Durra, from The Spirit of Dubai was released in 2017. The perfumer behind this creation is unknown. It has the top notes of Aldehydes, Almond, Apple, Artemisia, Bergamot, Cardamom, Cinnamon, Clary Sage, Cloves, Coconut, Cumin, Cypress, Fruity Notes, Grapefruit, Lavender, Mint, Nutmeg, Ozonic Notes, Pepper, Pine Tree, Raspberry, Saffron, Sea Water, Spicy Notes, Styrax, Violet Leaf, and Water, middle notes of Agarwood (Oud), Birch, Cashmere wood, Cedarwood, Earthy Notes, Geranium, Ginger, Guaiac Wood, Honey, Incense, Jasmine, Labdanum, Leather, Lily-of-the-Valley, Myrrh, Olibanum (Frankincense), Resins, Rose, Sandalwood, Vanilla, and Woody Notes, and base notes of Agarwood (Oud), Amber, Benzoin, Candies, Castoreum, Civet, Guaiac Wood, Immortelle, Musk, Patchouli, Praline, Sandalwood, Tobacco, Tolu Balsam, Tonka Bean, Vanilla, Vetiver, and Woody Notes.
Durra is my first encounter with anything from Spirit of Dubai, and I must say I’m thoroughly impressed. This scent is the epitome of a summertime oud fragrance, combining both the woody and resinous aspects of Middle Eastern perfumery, with the refreshing aquatic feel of the summer. There’s obviously way too many notes in here to be able to pick them all out, but some dominate more than other. More than anything, I get an explosion of a thick and intensely earthy oud alongside smoky birch, leather, civet, castoreum and tolu balsam which provides this rich and animalic soul to the scent. To contrast, there’s a powerful mix of aquatic and ozonic aldehydes with some hints of green pine, aromatic sage and masculine lavender. Durra is incredible, a must-try if you’re seeking a complex and attention grabbing summer scent that strays away from what we’re used to in the West. The contrast of the refreshing salty spray of the sea, with the earthy animalics and oud shouldn’t work at all, and yet it does - fantastically.