Oriental

Balsamic notes smell like a warm, resinous embrace—imagine the sweet, slightly medicinal scent of a cough lozenge mingled with honey and old wood. There's a thick, syrupy richness reminiscent of amber and vanilla, but with an almost incense-like quality, as though someone's lit a stick of amber in a library of aged leather-bound books. It's comforting yet complex, with subtle hints of spice and a faintly smoky undertone. The overall effect is creamy, enveloping, and deeply sensual.

Woody

Indian oud smells like the deep, resinous heart of ancient wood—imagine walking into a centuries-old temple where incense has soaked into every beam. There's a warm, almost animalic quality; think leather left in the sun, mixed with earth after rain and a whisper of smoky spice. It's rich and slightly sweet, but never cloying—more like the creaking timbre of a cello than a bright violin note. First-time smellers often detect barnyard notes or even a faint medicinal quality before the honeyed, woody depths reveal themselves.