Oud Zarian - 518

No. 518 opens with a sharp burst of frankincense, bergamot and ginger that mirrors the mystical, spicy entrance of the Creed original fairly well in the first few minutes. A rose note stands in for the delicate May rose heart, though it reads simpler and less velvety than the real thing. The base leans on oud, licorice, myrrh and tonka bean for a dark, resinous finish, but it lacks the density of Creed's 80-year-aged oud accord and the sandalwood-patchouli-myrrh interplay that gives the original its monumental character. Projection is strong out of the gate and genuinely dramatic for an hour or so, then narrows quickly to a close skin scent rather than the long, room-filling trail Creed built its reputation on. A fun, accessible way to sample the dark spicy-oud territory the original occupies, without the rare-ingredient complexity or the price.