Roja is not known for making particularly oud-heavy scents, but this is something else. This is rich, dense, raw and primal at its core whilst maintaining an incredibly smooth and sophisticated allure about it. Majestic, is the perfect word to describe this phenomenal scent. Upon initial spray I pick up the thick, musky and slightly sour cheesy oud which reminds me ever so slightly of the oud used in Oud Noir Intense by FDB. This is elevated by the green aromatic herbaceous strength of rosemary and patchouli before the cypriol starts to take over. As this begins to settle on the skin, the surge of oily cypriol dominates the senses - in a strange way it feels almost apple-ey, reminding me of Frederic Malle’s Promise. The muskiness is furthered by sharp civet and dirty castoreum which compliments the earthy nature of the scent beautifully. There’s a lot going on here but essentially it boils down to a cypriol bomb which feels very unconventional for a Roja creation, in a good way. I can understand why this was discontinued: if not for changing regulations on certain materials, but for the fact that this scent is a brave step away from what Roja’s usual clientele is used to. I do not agree with the statements others have made saying that Roja has tried to substitute using real oud by replacing it with cypriol. It is clear to my nose that whilst yes the oud is subtle, the cypriol is there as its own individual - not a substitute. This is one of the greatest cypriol scents I’ve ever come across but of course it’s not worth the insane prices it’s being sold for these days. I was very lucky to find a low partial at a good price.