Al Noukhba Elite Blend
Abdul Samad Al Qurashi

I own a Tola of this paradise mix ... a jewelry !! .. May I see not or is the beginning Strong Oud here clear V? ... no..Al Nukhba starts with citrus and then it becomes Amber Floral. It is only towards the bottom that Oud Vieillie appears..

Abdul Samad Al Qurashi Al Noukhba Elite Blend, as part of the precious "The One Collection", is one of the most mystic, straightforward and expensive pieces of the whole Saudi Arabian "stable". This juice is basically (read the straight to the point and even excellent Alfarom below) a mouldy, woody/smoky rose-oud oils combo (of the top quality in nature) with (I add) nuances of animalic musks, oakmoss, leather and (animalic and woody) resins (probably fir resins, ambergris and smoky myrrh). The composition is by soon pretty steamy, starkly arid, moldy, smoky (powerfully smoky-woody as after a fire), "ritual" in evocative-power (indeed connected to the image of archaic ceremonies or hazing rituals) and impenetrable in order to finally unveil (over the first two hours of "evaporation") a more relatively approachable soapy-ashy piece of suedish rose full of mysticism and elusiveness (a misty floral presence straight from the dawn of time). Forbidding. Campfires, stormy northern weathers back in the centuries, ancient fortified citadels and mediaval steamy battles jump more than vaguely on mind (especially along top and central stages before smoother resins and suede slightly mitigate the drama). Yes, just to be approached by wealthy arab-blends aficionados and frankly just for unmentionable rituals or "macabre ballets" (the real question is: where to wear this kind of longly furious creations?). It lasts probably 48 hours on skin (I smell it on hands over several energic washings).

To date, this is my favorite of the aged oud blends in the ASAQ stable. In terms of complexity, lasting power, and sheer strength, Al Noukhba represents a step up even from the fabulous Jewel Blend, but alas, it is very expensive - at around $1,300, it's actually three times more expensive than Jewel Blend. Whether the price is justified is up to personal value perceptions, of course. Personally, if I had unlimited financial means, I would buy this over Jewel Blend. Al Noukhba is very special indeed.

The opening is pretty ferocious. The oud used here is heavily aged, and it assaults the senses with a powerful blast of hot-sour-fetid-dark woodiness that could be challenging to newcomers to the oud genre. In fact, I would recommend this blend only to people who have a bit of experience under their belts. The opening lasts a fair bit on skin, but Al Noukhba more than amply rewards a bit of patience and effort to understand it.

After about an hour, maybe more, the dark, hot-sour smell of the aged oud spreads out and relaxes a bit to allow the other notes come to the fore, but I have to say that the oud is present from beginning to end in this blend, which marks it out as different from Jewel Blend, where the aged oud lasts only for a couple of hours before giving way almost completely to the amber and ambergris underneath. So right there we have some justification for the high price. When tested side by side, I can also perceive that Al Noukhba has a far deeper, drier, and darker feel overall, and it is actually kind of sensual in a fierce, austere kind of way.

Bubbling underneath the aged oud is something floral, a collection of notes which feel 'pressed together' almost like a tarry, black floral absolute or resin block rather than a distinct flower like a rose or jasmine. If this is a rose-oud like Alfarom suggests, then it is a very heavy, aged oud, and a very un-fresh, un-innocent rose that we are talking about, and certainly miles away from any rose-oud combination you will have ever experienced before in mainstream or niche releases. Backing the floral 'absolute' I sense here is quite a lot of sweet amber and a nice musk. These accords add a sweet roundness to the scent that goes someway towards softening the darker floral and oud notes up top. However, the scent is never sweet or shallow. Overall, I would say that this is a dark, sexy, somewhat sombre affair. It is very, very special, complex, and over a series of many hours reveals different layers and angles to the wearer. Excellent stuff, and suitable for special occasions. I really don't think there is anything comparable in the mainstream designer or niche sector I could compare it to. But I would recommend this to an experienced oud wearer who wants something out of the ordinary.

Al Nokhba is a great blend of rose and oud with some notable additions of amber and some spices. The addition of amber in this gives it a very warm feeling, very comforting and almost texturing, and the spices make it very interesting but not in any off-putting way - they are very subtle and not at all overpowering. The main gist of this blend is the oud and rose, though - a nice jammy rose mixed with the intensely aromatic woody resins of oud. The spices are mild, but kinda fill in some gaps between the two star notes. It's definitely an oud dominant blend paired with rose but the use of amber provides softness, which is then rounded out with spices. Folks familiar with Amouage attars will find this comparable if not better. A tiny drop lasted all day long and a week later I could still smell it on the cuffs of my shirt sleeves - incredibly long-lasting!

Al Noukhba Elite Blend is part of the *The One Collection* by Abdul Samad Al Qurashi. A series of ultra high-end blends (the most expensive from this Saudi Arabian firm) made out of the most precious raw materials around. Not so easy to approach, both economically and scent-wise, this line is generally recommended to arab-blends aficionados and people who approach fragrance as something opposed to *functional*.

ANEB opens with a blast of challenging oud that's not so easy to handle if one's not used to these types of compositions. It takes a good hour for the initial blast to settle down and uncover what's the real essence of this blend. An endless, dark and rich rose-oud combo you can find only in real middle-eastern perfumery. Not an easy wear for most westerners but, once you get familiarity with this style of perfumery, this is a pretty classic blend.

Now, this stuff is good, extremely good, exceptionally good yet, somehow, I'm not completely blown away and at these prices, I honestly expect nothing less. Let me add though, that in this specific case, it's really just a matter of personal taste as this fragrance is by all means top quality stuff.

Note: Very potent with massive projection and great longevity. 1 tola of this thing, will survive you and your offsprings for ages.