Oud Al Layl Aswad

An aromatic-leather-oud composition that openly chases Gissah's Imperial Valley, this is the darker, sharper flanker in the Oud Al Layl line from Arabiyat Prestige. The EDP heads in a totally different direction from the parent: bergamot, pink pepper, and davana up top, soft resinous oud and rosemary in the heart, and a leather-vetiver-musk base that sits closer to clean Middle Eastern leather than to the rose-saffron of the original. Aromatica stocks Oud Al Layl Aswad as a decant in Bangladesh in all four sizes for those who want the Imperial Valley experience at a budget Arabiyat price.

Fragrance Notes

Top: Sicilian Bergamot, Pink Pepper, Davana

Heart: Agarwood (Oud), White Amber, Rosemary

Base: Leather, Musk, Haitian Vetiver

The Scent

The opening is fresh-spicy with a slight fruity lift. Sicilian bergamot brings the citrus brightness, pink pepper sharpens it without making it harsh, and davana adds the slightly boozy-sweet aromatic note that gives Imperial Valley its signature character. Within fifteen minutes the heart starts to build, and this is where the fragrance shows its construction. The oud here is what reviewers of the Gissah original consistently call "airy" or "fresh oud", soft and resinous rather than medicinal or smoky, blended with white amber for warmth and rosemary for an aromatic-herbal lift. The transition from bergamot top to oud heart is gradual and clean, with no awkward gap between phases. The base is where the real character settles. Leather appears soft and worn rather than aggressive, Haitian vetiver adds a smoky-earthy green undertone, and clean musk anchors the whole composition without going laundry-fresh. The final dry-down lands somewhere between a polished leather jacket and a quiet incense haze, which is exactly what makes the Gissah original so widely loved. As a clone, Aswad is reported to land close to Imperial Valley in scent profile and overall presence, and anyone who has tested IV will recognize the structure immediately from the first ten minutes. The bergamot-davana-leather sequence is what makes the Gissah original a frequent recommendation in the aromatic-leather genre, and Aswad delivers the same arc at a fraction of the niche-tier cost. Community discussions consistently flag this as one of the better budget interpretations of the Imperial Valley DNA. Note also that the Aswad name (which translates roughly to "black" in Arabic) signals the darker, more leather-forward direction this flanker takes within the Oud Al Layl line.

When to Wear

Best in fall, winter, and cool spring evenings for office, formal, and date-night wear. The leather-oud base is too dense for hot Bangladesh afternoons but works well from late afternoon onward year-round in cooler indoor settings. It fits naturally into the Leather | Suede collection at Aromatica.

Who Is It For

Best suited to someone who has tried Imperial Valley and wants the same scent at a budget price, or anyone exploring the aromatic-leather-oud genre for the first time. Skip it if you prefer overtly sweet or floral compositions, since this leans dry, refined, and masculine.

If you want the original reference, Imperial Valley by Gissah is also available at Aromatica and is worth comparing side by side. The parent fragrance, Oud Al Layl, is also available if you want to see how Aswad differs from the rest of the line. Browse the full Arabiyat Prestige collection at Aromatica.

Available as an authentic decant in Bangladesh at Aromatica in 3ml, 5ml, 9ml, and 15ml.