Agar Attar
Agar Aura (2014)

Upon application there's an unmistakable oud barnyard pong that reaches out, but not far enough to be intrusive, and after half an hour that 'off-note' is completely gone, it's as if it is merely there to remind one that this is an oud after all. During that first phase I also get the sense of a freshly cut wood, sap and all, with some dew making for a barely wet feel. But after that initial phase I very much get a smooth silky accord that I enjoy without feeling the need to deconstruct. For a sake of a review though, I have tried to get a feel for the aromas that build this lovely accord. To begin with that dewy sap fades and a drier raw wood takes center stage, I get the sense of sandalwood bringing out a woody vein with some patchouli grounding it. There's also a hint of tobacco, the trace you'd still have on your hands after crumbling some Virginian leaves. Finally, there's this subtle herbal sweetness to it that feels very Indian, a touch of the sweeter side of oud mixed perhaps with some spikenard. It's an elusive aroma though, the one I struggle most to pinpoint, and maybe that is why it's the part I enjoy most. Towards the end of the fragrance's life I also caught a balsamic tone, very much like labdanum, the raw and sticky resinous quality of it; it's something I never pick up during the heart of the attar, and it makes me want to hit the rewind button to go back and seek for it.
For the main part though what I get from this oil is a superbly blended fragrance which feels greater than its parts. The overriding feel is that of the raw woodiness of an oud chip bonded to an enigmatic Indian herbal sweetness, and it is that unified accord that I find enchanting. True to the copy posted on Agar Aura's site, "there is no better way to dive head first into the world of oud than to make Agar Attar your launch pad", to the uninitiated western nose, Agar Attar will smell exotic without smelling funky, and if someone turns his nose away from this attar then they'll probably never like ANY oud.
Longevity: Slightly above average.
Sillage: Good for the initial hours, deceptively so, in that gentle wisps of it keep reaching you at unexpected turns for the first couple hours. Closer to the skin later on.

8.5/10

This is a rich and smooth smelling attar. I can't seem to keep my nose off of my wrist, and I haven't genuinely felt like that about a fragrance in 2-3 years since I started with this hobby. This definitely feels like a 'holy grail' type of scent to me.

Everything about this is quality. I get a bit of tobacco, leather, slight smokiness in the beginning, and a dominant woody note, but merely listing off notes would be doing a disservice to this Attar, you have to smell it for yourself.

It is one of the most masculine smelling fragrances I've ever had the pleasure of smelling. It is also soothing to my senses, it feels relaxing and meditative. It feels ethereal as well.

It projects soft-moderately when applied to skin(wrists), but the longevity is quite good. I've fussed around with applying varying amounts and seem to get 8-12 hours from it.

To me, this is not just a scent, but an experience!