Oud Excelsa

Oud Excelsa is a dark, woody composition from Caron, released in 2024 and signed by perfumer Jean Jacques. Woody is how nearly everyone describes it; a good share also find it floral and leathery, and a minority pick out spice, sweetness or resin, which points to a dense scent rather than a simple oud.

Cardamom opens it with a cool, slightly green spice, and coffee adds a roasted, bitter depth early on. The heart is built around agarwood and Bulgarian rose, the classic pairing of medicinal, animalic wood with a lush, jammy flower that keeps the oud from feeling austere. Around them sit cedar and papyrus, both dry and pencil-like, while birch and pine tar bring the smoky, tarry edge that reads as leather. Labdanum closes it with a warm, slightly sweet resinous glow.

This suits cooler weather and evenings, is worn by anyone comfortable with smoke and dark woods, and will appeal to those who want an oud with structure rather than sweetness.

Oud Excelsa — unisex fragrance by Caron (released 2024). Notes: Agarwood (Oud), Birch, Bulgarian Rose, Cardamom, Cedar, Cedar Essence, Coffee, Labdanum, Oud, Papyrus, Pine tar, Rose. — Parfica open fragrance database