Al'Molouk Blend
Abdul Samad Al Qurashi

The ASAQ (The One Collection) Al'Molouk Blend's colour is brown-dark (almost black) and (believe me or not) I've waited almost 10 seconds before the sliding aromatic drop could finally reach my skin after its "long trip" (two centimetres, not more) inside the sample's tube. More than viscous fragrance, almost a veritable glue. Going to the aroma's examination....well guys.....if you are not used with genuine dark smoky oudhs this precious potion is not stuff for you. Pure combustion, or better, the olfactory equivalent of a blaze's residual devastation, the aroma you could ideally perceive going inside an Orthodox wooden Church's "skeleton" after a wasting fire. All around you the air is impregnated by a "still steamy woods"'s exhalation and the ash penetrates as a ghost till the depth of your brain running across your lost soul. I detect by soon carbonized heavy woods, ash, something vaguely aromatic from the thick obscure forest, dry-dark dusty spices and a touch of incensey-resinous (opoponax?). Frankly I have to wait a couple of hours (the time necessary in order the impenetrable mist starts vaguely fading) before the floral regality of a listed (somewhere) Taif Rose starts unveiling its majesty as floral touch of blossom for your soul to courageously it rise up after the painful devastation. Finally something indiscernible keeps working on me with intensity, as warm sensual organic (almost edible) mantle of rare perturbing viscerality (could it be also a touch of smoky opoponax?). Amazing, sacre, otherworldly scent. A dark smoky-resinous (barely resinous) aoud's cream with a gentle final oily rosey vibe (of extreme refinement). Approach this gem if you've crossed the hell finally resurrecting, if you are a silence's observer and if (such a threatening one) you face (staring them) the ghosts after the wildest misfortune.
PS: finally (as normal for such aged precious oudhs) the aroma evolves giving off a smooth rubbery effect providing a velvety resinous texture.

Molouk means "king" so this is also known as the King's Blend. So now I'm sampling stuff well beyond my budget and it's breaking my heart. The quality of the ingredients in this blend is undeniably and extraordinarily good. Al'Molouk is oud dominant but has a bright rosy opening that disappears in a couple of hours. I noticed in some ad copies that indicate it's "taif rose nakhb al arous," which is the first flush pickings of roses that are distilled slowly giving them a better aroma but longevity is short making this a perfect rose top note that gets out of the way of the oud underneath. There's a touch of spices down there, too, very dry spices, but I cannot pick anything out in particular. The same ad copies mention a "thin flick" or "thin layer" of wildflowers, which I suppose is what I'm smelling. What they are I can't say but the "spice" notes (or wildflowers) are very subtle, never overpowering, but remain deep in the background like a layer of earth. The oud in this blend is very high quality, very clean, slightly woody, not animalic at all, not petrol or vaporous either, just a crisp, clean, aromatic, resinous, and incense-like oud with endless staying power. The sillage is deceptively low key and consumes the air around me. It's gentle and quiet while I'm seated but as soon as I move I can smell it, and when I re-enter the room I can smell it like a light incense. At times my body heat really ramps up the oud projection and at one point while sitting in close quarters in a meeting I thought it was perhaps too strong but I enjoyed it anyway. This blend and this oud in particular is gorgeous. Within several hours after applying it becomes something with a golden aura, a description that doesn't do it justice, but is all I can think of. It is perhaps some of the best oud I've ever tried or at least very much to my tastes. In general, this is amazing stuff - the rose is there in the top but doesn't linger, giving the oud all the room in the world to express itself, and the "wildflowers/spices" do nothing more than put the ground beneath its feet. (The ASAQ site indicates this also includes geranium, vetiver, patchouli, amber, and musk in the blend.)