White Aoud
Montale (2006)

I thought I'd love this one based on the notes in it. But it was so bad I had to try wash it off. I scrubbed with wet wipes but that did F*** all. Absolutely hideous on me. All I got was really sharp floral & a sh*t ton of strong smokey incense (which is one of the notes I can't stand).
I've got quite a few of Montale's "dark" scents & their scents with oud, and the oud/"dark notes" usually just add that extra depth or "oumpf" to the fragrance, making them a bit more of a Gourmand for grownups. I assumed this would also be the case with white oud but I was oh so wrong....
Definitely

Black Aoud's calmer sib. Performance is excellent, as can be said for all Montales. This is nothing experimental or shocking, but almost everyone will like it.

A very nicely composed scent... Opens with one of Montales mellower ouds and heavy on the powder...im kinda 50 50 on powder , but its a good fit here...rose, vanilla and sandalwood are here for the long haul...like Black Aoud took a couple of hits of some killer indica and chilled out...a mellow and very wearable Montale...oh , did i mention it has great projection and longevity...nice one...And topped off with a touch of ambery resin...nice vanilla note gives a subtle sweetness...light enough for summer nights...

A rose-oud perfume I enjoy! Not quite like all the others I've tried in recent months. Other notes add some interest: saffron, cardamom, jasmine, and patchouli. In particular, saffron is stronger, of these four notes.

More patchouli & woody sandalwood. Vanilla and amber seem to hover above and about. There is a dark, incense vibe here. White Aoud does have the classic Montale personality!

...Later, more patch, more wood, and then labdanum resonate. It becomes less rose & oud. It moves towards being a middle eastern incense accord. Definitely one of my favorite Montale scents.

You're a biologist working overseas. You're in a white lab, wearing a white lab coat and white latex gloves, sitting under a white light. You're at a microscope, inspecting different bark and root cultures dissected from some ancient trees newly discovered at the edge of a mountain range in Malaysia. Out of nowhere, you get a phone call from your lover, and you step outside the white tent to take it. He's standing right there, between you and the sun, surprising you with a bouquet of roses. He grabs you and lifts you off the ground while you're trying to figure out how he flew in to see you, how he even found your research outpost. You decide to break for lunch and together you hike over to a nearby saffron farm to have a meal. White Aoud by Montale.

White Aoud is the sixth Montale Aoud fragrance that I've sampled and I would place it on the "more agreeable" end of the spectrum. The loud medicinal oud Montale employs is tempered by a decidedly feminine jasmine with underlying hints of vanilla and amber. It's a very pleasant scent once you get past the first half hour of "screeching out of the bottle" olfactory assault that is trademark Montale. As it settles into the heart of the fragrance, a soft dusty saffron and rose comes forward and pairs effortlessly with the rising vanilla and amber. The duration is incredible and it never really changes beyond the first hour.

I found White Aoud to be a sweeter Montale Aoud offering and much more powdery dry down. For some reason I don't find it as synthetic as other reviews, but I agree with ClaireV that there is a Victorian style rosewater tone in this that is somewhat addictive. It's too elderly and feminine sweet for me, but pleasant to the nose none the less. I'll give it a thumbs up, but will pass on wearing it again or purchasing a bottle.