Jovan Intense Oud

Lemongrass, Saffron, Rose, Labdanum, Oud, Sandalwood, Patchouli.

I read what I could about Jovan's Intense Oud and I suppose what intrigued me the most was it's apparent scarcity. I pulled the trigger on a few bottles and figured if I didn't like it, I could always sell it. I genuinely had hoped I'd like it. After all, more than a few had included "silky" and "niche-like" in their descriptions. In the end however, we like what we like and the numerous oud releases available are like comparing apples to apples. So many interpretations of this particular note flood the market that, what one deems a gem, another deems unfit to wear. I happen to fall in the middle here. Being that this is a "Jovan" has nothing to do with my opinion of Intense Oud. In truth, this doesn't smell like a "Jovan", but that in itself just isn't enough for me.

This reminds of Oudy Woody due to it's dominant agarwood note and pungency. I experience no smoothness, nor silky niche-appeal. Intense Oud is simply too brusque for my palette, although I'm sure others will find this attractive. To each his own as the saying goes.

All the listed players are here, but the tuning of them is where Intense Oud loses me. I love Labdanum, yet it's treated like the proverbial red-headed stepchild and lacks the attention it needs. The favorite son here is agarwood and I admit to liking it when tempered a certain way with other notes such as these. For this consumer, Oud is wearable and even better, enjoyable as long as it doesn't possess that B.O. quality. I get hints of it during the top and heart accords, but less as the wearings ensue.

Sillage is good and longevity is approximately 5-6 hours on my skin. Neutral rating from Aromi for Jovan's Intense Oud with a strong recommendation to sample before purchase.