The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
Sanderson Santana named this one with the confidence of someone who knew exactly what they'd made. Above All, not a question, not a comparison. A declaration. The 2019 release takes Laotian oud, that dense and quietly commanding material, and weaves it into a composition where the wood anchors everything else, where the resinous depth stays close to the skin rather than announcing itself from across the room. The name sets the tone: this is a scent meant to stand above, not through volume but through the quiet authority of quality materials and careful construction.
What makes Above All structurally interesting is the restraint of the pyramid. Three top notes. One heart note. Three base notes. No crowding. The bergamot and pink pepper open with a crispness that signals clarity of intent, the fragrance isn't trying to do everything at once. Cedar steps in as the bridge, dry and aromatic, preventing the citrus from fading into nothing and giving the base something solid to build from. And the base, ambergris, Laotian oud, tonka bean, is where the house's signature emerges: warmth without weight, animalic without aggression.
The evolution
The opening arrives bright and almost juicy, bergamot leading with citrus clarity while pink pepper lends a soft spice that prickles at the edges without overwhelming. Then cedar takes over, and something shifts. The composition becomes quieter, more interior. Less citrus, more wood. The moment arrives when the fragrance stops announcing itself and starts simply being present, the wood holding space in a way that feels deliberate rather than diminished. The drydown is where the Laotian oud announces itself properly, resinous, faintly smoky, threaded with the salt-sweet depth of ambergris. Tonka bean smooths the edges into something that lingers, the warmth of it staying close, like heat retained under a heavy blanket. The cedar and oud together create a presence that remains felt long after the first spray, a quiet reminder of the composition's staying power.
Cultural impact
Above All offers a particular approach to oud, one that draws on Laotian agarwood's smoky-resinous depth without requiring the wearer to submit to its full intensity. The composition makes that depth accessible, threading the woody resin through other notes so it emerges gradually rather than all at once. The house has shown interest in working across thematic territory, and Above All fits that pattern, finding its grounding not in mythology or elemental forces but in something more personal, the pursuit of a fragrance that satisfies on its own terms rather than demanding adjustment from the wearer.
