I love the richness and unabashed potency of Middle Eastern and Indian fragrances. One of my first ‘exotic’ fragrance purchases was a tiny jar of waxy sandalwood-amber paste from India; a few dabs of that dense perfume paste on my collar bone scented me all day long. The perfume paste also came in the scents of orange blossom, rose, lotus and jasmine, and the entire line was advertised using the image of a turbaned man applying the perfume paste to his throat. Slowly and, unfortunately, turban-less, I ventured into floral territory with my fragrance purchases. The simple, inexpensive Indian perfumes opened up a new world to me: I started reading about the history of perfumery, I created “to-smell lists” of individual plant and animal perfume notes, and I started burning incense and wearing fragrances from India, Nepal, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Morocco. Both Montale Red Aoud and Agallocha Tedallal Homme were inspired by Middle Eastern perfumery.
Montale Red Aoud
No matter their other ingredients, Montale’s aoud fragrances are all about the unvarying and forceful Montale aoud note. I like Montale aoud perfumes but, until the release of Red Aoud, I’ve never felt it was worthwhile to own more than one Montale aoud fragrance at a time — the scents are too similar. At last, in Red Aoud, non-aoud ingredients encounter the overwhelming Montale aoud note — and survive.
Montale Red Aoud contains red pepper, cumin, saffron, iris root, sandalwood, vetiver and, you guessed it, aoud. Red Aoud’s long-lasting opening contains a mix of aoud and saffron; one minute this accord reminds me of fine leather and the next minute it smells like dark-chocolate scented with saffron and sweet pepper. I’m not a lover of strong saffron in perfumes, especially when that note is permitted to take over a composition, and to my nose, deaden it (Washington Tremlett Black Tie is an example of the type of saffron scent I can’t wear) but I like how Montale uses saffron to “ornament” Red Aoud’s notes. (I can’t detect even a hint of cumin in Red Aoud — has cumin met its match when mixed with Montale’s aoud?) Red Aoud wears down to a milky aoud-sandalwood-iris accord.
Montale’s Red Aoud is classified as a gourmand fragrance but I don’t find it especially food-y. For those of you who have tried Montale aouds in the past and found them too linear – give Red Aoud a try. As with most Montale scents, Red Aoud’s lasting power is great and its sillage superb (apply with caution the first few times you wear this scent or you risk overpowering a room, or suite of rooms, or an entire floor of a building). To illustrate the Power of Montale Red Aoud: I put my trial dose, three sprays, of Red Aoud on at 5 a.m.; when I visited a huge Nordstrom perfume department at 2:30 p.m. that same day, several people, amidst hundreds upon hundreds of perfumes and people spraying perfumes, commented on my fragrance (it’s been a while since I’ve gotten so many “You smell FAB-U-LOUS!” comments in one day).
Montale Red Aoud is available in 50 and 100 ml Eau de Parfum. For buying information, see the listing for Montale under Perfume Houses.
Agallocha Tedallal Homme
Paris-based niche line Agallocha (Aquilaria agallocha is a type of tree that produces agarwood/aloeswood) will celebrate the use of perfume around the world with culture-specific fragrance collections. Agallocha’s first collection, comprising two men’s and two women’s fragrances, is called Arabia Felix and was created by perfumer Habib Al Soweidi. Tedallal Homme contains lemon, bergamot, tarragon, rose, jasmine, cinnamon, clove, musk, sandalwood, oud, vetiver, gaiac, amber and saffron.
Tedallal Homme opens with a wonderful lemon-bergamot-rose accord that evaporates in less than a minute. Searching for specific notes in this well-blended scent is difficult — in mid-development jasmine is blurred by clove and woods, and those notes are in turn veiled by what smells like castoreum. If you like oud, but prefer it as a bit player in perfume productions, try Tedallal Homme; oud is discernable, but not overpowering. Tedallal Homme wears down to a soft, vanillic (and elegant) musk-wood accord, and saffron, as in Red Aoud, provides a subtle glint to the perfume’s overall composition. On my skin, Tedallal Homme improves with each passing hour and 10 hours after applying it, I smell a delightful “sandalwood talc” aroma; this beautiful note is a pleasant way to reach “The End” of Tedallal Homme.
I would categorize Tedallal Homme as a modern take on Middle Eastern perfumery (there is less floral presence and oud than in more traditional Middle Eastern men’s perfumes). A Now Smell This reader recently asked me to name a few fragrances that are similar to Gucci Pour Homme and I can now recommend Tedallal Homme as a Gucci Pour Homme “upgrade.” Tedallal Homme has perfect lasting power and sillage — it doesn’t seek out admirers but draws those that come close to smell it even closer: I spent two ‘testing’ days answering the oft-repeated question: “WHAT are you wearing!? It smells GREAT!”
Arabia Felix Tedallal Homme is available in 30 ml, concentration unknown. For buying information, see the listing for Agallocha under Perfume Houses.
I can no longer find the fragrant Indian perfume pastes that started an obsession but if you are interested in exploring Middle Eastern and Indian perfumes, I can recommend the following sites and products: Mukhalat al Malaki (“Royal Blend” for Men); Swiss Arabian Perfumes; Attar Mohd, Saeed Dawood & Co.; Ajmal; Rasasi; and Amouage.
Note: first image is A PORTRAIT OF THE NAWAB OF OUDH, ASAF-UD-DAULA, LUCKNOW, INDIA, CIRCA 1785-90, from the collection of Columbia University via Wikimedia.
Both of these frags sound lovely, and the Tedallal Homme bottle is gorgeous!
SFLizbeth: yes, the bottle is nice…the bottle for the other Agallocha fragrance is even more “fancy.” (you can see it on the Arabia Felix website).
Just love — crave — your writing, Kevin. I am now dying for a cloud of aoud: the power of suggestion has more weight with your words behind it. Thanks.
Thanks Robin…I hope you have a bit of oud handy to satisfy that craving!
Not here at work, dammit; Black, White, Red and Golden Montales at home, where they're doing me absolutely NO good whatsoever!!! Hey. Serves me right to tease myself with your alluring reviews.
I just ordered Red Aoud and it is really fantastic stuff. Totally addictive – I get a lot of chocolate for the first 20 minutes or so (didn't realize this was the saffron) but like you no cumin. It last and lasts and is now my favorite Montale.
Cazaubon: isn't it GOOD…the lasting power is something else.
Nice review, Kevin. I have been trying to find an aoud that I like, given that most of the frags I've tried that supposedly contain aoud don't seem to smell of aoud to me. I haven't been able to try the Montales, but have sniffed things like YSL M7 that supposedly have aoud in them.
To assuage my craving for a cloud of aoud after reading your lovely review, I went down to a store near me that sells essential oils. In the very back, hidden on a top shelf, behind some other bottles, they keep a tiny vial of supposedly-real aoud from India. I think it may be the real thing, because 1/4 oz costs $225. It smells divine — like being enveloped in golden velvet by someone you love very much. Or, as if you were to take the world's most beautiful Stradivarius violin, liquified it (and all the music ever played on it), and put it in a little vial. I'm trying to figure out whether I should buy it, just to have it as a reference.
Coincidentally, when I got home there was a decant of Montale Oud Cuir D'Arabie waiting for me. I can see how it's related to the aoud oil, but it seems like its coarser, ruder cousin in a motorcycle jacket. Now I'm eager to try the Red Aoud.
Great and very welcome review, K. Thanks. I adore oud and there are some “jinko” (aloeswood) incenses by Shoyeido that I like to burn occasionally. I love and cherish my sample of Montale Black Aoud and am craving a full bottle at some point, but it sounds like I need to try Red Aoud as well. Have you tried Montale's new Aoud Oeillet d'Inde, and do you have any opinion about the Tom Ford Private Blend Oud Wood (it caught my eye recently in Robin's fathers' day entry)?
You've also made the Agallocha sound tempting, though I don't think I'll be seeing it anytime soon in my neighborhood or even online. I'm glad you mentioned that you forgot the name of the Indian perfume paste, because that was going to be my next question.
jtc: exciting discovery…! I wonder if it IS real…I know even synthetic ouds can be expensive, but if you got the reaction you did from it, who cares one way or the other? Montale aoud/oud is rough and tough, so say people who have smelled either smoother oud blends or real oud…I personally LIKE Montale's take.
Hi, Joe. OK…didn't even KNOW about Aoud Oeillet d'Inde…!!!! Must get samples immediately! I have not tried, I'll admit it, ANY of the Tom Ford private blends…when they came out I got MAD at the quantity and then, since they are nowhere to be SEEN, basically forgot about them. Are there any you consider MUST SNIFFs?
I'll just be honest. I had no idea what an 'aoud' was, and had to go look it up. Just when I thought I was becoming perfume savvy. Anyway, I've only smelled Montale's Patchouli, but now I'll go investigate more. Thanks, Kevin, for the enlightenment all around!
Great…I mean AWESOME article! Could not wait to get home and order a sample of Montale red aould. Didnt get to order, but enjoyed sniffing the samples I do have Black and Royal Aoud. I have yet to own a bottle of MONTALE…but I think that is going to have to change real soon! I do own several bottle of TF…dont love them all…MUST sniffs INMH are amber absolute, japon noir and noir de noir. Would love to do some swaps…hope to hear from you…in the meantime…keep doing what you do so greatly!
Is this Montale considered to be unisex? I have quite a few Montale samples, most of which seem to be able to go either way….
I have not bought any full bottles of Montale (yet), because I keep thinking I will find “the one”. However, with each new sample, I am usually a little bit disappointed because they SOUND so great, but do not always live up to the description.
Have you tried L'Air du desert marocain by Tauer Perfumes ? If not you MUST SOON!
bklyn fragrance lover: it's so hard to choose a Montale isn't it? They offer so many perfumes! Thanks for the TF recommendations as well….K
BFL: yes, I've tried it and really like it.
Yonahleyah: that's what makes perfumery fun…there's always another ingredient or combo of ingredients to get acquainted with…ouds are a great category to sample if you love rich powerful perfumes.
Asha: the Red Aoud is certainly unisex. Up until Red Aoud, my Montale fav. was Blue Amber.
Kevin, I am trying Andy Tauer Reverie en Jardin at the moment and I enjoy it so much.. No aouds for me. I didn't like White Aoud, nor Golden Aoud and Red Aoud just doesn't appeal to me either.
I love your review though 🙂
Marianne, lots of people can't bear ouds…and Reverie au Jardin is the ONE AT scent I can't bear! HA! We are on a perfume see-saw today…(oud makes you land with a THUD on the ground and Jardin sends me flying thru the air headed for a FALL), K
Kevin, maybe we should layer them..?
M: that would kill BOTH of us….
Oh you are such a whimp..;)
Ok Kevin…today I took my first field trip to the Scent Bar in Beverly Hills. I smelled both Blue Amber and Red Aoud on paper. The Blue Amber is VERY nice. And the Red Aoud was very…well bracing. That was a bit of a surprise as I was expecting something more sweet and more woody. I was all stunk up from spraying testers, so I was thrilled that they could make me some samples to take home with me. Thanks for you recommendation! 🙂
Asha: you lucky thing…living near the Scent Bar! You'll need to devote a DAY to Red Aoud…it keeps on changing as it calms down on skin.
Relatively near–right now I am staying in a hotel about 18 miles away. Near enough to make a trip once in a while, but not so near that it is dangerous for my wallet!
I agree about giving all the Montales some space, so I am happy to hear they keep up with the house reputation 🙂
Well I ordered decants of both of the fragrances in this review. I am anxiously waiting to sniff them!
I am dying to smell the blue amber! I tried to buy a sample from Lucky Scent but they don't offer it. I live near aedes (great shop!) and they don't carry it.
bklyn fragrance lover: good…I would have gladly sent you a sample of Blue Amber but my bottle is finally drained…and in the last month I ran out of Ambre Sultan too…so feel I should buy a NEW amber fragrance come fall…something DRY, earthy, a tad unclean. Do let me know how you like the Montale Red Aoud and Agallocha Tedallal. K
Wow…thats ironic…I ordered Ambre Sultan from beauty habit yesterday before the luckybreaks2 coupon code expired June 30th. They don't allow online order of any serge, but they gladly applied the coupon via telephone. I have 6 TF private blends, if you want some samples.
Last night I sampled Ambre Russe from Parfums d'Empire–and it was great. I think the guide gave it 4 stars and called it “huge amber” or something similar. It is quite beautiful, a balance of dry woods and sweet resins. It is also very long lasting–I sprayed it around 9 PM and it still remained the next morning. I am starting to really like the Parfums d'Empire line, even though I do not own any full bottles! 🙂
Scent Bar *IS* luckyscent, and that is where I got my sample. I wonder if they are simply out right now?
Asha: I agree…I think the Pd'E fragrances are all nicely done.
Love love love Ambre Russe!
I LOVED Montale Red Aoud. The inital blast was harsh but the dry down was absolutely perfect and long lasting. Agallocha Tedallal was just ok. Kind of on the light side but pleasant. Sort of reminded me of Boucheron Jaipur. I'm not an eloquent writer of fragrance descriptions (like you)…just someone who really appreciates a truly great fragrant moment!
bfl: glad you liked Red Aoud (and I'm REALLY enjoying the samples YOU sent me)…your package is in the mail. Also, I found that Tedallal presented itself best with a hefty application..as in: pouring on the entire sample vial. That's the only way I experienced the great drydown. K
Great! So happy you are enjoying them. Any fav's yet? Maybe we will see a review sometime? I am working my way through some samples I purchased from The Perfumed Court (my new Fav site) of IL Profumo. Liking Chocolate Amere and Ambre d'Or but LOVING Patchouli Noir! I also am fond of some of my latest purchases (no I did not need them) Amouage Jubilation XXV, Domenico Caraceni 1913, and Bois 1920 Real Patchouly. I am really looking forward for the Fall launch of Annick Goutal Les Orientalistes. I was able to sample at Aedes and already have the check written for Encens Flamboyant…LOL! Oh almost forgot…eagerly awaiting your package.
I sampled Red Aoud recently at the scent bar and I really liked it- there was something sweet yet not quite foody about it (Saffron?)..I got a sample and wore it for a few days. Today, the drydown seems verrry reminescent of LA's Timbuktu- anybody else get this?..
Black Aoud was veryy interesting but I didnt think I would wear it..but at the end of the day, the drydown of Black Aoud on my hand was of one of the loveliest roses I 'd smelt- It was almost as if it had pushed through all the aoud and was finally making its presence felt..I regretted not getting a sample of this to play with..
I meant: I tried on Black Aoud- but didnt think it was something I would/could wear (I wish we could edit comments..:)) till I smelt the drydown..hmmm
One more edit: Black Aoud seemed to be the only one of the Montale's I sampled, that I could actually smell the Aoud in..Its very dark and unusual and beautiful (shoot – my comment was supposed to be about red aoud- I have no clue how most of it ended up being about black aoud- sorry!) Red Aoud seems very easy to like though
I love almost all the Montales I've tried. In fact they are quickly making it impossible for me to wear anything else. They make me expect ALL perfumes to be unique, lasting and sexy and alas most are not. As for Red Aoud, I found it very sweet like baking cookies. I also find all their Aouds open loud but the aoud note dissipates into the background and anchors the other frag notes with great depth, Red is no exception and does not disappoint. A little too “cookie” sweet for me, but luckily for those who find the White and Red Aoud too sweet and the Black too bold there is the beautiful Golden Aoud. Heck, try every fragrance they make, you'll almost certainly be transported to fragrance heaven!
Want to let Lavanya know that if she loves rose (ie her comment on Black Aoud) she should try Montales Aoud Queen Rose, I am anxiously awaiting a bottle of that, plus the hard to find Montale Ta'if Rose for layering, from The Perfume Shoppe in Vancouver. The Aoud Queen Rose is an interesting twist on rose that doesn't obliterate the rose in other notes. The Ta'if is a pure straight on rose. Both of these last and last. The Perfume Shoppe has awesome selection and best prices. EVERYONE should try Montales Oriental Flower, my next must possess. Looking forward to a review of that.
Hollyc/Lavanya: I need to try Oriental Flower and the 'gold” aoud…the Montales are impossible to keep up with…really.
Thanks Holly!.. I am usually not a rose fan unless its dark or earthy or spicy- like the Montales..I really wanted to sample Queen Rose and Aoud Rose petals, but they didnt have it in the store..:(..Must.order. samples..:)..All the montales sound amazing and the ones I tried were not as similar to each other as I'd expected!