Before diving into the scent development, I have to say that if you’re generally afraid of the oud note, don’t be. This fragrance offers a clean take on this complex note. Right off the bat, this is nothing and I mean NOTHING like Oud Wood. In fact this doesn't smell oudy much at all to my nose. This is a really ambery castorium combined with a lot of green and aromatic notes and complex musks which makes this an incredibly incredibly heavy fragrance. On the first 45 minutes this smells horrible, almost intolerable even, but after that it dries down to a more tolerant version of itself where it definitely shines through. It smells good on projection but definitely not when I get my nose in it. The projection is absolutely beast mode and the performance is at least 12 hours on skin, 6 hours projecting the rest as a skin scent, on all its phases of its life it smells very strong until its completely gone from your skin. As many of you know, TomFord doesn't do just an intensification of his perfumes by adding a word Intense to it. He usually comes up with a completely new and different scent. This time he took the gentleness of OudWood and blended it with the boldness of TuscanLeather. In case you are in doubt about whether you should consider buying any fragrance, it’s always good to take a look at Scent Grail’s S.P.A. Signature Factor Guide.

For a fragrance that has been around since 2007, I have to say that time has been kind to it. With all the reformulations, the basic structure and high-quality ingredients are still present here. The fragrance bursts open with spices that transport you to a foreign spice bazaar, offering a wonderful recreation of something that’s not commonly experienced in Europe.Here’s the deal: If you plan to get yourself a bottle of this liquid gold, you need to be realistic and give up your expectations regarding its performance. It simply doesn’t perform well beyond the first two hours. I also have another 50ml bottle from late 2020 which is equally disappointing in terms of its performance with my other 2019 batch. In this phase, I mainly get woody notes of sandalwood, oud, and vetiver, with touches of vanillic amber. Although tonka beans are listed as a base note, I didn’t really detect that sweet nutty note at all. The dominant notes here are sandalwood, spices, and vanilla, which, while pleasant, depart from the traditional oud profile. For those seeking a fragrant journey into the world of sandalwood and spices, Oud Wood could be a viable choice, especially if you’re new to oud and don’t want to dive headfirst into the potent and challenging world of pure oud oil. It is a richer, deeper scent of woods with a more prominent oud note compared the original Oud Wood. My initial encounter with Oud Wood was quite intriguing. The first time I sampled it, I was in a setting where they were burning Oud Wood incense, and the aroma was incredibly inviting. Oud Wood incense tends to have a mass appeal due to its warm, woody notes, and this fragrance initially seemed to capture that essence. It’s worth noting that for those who might be unfamiliar with traditional oud fragrances, this one could serve as a gentle introduction.

The bottle is classic tom ford with a twist, so there's nothing to complain here about. The oud isn't very aperant probably because it gets washed out because of all the unsweetened greenery and woody notes and the leather gets lost in the mess of the smells but its definitely there. The amber note is brooding, coarse, heavy, and powerful by nature. It envelops the wearer in a veil of introspectiveness, wisdom, and coolness. Oud Wood is a good-quality, mild oud scent, featuring an airy, palatable take on this challenging note to suit Western tastes. The overall effect is of a soft spicy-woody scent with a nice amber drydown. The oud note is unmistakable, but it is more woody than animalic, complemented beautifully by the other well-chosen notes.

As the drydown continues, the scent becomes increasingly animalic as the castoreum reveals itself. This is no leather scent, it's a real scent of savoury body odour. Yet, I don't find it offensive at all, balanced against the slightest camphor and vegetal character. Who the hell wants to pay hundreds of dollars for a fragrance that SHOULD last at least 5-6 hours but really only lasts a maximum of 2 hours. You’ve been robbed by Tom Ford and I think you’re just upset about it.