MONTALE
FANTASTIC OUD

2018

Oud
Tobacco
Patchouli
Incense
Rose
Styrax
Leather
Ambergris
Sandalwood

Fantastic Oud was my first dive into Montale’s expansive oud line-up, which turned out to be not a brand that I hold in high regards.

Fantastic Oud seems to be an attempt to create an oud-forward fragrance, that is still fresh and potentially suitable for a younger audience. The opening is bright and loud. It smells pretty nice, but it’s a bit sharp to my nose. There’s little sweetness and I don’t get a lot of rose either.

Leather and patchouli take center stage, with an oud and tobacco backdrop. To me, it’s an enjoyable enough scent, but it’s missing refinement and warmth and it comes across as more of a designer fragrance. Projection is outstanding and longevity seems solid.