Guerlain Cherry Oud is part of Guerlain's Shades of Oud series in the L'Art et la Matiere collection. Created by Delphine Jelk and launched fall of 2022, it is a unique take on cherry - and cherry does seem to be the new "it" note. This isn't a sweet cherry at all, it is tart, full and leathery, surrounded in darkness. Notes of oud, cherry, cinnamon, cardamom, Turkish rose absolute, Bulgarian rose and leather.
From the brand - "A floral, fruity interpretation of oud wood. Unveiling its most ravishing, crimson facets, black oud wood is lacquered with a red cherry note. Between red and black, a potent new olfactory hue is exalted through a duo of roses at the fragrance’s heart, composed of honey-toned Turkish rose absolute and Bulgarian rose essence. Caressed by a dusky leather accord, the rose darkens and falls under the scandalous charms of oud. A vibrant chromatic encounter between mysterious black and powerful red. Oud wood blushes red and is freed of all inhibitions. In this tantalising olfactory transgression, Delphine Jelk has tinged intensely black oud with a lacquered tone of red."
Parfumo - "The deft hand with the tart cherry, fleeting sweetness, and rose combined with subtle pleasant oud is as classy as one can imagine. It's simple, somewhat subtle, and sublime. The cherry in this reminds me of a higher quality version of the cherry used in lhomme ideal edp. This is actually a simpler fragrance than the designer beauty, but the quality difference and blend here is obvious. Sometimes cherry can come across as cough syrup, but this does not. The oud is light, woody, beautiful."
Fragrantica - "Overall, Cherry Oud offers up that classic oud/rose combination. However, it gives the classic a twist with the addition of the cherry note. While others (based on reviews here) seem to not have much luck picking out the cherry, I have no such issue. On my skin, the fruitiness of the cherry adds an uplifting quality to the fragrance. Oud and rose tend to feel heavy, dark, and thick of my skin. While that’s still somewhat true of Cherry Oud, that cherry note adds a welcome touch of brightness to the mix that really helps Cherry Oud stand out amongst its peers."
Fragrantica - "The opening is bright , sweet and feminine. The cherry is most present in the opening and settles into the rose cherry accord very quickly . It’s fruity and a little juicy with some spice as well . The oud is definite and clear , though it’s done with a light touch and gives the fragrance depth and longevity . I’m not that keen on oud but in cherry oud , it’s really lovely and gives it a masculinity that would be absent had it not been added . The fragrance performance is excellent , all the notes are long lasting . "
Fragrantica - "As the name suggests, it’s a soft Oud laced with juicy cherry. It’s feminine leaning unisex but I don’t really mind as it’s a great Oud fragrance. All in all, it’s a classic Oud note with a modern cherry twist which makes it a stand out fragrance. Would be appropriate to wear during Autumn/Winter."
