian agarwood with a typically medicinal scent. On the other hand, one drop in 100 ml is enough to turn the fragrance towards balsamic-pungent hints (don't think that agarwood is dosed like other essential oils or absolute ones, if anything, raise the antennas when certain creations are sold at exorbitant prices just because "inside there is the real oud": we are always talking about a drop, or a little more, so the price is never justified!).

Returning to Black Aoud, the undisputed masterpiece of the Montale maisons, I imagine it worn by specific historical or imagination figures: from the Count of Monte Cristo to Nicolas Flamel, from Lucrezia Borgia to Count Dracula himself. The fragrance is undoubtedly fascinating, intriguing and not for everyone anyway. It takes a well-structured character to appreciate it, a good dose of bravado and solid self-esteem. It could really irritate the eternal undecided, but at the same time bring security to those who feel fragile.

On the other hand, perfume is not a simple accessory, but a quality of the soul that is expressed all around thanks to the magical combinations of a nose-alchemist like that of Pierre Montale who knows not only the tricks of the trade, but also and above all the esoteric and symbolic character that lies behind and inside the material. EC ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is definitely a beast mode fragrance. People will smell you from yards away. I do not like the opening at all, but the dry down is great. The rose really comes through after the opening dies off. It's a good thing I picked up a sample as it's not something I'd wear often as it is a challenge to wear. I prefer the rose composition in POAF more so, but this is good after the dry down.

I have the Intense version, so there was no need for me to get this one, but when you're a collector, it's allowed.
Nothing to add to what has already been said, this perfume signals your presence like an elephant in a porcelain store.
To avoid in a small space, in the restaurant or simply in a situation where you want to be discreet, it will not work.
I find it unisex, ladies can easily wear it, except the sensitive ones who dream of elves and small flowers in a field full of birds, forget it.

Today I smelled this fragrance on a woman in the supermarket. Specially the sillage. She was at least 10 meters away. I was struck still and took it in. Then I crossed her path in a few aisles (a small shop). Each pass got better. I rarely catch such protection and hardly ever sillage. This has both and it's gorgeous. The patchouli is forward in the mix.

I could imagine this being too much for certain wearers. But it's a lovely gift to the public who likes to catch a scent trail in the air. Like old times. Like the 80s for me.

The opening is sour, acrid. Sometimes I put this perfume on and think, “Why am I doing this?”

An hour later I am enveloped in a haze of Turkish rose, bedded down on the earthy, mouldiness of agarwood. The patchouli mingles in the background, along with the medicinal labdanum, which really reminds me of my mum who exclusively wore Opium in the 80s and early 90s. It’s got that same headiness that her perfume used to have.

Black Aoud is serious. I was given a sample after Illuminum discontinued their Black OUD fragrance, but there is something more established and grown about this scent. Wearing it makes me feel as though everything is complete.

Then my friend says, “Oh, you smell like grandma again today”.

It’s my favourite. My mum loves it too.

Got a lot of compliments when wearing this one. It didn’t last on my skin but on the clothes yes. I liked it as it was a gift but I don’t think I’d buy it for myself.

Love this- I was sent a sample of this along with a different order and it’s astonishing! I see it’s designated as for men but I think this works on me just as well. Wouldn’t necessarily have guessed it was for men. A big, loud, sexy oud/rose. Absolute beast of a frag. Needs a confident person or it wears you. Looking to get a fb

Ahh wow, what a fragrance you certainly can tell it is fine fragrance made with fine ingredients. This fragrance literally bounced right off my skin so it certainly performs. The rose is really fresh and succulent and the OUD is devine, you can tell its genuine and not artificial. Perfectly balanced formula too, can't fault it flawless 10 out of 10.

Man, manceras oud note just doesn't work for me unfortunately, they all have this sour fake wood smell, not sure if the rose is synthetic but it certainly smells unpleasant like a $3 rose room spray, but it could be just the mancera oud turning it, it just isn't for me, some may like it but I cannot smell complexity, it legit smells like the fake oud and fake rose, I can't detect patchouli and what not, which yeah makes sense it is a rose-oud but it is the same as their other ouds, like auod vanille, just the sour fake oud and what I personally barely recognise as vanilla, but some people say it is their fav vanilla? I think the synthetic compounds can play tricks on the brain, so for some people it works great but to others it doesn't even smell like what it is meant to.
Okay 2 hours into drydown and it is a lot nicer, the sourness of the oud has switched up to smelling more soapy with the rose, and that sourness being gone is letting the rose actually smell of rose, overall though it just smells like a fairly cheap rose soap.

Great for your if you enjoy it but don't blind buy manceras unless you know you like manceras, whereas I could easily say blind buy oud for greatness by initio, smells like god himself.

i really like this, but it has to be dabbed (sparingly), not sprayed, or it will wear you instead of you wearing it.

I love mancera and montale. But this smells like wet dog when you first spray it haha

This fragrance is quite different and difficult to describe. The scent is a combination of herbal notes reminiscent of crushed white rose petals, and the earthy scent (petrichor) formed after the rain falling on the soil in the forest. Like a wet tree trunk. Rose is very different from the rose scents you are used to. Definitely a white rose. Therefore, it is not feminine. The fragrance feels pretty dark. It stays on the skin for up to 8 hours. Stays on fabric for over 20 hours. The spread rate starts to decrease after the first 6 hours. I think men and women over 30 can use the fragrance. The best outfits for this fragrance are black and noble outfits. It's not a sun scent. It feels like autumn and night scent.

I really wanted to like this one, The Oud is fantastic in it; but that cloying synthetic rose smell gets almost compounding and acidic as it wears in leaving me wanting to scrub it out of my skin and clothes.

A definitive Sample Before You Buy. It’s not everyone’s cup of tea.

I purchased a 20ml bottle over 10 years ago and still have it. To me it's like a Middle Eastern Knowing by EL. I see nothing polarizing about this fragrance. It's absolutely beautiful. I am a one-spray-girl and here one spray is more than enough. I live in a hot and humid country, and in this weather Black Aoud develops wonderfully. Reminds me of immaculately dressed Qatari men walking into mosques in Doha.

another masterpiece from montale.

Turkish delight pumped with steroids, served in a wooden basket.

The opening is filthy. Too strong. Chemically offensive to my nose. It smells cheap and badly mixed.

However, things start to change after 10 minutes as it starts to dry down. The rose isn’t as pungent and the wood starts to drift through.

I’m not getting much else. Can’t detect the patchouli or the mandarin. (Possibly due to burnt nostrils.)

I really want to hate this, but there’s something there drawing me in and I can’t place what it is.

I think this is going to be one of those scents that I slowly get used to (like Guerlain’s Habit Rouge). I’ve a free sample that I’m gonna wear through this week.

I get the Dracula comments. Old women, too. But, strangely, I’m up for the challenge.

One spray only. Or you’ve got questions to answer. Not for the office. Satanic rituals and funerals might be OK.

Smells like chemical warfare…

Since 2010, I've put it on my underwear because of its strong scent, which is perfect for really cold mornings with a woody background with oud smoke.
It reminds me of my father and ancient Arabian scents, particularly the oud and its delicate scent with an Indian oud honey background.
It leaves stains that I don't like!!
For a unique experience, use two sprays of night perfume in the winter.
8/10

If Dracula wears this, I'll happily touch my toes for him... OK, This one is not your typical fragrance that will be featured on YouTube channels from those brainless cute guys, that have no other purpose in life but being crying out for compliments. This is a MEN'S ROSE BOMB & OUD.

Seat on your preferred couch on a cold day, fire up your chimney, spray this one on, enjoy a cup of strong coffe and reed a book.

This is very polarizing and bold. Look elsewhere if you want something pleasant and easily likable. Opens with pungent, dark, heavy combo of rose and oud. Slightly bitter, noticeable medicinal quality. You’re either gonna love or hate this scent, the oud is very prominent, harsh and got that funky leathery quality. It does not hide its edges like some other softer Montale oud fragrances or something like Acqua Di Parma Oud. There’s also a heavy dose of patchouli which makes it even darker and earthier. As it dries down it becomes slightly more pleasant. It’s not my personal favorite but I can respect the creation and what it tries to do. It’s got this unique mysterious, wild, exotic, dark, moist, earthy vibe that’s fancy at the same time.

The performance is beyond beast mode. I put one spray on my forearm and a few hours later my waifu said she can smell it across the whole room. Definitely not for the faint hearted but if you like the rose + oud combo this would be a great one for you to try/ have.

Opening: 7.5/10
Dry down: 7.7/10
Uniqueness: 9.3/10
Versatility: 1/10
Presentation: 8.7/10
Sillage: 10/10
Longevity: 9.7/10
Sprays: 1-2
Season: Fall, winter
Occasion: Cold weather signature, outdoor, leather jacket

Overall Rating: 7.7/10

Horrific, almost presents rose and oud in the worst possible way. Dracula would wear this.

Test this one first. Smells like medicine, sauna oil and grandmas perfume combined together. I can only immagine people over 50 wearing this one.

hardcore offensive

In un tramonto di fine estate
percorri le strade di una città esotica
alla ricerca di luoghi misteriosi
vieni trascinato in un bel giardino
un giardino verde e rigoglioso
rimani lì a lungo
un tempo indefinito
cerchi di capire cosa ti ci ha spinto dentro
estasiato e narcotizzato pensi ad una medicina
la cura per il tuo desiderio carnale
ma è tardi
è quasi buio
e anche se consapevole che non l'avrai mai
sai che tornerai comunque domani
sei sicuro che la sua illusione sarà qui
sarà qui ogni volta che ne avrai voglia...

Rosa protagonista indiscussa, in apertura supportata da oud pesante, pungente e animalico, che
con l'arrivo del patchouli aggiunge alla sua struttura molto verde medicinale, e che con il progredire della sua infinita longevità diventa leggermente dolce.
La sensazione incensata è sempre presente e molto profonda, tanto scura in apertura quanto chiara in asciugatura.
Ne viene fuori una composizione elegante e molto carnale, bellissima, che non cessa mai di esistere, che perfora l'aria per molte ore, e che quindi, non è adatta a tutte le occasioni, va contestualizzata, perché sarà sicuramente ricordata a lungo.
Molto complicata, non deve necessariamente piacere a chiunque. L'unica certezza è che, nel suo genere, è stata se non la prima, tra le primissime ad arrivare,
e sarà sicuramente "l'ultima ad andar via"
Indelebile

Upon first sniff, I can certainly see why this is such a polarizing fragrance. Opens with a rush of roses and an almost screechy oud note. I don't smell much else from this for at least 5 hours of wear.

This fragrance has a dry, dark feel to it. The oud is neither fecal nor warm, but rather cold and medicinal. The rose note does help to tone this down a bit, but this fragrance still manages to pull off a gothic character.

For those familiar with Islamic culture, this smells highly reminiscent of Friday prayer perfumes. People from this background might even consider this perfume old fashioned.

An interesting fragrance that manages to grow on you with time. In true Montale fashion, this lasts for days on clothes and people will be smelling you even after you've left the room.

Don't mean to offend anyone who likes this but to my nose Black Aoud smells like pot pourri sprayed with pesticides in Wicca basket.
I just received this sample with my order today and im so glad I didn't blind buy it.
If you want a really nice oud fragrance by Montale with beastly performance try Oud Pashmina, it is absolutely gorgeous.

Oud (aka aoud, aka agarwood) had been intensely popular as a perfume note for quite a while in the Arabic speaking world before it began turning up more regularly in Western fragrances around the turn of the millennium. Pierre Montale was one of the first European popularizers of the note and featured it in his house's line. Black Aoud, created in 2006, is one of Montale's (justly) most famous and spectacular entries.

Until you've smelled it, oud is a hard note to describe, although its gorgeous complexity is really something: it's woody and fruity and sweet and even a little smoky, all at once. It blends beautifully with rose, and this is one of the richest and most masculine fragrances I know. This has almost a berserk strength to it, so be warned that a little goes a long way, and it is so intense it would be better to wear for leisure activities than for the office. But it really is quite lovely.

It’s a standard oud based scent found in most Arabian fragrance stores. It has fantastic strength of character but I’m not overly impressed as I’ve smelled this all too often. Smoky, rich, sheikh indulgence with nuclear power.

Damn…this is a rough one. Blind bought it (i know, i know- big mistake) since i love oud and do own other oud-rose fragrances, which i love (VcA Oud Blanc, MFK Oud Satin Mood). When first spraying this, it is an extremely unpleasant experience. Very strong medicinal feeling, real oud is NOWHERE to be seen, with grandma-ish rose on top of that. Absolutely beastly projection and sillage. I sprayed once on my wrist, went out and when i came back a few hours later the room was still smelling of rose. Projection is also out of this world. Longevity- one spray will last you 15-18 hours without a doubt. This a weapon of mass destruction for those around you. Please do not overspray this is you care even a little about the well-being of your family/coworkers/loved one. I would never wear this to work (i work in a hospital). I really do not know where I’d wear this actually. This fragrance becomes somewhat pleasant after about 3 hours. It mellows out and becomes a nice rose. If you can stand the sharp, medicinal, in your face mess which this is for the first 3 to 4 hours in order to smell the deep drydown- good for you. I cannot. This for me is an absolute scrubber, sorry. I just keep having bad experiences with montale.
Scent: 2/10
Longevity: 10/10
Sillage: 10/10
Projection: 10/10

By far the loudest and longest lasting fragrance I know. Smells awful up close. But when it fills the air, it smells delicious! Definitely a compliment compeller.
Warning! Avoid spraying centre of the chest and neck area. This stuff will make you pass out. I spray left neck side, right neck side, back of the neck, outer left and right arms. Each point a double pump. That's 10 sprays total for 12 hours day without reapplication. Never becomes a skin scent. Still projects at least 3 -5 feet at the end of the day.
WOW just WOW!!!

I’ve found this scent needs heat. If you wear it to the gym when you’re hot and sweaty it loses the dirty earthy notes and becomes a sweet beautiful rose that everyone around you loves

On my skin Black Aoud is a big Rose bomb. The Oud is there, but always behind the rose. These 2 notes dominate (actually, just the rose), and the rest , at least on my skin get lost way back in the background.
I read somewhere that this should be called "Black Rose" and I agree, as this is more about the rose than the oud (at least on my skin).
Linear, with BIG sillage and longevity. A couple of sprays on each arm, are enough to envelope me in a rose cloud that feels almost like a rose garden.
It is important to let the fragrance settle, as the first 15-20 minutes can be a bit too much for some.
Less is more with Black Aoud.

Warning! Indoor can be used as a nuclear weapon.
Magic is happening outside!
This scent needs AIR! More air = more magic. This scent needs open space. If you give it to this fragrance, this scent reward you!
It is like with people who like to wander in town, in city. People who don't like on holiday to be in the resort. Free spirit, observe life does not take place in a golden cage. Smelling this scent in closed enviroment, or directly from the skin ...is like put it in the cage = beauty never shows. It's like parental constant control of your children. You are unhappy they are unhappy. They cant't breath.
Don't be a stupid and add space, add AIR! ...and... This fragrance will tell you the story of life.
It's like a walk on air, when you couldn't fit at home. You walk, you breathing, you observate all the surfaces, and you are calm with happy spirit inside.
This scent is friend with wind and coldy air.
Main notes jammy Rose + Patchouli
Winter, Autumn, Spring, Summer colder nights

This fragrance proves that Pierre Montale, if that's even his real name, doesn't know how to blend to save his life. This smells like rose and plastic. But to not be completely negative, this gets better as time passes, cause the opening is really rough. It's extremely overwhelming, and offensive to a certain degree. I would choose a quality animalic over this any day. This can suffocate you if you aren't careful with the sprays.

One timid spray on the wrist and BHAM! IT'S WAR B!@TC#
Literally a jihad on the sense of smell with the sense of taste as collateral. If I hadn't tried fragrances from the 80's, Nasomato or other arabic concoctions I wouldn't believe that such a thing is possible but still it's a notch above even the strongest stuff I had tried prior. Barnyard citronella and rose jam would accurately describe the initial phase. Everything is amplified and distorted like a surreal nightmare as depicted in the movies with weird lighting effects and carnival music playing loudly. It took more than an hour and a lot of patience from my part until the mess settled and then it reached a point which is considered the beggining for most fragrances of this type, namely the phase where rose and oud can be recognised as a couple that has this magnetic love-hate thing going between them. The rose is still very strong, sweet and sour, sweaty even (not the fresh transparent type), amped by geranium, violet and patchouli, with nothing green to temper it. The oud is the type that smells like an egyptian tannery, strong, leathery, funky, not comfortable to stick your nose in and yet, as it happens with spicy food, every now and then you lean closer, take a sniff and find some pleasure in the pain you just caused yourself. From there on starts a very slow evolution, akin to fossilization which eventually leads to a rose/tchouli and stays like this FOREVER! The longevity on skin is at least 24 hours with strong projection and even after taking a bath it was still detectable. Might even last 2-3 days but I refuse to stay unwashed more for the shake of experimentation. The persistence on fabric is phenomenal. The sleeve of the jacket I wore smells of the stuff even 14 days after application and with very detectable projection too. Somehow I doubt this stuff is legal.
This fragrance, as well as others from Montale, is bound to be divisive. It offers performance that I often desire in fragrances but makes me realise the validity of "too much of a good thing". The value of the composition itself is a subjective thing but I can attest it's not very agreeable with conteporary aesthetics and sensibilities with the exception perhaps of the arabic world and yet there is a chance it might be too european by those standards. Montale itself is an o(u)ddity: too many titles, uninspired names, bad photoshop ads, aluminum canisters instead of glass flacons. I can't say I would ever buy Black Aoud and I can't think of anyone I know that can pull it off effortlessly but I'm happy that weird stuff are still allowed to exist in this world. If you are one of the lucky that can get it to work for you then good for you! You found a friend for life.

Revisiting Black Aoud in the dead of Winter in the comfort of my home. I have forgotten how beastly this is! The first 30 minutes was a mess: citronella and super dry shadow of oud. No rose until, voila, about 30 minutes in, a cozy mixture of rose and oud waft up to my nose. Quite magical and surprising, given how horrid the initial whiff was. It’s been several hours now, and the medicinal harshness has subsided and I am enveloped in a warm but not too gooey oud rose bubble. No sugar here, which is appropriate for my mood (vegging). If you enjoy rose and oud combination without syrup or honey, get your hands on a sample.

All I can say about this: Strong, super dark, heavy, gothic.

In the first minutes the patchouli is all over, combined with the woody, smoky, animalic smell of oud. Indeed, the opening is quite harsh, but after the rose starts to dominate it's better. In the dry-down you'll get some musk, and it's more animalic cuz of the musk, not oud, combined with woods and rose. I'm not a fan of rose scents, but this one I could wear...

I think the amount of rose is perfectly balanced for me (my nose) as it gives a nice sweetness to the earthy, animalic background.

This is a terrible fragrance--even for those who like funky, barnyard oud. This is NOT barnyard oud, this is even worse. It smells cheaper than any synthetic perfume you can imagine. Think about Armaf's worst clone, and the level of syntheticness. This will blow any of that out of the water! It honestly smell like they crushed up cheap incense into a container, and then let them soak in alcohol for a month (which is actually one way to make perfume, albeit very cheap and awful smelling). Just a terrible chemical mess from beginning to end!

Is this the fragrance that scares you ?

Then you should not go to serious niche and indie fragrances. just stop and enjoy boring designer fragrances. maybe that is your limit

This is special from Montale, dark, soapy rose and 30% of the oud and earthy patchouli.

Very well done, just right amount of spices to keep you interesting.

People talked like this was something not wearable and terrible. It's not.

This is great to wear in the winter days, when there is little sun and cold.

Also this is not as beast as people claim. It's powerful, but not beast like others.

very mature and sophisticated, i felt almost like i wasn't good enough for it, like a small child trying to wear his fathers business suit. a dark, natural deep-forest scent, like bark and foliage laden with moisture. there's a leather scent too, which makes me feel high-brow, and is well suited for a somber mood. i felt almost like i wasted it at work, not being able to absorb and ponder it. it's a scent well worn for brooding and in quiet moments, like in the study or at church.

i feel like i could "chase" it all day, taking it in and articulating its notes and imagining it in various contexts

Updated addition on previous review: If there ever was a fragrance created to be worn at a funeral, Black Aoud is it. I've now worn it to two.

Evokes feelings and images of red roses on a casket. Everyone dressed in all black. Dark, yet elegant reverence.

Sexy gothic rose. Oud without the barnyard, thank goodness. Has a Noir de Noir feel but with the Montale touch. Love this on my husband!

Smells absolutely vile. I imagine this is how a funeral home or a crematorium would smell - strong perfume scent to cover the smell of decaying flesh. I could not get this off fast enough.

The oud rose accord here smells like medicinal lychee

I'm pretty sure this would be what the inside of Patty or Selma Bouvier's purse smells like. My first impression is that they used the plastic roses my beloved Grandma used to insert in her garden, back in the 70s. Really glad I only bought a small sample vial, as the offense is quite sufficient. If you really want to offend your olfactory nerves, a bottle of Bal à Versailles would be much more cost-effective.

My mind has changed a lot about this. This is honestly one of my favorite smelling ouds. It's so earthy, deep, mysterious, I just can't spraying it. It evokes an amazing image in my head!

The performance is absolutely horrible on my skin, lasts about 3 hours before becoming a skin scent. Can't smell it after 4-5th hour. Wish it was like the old formulation. Sadly it's been reformulated to its death.

This is the most beautiful rose oud scents out there no doubt. No amount of people displaying their hate for this will change my mind about how majestic this fragrance is. These people do not appreciate the image this fragrance truly portrays.

You are in a dark jungle and it just rained. All the dirt and grass turn moist. All the leafs from the trees move with the wind and sunrays dances across the jungle. It's very humid. Everything is green and airy. There's a waterfall and a lake nearby and it's radiating off a smell, Black Aoud, combined with the smell of the dark wet jungle, it truly pieces It all together. It's dark, it's earthy, and that patchouli adds that feeling of being lost in a mysterious mystical jungle.

It’s dominated by rose and patchouli especially in the dry down. It remembers me a lot POL.

Literally the most awful smelling fragrance I’ve ever smelled in my life. The oud is way too strong and just so off putting. Anyone who says they get compliments on this fragrance is a liar. I have a brand new bottle ( blind bought worst mistake ever) i would get rid of for 19.99. That’s how awful it is

- dark wood and rose
- Agressive, for a night out
- Mild hint of pesticides
- Like a sexy home depot
- Fairly long lasting, has a more future chemical smell than a natural one
- Sticks to clothes the next day

This is a very dark baroque strong Oud with a bold Red Rose. It brings to mind a violent, black, fairy tale full of horrifying werewolf teeth dripping with blood, raven haired Red Riding Hood with a basket of red roses. It’s over the top and dramatic like the review I’m writing. Lol. It’s a bold rip your face off Oud. There is a bit of patchouli spice underneath the rose rounding out the fragrance a bit. Only one or may two sprays are all you need. I must confess it's a bit too strong for me. I prefer Noir de Noir or Noire de Mai that are less aggressive in the oud department. I don't dislike it at all in fact quite the opposite. But, I can't think of an occasion that I'd wear such a loud beast.

I don't like this at all. The Rose is very synthetic and there is an underlying bug spray scent that doesn't seem to leave my skin. Hard pass for me.

The overwhelming rose and patchouli makes this smell elderly, think that one grandma over spraying before church. Definitely test this before you buy

Him and Her. Running hand in hand from a cold gothic palace, into a deep dark forest. Their hearts beat fast as they are escaping into the world of passion and freedom. She has a bouquet of red roses in her hand that she got from him. Finally, they are far enough to feel safe. They are kissing, breathing in the scent of roses in the middle of the unknown.
Within 30 minutes after applying, the scent goes from dark gothic patchouli rose to a gentle (yet strong) intimate velvet rose. The best from Montale.

Have a 1ml sample of Black Aoud. This is the definition of a beast mode fragrance. Fills up rooms and has massive projection. Feels great on a blazer I wouldn't apply it to anything else tho. Good suit fragrance but can too much for some. Reactions from friends are 50/50 some like it some do not. Do not wear this fella during the summer or hot weather it's not gonna be good for people around. Great for the cold and rainy days, however. This is the scent for you if you want a beast mode performer that gets people's attention.

Dark - Gothic - Blood Rose / Oud Combo.

The heavy oud opening punches you in the face. Don’t be surprised if you let out an audible “holy sh*t” at first spray. Hang in there, as you’re in for a treat as a dark, elegant yet strong rose will be along in time to smooth everything out and round out any rough edges.

The dark rose and oud (in about a 70/30 rose to oud ratio) carry the fragrance through to the dry down and do most the heavy lifting; especially the rose. You can also pick out a little patchouli. It’s very rich, opulent and wears somewhat heavy.

Montale’s Black Aoud is a candid artistic expression. A far cry from so many of the “bro” fragrances. It may not be for everyone, but it’s for the true fragrance enthusiast or anyone looking for a Gothic wear.

With that being said, it’s not as challenging of a wear as one may think; as it’s more elegant than I ever thought it’d be. Happy with my full bottle.

Rating: 8.5/10

Smelled from an old decant. - a powerhouse- which i also expected. Bought a bottle a week ago (the french one) - lasts 6 hours and projects for half an hour. Why does this keep happening to me?

99% Mirip Al Rehab Lailat Elomer yg Stick Oles

Beast!

This is definitely a "beast mode" fragrance.
It lasts for hours on skin and clothes and the projection is immense!

Do not over spray this perfume. 2-3 sprays max, would be enough.

If you are someone who is new to oud, then this could be a very off putting fragrance.
The rose and oud combo definitely stand out too!

This is an absolute beast! If I want to describe the longevity and projection/sillage: lasts forever! It's so powerful, people will smell you from meters when you walk by, also very strong and very unique. You won't smell this on anyone out there. Cannot recommend it more, but it's definitely not for everyone, it's not a Bleu de Chanel type blind buy fragrance. You will either love this or hate it, no in between. Try before you buy. Be careful with the trigger, do not spray more than once before going to places like the office, otherwise you will gas up the entire room.

This oud doesn’t work for me in the slightest. I almost gagged when I smelled this. Montale’s Oudmazing was something that I found fairly enjoyable, and might purchase a full bottle of in the future, but Black Aoud is horrific off my skin and to my nose.

This was my first Montale purchase in Las Vegas probably 10 years ago. And I still have 1/2 that bottle left and ive forgotten how good this really is, at least this older version I have. I retrieved it from the back of the cabinet a few days ago and have been wearing ever since. Rose, oud, and that slight hint of orange combine for a great smelling, looooong lasting beauty.

A less quality version of Gold Rose Oudh by Terenzi. The smell is almost identical but this Montale opens with some chemical funk for a while that might be off putting unlike the Terenzi one. 2 minutes, then it fades away and you can clearly smell a sweet rose in the air. In the air it smells much better than close by the skin and oh god it is such a powerhouse, projection monster (the intense version I guess is nuclear lol). I actually love it and for sure in winter I will be rocking it. It has a very middle eastern spirit and sample 1st before you commit.

first time I smell the rose- oud combo, is strong, i dont like it but dont dislike it, anyways is a ver different scent if you come from designer perfumery.

I cant explain how much I love this fragrance one of my favourites of all time beautiful fragrance
Powerful,mysterious,elegant and dark
And Sickly powerfull it won't go off beast mode fragrance 2 spray whole day

Rosy rosy oud. Strong and confident. Dark and secret. Not for everyone, its for vampire.

Dry down is better, smooth and sexy.

After reading the many glowing reviews, I bought a bottle. Right from the get-go, I was pretty sure this one's not remaining in my shave den. The rose is absolutely sickening sweet. The "oud", and I used quotations, is almost non-exsistent, but rather a chemical hodgepodge that'll wreak havoc with your olfactory senses. I didn't give up right away, but rather gave it three separate tries, before the wife put her foot down. Can't say I blame her as this was an extreme disappointment. Sold.
If you want a Montale Aoud that doesn't trip your gag reflex, may I suggest Aoud Cuir d'Arabie. Now this scent is head over heels superior in every way.

For some reason this had an opening of public bathroom detergent for me, very strong and imposing. I applied it on the back of my left hand and kept sniffing from time to time for the dry down difference. The dry down is more pleasant, becomes a tad bit floral with a hint of rose surfacing. One needs to be confident & patient with this one, to wait for the dry down.

Montale Black Auod.
A modern day classic, very strong, very pungent, very Montale.
It's a sexy blend of oud, rose, patchouli & musk.

I decided to buy a few test viles because i started looking again for fragrances since the ones i have fastly disappearing.
I did go for Montale Vanilla Absolu & Black Aoud, James Heeley Cocobello, Lorenzo Villoresi Yerbamate. Oh boy, how far did i fall from anything that resembles fond or pleasant with this bunch? Seriously i did some wrong decisions through my life including perfumes but with these ones...you can't eve imagine. I start with this one, because i never wanted to wash a scent so badly in my life.

I smell it first. It is a head knocker rubber smell so strong that it instantly pulls me away from my arm. I smell twice, the same smell i feel, only now it is a rubber factory burning in fucking hellfire that is never gonna be put out anytime soon. I smell for the third time now i am getting the slightest hint of soapy rose under it and i start to feel nausea. There is nothing nice or kind or pleasent about this perfume. I swear you could torture me with this smell. This is really bad, nausea inducing, migraine causing gum and rubber all the way with a disgustingly cheap soapy rosey smell under it barely noticable.

I don't see anyone wanting to purchase this, for those who are i strongly disadvice againts it! I couldn't even tell you which daytime or which season. I can't pinpoint anything about this. All i can say that when i smelling it on my arm - which i tried to wash it off as best as i could given that now i don't have a time to take on a full shower -, i feel like i should run! I should run, flee for my life as far as i can and put as much distance between myself and this one as i can.

This so far the worst fragrance experience that i've had!

I had a fellow enthusiast emphatically tell me that this smells similar to Oud Silk Mood.
So, I have Silk Mood on my left hand, and dug out an old decant of Black Aoud on my right.
They are both Oud/Rose combo's, but that's where the similarities end IMO.

Black Aoud smells like a rubber factory. Smelled up close the chemical smell can actually make you light headed and nauseous. Like amplified liquid Black tire rubber. If they are using real oud in this (which I doubt)it is of the low quality or mixed with noxious chemicals. ☣

I'll give it this much, it's stronger than Silk mood and has longevity to spare.
And it does smell better in the air than up close, but in the air it reminds me of a chemical grandmother type frag. To each his own, but I would highly recommend sampling this. I generally like montale and it's sister company mancera, but to me this is unbearable and unwearable.

Something about this perfume screams - Dark.
Totally agree with LinaSVas, but let me add, it’s very vintage smelling due to patchouli overload. Dark roses, ton of patchouli and some hint of oud. Definitely unisex. Not my favorite.

this is not great... if you into luxuary fragrances this is cheap the smell is cheap its not strong. too many chemicals and not natural products - do not bother with this one!

Such a beauty! Gloriously rich rose with other stuff! A genius blend! Who knows what else is in here...most perfumery is aromachemicals after all...but it doesn’t matter what it is! Such a beautiful classic!

Not so oudy but has that kind of vibe I guess.

I’d think of this as a night time version of Aoud Safran which is brighter and perfumier but very similar.

For those who always say “not another rose and oud!”....I often feel like responding “what about western perfumery.?” Wherein i often feel like saying “not another top-heavy citrus spray” haha! I have a lot of what could be called rose-ouds and they’re all different from one another in nice ways. With eastern perfumery it seems like “Oud” is code for rose perfumes haha, but likewise in the west “vetiver” seems like code for citrus perfumes haha!

Montale does nice middle eastern inspired work for sure!

Unisex, versatile, and well blended.
DARK DARK LOVE
Dark patchouli, thick oud, and resiny labdanum. then this rose comes to play.
Noses wrinkled as I walked past them, and my mum said I was wearing "too much perfume" (like I care lol)
All-weather proof.
I personally find this perfect to wear with an all-black outfit.

I love it from the beginning when I tried a sample, even if seemed a little bit masculine. After wearing a few times I noticed the wonderful smell of rose, oud, patchouli, that works very well on my skin.
In the end, I bought a 50 ml bottle :) , the sillage and longevity are enormous (even washed clothes still smell of Black Aoud :) )

Although labeled as masculine, I believe this is an unisex gothic rose
Starts off with a citrus rose twang, then dries down to a beautiful rose/oud marriage

I’m suprised nobody noticed the resemblance to “Portrait of a lady” , by Frederic Malle. In my opinion, “black aoud” is its sibling 🥀

Honeyed gourmandish rose. If you smell it up close, its different.
In the air its all rose, people may ask you if you are wearing rosewater. Zero oud or woodiness.
Pass !!

this perfume is the reason why i fallin love with OuD.....

love love love ❤❤❤
from projection until longevity is Crazy

sometime i layering this with my signature scent *****red tobacco mancera ****** boooommm nuclear with gamma radiation lol

Wow. Where do I begin, with this one? Truly a cult classic for a reason. If anyone could find the older batches get ready to be blown away by the monstrous performance, this is truly a beast. (Given you enjoy masculine rose based scents)

Imo best suited for cold weather when the chilling winds are cut through by this brutal scent, the sweet jammy rose with the dark facets of patchouli with tiny bitter Orange hints would open up very well on skin and project off subtly on chilly days. The Aoud in this pumps and envelopes this scent with class, seriousness and gives off a powerful character to the scent that commands respect, it dries down holding that dark rose, dry Oud with a pillow of musk. Linear throughout.

Great sillage in the air, very mysterious and gothic, it would suit a formal more dressed and classy attire this definitely boosts confidence of the wearer.

Overall, for me, this is a statement making fragrance, one that established itself making the now ever so common rose-oud combo to the mainstream, Black Aoud has set a standard, inspired many new fragrances designers and niche alike until today, and continues to be up there with its head held high boldly having made a mark in this fragrance world.

8.5/10 Black Aoud

Yes this smells like Gold Rose oudh but more watery and lower quality, ofcourse and not as jammy of a rose + missing that realistic honey note. So basically a rubbery oud, chocolate cake patchouli, rose, some sweetness, slightly honey like but not clearly. Very good fragrance but after you smell gold rose oudh this is just not as good, even though this came out first. This is a summer night out drinking and relaxing type of scent DNA. Very cozy, could be used in the winter too on christmas or in a cabin! Thats atleast what i picture

Very strong and long lasting perfume!
Rose in the opening reminds me of TF Noir de Noir
Stay more than 24 hours in clothes

Tested this over five years ago, did not like it, fast forward to end of 2020 and I was given a sample of this fragrance, i decided to give it a full wear.
the first spray was nose burning to an extreme, I was ready to go wash it off but I said let me not give up so quickly, and thankfully I did, as after 30 minutes i was enveloped in a woody oud rose combo undercut with patchouli to come across as one big ethereal rose.
to say I was smitten was an understatement, but three hours later and magic happens, the dry down is an earthy rose, imagine an incense of rose and oud is burning near an open door wafting in a gentle breeze, then it begins to rain and the smell of petrichor mixes in with the incense as it mixes in with the breeze that blows towards you, its almost meditative to say the least and so for this dry down i am now a proud owner of a bottle of this scent which at one point scared me (I'm not really a fan of oud as it generally goes crazy and rampant on my Indian skin in South African climate so not a lot of oud fragrances work on me as they can become too antiseptic smelling or extremely loud shrill and piercing off my skin to a point it attracts a lot of negative reaction).
Longevity- 7/10 5 to 6 hours- I expected more due to its reputation, but its not weak either so I'm okay with that.
Silage- 7/10 (room filler at first spray then becomes an arms length projector for the next two hours before becoming a close proximity scent for its duration)
Scent- Oud and rose with an earthy patchouli musky undercurrent.
Compliments- 5/10 not a compliment beast nor even a well appreciated scent where i come from as a lot of people say it reminds them of the smell of these Tobacco powder and Betel nut mixes that some Indian ladies tend to eat, so yeah that alone should be a deal breaker for me but those same people tell me that after a while on me it becomes less of that lady loving edible and tends to take a more earthy tone of me which is fairly above better in their opinion and so don't mind that smell of me.
Total Rating 8/10 for it duly being an oud fragrance that I can actually wear which does not turn rancid on me (along with White Aoud, Gucci Oud, Oud Ispahan).

Really glad I got a sample of this first because this clearly isn't for me. Smells like your grandma's perfume, strong, heavy rose. I put very little on my hand and I only got that rose, no oud, I am sure there is somewhere in there, but I wanted to wash it off fast. Never blind buy this.

I started with a sample as I was reviewing a bunch of Montale fragrances, I fell for Black Aoud immediately because Rose is my favorite smell and this is a super dry rose mixed with a little bit of bitterness and wrapped around a dirty Oud, great for winter and cold nights or if you just want to dominate an environment during the warmer months. It also lasts an age, its been on my t-shirt for over a day and it still smells strong.

The only issue, it has a potpourri resemblance for the first hour which can be overbearing at times. But damn, I smell good right now.

I have a sample which is a few years old so from before the rumored reformulation/dilution. I like the scent itself but it is so strong that I can’t wear it at all. Even if I use the smallest microscopical drop it kills me and my whole family with its nuclear strenght. I can’t imagine to use it in any occasion in company with other human beings. It is a pity cause the scent (after washed down and half day later) is beautiful. I ordered a fresh sample with the hope of a more moderate power of the reformulated version. Fingers crossed.

Well i decided to blind buy this on various reviews and some YouTube videos and to be honest I regret it. Thankfully I got it at a discount and only 50ml on Notino so I probably paid no more than £35-40 for it. However it was a toss up between this and 'Patchouli leaves' and I really regret not getting that (having since sampled it).

For the scent, all I can smell is rose and powder and some slight oud that makes the rose slightly bitter, which saves it from being terrible. I'm very much in two minds with this fragrance most days, there's something about the scent I enjoy but it feels very feminine. I dont mind feminine leaning as it's not a strict gender boundary for smells you like but it feels like something my mam, who's in her late 50's, would wear (she loves her Chloe). Overall I dont like it so much and I'm going to struggle to find a reason to wear it and use it up. Seems to be at least two variants, an older stronger and darker fragrance and this rose heavy one. For longevity and sillage both are actually very good, it lasts forever on clothes and I can smell it across the room as I type this from an earlier reminder spray I did before writing this up.

Well, I didn’t want it to be true, but I’ve just received a bottle of this in the post. Many reviewers described that this is less powerful and more feminine leaning than it was originally.
I’m sorry that I have to agree. I’m bitterly disappointed.
This was THE powerhouse of powerhouses. Black was an amazing description because it was dark, strong, filled a room and unisex. It was resinous with patchouli, Oud, rose and had an incense feel too.
Well, this smells like a weak version of the original, with feminine rose ramped up to dial out the really good notes. They’ve weakened Cuir d’Arabie too. It’s really put me off buying any more of their creations. Black Aoud Intense is more than double the price of Black Aoud in the U.K. at the cheapest perfume supplier £135, so I’m not risking that on a blind buy and Notino have no samples to buy on this particular Montale. Faquat Lil Rijal by Rasasi was made in a similar vein to the original version of Black Aoud and is much, much better than this current formulation of Black Aoud.

One of my favourites
Scent 10/8,5
Longevity 10/10
Projection10/10
I really enjoy when I use this scent

A beautiful rose oud, a bit medicinal.
Never been too much in the oud game but I feel this one is a good introduction at a good price point. 8/10

I liked the original version of Black Aoud before its reformulation and dilution - it was medicinal oud with patchouli and rose combo. Current version is just a rose, kind of sweet rose jam. Far too jamy and sweet.

I am surprised that in the composition it says ROSE! it has no rose at all... it's a bomb of the strongest oud you can smell... Oud scents vary according to its origin, yet this type of oud might be way too strong for me and many people... it definitely masculine and lasts for ever.

Arabian Nights Meets Roses In A Rainforest!

I was checking the remaining other samples of fragrances from luckyscent which a loved one had bought some time ago now, and decided to try this one after reading it was surprising that it was "pour homme". As a woman, I wanted to see how this fragrance went on my skin so I applied a little bit of this from the 0.7ml sample onto my wrists and behind my ears.

My initial impression was immediately of a very fresh, green and fruity rose mixed with what I can only think is Oud(h) - an oil I've not scented before but which has a unmistakable and distinctive aroma based upon this fragrance - and there was the definite aroma of patchouli mixed with a musky rose wood scent, basically akin to rosewood and musk mixed together and wafting up from my skin.

Initially, the scent of the Oud was quite strong and sharp and I worried that I'd end up with a headache but thankfully, after about 15 minutes, the sharpness of the Oud became a softer mixture of aromas, with rose the dominant note and blending with musk and a fruity floral herbaceous note, orange mandarin, which uplifted the fragrance, giving it a fresh, fruity, brighter and citrusy tone. which really uplifted the perfume and my mood which was exactly what I needed. As someone who has been involved with aromatherapy for some years now, and uses essential oils often, mandarin and citrus oils are renowned for their abilities to balance and uplift emotional states such as depression. That was a wonderful touch and I commend Montale for this.

I was pleasantly reminded of some rose-musk incense sticks I use to source at a quaint little bookshop in Glebe when I was living in student accommodation during my first year at University. The bookshop always had an excellent collection of good quality incenses and I would buy these lovely rose-musk incense sticks as well as patchouli incense sticks from Nepal and India. This fragrance reminds me vividly of being in that lovely little bookshop, browsing through books and breathing in the beautiful aromas of the various incenses, especially when the musk-rose sticks were being burnt.

Half an hour after first application to pulse points, I was enjoying the delicious aromas of a gentler rose and noticed the rose had softened from its initial sharp rich freshness on opening and had become much more feminine and powdery, reminiscent of a rose talcum powder. There was still the hint of musk and just a touch of the moist earthiness of the patchouli base to contain the aromas.
By the time the heart notes were reached, the combination of the warm gentler almost powdery and very delicate rose fragrance blended seamlessly with musk and transported me back in time to my frequent perusals of the quaint bookshop in Glebe. This lovely blend of delicate rose and musk reminds me of those halcyon days at University.

Montale Black Aoud Pour Homme also reminded me of exploring one of the beautiful rainforests in Queensland during my summer holidays between University years where wild roses grew amongst the foliage and emitted beautiful rose scents and the earthy and moist smell of damp fertile soil underfoot rose up just as the patchouli provides a lovely base for the rose-musk- and fresh floral tones. In the dry down, after about two or three hours, the rose became more delicate and sensual and blended seamlessly with the woody notes of sandalwood whilst being rounded off by slight aromas of labdanum. The memory of being in the rainforest during my University holidays, exploring the walking tracks with loved ones, was intensified due to a hint of moss, the fragrance becoming more woody whilst the rose still takes precedence but has become sweeter and brighter, and the moist earthiness of the soil that one walks underfoot due to the patchouli.

This fragrance is quite lovely, and whilst it does indicate that it's for men, I think it works well for women. There's a strong scent of rose and combined with the musk and a fresh, herbaceous green floral aroma, this perfume is ideal for a woman who is confident and who likes rose-musk fragrances as well as the earthiness of a patchouli base.

This fragrance is one I absolutely adore even though I had to rely solely on a luckyscent sample and it's my experienced to date that these samples tend to be much more concentrated than the actual bottles of EDP. Montale's Black Aoud Pour Homme does not contain too many different notes but it is blended beautifully, also suits women, and is a divine scent which I'd like to perhaps buy in the future.

Lady Oscar would wear this perfume.

Black rose would be a more appropriate name, as the absolute protagonist is the rose, a dark rose

Personally I find it bordering on unisex almost totally feminine, not at all masculine when compared to the "classics" for men.

Just beautiful and perfect.

my first collection from montale
just want to say good and unique..
oud and rose in this perfume is awesome
sometimes my nose able to detect black cincau smell, combined with sweet rose syrup for a dessert... so yummy
and longevity is awesome on my skin

ok, it starts with betadine (surprised there is no saffron listed, because saffron smells like betadine and bandaid/adhesive bandage) it could be oud, being that medicinal, but from experience saffron has those medicinal undertones as well. Beautiful rose surrounded by oud and patchouli after some time. Nice. For those saying it's synthetic, yes all perfumes, in their vast majority, have synthetic compounds. Look at Samsara, where they had to use extra synthetic sandalwood to boost the natural compound. All in all, a wonderful one, not for the faint hearted. Your ego and personality must exceed this fragrance's in order to pull it off. Nice.

BA actually gives you the feeling of what it would have been like to wear an 80s powerhouse back in the day. Its presence is undeniable. A very beatiful rendition of rose/oud/patchouli. It might smell a bit medicinal and sour in the beginning but then it's rose in your face. I wore it tirelessly for a long time in my life, relentlessly splashing myself with it for work/leisure/big nights out. I put it on in the freezing cold and in the tropical weather and it would always get heads turning (although sometimes clearly away). This one almost screams for attention. Marks your presence. Won't go unnoticed.

@EauDeNoir:

I totally get the same thing. Citronella, and JUST citronella... really strong, and literally nothing else.

At first I thought it was just the opening and I had to get through it and the rose and oud would eventually emerge, but no. Many hours into the drydown I still -only- get citronella!

I really don't get it. It's bug repellent central. How can this be? I'm sure some people must be smelling something else entirely.

Fragrances can be so weird sometimes in the many ways people can perceive them. It boggles the mind!

I'm surprised that there isn't any citronella in the notes breakdown. I have seen some people refer to an anti-sceptic opening, but I definitely get citronella.

Your usual rose oud combo. The rose, as I can smell it, is bulgarian. The oud has a slightly subtle fecal undertone (perhaps from the musk?). Very concentrated fragrance, looks like oil on the skin

Loud, rosey, sour, sweet and bitter. Very heady and intense. It reminds me of Noir de Noir by Tom ford. I think it's more feminine than masculine. A dark red bottle and a brighter name would suit this scent much more.

I just blind-bought this in looking for a cool and different night out fragrance.
So...I made a mistake putting 6 sprays on my arm. I read this stuff is strong but I never imagined it's so strong! Nuclear level! I can't even bring my hand close to my nose to feel the fragrance notes better!
The oud is noticeable after about 2 hours and is not stinky or animalic but very subtly elegant and bearable and binds very well with patchouli and tangerine.
Not bad, but being classified as a male perfume, I expected the Oud and the patchouli to be in the first places, then the rose and the rest.

Like other reviewers, I found myself surprised this is marketed as strictly a men's scent. As with so many Montale fragrances, many of the descriptions look the same, and many of the fragrances in the Aoud collection smell more like rose than oud. Black Aoud is a heavy, rich, dark floral.

The perfume opens with a blast of fresh roses and a leathery, bright, balsamic oud. Not too animalic, and the musk and patchouli that are listed ground and deepen the perfume's floral notes. The mandarin is a nice touch: It adds clarity and sweetness to the rose without ever pushing the fragrance into fruity or gourmand territory, neither of which I would appreciate. In its last gasps, it dries down to a slightly powdery, musky floral.

I ordered a selection of samples in an effort to find something darker and more complex than Roses Musk, which I found too fun and flirty. Black Aoud is an evil queen's perfume. Love it!

Blast of roses and a bit of oud. Not bad but this is way too feminine for me.

Got a sample of this recently and I love it! Very full, dark syrupy rose. Wouldn’t have guessed it was for men, although anyone can wear anything if it suits them. Very big scent, probably not for the office: too much projection, too sexy. But it’s great, sweet but not light. Might get a FB