Oud Royale 
Oriscent (1982)

Oud Royale 1 was distilled in 1982 for His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said, the ruler of Oman (and founder of the Amouage fragrance house). The last bottles sold for $10,999 each from Oriscent. Among oud collectors, it is arguably the most well known and coveted aromatic of them all. Sounds impressive, but does it live up to the hype?

Well, after sampling many pure oud oils by Oriscent/EnsarOud (as well as a bunch from other excellent companies), this is still my favorite. By far. Wow. As I smell the cap, I am in awe. When I close my eyes, the color I smell is a dark mysterious purple (*Royal* purple) with whisps of smooth sweetness...bubbling on the coals. Wow it's smooth! Many have said it is the closest thing to gently heating sinking grade oud chips. I agree, but think its even better as you are not getting a nose-full of acrid smoke from the coals.

Absolutely no barnyard or fecal notes. Nothing off-putting. You can get lost in this oud as it is extremely deep. These incredible regal whiffs of purple almost seem bright at times; they dance and twirl into my nasal passages; It puts my mind at ease. I feel like my heart rate has slowed down. Very calming. At the same time, I feel a bit vain. Simply magical stuff, I can't put it any other way.

The projection is decent, but in a crowded place it will probably get lost in the background. Better in a small gathering where it could be appreciated. I would honestly choose this or Borneo 3000 to wear to my wedding. I could certainly see Oud Royale being used in meditation (the scent is almost otherworldly). If you have the financial means to experience this oud, it's worth it. Its one of those bucket list fragrances that you have to experience at least once. The quality of agarwood used for this distillation was top shelf, even for 1982 (well, look who it was made for). Aged for over 30 years now, it's a step into a long bygone era of oud oil that just doesn't exist anymore.

Just a quick note; there are many oud fragrances, and pure oud oils that add the word "royal" to their product (like Creed's Royal Oud and a handful of other pure oud companies that have called there oud "royal"). They are NOTHING like Oriscent's Oud Royale 1. This oud has long been sold out, but you can access more information about this oud on Oriscent's official page:
http://ensaroud.com/en/product/oud-royale/35

Oud Royale is a rich and deep oud oil that is deeply mesmerizing. These ouds are all aged with agarwood and there is reportedly quite a mix of precious oils and essences but it is hard to pick out particular notes because of the thorough blending. I think I smell rose oil, sandalwood, frankincense, musk and of course oud but it is all blended into this wonderful creation. It is a deep scent that kind of goes right through your entire body upon first smell. It is heavy yet penetrating and ethereal all at once. The predominant scent character Oud Royale is the musk. It is a deep, rich and quiet musk that has an ancient earthy organic patina to it. It is not foul smelling but distinctive and full of great heritage. Oud Royale reminds me a bit of Muscs Kubla Khan by Serge Lutens in the animalic musk basenote, but the oud, incense and woods blend in a smootheness that is unequaled.