Seher Al Kalemat
Arabian Oud (2012)

This is an absolute masterpiece of a Middle Eastern fragrance. It smells basically exclusively of oud to my nose with dark resinous vanilla and amber nuances. The oud in this smells really similar to dark chocolate, and I can't get enough of it. On the drydown I smell hints of amber and vanilla as well but mostly it's still the dark chocolate oud. Projection - as is the case with all good oud fragrances - is of course insanely strong, while longevity is unbelievable at over 12 hours with only 1 spray! The 250 ml bottle of this should last you an entire lifetime in fact. The fragrance is unisex in my opinion. Overall, this is an exceptional Middle Eastern fragrance that smells dark and sweet at the same time, and is totally fitting its name "Sihr al-Kalimat" which means 'magic words' in Arabic.

5/5

Arabian Oud Kalemat Black (Seher/Sehr Al Kalemat) is very similar to the original Kalemat, but to my nose, it has a bit of a darker vibe, almost dirty like black tar. Perhaps the the opening combination of olibanum (incense) and basil that fosters a sharper, dirtier edge to the otherwise familiar (like the original) trio of vanilla, amber, and oud.

Similarly a superb performer like the original, but ultimately not interesting enough to merit buying it in addition to the original, and not quite as purely interesting as the original.

7 out of 10

Sehr El Kalemat (Kalemat Black) has Kalemat DNA with rich smelling oud and warm vanilla added. It gives you a beautiful smokey dark vanilla-honey balsamic scent, without being overly sweet. This fragrance seems to be more masculine than feminine even though it is listed as unisex.

Longevity is well over 12 hours and can be worn year-round, day or night. While walking, you will leave a delicious trail of fumes in your wake. Two sprays will fill a room, so go easy on this if you wear it to the office. Trust me, one or two sprays is enough.

This is an amazing EDP that receives many unsolicited compliments.

Highly recommended!

10/10

Powerful Longlasting,16hr min strong

This is a somewhat unsophisticated but enjoyable Eastern gourmand that merges sweet and resinous notes against a lively backdrop of woods, fruits, spices, and florals.

It begins with a honey accord, a tobacco leaf-ish thing, frankincense, myrrh, and something that smells vaguely like sweet oud. It's a tad medicinal (oud, saffron) and there are some dormant florals (a damascone rose, for sure) as well as subtle fruit notes (no idea). It's a bombastic start with a dominant impression of dry, honeyed sweetness. Picture Back to Black without the powder, Absolue pour le Soir without the skank, and Interlude Man without the oregano–it's somewhere between those three and performs just as forcefully.

It wears quite linear but with different facets moving in and out of focus (the florals and the frankincense, mainly), yet it does seem to get gradually more dry over time with the tobacco-leaf note stepping up front to merge with the honey. At this point, it's really about those two primary notes and that's where it stays for a few hours. The dry down is more of a rudimentary, syrupy amber–the kind you find in Interlude–and it stays with your for the long haul. And the long haul is long–around 12 hours or so for me. There's a lot to notice and a number of things vying for your attention, but it's surprising easy to wear, doesn't require much thought, and it's nicely proportioned overall.

I wouldn't say that this is a particularly refined scent per se, and the materials used strike me as fairly elementary, but it's an effective and engaging blend for such a low price. The blend itself is clearly Eastern, maintaining an exotic feel despite being a little cartoonish (like Interlude). It's no technical masterpiece–nor is it particularly inventive–but it's very comfy, easy to like, and reasonably unique on the Western front. Big, encompassing, appealing, and inexpensive; what's not to love?