Al Haramain Amber Oud Gold Edition 2 oz

Pineapple and vanilla - which sounds like a smoothie and smells like a designer bottle. Gold Edition opens on bergamot over a green, slightly sharp freshness, and within minutes the fruit takes charge: melon and a bright, syrupy pineapple sitting on golden amber. Underneath, a gourmand accord melts down into vanilla, musk and soft woods. It is a sweeter, far fruitier direction than the original Amber Oud, and the two should not be confused with one another.

Top: Bergamot, green notes · Heart: Melon, pineapple, amber, gourmand accord · Base: Vanilla, musk, woody notes

Loud and long. Eight to twelve hours is common, and the projection through the first two hours sits near the ceiling of what a fragrance can do without becoming a nuisance. In Miami that cuts both ways. Fruity ambers are among the most heat-reactive compositions there are, and a July afternoon turns the pineapple almost jammy - one spray on skin and one on a shirt is plenty, and three sprays inside a car with the windows up is a mistake most people make exactly once. Evening and air conditioning are where it is most flattering, and a rain-cooled night brings the amber and vanilla back into balance with the fruit.

Unisex, worn heavily across the board, and unapologetically a going-out fragrance. Nightlife, weekends, and anywhere with music. It is not office-safe at normal spray counts and it does not pretend to be.

Because it is this assertive, we keep 5ml and 10ml decants for anyone who wants a weekend with it before committing to a full bottle. Trying it on skin at the Miami Gardens counter takes about a minute and answers the same question.