Rasoul Salehi

True Ouddict
All,

i hope you will find quiet time to read the very through (looooooong) and comprehensive blog post that Taha of Agar Aura shared on his site the other day.


R.S as mentioned in Taha’s article is me.

While I consider myself an open minded, curious, adventurist and never judge a book by its cover and always try to give the benefit of the doubt kind of guy, I have to say i was pissed off at myself and also at Taha for having taken a plunge of buying multiple Gen 3 oils in full size from him without having asked for samples first. stupid me. punishment i received was well deserving, until...(more on this below)

allow me to explain by taking you thru my experiences.

Prior to these gen 3 oils (kiyosumi, kanzen, kekasihku, ayu, au luong, lavanya,...) i had exposure to some 70-80 oils from many different distillers/merchants up and down the price point and from each and every corner of agarwood growing region. literally. none and i mean none including Ensar Senkoh series oils (closest to gen 3 oils) behaved the way Taha's oils did.

I would read Taha's descriptors of his oils and then i would try them and shake my head in disbelief of where does this guy get the nerve to describe all these notes that are not only not shy or coy in the given oils, but completely absent. In the meantime he was telling me my nose and brain is fatigued and how I need to wait till I am ready for them, blah blah. what a scam artist. desperate moves of a fool that will get exposed. How the hell does he think he will get away with this in the world of online forums and close-knit community that oud lovers have formed. he was guilty before trial in my eyes. i had given up hope (not entirely but 90%) after i re-tried the above gen 3 oils again and again and again and to my surprise saw little to no development in them. they remained one dimensional, monolithic, subdued, uninspiring and meh. i left them and stopped checking in on them every other day. i came back in two weeks or later and out of nowhere fireworks! holly molly!!! what the hell is going on??? did my wife started mixing oils to mess with me? is like literally an alarm went off and these oils woke up from hibernation.


not all and not at the same time but kekasihku and kiyosumi in particular went from being totally dumb to magical display of most amazing performance. others like ayu or au luong and kanzen that were very one dimensional to me, started to show all sorts of other notes. what beautiful layers too!


i shouldn’t have been too surprised b/c this phenomenon exists in world of single malts and wine (my profession). To a total newbie, all red wines smell the same and taste more or less the same. it is thru repeated and systematic exposure and patiently trying to go behind the first notes one perceives that these elixir's open themselves up to the beholder. But i didnt expect this in oud, b/c as mentioned none of the other 70-80 samples from many different merchant/distillers and from $200-$2500 price points behaved this way.


but hey, these oils have a mind of their own. they do what they do and for the few patient, curious and true dedicated students amongst us, they promise the most satisfying experience once we crack them. words don’t fit. i cant explain the joys i receive now from most (still not all) of these gen 3 oils. I openly told Taha and i tell you that I still favor some of the gen 4 over gen 3, but not all. At their best the gen 3 oils do something to me that is indescribable. They are the equivalent of the most perfect piece of sushi nigiri.



Fast forward now and I have my largest transaction and order of oud oil to date awaiting delivery. Blind purchases. I trust this man and these oils and I am confident I will have a rocky relationship with many of them at first, feel frustrated again and have ups and downs with them but eventually we will live happily ever after together…


none of this takes anything away from all the other styles of oud(h) out there made by many different artisans. in fact if forced to live with gen 3 oils all my life, i would be very very sad. the mood, the mind the heart wants a loud oil at times. some times these oils are too squeaky clean and avant garde and the heart wants something more rustic. something not as perfectly put together like a doll. i crave all sorts of different oils. the wood notes themselves are beautiful in many oils and i wish some of these gen 3 would have that. the dry down of these oils is the same as the opening. having and wanting drama and development on the skin is part of the pleasure of many other oils. at the end i am happy to live in a time that offers us such huge range of offerings crafted from this very special gift of nature to us.

may you enjoy your oud(h) journey as much as i have been enjoying it to date. keep an open mind and an open heart and enjoy the ride.

peace and love to all.
 

Ouddict

Ouddict Co-Founder & Tech Support
All,

i hope you will find quiet time to read the very through (looooooong) and comprehensive blog post that Taha of Agar Aura shared on his site the other day.


R.S as mentioned in Taha’s article is me.

While I consider myself an open minded, curious, adventurist and never judge a book by its cover and always try to give the benefit of the doubt kind of guy, I have to say i was pissed off at myself and also at Taha for having taken a plunge of buying multiple Gen 3 oils in full size from him without having asked for samples first. stupid me. punishment i received was well deserving, until...(more on this below)

allow me to explain by taking you thru my experiences.

Prior to these gen 3 oils (kiyosumi, kanzen, kekasihku, ayu, au luong, lavanya,...) i had exposure to some 70-80 oils from many different distillers/merchants up and down the price point and from each and every corner of agarwood growing region. literally. none and i mean none including Ensar Senkoh series oils (closest to gen 3 oils) behaved the way Taha's oils did.

I would read Taha's descriptors of his oils and then i would try them and shake my head in disbelief of where does this guy get the nerve to describe all these notes that are not only not shy or coy in the given oils, but completely absent. In the meantime he was telling me my nose and brain is fatigued and how I need to wait till I am ready for them, blah blah. what a scam artist. desperate moves of a fool that will get exposed. How the hell does he think he will get away with this in the world of online forums and close-knit community that oud lovers have formed. he was guilty before trial in my eyes. i had given up hope (not entirely but 90%) after i re-tried the above gen 3 oils again and again and again and to my surprise saw little to no development in them. they remained one dimensional, monolithic, subdued, uninspiring and meh. i left them and stopped checking in on them every other day. i came back in two weeks or later and out of nowhere fireworks! holly molly!!! what the hell is going on??? did my wife started mixing oils to mess with me? is like literally an alarm went off and these oils woke up from hibernation.


not all and not at the same time but kekasihku and kiyosumi in particular went from being totally dumb to magical display of most amazing performance. others like ayu or au luong and kanzen that were very one dimensional to me, started to show all sorts of other notes. what beautiful layers too!


i shouldn’t have been too surprised b/c this phenomenon exists in world of single malts and wine (my profession). To a total newbie, all red wines smell the same and taste more or less the same. it is thru repeated and systematic exposure and patiently trying to go behind the first notes one perceives that these elixir's open themselves up to the beholder. But i didnt expect this in oud, b/c as mentioned none of the other 70-80 samples from many different merchant/distillers and from $200-$2500 price points behaved this way.


but hey, these oils have a mind of their own. they do what they do and for the few patient, curious and true dedicated students amongst us, they promise the most satisfying experience once we crack them. words don’t fit. i cant explain the joys i receive now from most (still not all) of these gen 3 oils. I openly told Taha and i tell you that I still favor some of the gen 4 over gen 3, but not all. At their best the gen 3 oils do something to me that is indescribable. They are the equivalent of the most perfect piece of sushi nigiri.



Fast forward now and I have my largest transaction and order of oud oil to date awaiting delivery. Blind purchases. I trust this man and these oils and I am confident I will have a rocky relationship with many of them at first, feel frustrated again and have ups and downs with them but eventually we will live happily ever after together…


none of this takes anything away from all the other styles of oud(h) out there made by many different artisans. in fact if forced to live with gen 3 oils all my life, i would be very very sad. the mood, the mind the heart wants a loud oil at times. some times these oils are too squeaky clean and avant garde and the heart wants something more rustic. something not as perfectly put together like a doll. i crave all sorts of different oils. the wood notes themselves are beautiful in many oils and i wish some of these gen 3 would have that. the dry down of these oils is the same as the opening. having and wanting drama and development on the skin is part of the pleasure of many other oils. at the end i am happy to live in a time that offers us such huge range of offerings crafted from this very special gift of nature to us.

may you enjoy your oud(h) journey as much as i have been enjoying it to date. keep an open mind and an open heart and enjoy the ride.

peace and love to all.


Glad you have found something you like... at the end of the day, Oud is there to be enjoyed above all else. You are relatively new to Oud and are lucky to come at a time when there has been a proliferation of Oud and Oud vendors as well as fantastic prices. Some of the Oud I have behaves like this - nothing one day and then the next its totally different and I am left questioning my sense of smell, memory and sometimes, sanity.

Enjoy your journey and grow with your oils - they will evolve over time and provide a wonderful learning experience. :Thumbsup:
 

F4R1d0uX

Resident Artisan
All,

i hope you will find quiet time to read the very through (looooooong) and comprehensive blog post that Taha of Agar Aura shared on his site the other day.


R.S as mentioned in Taha’s article is me.

While I consider myself an open minded, curious, adventurist and never judge a book by its cover and always try to give the benefit of the doubt kind of guy, I have to say i was pissed off at myself and also at Taha for having taken a plunge of buying multiple Gen 3 oils in full size from him without having asked for samples first. stupid me. punishment i received was well deserving, until...(more on this below)

allow me to explain by taking you thru my experiences.

Prior to these gen 3 oils (kiyosumi, kanzen, kekasihku, ayu, au luong, lavanya,...) i had exposure to some 70-80 oils from many different distillers/merchants up and down the price point and from each and every corner of agarwood growing region. literally. none and i mean none including Ensar Senkoh series oils (closest to gen 3 oils) behaved the way Taha's oils did.

I would read Taha's descriptors of his oils and then i would try them and shake my head in disbelief of where does this guy get the nerve to describe all these notes that are not only not shy or coy in the given oils, but completely absent. In the meantime he was telling me my nose and brain is fatigued and how I need to wait till I am ready for them, blah blah. what a scam artist. desperate moves of a fool that will get exposed. How the hell does he think he will get away with this in the world of online forums and close-knit community that oud lovers have formed. he was guilty before trial in my eyes. i had given up hope (not entirely but 90%) after i re-tried the above gen 3 oils again and again and again and to my surprise saw little to no development in them. they remained one dimensional, monolithic, subdued, uninspiring and meh. i left them and stopped checking in on them every other day. i came back in two weeks or later and out of nowhere fireworks! holly molly!!! what the hell is going on??? did my wife started mixing oils to mess with me? is like literally an alarm went off and these oils woke up from hibernation.


not all and not at the same time but kekasihku and kiyosumi in particular went from being totally dumb to magical display of most amazing performance. others like ayu or au luong and kanzen that were very one dimensional to me, started to show all sorts of other notes. what beautiful layers too!


i shouldn’t have been too surprised b/c this phenomenon exists in world of single malts and wine (my profession). To a total newbie, all red wines smell the same and taste more or less the same. it is thru repeated and systematic exposure and patiently trying to go behind the first notes one perceives that these elixir's open themselves up to the beholder. But i didnt expect this in oud, b/c as mentioned none of the other 70-80 samples from many different merchant/distillers and from $200-$2500 price points behaved this way.


but hey, these oils have a mind of their own. they do what they do and for the few patient, curious and true dedicated students amongst us, they promise the most satisfying experience once we crack them. words don’t fit. i cant explain the joys i receive now from most (still not all) of these gen 3 oils. I openly told Taha and i tell you that I still favor some of the gen 4 over gen 3, but not all. At their best the gen 3 oils do something to me that is indescribable. They are the equivalent of the most perfect piece of sushi nigiri.



Fast forward now and I have my largest transaction and order of oud oil to date awaiting delivery. Blind purchases. I trust this man and these oils and I am confident I will have a rocky relationship with many of them at first, feel frustrated again and have ups and downs with them but eventually we will live happily ever after together…


none of this takes anything away from all the other styles of oud(h) out there made by many different artisans. in fact if forced to live with gen 3 oils all my life, i would be very very sad. the mood, the mind the heart wants a loud oil at times. some times these oils are too squeaky clean and avant garde and the heart wants something more rustic. something not as perfectly put together like a doll. i crave all sorts of different oils. the wood notes themselves are beautiful in many oils and i wish some of these gen 3 would have that. the dry down of these oils is the same as the opening. having and wanting drama and development on the skin is part of the pleasure of many other oils. at the end i am happy to live in a time that offers us such huge range of offerings crafted from this very special gift of nature to us.

may you enjoy your oud(h) journey as much as i have been enjoying it to date. keep an open mind and an open heart and enjoy the ride.

peace and love to all.

Super post @Rasoul Salehi thank you for having shared your experience :thumbsup:

Btw did you try kaylani ? It's a fantastic oil !:Thumbsup:
 

VPhong

Oud Tea
All,

i hope you will find quiet time to read the very through (looooooong) and comprehensive blog post that Taha of Agar Aura shared on his site the other day.


R.S as mentioned in Taha’s article is me.

While I consider myself an open minded, curious, adventurist and never judge a book by its cover and always try to give the benefit of the doubt kind of guy, I have to say i was pissed off at myself and also at Taha for having taken a plunge of buying multiple Gen 3 oils in full size from him without having asked for samples first. stupid me. punishment i received was well deserving, until...(more on this below)

allow me to explain by taking you thru my experiences.

Prior to these gen 3 oils (kiyosumi, kanzen, kekasihku, ayu, au luong, lavanya,...) i had exposure to some 70-80 oils from many different distillers/merchants up and down the price point and from each and every corner of agarwood growing region. literally. none and i mean none including Ensar Senkoh series oils (closest to gen 3 oils) behaved the way Taha's oils did.

I would read Taha's descriptors of his oils and then i would try them and shake my head in disbelief of where does this guy get the nerve to describe all these notes that are not only not shy or coy in the given oils, but completely absent. In the meantime he was telling me my nose and brain is fatigued and how I need to wait till I am ready for them, blah blah. what a scam artist. desperate moves of a fool that will get exposed. How the hell does he think he will get away with this in the world of online forums and close-knit community that oud lovers have formed. he was guilty before trial in my eyes. i had given up hope (not entirely but 90%) after i re-tried the above gen 3 oils again and again and again and to my surprise saw little to no development in them. they remained one dimensional, monolithic, subdued, uninspiring and meh. i left them and stopped checking in on them every other day. i came back in two weeks or later and out of nowhere fireworks! holly molly!!! what the hell is going on??? did my wife started mixing oils to mess with me? is like literally an alarm went off and these oils woke up from hibernation.


not all and not at the same time but kekasihku and kiyosumi in particular went from being totally dumb to magical display of most amazing performance. others like ayu or au luong and kanzen that were very one dimensional to me, started to show all sorts of other notes. what beautiful layers too!


i shouldn’t have been too surprised b/c this phenomenon exists in world of single malts and wine (my profession). To a total newbie, all red wines smell the same and taste more or less the same. it is thru repeated and systematic exposure and patiently trying to go behind the first notes one perceives that these elixir's open themselves up to the beholder. But i didnt expect this in oud, b/c as mentioned none of the other 70-80 samples from many different merchant/distillers and from $200-$2500 price points behaved this way.


but hey, these oils have a mind of their own. they do what they do and for the few patient, curious and true dedicated students amongst us, they promise the most satisfying experience once we crack them. words don’t fit. i cant explain the joys i receive now from most (still not all) of these gen 3 oils. I openly told Taha and i tell you that I still favor some of the gen 4 over gen 3, but not all. At their best the gen 3 oils do something to me that is indescribable. They are the equivalent of the most perfect piece of sushi nigiri.



Fast forward now and I have my largest transaction and order of oud oil to date awaiting delivery. Blind purchases. I trust this man and these oils and I am confident I will have a rocky relationship with many of them at first, feel frustrated again and have ups and downs with them but eventually we will live happily ever after together…


none of this takes anything away from all the other styles of oud(h) out there made by many different artisans. in fact if forced to live with gen 3 oils all my life, i would be very very sad. the mood, the mind the heart wants a loud oil at times. some times these oils are too squeaky clean and avant garde and the heart wants something more rustic. something not as perfectly put together like a doll. i crave all sorts of different oils. the wood notes themselves are beautiful in many oils and i wish some of these gen 3 would have that. the dry down of these oils is the same as the opening. having and wanting drama and development on the skin is part of the pleasure of many other oils. at the end i am happy to live in a time that offers us such huge range of offerings crafted from this very special gift of nature to us.

may you enjoy your oud(h) journey as much as i have been enjoying it to date. keep an open mind and an open heart and enjoy the ride.

peace and love to all.

Wonderful! I can see it now for future discussions ...

Sir, how was your oud oil?

// Ahem, it is currently in hibernation :Sleep::Sleep::Sleep:

Ahhh, I see I will check back again next month. :rolleyes: :p :D
 

Rai Munir

Musk Man
@Rasoul Salehi dear, you always give words to your heart, and I love your heart, though, some time, I do differ from your words/ opinions/ findings. Very important points you mentioned in your posts. I consider your post moves from specific to general. Third generation AA oils to Oud oils. Am I correct? I am not lover of generations and some other redundant coinage and mushroom terms. Even I don't give them my two cents, ANY MORE. It means once I did so. I love to read you as I truly learn from you. Putting aside differences. They are beauty.
What I gather from your post is: 3,4 etc generation oils reveal their exuberance slowly. So, the wearer has to wait for that revelation; the way certain oils did so, and in the end you are blessed with new comprehensive understanding about the oils once linear and monotonous, etc. Yes, sometime, it does happen. But not in a way the way you have described, according to my experience. I found one or two oils that traveled from linear and monotony to complex and kaleidoscopic. But majority not only remained so, but also developed more pathetically sweeter (which is absolutely non-oudy trait, in my opinion). And the oils, the real Oud oils, engulf the moment one gets near to them. Though certain oils develop certain beautiful nuances, but there MIGHT BE some oils that develop much to become top-notch oils after being so-so oils for pretty good time.
Eyes never get fatigued relishing beauty. But nose gets! Strange. And it becomes unable to perceive something aromatic. Well, I think that fatigue doesn't impede the way to scent that much. I read in class six that 'A watched pot never boils', and after many decades I learnt it 'A watched oil never scents':Roflmao: MOSTLY.
You have experienced a lot within a month. It is sensational. I love your love for oils.

Digression here:
There are four great tragedies by Shakespeare. The rest are of second rank, and majority are of low standard. And his sonnets are generally unknown to majority of people. It is really funny when vendors cum distillers come up with bombastic language and arguments to prove that even water running through the taps in their homes is better than the Oud oils from others, and their each release is their true signature which would make the world crazy. Moreover, after an hour a new term based oil hops and falls into the market. Just after an hour. Anyway. Again, it is beauty we are destined to consider beauty, and enjoy as well.
Well, Oud is just Oud. No prefixes, no suffixes. Be it traditional or modern. There are oils that are really beautiful. There are oils that are sincerely pathetic. From one and the same artisanal vendor/s cum distiller/s.

Love to all.
 
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Rasoul Salehi

True Ouddict
Glad you have found something you like... at the end of the day, Oud is there to be enjoyed above all else. You are relatively new to Oud and are lucky to come at a time when there has been a proliferation of Oud and Oud vendors as well as fantastic prices. Some of the Oud I have behaves like this - nothing one day and then the next its totally different and I am left questioning my sense of smell, memory and sometimes, sanity.

Enjoy your journey and grow with your oils - they will evolve over time and provide a wonderful learning experience. :Thumbsup:
totally. will see how long this love affair will last. i am already very surprised at myself for having loved certain oils (yusuf, zachariya...) in past and not so much now. somehow though i think with loving subtle things over power, i will stick around with oils like the gen 3 longer. who knows. will see. is all beautiful. the whole journey.

which oils are dr jackal mr hyde for you? i see tons of evolution in many oils over a mere few months (cause most are 0.2 or 0.3 samples with tons of air and with my almost daily checking on them, evolution is naturally speedier), but none as quite dramatic as some of haha gen 3: kekasihku, kanzen, kenmei and even somewhat au luong.
 

Rasoul Salehi

True Ouddict
Super post @Rasoul Salehi thank you for having shared your experience :thumbsup:

Btw did you try kaylani ? It's a fantastic oil !:Thumbsup:
my pleasure sir. yes i have. surprised by how quickly it oxidized on me though. when it was still pristine it was quite nice but at the end of the day it still doesn't have that bitter spine and tingle i love and chase. while zero barn or anything funky, and while i did enjoy it, i am not the biggest fan now. ditto lavanya. is not the oil. is me :)
 

Rasoul Salehi

True Ouddict
@Rasoul Salehi dear, you always give words to your heart, and I love your heart, though, some time, I do differ from your words/ opinions/ findings. Very important points you mentioned in your posts. I consider your post moves from specific to general. Third generation AA oils to Oud oils. Am I correct? I am not lover of generations and some other redundant coinage and mushroom terms. Even I don't give them my two cents, ANY MORE. It means once I did so. I love to read you as I truly learn from you. Putting aside differences. They are beauty.
What I gather from your post is: 3,4 etc generation oils reveal their exuberance slowly. So, the wearer has to wait for that revelation; the way certain oils did so, and in the end you are blessed with new comprehensive understanding about the oils once linear and monotonous, etc. Yes, sometime, it does happen. But not in a way the way you have described, according to my experience. I found one or two oils that traveled from linear and monotony to complex and kaleidoscopic. But majority not only remained so, but also developed more pathetically sweeter (which is absolutely non-oudy trait, in my opinion). And the oils, the real Oud oils, engulf the moment one gets near to them. Though certain oils develop certain beautiful nuances, but there MIGHT BE some oils that develop much to become top-notch oils after being so-so oils for pretty good time.
Eyes never get fatigued relishing beauty. But nose gets! Strange. And it becomes unable to perceive something aromatic. Well, I think that fatigue doesn't impede the way to scent that much. I read in class six that 'A watched pot never boils', and after many decades I learnt it 'A watched oil never scents':Roflmao: MOSTLY.
You have experienced a lot within a month. It is sensational. I love your love for oils.

Digression here:
There are four great tragedies by Shakespeare. The rest are of second rank, and majority are of low standard. And his sonnets are generally unknown to majority of people. It is really funny when vendors cum distillers come up with bombastic language and arguments to prove that even water running through the taps in their homes is better than the Oud oils from others, and their each release is their true signature which would make the world crazy. Moreover, after an hour a new term based oil hops and falls into the market. Just after an hour. Anyway. Again, it is beauty we are destined to consider beauty, and enjoy as well.
Well, Oud is just Oud. No prefixes, no suffixes. Be it traditional or modern. There are oils that are really beautiful. There are oils that are sincerely pathetic. From one and the same artisanal vendor/s cum distiller/s.

Love to all.

dear brother,
not categorically gen 3 but enough of the oils in this category to be worth while effort to generalize. in particular as mentioned, kekasihku, kanzen and kenmei did this 180 flip and lesser so: au luong. lavanya and ayu, not really.

i read you before about not liking the gen this ro that or other type of naming, but then how does one group them together? we group fruity thai oils and some cambodi together, we group some laos, chinese, burma vietnamese together for the bitter medicine, list goes on... i am honestly not sure your issue with this. not that at the end of the day it matters, b/c to each their own. value and beauty is in the eye of beholder and everyone should feel 100% free and at liberty to see the world as they chose to.

the evolution of the oils... i would say 80% of the oils i have, have had enough evolution to register with me. e.g tiger wood 95 was originally nothing but camphor and tiger balm muscle cream but overtime has gone different. while others like IO fragrant harbour remain ginseng, fresh earthed yellow beats for me. ditto oils like yusuf, aso ceen, or ensure oud ahmed...

the handful of haha gen 3 oils have had literally day and night flip flop. not ayu. not lavanya. not gen 4. but some gen 3: kekasihku, kenmei, kanzen. that what compelled me to have to write this long post. i am talking beyond belief, magic trick like evolution. nothing nothing nothing and then baaaam! what in the world is up with these oils?

in sum, i have no doubt that many oils start awesome and then less so over time (AA kalyani for oxidizing too quickly in comparison) or that many start meh and then gain traction. some go from good to good (just different notes) while some of these damn gen 3 oils just do crazy theatrics and do the unimaginable. and yes no blanket statement about a given distiller can be said. all our beloved artisan and none artisan distillers have turned out some truly terrific oils and some less so while few leave us shaking our head. but that is human. no one is perfect. perfect is not perfect. chase for it is moot point and expectiation of everything coming out from mr xyz having to be the best is simply unrealistic and too much pressure on the oil, on us and unfairly on the distiller.
 
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Rasoul Salehi

True Ouddict
Younger oils will change more drastically compared to already aged oils. Sample vials speed up the process many times, i have preffered a sample vial smell compared to the full bottle smell many times. @Rasoul Salehi one day you will fall in love with Hindis just be patient and see ;)
i hope so and would love to. i have after all multiple full bottle hindi oils and many many many more samples.
 

Ouddict

Ouddict Co-Founder & Tech Support
totally. will see how long this love affair will last.

You're an Ouddict now... there is no escape. :D

which oils are dr jackal mr hyde for you?

Is it the oils that are Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, or the beholder? Is it the observed or the observer? At dimensions where quantum effects are noticeable, the very act of observation (smelling) impacts the observed (the oil). There is a theory that explains the olfactory mechanism in terms of quantum tunnelling and in double-blind tests, it was found that humans can distinguish between two molecules of the same shape that have different vibrations. That is, the human nose can distinguish different molecules that have the same shape, but different vibrations at the quantum level. Anything measured at the quantum level is a function of the observer and the observed and this might explain why some oils smell different at different times.

On a more metaphysical level, my Teacher always recommended one to revisit spiritual texts and practises. When asked why, he answered that you obtain something different each time as it is a function of your "haal" (spiritual state). Similarly, your psychological and spiritual states impact the experience when smelling Oud, leading to the conclusion that the oil is Dr Jeykll and Mr Hyde, when in fact it is oneself.

Many Shaykhs of Tasawuff (the Spiritual Path of Islam) tend to emphasise that ones perception of reality (as opposed to Reality) is an exercise in self-reflection. In the same way, your experience of Oud says more about you than the oil itself.
 
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Rasoul Salehi

True Ouddict
You're an Ouddict now... there is no escape. :D



Is it the oils that are Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, or the beholder? Is it the observed or the observer? At dimensions where quantum effects are noticeable, the very act of observation (smelling) impacts the observed (the oil). There is a theory that explains the olfactory mechanism in terms of quantum tunnelling and in double-blind tests, it was found that humans can distinguish between two molecules of the same shape that have different vibrations. That is, the human nose can distinguish different molecules that have the same shape, but different vibrations at the quantum level. Anything measured at the quantum level is a function of the observer and the observed and might explain why some oils smell different at different times.

On a more metaphysical level, my Teacher always recommended one to revisit spiritual texts and practises. When asked why, he answered that you obtain something different each time as it is a function of your "haal" (spiritual state). In the same way, your psychological and spiritual states impact the experience when smelling Oud, leading to the conclusion that the oil is Dr Jeykll and Mr Hyde, when in fact it is oneself.

Many Shaykhs of Tasawuff (the Spiritual Path of Islam) tend to emphasise that ones perception of reality (as opposed to Reality) is an exercise in self-reflection. In the same way, your experience of Oud says more about you than the oil itself.

I hear you and I am sure is the wearer rather than the oil in most examples but I just can’t see that in case of off then on like kekasihku
 

Nikhil S

Resident Reviewer
Great post dear brother. I wonder why burning Oud doesn't give us all these wonderful vivid dimensions we get from the oils. I think it should be standard practice to include a small chip of the wood with the artisanal oil for all vendors. It would help us all massively to understand how distillation brings out these mysterious nuances that we love to explore and have discourses on. Like if you burn sandalwood and sniff the oil you get a relativity. With Ouds I have found little to no co-relation at all. For e.g. take the finest grade old Hindi chips if possible, which in itself is a painful exercise, and bake on low heat you will be amazed to a creamy sweet mildly piercing characteristic that will set your mood sufiyana/spiritual rave. I do it everyday of these glorious winter mornings. But in the finest Hindi oils I get chocolate, coffee, cashew, leather, animal poop and piss soaked leather straps, sometimes rotten cheese and sometimes scented horseshit. A range of mind boggling oddities/auxiliary notes which have no relevance to the wood burning away in a bittersweet sour glory. Wonderful is it not ? How an Oud maker makes us jump in Surprise and make circles in Glee with magical olfactory illusions. Whereas the Oud in simple clothes wants to lift our souls lightly. I swear to God I don't want oils in my cupboard anymore but tons of Oud chips to fumigate myself with. Don't take me wrong, I love my oils to death but the way the wood communicates with me directly or indirectly is a completely different experience. Like sometimes I don't feel like wearing these complex oils etc but give me wood I will burn everyday in and out. Indian, Vietnamese and Brunei. None of the others including Gyrinops. Just my preferences. And Vietnamese above Hindi. Vietnamese is crazy. And so is Kyara. Vietnamese being the closest to the supreme smell of Kyara. It leaves me speechless. Truly speechless. And an additional problem with these expensive oils is their vulnerability to physical factor causing molecular changes. With wood it is not. The world of Oud is wonderfully weird at times :)
 
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F4R1d0uX

Resident Artisan
my pleasure sir. yes i have. surprised by how quickly it oxidized on me though. when it was still pristine it was quite nice but at the end of the day it still doesn't have that bitter spine and tingle i love and chase. while zero barn or anything funky, and while i did enjoy it, i am not the biggest fan now. ditto lavanya. is not the oil. is me :)

Yes I understand, it needs different distillation technic to achieve this bitter smell hard to get in a hindi (wich I'm sure Taha knows).

Actualy I enjoyed kaylani for a different reason.

It's actualy the only oil I smelt wich get the closest to a NICE piece of Indian wood on very low heat from head to toe (with minimum added notes).

It achieved beauty in minimalism just like when one word becomes better than a whole essay ...

So hats off for this.

1511700147647-1898910298.jpg
 
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Mobeen.Imran

True Ouddict
Great post dear brother. I wonder why burning Oud doesn't give us all these wonderful vivid dimensions we get from the oils. I think it should be standard practice to include a small chip of the wood with the artisanal oil for all vendors. It would help us all massively to understand how distillation brings out these mysterious nuances that we love to explore and have discourses on. Like if you burn sandalwood and sniff the oil you get a relativity. With Ouds I have found little to no co-relation at all. For e.g. take the finest grade old Hindi chips if possible, which in itself is a painful exercise, and bake on low heat you will be amazed to a creamy sweet mildly piercing characteristic that will set your mood sufiyana/spiritual rave. I do it everyday of these glorious winter mornings. But in the finest Hindi oils I get chocolate, coffee, cashew, leather, animal poop and piss soaked leather straps, sometimes rotten cheese and sometimes scented horseshit. A range of mind boggling oddities/auxiliary notes which have no relevance to the wood burning away in a bittersweet sour glory. Wonderful is it not ? How an Oud maker makes us jump in Surprise and make circles in Glee with magical olfactory illusions. Whereas the Oud in simple clothes wants to lift our souls lightly. I swear to God I don't want oils in my cupboard anymore but tons of Oud chips to fumigate myself with. Don't take me wrong, I love my oils to death but the way the wood communicates with me directly or indirectly is a completely different experience. Like sometimes I don't feel like wearing these complex oils etc but give me wood I will burn everyday in and out. Indian, Vietnamese and Brunei. None of the others including Gyrinops. Just my preferences. And Vietnamese above Hindi. Vietnamese is crazy. And so is Kyara. Vietnamese being the closest to the supreme smell of Kyara. It leaves me speechless. Truly speechless. And an additional problem with these expensive oils is their vulnerability to physical factor causing molecular changes. With wood it is not. The world of Oud is wonderfully weird at times :)

I'm the opposite I prefer oils over woods I really don't get any of these notes people talk about in oud wood. I let the coal build up a thick layer of ash and then put the chip in and I have got a few different woods from different regions and none of them do anything for me tbh the only one what did was some Walla patta I burnt and the green camphor smell took me by surprise
 

Nikhil S

Resident Reviewer
I'm the opposite I prefer oils over woods I really don't get any of these notes people talk about in oud wood. I let the coal build up a thick layer of ash and then put the chip in and I have got a few different woods from different regions and none of them do anything for me tbh the only one what did was some Walla patta I burnt and the green camphor smell took me by surprise
Bhai that's understandable. I had the same feeling a few months back. Haha. All woods would smell the same to me :) Now I can read individual traits with much more clarity. Just let the wood burn and fill the room. Return after 10 15 mins. It will be very clear to you as well. Or try burning small chips at low heat one by one.
 

Rasoul Salehi

True Ouddict
I'm the opposite I prefer oils over woods I really don't get any of these notes people talk about in oud wood. I let the coal build up a thick layer of ash and then put the chip in and I have got a few different woods from different regions and none of them do anything for me tbh the only one what did was some Walla patta I burnt and the green camphor smell took me by surprise

@Mobeen.Imran what nikhil said. Doesn’t matter how much ash is formed on the coal, still too hot to decipher nuances in the woods. Coal buried deep deep in ash or better yet voltage control electric heater is the way to go. Former Needs months if not har of practice to get it right.
 

Rasoul Salehi

True Ouddict
Yes I understand, it needs different distillation technic to achieve this bitter smell hard to get in a hindi (wich I'm sure Taha knows).

Actualy I enjoyed kaylani for a different reason.

It's actualy the only oil I smelt wich get the closest to a NICE piece of Indian wood on very low heat from head to toe (with minimum added notes).

It achieved beauty in minimalism just like when one word becomes better than a whole essay ...

So hats off for this.

View attachment 2102

Lavanya is an even more elegant example. Even more stripped down and naked in the low heat aromas.
 
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