Lao Oud
Bortnikoff (2021)

I'm sampling from the dabber and my first swipe smelled like a denser more oud/amber-centric Amber Cologne, which I really like. The second bigger swipe gave me a different vibe. This one still have a touch of white flowers, but had notes of chocolate, slight oud, and primarily a dusty honey (not overly sweet). When any fragrance invokes oud in the title, you want to actually smell it whether real, accord, or synthetic. Frankly, I wish this were a bit stronger though I don't know exactly what he was going for in this one so I can't be too harsh. While the honey seems to be prominent here, it's nevertheless a really smooth and classy floral amber type fragrance for those who want to/can pay Bortnikoff prices. I have to say, the Bortnikoffs that I've tried have really grown on me (Oud Maximus and Amber Cologne), so I'll be testing this again.

This comes across as a heavier and more aggressive rendition of Oud Monarch. The fermented oud gives the one some bite, which I quite like.