This has just made it to Japan as a ‘new’ release by the perfume house that always has young hip things queueing up at concessions throughout city department stores here to suck up the wares for self pampering or gifts – Diptyque remains very much in vogue.
I prefer the greener Diptyques : L’Ombre Dans L’Eau, Philosokos, Eau De Lierre, Eau Duelle; the aquatics – Huis Clos, Florabellio or else the spicy and weird 70’s ( L’Eau, L’Eau Lente, L’Eau Trois and especially the gloriously spectral Vinaigre), although the only Diptyque that actually thrills me is the insane rasping wisteria sambac hysterical floral Olene. Yes – I need a new bottle of that.
I don’t really do their musky inbetween type beige perfumes like Fleurs De Peau or Eau Papier, a mid musk that eventually ruins their otherwise nice woody patchouli, Tempo as well, and a general category – thicker, woodier, Tam Dao and Oud Palao included, in which I would probably place this stronger eau de parfum ( there is a biscuitiness I don’t enjoy in some Diptyque perfumes, like cookies that have been left far too long in a jar).
That said, Rihla is an exceptionally smooth oud leather vanilla – effortlessly blended – with a dense cedar wood heart and a radiating undertone of perfectly balanced raspberry that gives it a soft friendliness not present, say, in the most famous cuirish framboise, Tom Ford Tuscan Leather. The hookah red fruit note reminds me a little of Givenchy Hot Couture’s raspberry pipe tobacco finish, which I always had a bit of a soft spot for. It is a stylish, wearable leather – not for me- but I can appreciate Fabrice Pellegrin’s craftmanship. A ‘slow’ leather, done Diptyqueishly.
The Black Narcissus 
Diptyque’s greens are magical. Been looking for a vanilla oud for winter, I’ll try this.
Yes it is q nice. Don’t know if it has that special X factor, but the balance of everything is great and it definitely has presence
I was at a Saks last year wanting to try something else at the Diptyque counter, and the SA pulled this out conspiratorially as something they “weren’t supposed to have yet.” I liked Eau Rihla, but not enough to justify the price tag of a bottle…
Interesting. So when was it actually released do you think ?
I thought it was well done but unthrilling
Fragrantica says it was launched in 2021 and now I see it’s in your post title as well… my encounter must have been longer ago, not last year. The years blur together.
I only steal my release dates from Fragrantica so you still might be right
And yes… the years do blur – I am amazed sometimes how uncertain I am sometimes about when something happened