Review – Ormonde Jayne Nawab of Oudh

Ormonde Jayne Nawab of Oudh – Not Your Average Rose/Oud 8.5/10

I first encountered Ormonde Jayne over 10 years ago after ordering samples of Ormonde Man and Ormonde Woman. I really enjoyed both scents but for whatever reason never really delved further into the house until a couple of years ago. Last year I purchased a travel lab of 5 of their masculine marketed scents. It is and was a great way to explore a few of the scents I hadn’t experienced before. The scents come in 5 X 8 ml vials. I was immediately struck by Nawab of Oudh, and as someone who isn’t the biggest fan of oud this came as somewhat of a surprise.

Nawab of Oudh is part of the “Four Corners of the Earth” collection which was released by Ormonde Jayne in 2012. The other 3 scents in the collection are Tsarina (Russia), Qi (China) and Montabaco (Latin America). Nawab of Oudh takes its inspiration from central India, and the sovereign rulers who once presided over it. Geza Schoen of Escentric Molecules fame, and many Ormonde Jayne compositions is the nose behind all 4 scents.

Perhaps one of the reasons I loved wearing Nawab of Oudh so much is that it isn’t all about the oud, it plays more of a supporting role. The perfume is so magnificently blended that the notes come together as one, and there’s a lot of notes in this pyramid, seventeen in total. Immediately upon application on skin it becomes obvious that Nawab of Oudh is not your average rose/oud. Nothing run of the mill with this juice. The opening is bright and fresh with bergamot, orange, green notes and aldehydes making for a brisk introduction.

Nawab of Oudh really kicks into gear as the brightness of the opening gives way to a spicy floral heart. The superb interplay between the heady, velvety floral notes of orchid, rose, magnolia and the nose tingling spices of cinnamon, cooling cardamom and fiery pimento make for an enchanting ride. Further adding to the spiciness of the composition is an aromatic bay leaf note. Nawab of Oudh never feels heavy or overbearing but somehow retains an opulent feel.

Ambergris, oud, an earthy vetiver, labdanum, and musks hold the scent together in the base and add further complexity. The oud here is neither sharp, medicinal or barnyard, rather it is sweet and well balanced with the rose, amber and spicy notes. It really is difficult to pick out a note that dominates, sometimes the heady rose or amber, perhaps even the waxy magnolia before the earthy, woody base comes into play.

Nawab of Oudh as one would expect with so many notes is a long lasting composition, surviving well over 10 hours on my skin. The projection is above average for 4 hours. It has an airiness that means it is a little more versatile than many ouds. I would still reserve this for autumn or winter, but cooler spring nights may be an ideal occasion in which to wear it. Have I finally found my oud? Well, the main negative of Nawab of Oudh is its price. It is exorbitant. A 50ml bottle retails for around the 350-400 Australian dollar mark. Ouch! I think for now I’ll stick to my 8ml travel spray, it’ll take me a while to get through it anyway as I only need a couple of sprays to achieve great performance.

Quick Notes:

Launch Year: 2012

Perfumer: Geza Schoen

Notes: green notes, bergamot, orange, cardamom, aldehydes, rose, magnolia, orchid, pimento, bay, cinnamon, hedione, ambergris, musk, vetiver, labdanum, oud.

Longevity: 10 plus hours.

Projection: Above average for 4 plus hours.

Season: Cooler weather, cooler spring nights.

Price: 50ml intensivo extrait $350-400 AUD, 120ml EdP, $600-650 AUD

Alternative: Armani Prive, Rose d’Arabie

Do you like Nawab of Oudh, Do you have a favourite Ormonde Jayne?