Ottoman Amber

Ottoman Amber is a dark, resinous woody fragrance from the Italian house The Merchant of Venice, released in 2015. Wood is what everyone notices; most also describe it as sweet and resinous, and a third pick up a floral and a citrus side.

Bergamot and plum open it, bright and then jammy, with geranium adding a green, rosy sharpness. The heart is a straightforward pair of patchouli and sandalwood: earthy and creamy, dense without being heavy. The base is where the name earns its keep, with myrrh and labdanum providing a warm, balsamic, slightly smoky resin, agarwood a dark woody depth and vanilla a smooth sweetness that ties it together.

It is marketed as masculine and is clearly a scent for cold weather and evenings, for someone who likes rich ambers with a proper woody backbone rather than a sugary one.

Ottoman Amber — for men fragrance by The Merchant of Venice (released 2015). Top notes: Plum, Geranium, Bergamot. Heart notes: Sandalwood, Patchouli. Base notes: Myrhh, Labdanum, Vanilla, Agarwood (Oud). — Parfica open fragrance database