Our take
What does Boss Bottled Oud smell like?
In 2015 Hugo Boss joined the oud wave with Boss Bottled Oud, an eau de parfum. The opening nods to the 1998 Bottled: an apple and a flash of citrus. The nod doesn't last. Saffron steps in quickly with clove and cinnamon. Labdanum adds a resinous material with a hint of leather. The base lives up to the name. The agarwood is fairly clean, without the animal edge of Middle Eastern ouds, and sandalwood rounds it out. Cypriol, also called nagarmotha, lends it a smoky root smell. Boss Bottled is sweeter and safer. This version is clearly darker. We'd file it among mainstream ouds in the style of Tom Ford's Oud Wood, though less refined. It has since been discontinued. On skin the saffron fades first, leaving a dry woody trail that lasts well into the night.
When to wear it
For winter evenings or a dressed-up occasion. One spray is enough, as the saffron is strong.
It belongs to the Oriental / Amber, Woody family. Boss Bottled Oud is one of 35 creations by Hugo Boss in our encyclopedia.
