Sheikh Anas Blend
Abdul Samad Al Qurashi

A supreme balsamic rosey soapiness characterizes almost the entire evolution of this musky exotic blend (before a more dry-spicy-earthy floral ambergris finally takes the role of protagonist). Sheikh Anas Blend opens by soon with all its "apparatus" of balsamic oudh-musk, oakmoss, flowers absolute, bright aerial spices (kurkuma and cumin I suppose), balsams and ambergris. The atmosphere is by soon typically soapy, laundry-floral and aromatic and I can enjoy a "lightweight" of resins, spices and musks. A general muskiness "leads" the aroma till when the role of floral notes and ambergris stars to stand out within a less soapy and more restrained (and structured) ambery-floral scent (warmer, woody veined, intensely floral in a "melancholic" way, somewhat "salty", more shadowy and spicy-organic). In this final phase the aroma is more subtle, close to skin and sophisticated (in a more properly "western" way). Frankly this final stage provides more personality to a juice otherwise overly balsamic and hard to be identified in its peculiarity. To conclude I have to say that, despite the quality of this juice is undeniable (in line with the whole ASAQ's line), I'm not particularly impressed by its aroma in terms of personality and originality. Anyway the dry down is really soft and light with its warm floral organic wake while the "raw materials" are of the best quality (in line with a genuine arabic "idea" of modern perfumery). Enjoy.

Sheikh Anas opens with a fantastic stroke of velvety and balsamic notes wrapping around rich flowers (soapy rose, jasmine, and surely others I don't catch), posed on a woody-mossy base comprising also patchouli, musk, thin fresh green notes, spices (cumin), vanilla, ambergris (the real one: rooty, animalic and salty) and perhaps a hint of oud – or anyway some smokier and darker wood note. Shortly a sumptuous, yet totally friendly Oriental blend with warm, floral, woody, balsamic nuances. It may sound conventional, but it isn't, at least for my nose. If compared to other ASAQ scents, the main difference is that Anas smells much more balsamic, light, fresh and floral than others, which makes it more versatile and “easy” to wear. The quality is – as usual – totally high and respectable, and as usual, the experience of wearing this oil (despite being quite simple and effortlessly easy-going) is much different from wearing a “normal” Western perfume: on skin all is richer, denser, more powerful and thick, with a dilated evolution through an entire day and a vibrant, rich persistence, with basically no “drydown” as we mean it – just different phases, but with the same clarity and power. The balsamic feel remains for quite many hours, while the amber gris note plays a key role in coming and going and interplaying with flowers – so the scent kind of alternates between “dark” stages and brighter ones. Now, Sheikh Anas is among the less expensive scents of this brand, so it does not offer the same deepness and “mystical” experiences of other higher-quality ones, but it's still miles above any Western industrial scent pretending to act Oriental (Amouage or Xerjoff anyone?). It's a cozy, exotic, silky, friendly and unisex scent, a perfect floral-woody blend with a warm rooty-earthy soul that would make anyone's day better. By the way, a couple of drop and you're good for the day (so don't think in terms of ml/Oz as you would with a normal perfume: the tola is small, but will most likely last you for years).

8/10