Swiss Arabian – Sawalef – Al Mohra
Like the other bakhoors, this sample also comes from my friend Povilas, who sent me a generous selection of samples from his collection.
This bakhoor is an oudh muattar: agarwood chips soaked in perfume oil (attar).
Al Mohra is sold in stylish tins of 60g. On the US website of Swiss Arabian, a package currently costs $103.99 (approx. €95.61); when I first checked at the end of 2024, the price was $85.99, so prices seem to fluctuate significantly.
Povilas bought it on Save24 (€59.99).
Price per gram: From approx. €1.
Swiss Arabian describes the scent profile of Al Mohra as follows:
Top notes: Green, Lilac, Rose
Heart notes: Peony, Tuberose, Hyacinth
Base notes: White flowers, iris, sandalwood
The product description additionally mentions agarwood.
Al Mohra has a floral, very heady smell. I find it fresh, but at the same time dry, almost a bit tart and pungent. Of the listed fragrance notes, only the white flowers resonate with my perception; aside of that, I can smell the green top note out of the tin.
The fragrance strongly reminds me of certain perfumes I know from my mother and perhaps also my grandmother. It’s the type of floral fragrances that I simply cannot get along with. When I use such a perfume on myself, I find the smell obtrusive and unpleasant, and it’s the same with this bakhoor as a room perfume; it simply doesn’t suit me.
For people who enjoy this type of floral-green perfumes, Al Mohra might be perfect; for me, it’s not.