Montale - Aoud Lime

Aoud Lime is one of those fragrances that hardly leaves anyone neutral. This Montale, like most others from this French house, is a intense and somewhat aggressive fragrance with an exuberant personality. For the record, my experience with oud or agarwood was somewhat limited before trying this line, but I certainly enjoyed it in Yves Saint Laurent's M7.

After sampling a few of the oud based Montales, M7 seems to be true enough to the nature of this pungent wood. But despite their slight resemblance, Aoud Lime, is something completely different. The heady, oily citrus combined with saffron and the charred, smoky and semi-sweet wood create a dry, herbaceous and medicinal aura. The dryness is further accentuated by iris and aromatic sandalwood. The effect of the notes mingling together make for a dusty, romantic impression, but one that smells very clean at the same time - puzzling and dissonant in a good way. Also the sillage is a killer - this will take over a small room in no time, so be gentle on the trigger.

The main difference compared to other Montale agarwood fragrances is that Aoud Lime lacks the eccentric floral elements that make so many of the others unwearable for me. There is some rose lurking in there, but that strong middle eastern floral sensation is not present at all. Therefore Aoud Lime is by far my favourite in this range. A sharp, dense and unique perfume.

Year of Launch: 2006
Gender Classification: Unisex
Reminiscent of: Yves Saint Laurent M7, L’Artisan Parfumeur Voleur de Roses

Longevity & Sillage: Both nuclear
Overall rating: 7/10