Attar  
Montale (2005)

Attar by Montale (2005) really is an exemplary scent in the argument of "why pay more" against all these exorbitant designer and Western luxury-brand takes on oud. Montale Black Aoud (2006) may take the cake as the flagship rose and oud bombast that really set the Western world on fire, giving them the craving for the combo that designers have seen been willing to satisfy with much further-adulterated and more-expensive takes on the style; but Attar is really the one people interested in the style should be chomping down on first. The reason I say this, is Attar is an extremely balanced authentic attempt at the quintessential "attar" smell found throughout both Dubai and the UAE proper. Whether you're visiting the Burj Khalifa or mucking about somewhere else (like one of various shopping areas), this is the kind of smell that will fill the air; and you will get a bit of artifice of course, hints of natural-smelling rose and oud chips, plus some sandalwood and dry spice. Someone from the Middle East may actually find this too middle-of-the-road and boring, that's how good a job it does in encapsulating that vibe, a vibe Frédéric Malle is willing to sell you for a whopping $1,500, which is absurd.

The opening here is going to be a mix of dry rose and a 50/50 cut between more-medicinal oud with the barnyard sour fecal stuff. As it dries and the funk flattens out, a slightly smokier nuance enters, with sandalwood and a bit of dry vanilla coming in, boosted by some salty ambroxan-powered faux-ambergris. Some people may liken this transition to that of your typical hotel soap found in those regions of the world, as rose/sandalwood is a very popular combination for bar soap of type there, bolstered by some trace white musks. All told, Attar settles into the sandalwood and rose oud combination, with the salty dry musk elements playing with the residual smoke, clean rose, and pops of what feels like cardamom near the end. I have smelled a lot of entry and middle-tier oud attar product (usually in nondescript tubes with Arabic letters) which ultimately dry down like Montale Attar does, with such a measured almost pastiche-like blend of elements popular in perfumes from the region that again, the smell is almost universal. Montale Attar is at once every fragrance ever smelled on the streets of a bustling city from the region, yet not perfectly authentic to anything actually found for sale there, making it tourism in a bottle.

Thus, if you're not wanting the harsher and more patchouli-focused rubbery oud of Black Aoud, and you're not ready for the take-no-prisoners barnyard blast of Aoud Cuir d'Arabie by Montale (2006), Attar is the perfect starting point. You'll get the Goldilocks view of fragrances from that region, mixed with a tiny bit of what passes there as the lowest common denominator. You'll smell every bit as good, as exotic, as challenging (to some), as something shucked at you by any number of Roja Doves, Louis Vuittons, Frédéric Malles, Xerjoffs, or exclusive boutique Diors, yet you won't pay a fraction of the price. As for performance? Well, all bets are off in that department, as the oil skin-retention nature of Montale fragrances in general also applies here. You may in fact find yourself having trouble applying Attar in a way that doesn't cause accidental fumigation and being sent home from work, so consider yourself warned. If you call a scent like this weak, you're anosmic and need to step away from scent for a while, then come back to apply less. I will accept no claims of this being a weak scent whatsoever. Definitely not the easiest Montale, but the absolute mean or average of their output. Thumbs up

The opening blast is a rose all right. Quite deep and fairly rich, a bit on the dark side but nothing very velvety or moody - in all it's sombre character, there is dry elegance to this rose.

The sandalwood arises not much later. A dry, slightly powdery sandal impression that at times developed some oud-like characteristics, but I a discreet manner.

There is not much more to the development of this olfactory journey, except that the components wirkt of ether very well.

I get moderate sillage, excellent projection and nine hours of longevity on my skin.

This scent for warmer autumn days is very parsimonious in its design using two main components. Whilst very simple in its composition, it is and example of a case where a coupe of good notes can create respectable result and blend. 3.25/5

Another Montale take on rose...not as brutal as some...and not as gentle as some....kinda middle of the road...definitely a rose fragrance...i don't really get any of the trademark Montale oud...i get the rose sitting on top of sandalwood...not a rich solid sandalwood , but more like slightly dried out and faded sandalwood powder/sawdust..., elegant and very wearable...

ATTAR opens with a distantly smoky scent of smouldering oud chips. But there is a syrupy sweetness about it that grows increasingly floral as the rose comes into play, before receding into something more resinous, if a little soapish and musky-powdery. It continues to cruise at this altitude for the better part of its development before touching down to a faintly woodsy drydown. Not the finest Montale has to offer but certainly one of the more affable compositions.