Dead of Night is an oil-based fragrance featuring organic oud oil distilled from agarwood trees grown on a sustainably-managed 600-acre plantation in Borneo. It’s the equivalent of the Slow Food movement, only in oud terms – no chemical inoculation, no rubbery oud aromachemicals, and little interference from humans. This slow way of farming agarwood produces oud oil that is authentically pungent at first, but quickly softens to reveal the supple, tangy aroma of lambskin freshly cured with hay, herbs, and tea.
Polished and set in the frame of a fragrance composition like a jewel, a material like this oud shines. Just keep in mind that this is indeed real oud. Those with little to no experience of oud outside of commercial perfumery might be taken aback at how animalistic and raw the note appears at first, but fear not! In time, the fearsome braggadocio of the opening relaxes into a wonderful aroma of soft leather, delicately sour with accents of dried apricots and fermented tea. Violet leaf and bergamot add freshness to the composition, the crushed greenery and citrus notes mimicking the minty sparkle of agarwood grown on the island of Borneo. The florals are subtly placed so as not to distract from the golden, glowing oud, but a glimpse of rose and jasmine emerges in the heart to sweeten its hay-like tone. Subtle brushstrokes of sandalwood and incense help the oud to fade out gently at the end, but, like a theater star, it lingers for hours on stage, in full knowledge that it’s what people really came to see.
