AMOUAGE
OPUS VI

2012

Incense
Bay Leaf
Sichuan Pepper

Cypriol
Patchouli
Silk Vine

Amber
Labdanum
Sandalwood

The most anticipated of the Opus line for me, so I was excited to sample it. Opus VI has the strongest, loudest opening I’ve encountered in a while, rivaled perhaps by Amouage’s notorious beast, Interlude Man. As with Interlude, I don’t enjoy it. It may be fine if you spray this on and you go outdoors, but having it on your skin to sample, inside your house, is simply too much in my opinion.

The scent is not unpleasant, although a bit of a curve ball to me. There’s a strong, sweet, animalic accord in Opus VI, that I didn’t expect based on the listed notes, but I think the labdanum has a big part in that. Leather, incense, warmth and a hint of an orange or neroli-like citrus is what I pick up on. The incense and spice mixture is clearly reminiscent of several other Amouage’s that I have tried. There’s also the same Sichuan pepper that’s in Journey Man, which I think has a lot in common with Opus VI, but it’s much softer. Whereas Journey seemed like Interlude’s tiny brother, Opus VI takes a scent close to Journey and amps it all the way back up to Interlude’s levels of strength.

Where Opus VI starts to differentiate itself, is with the greens. Some wafts reminded me of Parfums de Rosine’s Eloge Du Vert, which features a prominent green pepper note. Opus IV uses some notes that give it a slight herbal or medicinal touch in the base. Somehow this felt fresher and cleaner in the late drydown as well.

Personally, I’d take Journey Man over Opus VI (or Interlude Man for that matter) any day, but if you’re really into the scent profile and you want to project more and constantly be aware of the scent cloud around you, this is a winner.