WIDIAN
GOLD I / AL WASL

2016

Apple
Pepper

Oud
White Flowers

Sandalwood
Amber
Vanilla
Musk

Gold I was re-released as Al Wasl (2020).

A little backstory on Gold I / Al Wasl. This was initially released as Widian Gold I, but re-released and renamed as Al Wasl for the 2020 World Expo in Dubai. Some retail stores however, listed Al Wasl at a lower price point, which is when I picked it up.

Al Wasl is all about the green apple. It’s super fruity, bright, acidic, almost apple juice-like (that may have gone bad a bit). More importantly, that green apple lasts for most of the wear. You get some pepper, but ‘that part’ of the scent is very bright.

The ‘other part’ is the oud (and musk). It’s a slightly animalic oud, but it’s not too strong and it really feels like a vehicle for the apple to shine. It’s noticeable throughout though, just giving it a slight edge. It’s a bit smoky and it reminds me of slightly sour rolling tobacco (but somehow, not gross). The combination reminds me of Malle’s Promise, but the balance in the Widian is completely different.

It does drydown to a more common ambery woody skin scent, which is nice, but once the apple fades it’s not that special to me. The performance is solid, but could be longer lasting; it projects really well for a while, but when it drops off, it drops off quickly.

Overall I’m really happy with Al Wasl. It’s rather unique; it makes me think of a more accessible Malle’s Promise, but I haven’t come across anything close to identical yet. It’s still not the easiest thing to pull off as it can be dry and acrid at first.