So for starters, the name here is completely misleading, there ain't a sight of Oud in this bottle. The composition focuses more heavily on a rich Amber and Vanilla accord rather than a traditional, animalic Oud note. Once you get past this what you actually get is a rather nice Amber Fougere fragrance. The bottle screams luxury and the fragrances smells far more expensive than it's price tag. The initial spray is an inviting blast of warm, aromatic spices particularly the unique scent of caraway, balanced by a brief hint of citrusy bergamot and herbaceous sage. This opening quickly transitions to a heart of Cedar, Iris and Black Pepper The scent turns woody and slightly powdery. The cedar provides a dry, aromatic woodiness, while the iris adds a subtle, refined, and creamy powderiness. The black pepper maintains a constant, warm spicy texture. The Dry-Down has Amber, Vanilla, Leather and Patchouli This is the star of the show. It settles into a rich, deep, and resinous blend. Amber and Vanilla create a honeyed, creamy sweetness. The Patchouli adds a subtle earthy depth, and the Leather provides a smooth, elegant backdrop, preventing the vanilla from becoming overly sweet. Performance is pretty good here, I'm getting a solid six hrs on skin.with a noticeable projection for the first 1-2 hours before settling into a warm, inviting scent bubble. It is powerful enough to be noticed. This is a definitive cold-weather fragrance. The rich spices, amber, and vanilla are perfectly suited for Fall and Winter. If your a fan of rich, spicy, and amber-heavy oriental fragrances this might be worth trying out My Rating: 7/10 Scent: 2 Longevity: 2 Sillage: 2 Y/N: 1

Yea know, ya think ya know somebody... We went to an outdoor music fest this evening to see a "clone" of the Beatles, and they weren't bad at all! But in anticipation of the evening which included two other couples, I thought it would be appropriate to go with a stronger Amouage frag (for once.) I gave my wife the choice. I presented her test strips of four frags: - Amouage Interlude 53, - Amouage Interlude Black Iris, - Amouage Reflection 45, - Amouage Opus XIV Royal Tobacco (would have been my choice). She said she liked them all a lot but picked the 53. In fact she was adamant that I wear the 53. I'm starting to see that ol' 53 is probably her favorite niche frag in my collection and maybe her favorite scent of all! I would have bet money she would have gone with the 45. Anyway, I've written at length about this frag and yes, I know there are several that find it completely objectionable, which is amazing to me, but we can debate that another time. For those of you unfamilar with 53, it's a flanker of the original "Blue Beast", Amouage Interlude. 53 is an experience of organized chaos to profound harmony. The high concentration (53% oil) makes the initial blast incredibly dense and rich. The opening is oregano and pimento, but it feels more integrated and less sharp compared to the the OG, which is a great frag too. The heart is where the intense incense and opoponax make a thick, smoky amber accord. IMO this stage is opulent and quite unique. This FINALLY gives way to the base, which is all about a masterful blend of DARK smoke, leather, and a little woody oud. Again, it's pure magic. Interlude 53 is a well-aged, complex masterpiece—deeper, wider, and more harmonious than the OG. Believe me brothers, I can go on and on about this frag, but I swear, even when I smell this stuff off a test strip, I get a rush like some kind of illegal drug completely engulfing my brain. Seriously, a RUSH... It's almost evil. 10.0/10.0.