Valentino Valentina Oud Assoluto

Mostly like a new leather jacket, smoky with a bitter edge. Underneath that, dense smoky resinous wood, rich and medicinal. An acquired taste for many Western noses.

It opens on cardamom and orange blossom, moves through agarwood (oud), leather and bulgarian rose, and settles on saffron, vanilla and woody notes.

• cardamom: cool green spice with an aromatic, almost soapy lift
• orange blossom: the flower of the orange tree rather than the fruit: sweet, honeyed and a little green

It lasts well and carries into a room.

Built from the note listing and the measured performance figures. We have not smelled this one.