FRAGRANCE | Oud Wood Intense EDP by Tom Ford: It's intense but it's not Oud Wood

Tom Ford Oud Wood may be plagued by performance issues but I'm still a fan of how it smells. It's a beautiful scent that's been copied—or reinterpreted at least—several times over. So when the house introduced (although eventually discontinued) Oud Wood Intense, I thought the original's lack of projection and lasting power would be addressed. Well, not really, because Intense turns out to be an entirely different scent. 

Instead of wood, the opening strikes me with a sweetish, animalic leather, topped with a bitter green accord. It's a rather strong opening; a bit in-your-face but nonetheless gorgeous. There is oud, yes, and it's perceptible. It's similar to the one in Oud Wood but much less woody; the leather just lords it over. Surprisingly, though, after only a few minutes, this bringer of animalic tidings takes a step back, giving way to the bitterness of the coniferous greens. The latter, too, has now introduced a fresh character that perfectly contrasts the heaviness of the oud and leather. 

The green accord is splendidly multifaceted, with several subtleties at play: I get a mild sweetness, a pronounced bitterness, and a slightly camphoraceous angle. As it develops further, the scent becomes a tad fresher but with the leather being a constant humming presence underneath, as if biding its time before it takes over. As the minutes go by, a mild sourness and woodiness from the oud begin to assert themselves a little more, swirling around harmoniously with the remaining sweetish, bitter, and camphoraceous green scent. 

True enough, the leather was just biding its time, as it later starts flexing its muscles again, slowly rising from under the bed of bitter conifers and what-have-you. As this previously dominant green accord gradually wilts, the scent becomes drier. There's now a dark smokiness coming through, rendering every bit of moisture in its path dry. The fragrance's animalic properties also soften over time, melding with everything else and infusing their homogenized essence into the now dry and smoky leather that carries the scent unto the end. Projection is on the strong side although it understandably relaxes as the hours go by. And speaking of hours, the scent does last for hours on end. 

All said, Tom Ford Oud Wood Intense is a fantastic fragrance. It's not the better performing Oud Wood that I was expecting but it surprised me just the same—and in the best way possible. Even though I get little to no wood at all, it stands confidently as its own scent: unabashedly masculine that's both formal and rugged. Dark and brooding, it's a little cold weather-leaning but I think that as long as it's not uber hot, it would still work. What I don't get is why Tom Ford discontinued this.