"Oud’s complex fragrance is a perfume on its own. It can smell completely different depending on geography, distillation, age of the resinous material, and species of tree, which is why introducing just one oud fragrance would not satisfy me as a perfumer. A’Oud Ancienne is the first in the series of three oud fragrances. I utilize Assam agarwood, oud from trees in the Assam area, specifically aquilaria agallocha to create an all-around oud profile as an introduction. It showcases the experience of a fine oud oil as well as imagine it would have been used thousands of years ago when oud chips were placed upon coals and the enigmatic scent would rise from braziers. With A’Oud Ancienne I wanted to highlight the powerful and unusual fragrance and not follow the hundreds of “crowd pleasing” ambrox-laden ouds on the market. I sought out unconventional materials and aroma chemicals and paired them with more familiar notes, giving A’Oud Ancienne my Rogue signature by uncovering Assam Oud’s animalic, earthy and leathery facets. Castoreum and oakmoss are the perfect ingredients to complement the distilled assam oud oil. Labdanum supports the sweet resinous qualities. Blue cypress and amyris, help build out the overall fragrance and ylang tones down sharper notes and adds a hint of sultry floralcy. A’Oud Ancienne is a small batch artisanal oud with a story to tell that may challenge the wearer to describe and appreciate its unique qualities." -Perfumer Manuel Cross
