Oudh Lacquer
Soivohle (Liz Zorn) (2009)

What I get from my sample is the promised chocolate-tempered, spice-dusted, high-quality oud blend. Nothing to grouse about there. On the other hand, the laundry list of other rare exotic notes isn’t in significant evidence. Time may have rendered the combava petitgrain surpassingly petit, but that doesn’t explain the apparent absence of orris. And so on.

Prepared for something transcendently rich, I was somewhat disappointed to get no more or less than a pretty good oud frag. Now, if I had a bottle of Oudh Lacquer, I wouldn’t let it go. But neither would I pay the $235 an oz. it goes for today.

Your mileage may vary considerably. Mine might as well with a fresher sample. And, expectations adjusted, it’s good enough for a thumbs-up.

Oudh Lacquer from Soivohle. An amazingly complex cocoa-oud pairing that came way before that was considered trendy(Russian Oud, wink wink). I'm surprised no one talks about this brew, but I suppose it doesn't look good in flex pictures(as someone recently told me that they are only interested in acquiring perfumes that would look good in pictures, insert facepalm)

The blend itself is beyond masterful and clever. As the name suggests, the cocoa and the oud blend to create more of a chocolate liquor accord or cocoa/chocolate served with wine. Now, I do love Russian Oud, which showcases one of my favorite uses of cocoa in perfumery. This one takes a different approach, however, in blending the two materials. The Oud used here has more of an earthy, musty, antique smell as opposed to the Hindi profile that permeates Russian Oud. Oud here is dark, gloomy, and mysterious. And what better way to complement that profile than to add mushrooms, which naturally pair well with both cocoa and this type of oud? Take it a step further and suspend the entire formula in an aged tincture of oud and spices and you'll get an amazingly deep aroma. Intoxicating. She uses some floral notes as well to balance the composition, and the linden blossom accord shines more than the others to give a nice and unique touch of fresh sweetness. It feels almost honeyed and citrusy at the same time. Although it starts dusty, musty, and dank, it slowly morphs into this most inviting dessert of dark chocolate, wine, and spices, served on an old wooden table with some freshly cut linden blossoms sitting on the side. It is dark and earthy but smooth, inviting, and mysterious simultaneously. It feels like going into an old, dank cellar to choose your favorite chocolate liquor that has been aging away for decades, waiting to caress your palate. A charming composition for cocoa and oud lovers like myself.

IG:@memory.of.scents

Choco patchouli oud, with the indolic bone-structure of agarwood oil melting with cocoa beans to create a quite disturbing sort of “sweetish seasoned cheese” smell, with a bright whiff of floral notes and a perceivable base note of camphorous amber gris (the real one? It smells really good). The opening phase is quite bold and compelling, but once it tones down, Oud Lacquer becomes soon quite a dull sort of woody-gourmand scent all about balmy notes of cocoa beans, patchouli, a light woody oud note and flowers. The oud note is decent: nutty, woody, “oily” and just a tad “fecal”, but also much restrained overall – shortly, don't expect a gorgeous blast of oud (as you would legitimately expect at this price range, I'd say...). Flowers and patchouli tame it down quite much. Finally, as other reviewers noted, the persistence is incredibly short. I would say that it's a nice scent overall, and works decently for one hour or so, and then it's gone. Not for this price, for me.

6-6,5/10

Appetizingly smelly upfront, this one feels cohesive in that all the parts work toward the common, goal. From the vial, I get a lot of styrax and cocoa, but on skin it's more dirty oud and cocoa with a spray of leaves and florals over some crazy-pants botanical musk notes. It's gourmand but in a way that won't make you smell like a dessert tray or a teenager, this is a dark and brooding woody oud that's not afraid to throw a few challenging notes your way. There's a lot of rich and dynamic stuff going on here, and I'm assuming that this one costs several arms and legs to produce; but ultimately it's a dedicated and uncompromising approach to oud and probably not well suited for those who prefer the safety of westernized “oud” scents. However, after just a couple of hours, it gets a bit saggy, turning into a less enthralling amber-y cedar-y with a touch of botanical musk, but given the materials involved–top shelf naturals–it's life is short. It's dense, challenging, engaging, and its one of the few ouds on the market to reflect the true nature of that material. But as with so many natural-centric scents, it lives fast and dies young.