Black Aoud by Montale

Just finished my decant of Montale Black Aoud, and wow, this is a beast. The opening is brutal and impactful, nothing gentle; the oud clashes with an intense, metallic, dark, medicinal, and almost sour rose. Then patchouli takes over, adding an earthy, damp touch, like walking among roses after a rain with that dense humidity in the air. The musk holds the whole structure together and gives it continuity. The decant’s performance was good; three sprays project enough to flood a room. It takes about 40 minutes to settle down. I wasn’t fully convinced by the opening, but I enjoyed it a bit more as it dried down, though it never really won me over. I don’t want to own this; it’s too intense for my taste and has overwhelmed me every time I’ve worn it. Longevity and projection are nuclear, lasting over 12 hours on skin. It fills rooms, arrives before you, and lingers long after you’ve left. Only for cold weather and open spaces. Gothic, imposing, for those seeking intense aromas and wanting to make a dominant presence. Fans of the oud/rose combo will love it, but it’s not for me. Rating: 5.5/10

I picked this up recently. Although I’m 21 and usually go for younger perfumes, trying it in the store absolutely blew my mind. Out of everything I own, this is the most challenging: the oud and rose create a very oriental combo. While rose is often seen as a girl’s scent, the oud here adds brutal masculinity. I love it. It’s a true beast mode with beast-level potency: two sprays and you’re covered all night. It’s not for blind buying; I love oud and was looking for my first perfume with this note, and I’m totally satisfied. That said, it requires personality to wear. If you’re not sure it suits you, better not touch it. For me, it’s a bomb: intense, different, and full of character.

This is my first Montale, and I took my time deciding. I wanted something accessible with rose and oud that would attract me. I saw reviews calling it a bomb of dark rose and oud, so without testing it, I dove in. I was blown away; it’s exactly as described: dark rose with an oud that isn’t too animalic but still has presence. Then it moves to patchouli and musk, giving it a soapy and earthy touch. It’s linear, doesn’t evolve much, but it’s excellent. If you’re curious about oud and don’t like the Arabics I’ve tried, give this a shot if you like rose; it feels more masculine and dark, not feminine. Highly recommended, buy blind if you’re looking for that DNA, but test before if you can. It doesn’t disappoint. As others say, don’t use more than two or three sprays; you don’t need more.

Unique and special aroma, don’t buy it blind! You’ll be blown away. Longevity and projection are 10/10.

Montale Black Aoud doesn’t play games; it hits you in the face without mercy, like a bouquet of black roses thrown from a decaying gothic castle. Imagine stepping into a frayed red velvet room, with a withered rose fighting for its glory, surrounded by echoes of oud. The dry-down is chaotic yet fascinating: a potent, varnished blast of oud, like opening a can of paint in a night garden. Fortunately, this initial intensity settles to reveal a rose that has seen battles, closer to steel and leather than typical softness. Compared to others like Aoud Rose Petals or Portrait of a Lady, Black Aoud stands out for its lack of concessions to sweetness. It’s less refined and more prickly, designed for private enjoyment, not to please others. Not for the office unless you want people to ask if you’ve just finished a satanic ritual or confirm you’re an oddity. Longevity is formidable, and the projection announces your presence from afar. It feels best in cold environments or dark nights, when you can savor its gothic, mysterious atmosphere.

BLACK AOUD MONTALE: Overall, the rose evokes elegance and romance, but here it leans into the dark, conveying nostalgia, tenderness, power, and respect. This fragrance gives you the power to evoke those sensations, depending on how you wear it. It represents an imposing darkness filled with reflection, memory, and mystery. It attracts, sparks intrigue, and commands admiration. It’s a powerful olfactory force, constant yet never tiring. The patchouli and musk integrate a woody, wet earth sensation that adds freshness. I love this type of fragrance; rose is one of my favorite notes in men’s perfumery. While some might see it as feminine, I disagree: it has a slight resemblance to Club de Nuit Woman, but Montale’s version is the most elegant and deep red rose interpretation for men I’ve ever smelled—the kind of scent Don Vito Corleone would wear. Totally masculine, though a woman with personality could wear it too. Class and elegance on another level. A dark, refined, imposing, quiet, observant, and charming fragrance. The rose is total—red as blood, alive as a heartbeat, beautiful and soft as velvet, with a freshness of rain-soaked earth. Incense accompanies it like smoke in a dark alley, moving like a hunter and its prey, united by an olfactory trail. Passion (the rose) and mystery (the incense) are expressed with intensity, bound by the yearning of love. Scent: 10. Projection: sublime. Longevity: 10 hours. Recommended.

It’s dark, incisive, and opulent. Upon spraying, a ripe, aggressive rose with amber notes blends with warm oud and incense, creating that sense of darkness. Musk and labdanum add an animalic touch, while patchouli embraces these notes with a slightly bitter, acidic finish thanks to the mandarin. On my skin, it lasts over 12 hours, and on clothes, more than 24. It’s quite linear and can be very aggressive for those unfamiliar with it, but it fills the room without any issues. The first time I wore it at night, my family came back from the grocery store and said they could smell it from the street—insane. I wore the same shirt to work the next day, and as soon as I walked in, people asked what perfume I was wearing. Notes: Scent 8/10, Projection 10/10, Longevity 10/10, Versatility 4/10, Price 9/10. Unisex/Masculine. Worth it: yes. Wear it in autumn, winter, and special spring nights with formal or semi-formal attire. To avoid overwhelming others, use it in open spaces; if indoors, apply less. The bottle lasts for years.

Just holding the bottle near your nose, it lingers for a good while. No wonder it’s the brand’s emblem. The rose-oud blend leaves no one indifferent. The downside is that my partner hates it, lol. And it’s a perfume available at affordable prices.

Magnificent rose-oud combo that is an absolute bomb. Just two sprays flood a room; undoubtedly, this type of fragrance makes a difference. It’s my first niche scent, and with experience, I’ll probably forget most designer fragrances. Scent: 9.5. Sillage: 10. Heart: 9.5. Base: 9.5. Projection: 10. Trail: 9.5. Versatility: 3. Blind buy: 2. Total: 9. It has one flaw: it’s not versatile. It’s very hard to wear.

This is the typical case where I say: don’t buy blind. If you can’t refer to it, you must smell it before buying. I read reviews and saw videos talking wonders about this perfume, imagining a better quality rose note… This. It smells like rose essence, which in my country is used to make ‘raspados’ (ice in a glass with coloring), which is very cheap. That’s what this fragrance smells like, combined with a very strong oud that bothers me. I have it, and honestly, I don’t know what to do with it because I can’t find an occasion to wear it. On the other hand, I think it’s very bad taste to put a perfume in a can. I stick with Mancera, which at least has the decency to put them in bottles, like Red Tobacco, Hindu Kush, and others from this Montale sister house, which have good quality and are worth buying. I think I bought it to add something Montale to my collection, but I see it more as a woman’s fragrance than a man’s. I think it would suit my mom better… Edit: When I bought this fragrance, I didn’t have much knowledge of what I was buying, and it disappointed me at first. Now, after smelling other fragrances, I better understand the quality of its components and value this beauty a bit more. I still think the rose note quality isn’t great, but the oud that balances it along with the other components makes it a simply delicious scent. And out of all the Montales I’ve tried, this is the one that lasts the longest. This stuff is potent.

The first 15-20 minutes after application seem a bit irritating to me. A sharp rose note, like geraniol-heavy, along with a medicinal oud smell. So, you have to give it time to settle and show all its virtues. After this ‘complicated’ opening, the rest is a very pleasant and well-assembled rose/oud/patchouli combo that will remain linear throughout the perfume’s life. Good performance in projection and trail during the first two hours, gradually decreasing in intensity until, in my case, about 5-6 hours, after which it’s just a faint scent clinging to the skin. So, seeing the comments, it’s quite possible this fragrance was intentionally weakened, since in 2017 Montale released the ‘Intense’ version of this perfume. In the dry down, it may have some similarity to Frank Olivier’s Oud Touch, although this Black Aoud feels infinitely better made and, above all, very natural. Frank Olivier’s is one that won’t leave even if you rub it with a scouring pad, and this Montale lasts as long as it lasts. I suppose that to fully enjoy this perfume, one should go straight for the ‘Intense’ version. Otherwise, the party is short. Absolutely essential to apply on clothes if you want adequate longevity.

This perfume is a bomb of delicious darkened rose softened by a subtle oud and a non-intrusive patchouli. It’s a scent that must be applied with moderation, as overdosing could lead to olfactory fatigue (it happened to me), but with two or three sprays it’s enough to leave a wide trail for about 4 hours, and keeping the scent on clothes for more than 24 hours. Up close, it stays easily for more than 12 hours. I think it’s a perfume for men who dare to wear a constant rose trail. I love it.

Montale Black Aoud is a jewel: a dark rose wrapped in patchouli with a touch of oud. The agarwood lingers in the background, woody and potent, letting the rose shine. The result is dantesque, dark, and unsettling, with nuclear power and light-year projection. It smells like dark art with brutal, evocative qualities.

The famous German architect Mies van der Rohe said ‘less is more,’ and here it is fulfilled. For me, it’s a masterpiece: a fragrance with fewer than ten notes delivers such a complex and mysterious aroma. Is it perhaps for less? The oud wood has rich nuances: from bitter to smoky and sweet. The process is curious: the scent arises from a fungus called ‘phialophora parasitica’ that makes the wood exude resin. Black Aoud is not a daily wear. I’ve had a 50ml bottle for over a year and a half, and I still have plenty left. Its use leans exclusively toward cold climates and formal/nighttime wear. Longevity, projection, and sillage are indestructible, though some claim it has been reformulated. A noteworthy perfumery creation in the niche and oud world.

As Mies van der Rohe said, ‘less is more.’ Here, mastery prevails: fewer than ten notes and yet a scent so complex and mysterious. Could it be less? The oud wood has rich nuances: bitter, smoky, sweet. It’s curious how a fungus makes it exude resin to create that aroma. Not for daily wear. I’ve had a 50ml bottle for over a year and still have plenty left. Only for cold climates, formal occasions, and night use. Longevity, projection, and sillage are indestructible, even if people say it’s reformulated. A noteworthy creation in the oud niche.