CREED
OUD ZARIAN
2025
ginger
Bergamot
spicy notes
frankincense
rose centifolia absolute
patchouli
80-year-aged oud
licorice root
myrrh
tonka bean
sandalwood
‘A tribute to The House of Creed’s enduring legacy and expertise, Oud Zarian is a bold new expression of the Millésime tradition. From the brightness of bergamot and ginger to the floral refinement of Rose Centifolia Absolute, every note unveils a different dimension of the fragrance. The deep base is anchored by patchouli, sandalwood, and the distinctive depth of the rare aged oud, creating a lasting impression of sensuality and strength (…) 80-Year-Aged Oud: Sourced from Aquilaria trees in Bangladesh, this oud is aged for over 80 years, resulting in exceptional smoothness, richness, and low volatility. Less animalic than younger ouds, it is more spiritual, with warm wood, leather, and deep earthy facets. As it ages, its resin concentrates, creating a scent that is softer yet more opulent. Revered as “liquid gold,” it evokes memory, mystery, and calm power—forming the soul of Oud Zarian with unmatched depth and reverence.’ – Creed
Prepare yourself for a long read. Not just because it’s a major, probably hyped up release, but also because it’s actually a rather non-linear and interesting journey. Especially, considering the fact that this is a Creed. I don’t get any overlap or connection to any previous Creed releases with Oud Zarian. Creed has changed styles a bit already with recent releases and I was expecting something in the realm of Delphinus and Centaurus perhaps, but instead, Oud Zarian ended up smelling like it’s from a different brand altogether. Particularly, this smells like an Amouage fragrance to my nose. Which is not a bad thing per se and to jump to the conclusion: Overall, I’m quite impressed by Oud Zarian.
Creed seemingly went all out for this release. A new highest price point (apparently $430/50ml & $630/100ml, although I’ve seen higher conversions for other countries), real oud (sourced via the Jalali Agarwood company, according to my source over at Firmenich), a special box presentation (at least for pre-orders)… Oud Zarian feels like it has more of an artisinal approach, than some of the recent, trendier releases from Creed. Which I should say, I quite liked; Absolu Aventus is a hard miss for me, but for what they are, Eladaria, Delphinus, Centaurus and Queen Of Silk were solid releases. So, expectations were moderately high… and while Oud Zarian deviates completely from what I expected, the end result is perhaps better than I’d anticipated.
As mentioned, this is a non-linear fragrance, so it changes a lot. The first impressions that I’d heard of it so far, give me the idea that those people spoke only of the first hour of the fragrance and I would encourage you to read on, as the opening alone paints a misleading picture.
Oud Zarian opens seriously heavy on the licorice. For ‘oud-weary’ people; you will not get any of your potential ‘oud-fears’ with this one: No animalics, no skank, no barnyard. Instead, it’s hitting you with the licorice and resins from the first minute. Here’s where the early comparisons to Amouage OPUS XIV Royal Tobacco come in to play, but I would say that the Creed is significantly brighter, less ‘smoky’, less dark. There’s the clear licorice scent that’s prominent, but there’s also a candied aspect. Overall, Oud Zarian is sweet from start to finish. And there’s the ginger-frankincense-esque sparkling golden lining that reminds me of cola to contrast the resinous licorice. The opening reminded me of a livelier Tom Ford Myrrhe Mystere or a Xerjoff NeoRio, I think more so, than the more serious smelling Royal Tobacco.
What follows is that the scent becomes more fiery, more woody. Almost screechy, before going smoother and creamier. For a moment, I was reminded of Amouage Interlude Man or more so, the sweeter Interlude 53, and, while the scent is quite different, I do think that there will be some overlap between fans of the Interlude DNA and Oud Zarian for sure. I actually find the mid of the wear more ‘daring’, than the opening, due to an almost raunchy, acidic/sour tinge alongside the sweet ambery woods. That’s not to say that it’s unpleasant (and it’s sweeter and more mass appealing in this stage than Interlude ever was), but it’s not a cozy, comforting scent either; it’s in-your-face and the sour tinge is… divisive, I think, especially given the next comparison that I’m going to make…
As Oud Zarian dries down more, I felt like I had a revelation of sorts… The whole time I was trying to figure out what smelled so familiar and I knew that Interlude Man wasn’t the reference that fully clicked for me. And it turns out that the more time passes, the more I get the lactonic sour rose combination from Amouage Guidance, or more correctly, from the Amouage Purpose 50 drydown, which is a tad more masculine-leaning and spicier. It’s not fully there in Oud Zarian, but to me, it starts to become a mix of multiple Amouage DNA’s for most of the wear… and it’s not the already often named Royal Tobacco, but it’s Interlude, Decision and Purpose 50 or Guidance. I was surprised by this myself, which lends credit to the fragrance morphing during the wear, but I can’t shake the connection to this sweet, frankincense-heavy rose Quentin Bisch-esque DNA now that I’ve come to the end of my first time wearing Oud Zarian.
Vanillic, although not really gourmand, quite rose-heavy (which I didn’t get much of at all in the first 1-2 hours), almost lactonic due to how resinous it is, surprisingly bright and acidic given the licorice overload of the opening. I do not for example get any leather tones as per the brand’s description and the darker spiciness, woods and licorice are much less prominent several hours into the wear.
Here’s the good news (if you share my taste): While I’m not a fan of Guidance, not a fan of BDK Impadia, and I liked Purpose 50 marginally better, I think Oud Zarian keeps it contained to a level that I could see myself wearing occasionally. It’s like the difference between Kalan and Baccarat Rouge; overlap, but different at the same time. And especially given how different the lead up to this later drydown is, Oud Zarian feels like it’s own thing completely as an overall product in my experience. I personally prefer the opening, but the drydown is definitely more mass appealing.
The late late drydown, when the acidity has faded, is mostly vanillic, still a tiny bit licorice-woody.
Is it a love for me? More a like. Is it my favorite Creed? Up there, but no. But it is a new direction for Creed and it feels more complex and dense, than their recent releases did. More opulent and sweet than their older releases. If the earlier mentioned price point turns out to be correct, that’s a tough sell, as you’re not going to get an Ensar Oud, Areej Le Dore or Bortnikoff style oud-heavy alternative here (I don’t think many people were expecting that from Creed either, but just making sure). What you will be getting, is something that feels like effort has been put in to elevate what the brand has been doing, which I think is commendable. Oud Zarian feels like it warrants a special roll-out and Creed’s ‘poetic’ (read: overselling) marketing tone, way more, than for example Absolu Aventus did. To triple-down on the Amouage references; it kind of feels like what Amouage has done with their Exceptional Extraits collection. A thumbs up from me.
