Burn of the Day

[Mr.P]

This is some lighter colored wood that I cut away from this very dark block of completely saturated heartwood I have. This wood has minty, sweet, salty and mineral notes, the oldest specimen in my collection actually purchased in 1998, old stock originating from a TCM shop in Hong Kong. Produces lots of black resin when heated, not sure what the species is but perhaps sinensis. There is a beautiful scintillating salty wood note that is very permeating and quintessentially oudy. I like this material at higher temperatures even directly on a coal. Exposures not right in the picture because of the dark background, it is slightly darker than that

 

[Olfactory Nomad]

Giving my first go at the Wild green Hainan heartwood - TasFragance. I've shaved some very small slices from my already tiny piece but not really getting much from them even at 100 degrees. I can smell a lightly sweet note but not much. Think I may have to go up in single didgts until I hit the right temp. So far a bit underwhelming.

 

[Olfactory Nomad]

This is some lighter colored wood that I cut away from this very dark block of completely saturated heartwood I have. This wood has minty, sweet, salty and mineral notes, the oldest specimen in my collection actually purchased in 1998, old stock originating from a TCM shop in Hong Kong. Produces lots of black resin when heated, not sure what the species is but perhaps sinensis. There is a beautiful scintillating salty wood note that is very permeating and quintessentially oudy. I like this material at higher temperatures even directly on a coal. Exposures not right in the picture because of the dark background, it is slightly darker than that
View attachment 40854

I don't know why I didn't think of looking for agarwood in a TCM store before? I wonder how common it is to find wood in a TCM store? I'll be in Hanoi late next month and I have found a few agarwood stores on maps around the city but I was expecting high prices and definitely assuming I would get ripped off in one way or another however I could probably get around that if buying from a TCM store. Certainly worth asking!

 

[Mr.P]

I don't know why I didn't think of looking for agarwood in a TCM store before? I wonder how common it is to find wood in a TCM store? I'll be in Hanoi late next month and I have found a few agarwood stores on maps around the city but I was expecting high prices and definitely assuming I would get ripped off in one way or another however I could probably get around that if buying from a TCM store. Certainly worth asking!

This was the only time I've had luck with this. Usually what I have seen if they have it is low resin bunk wood or even painted stuff. I was able to find sandalwood once but it was the white wood surrounding the heart wood. Still smelled very nice but it had that shavings oil signature as opposed to heartwood oil smell and it was not worth burning, I could tell without even buying any.

 

[yumchen78]

This is some lighter colored wood that I cut away from this very dark block of completely saturated heartwood I have. This wood has minty, sweet, salty and mineral notes, the oldest specimen in my collection actually purchased in 1998, old stock originating from a TCM shop in Hong Kong. Produces lots of black resin when heated, not sure what the species is but perhaps sinensis. There is a beautiful scintillating salty wood note that is very permeating and quintessentially oudy. I like this material at higher temperatures even directly on a coal. Exposures not right in the picture because of the dark background, it is slightly darker than that
View attachment 40854

The era you mentioned is very similar to this agarwood

 

[mesOUD]

A piece from coming BORNEO distilation

 

[Olfactory Nomad]

This was the only time I've had luck with this. Usually what I have seen if they have it is low resin bunk wood or even painted stuff. I was able to find sandalwood once but it was the white wood surrounding the heart wood. Still smelled very nice but it had that shavings oil signature as opposed to heartwood oil smell and it was not worth burning, I could tell without even buying any.

Well that's disappointing. Imagine selling painted wood to people that's meant to be consumed? Still, I will be keeping my eyes open if I'm stumble across any stores.

 

[Chenxiang]

Old Vietnamese wood got over 5 years ago now, nothing special by looks but smells like flower and fruity melon on the top, then more bitter and sweet ...really nice wood with no strange notes just beautiful scent but at the time I only got one piece !!!!!. Because I didn't know any better

 

[iori]

This is some lighter colored wood that I cut away from this very dark block of completely saturated heartwood I have. This wood has minty, sweet, salty and mineral notes, the oldest specimen in my collection actually purchased in 1998, old stock originating from a TCM shop in Hong Kong. Produces lots of black resin when heated, not sure what the species is but perhaps sinensis. There is a beautiful scintillating salty wood note that is very permeating and quintessentially oudy. I like this material at higher temperatures even directly on a coal. Exposures not right in the picture because of the dark background, it is slightly darker than that
View attachment 40854

Looks great, honestly many of lighter looking woods have extraordinary notes doing it monkoh.
Met example of top white looking wood in Kyara, Rakoku and Managa.
That also remind of the special pursat which is called by some chinese king of light colors, its top notch!

 

[iori]

Giving my first go at the Wild green Hainan heartwood - TasFragance. I've shaved some very small slices from my already tiny piece but not really getting much from them even at 100 degrees. I can smell a lightly sweet note but not much. Think I may have to go up in single didgts until I hit the right temp. So far a bit underwhelming.

Try different settings, days, shaving/powder etc.
Sometimes the nose is just fatigue or environment isn't well to give best results.

 

[Oudamberlove]

Kyukyodo square cut aloeswood

Banana pineapple hybrid aroma, that progresses to oudy wood and earth, and then a touch of resin.
If I had to guess, it’s from a Papuan Island.

 

[Olfactory Nomad]

Try different settings, days, shaving/powder etc.
Sometimes the nose is just fatigue or environment isn't well to give best results.

It can be a tough one sometimes. My environment isn't great here to do this. It's often noisy so I try to have a session early in the morning but at that time my nose is often blocked up. I suffer from sinus issues 😕. Presently also we have a major construction project happening just a block away and we get a lot of concrete dust that blows straight into my unit. Not the best for smelling lovely things.

 

[Chenxiang]

amazing cambodi with the clearest sweetest aromas... even the room scent its heaven

 

[-Renton-]

Try different settings, days, shaving/powder etc.
Sometimes the nose is just fatigue or environment isn't well to give best results.

Also, brother Dan (@Olfactory Nomad) lives in Australia, so wouldn't it be a good idea to also put air con on at the higher settings for around 30 - 60 mins. I heard that humidity and heat can alter the experience and scent of kyara by quite a bit on an old KZ blog post about using Kyara.

 

[-Renton-]

It can be a tough one sometimes. My environment isn't great here to do this. It's often noisy so I try to have a session early in the morning but at that time my nose is often blocked up. I suffer from sinus issues 😕. Presently also we have a major construction project happening just a block away and we get a lot of concrete dust that blows straight into my unit. Not the best for smelling lovely things.

As I said to iori, try putting air con on at highest setting for 30 mins to 60 mins before doing it and that should help a bit. I read this on an old KZ blog post about preparing for a kyara session. Sadly, for me, we dont have air con in the houses in this country, or well, most houses anyway... but we can also get really really hot summer days and weeks with humidity at 70-90% and whenever I tried using Kyara it was a lot harder than it is now, since its a lot cooler, so the humidity doesnt matter as much when its cold compared to very hot (18-24c in summer compared to -4 to 8/10c in the winter).

 

[Oudamberlove]

mesOUD Pursat

Cambodi aroma in the air today👍
with resin notes to end the session👌

 

[Olfactory Nomad]

As I said to iori, try putting air con on at highest setting for 30 mins to 60 mins before doing it and that should help a bit. I read this on an old KZ blog post about preparing for a kyara session. Sadly, for me, we dont have air con in the houses in this country, or well, most houses anyway... but we can also get really really hot summer days and weeks with humidity at 70-90% and whenever I tried using Kyara it was a lot harder than it is now, since its a lot cooler, so the humidity doesnt matter as much when its cold compared to very hot (18-24c in summer compared to -4 to 8/10c in the winter).

That is a good point to remember. It's not quite hot enough here yet to justify the AC as the days are still cool from a late Spring. We're currently getting max daytime temps of 25 or so with the humidity at 70%. Soon though it'll be stupid hot. Maybe I need to try some different shavings from this little stick? I can get a subtle sweet aroma from what I have in the bowl but already I'm at 115 degrees which seems high to me for what this is I'm trying to heat? It might just be the piece I have in there.
Edit..actually, maybe I'm just coming at this from the wrong direction. This is my first time with "real" wood as opposed to CK which is always guaranteed to perform. I think I have to be a lot more gentle with this wood. Tease out it's nuances.

 

[Saudalhajri]

Someone was kind enough to “gift” me 14 grams of lovely Vietnam char, and by “gift” I mean bribe me so I don’t tell anyone about his oud business 😉.

The smell is really nice, reminds me of an old man’s majlis back when Cambodian oud was raging. Sweet, saffron, a little earthy, and a little Hindi-like spiceness but without the body of Hindi. Has anyone seen Vietnam oud like this?

 

[oudstronaut]

Kyara Zen - Dreams of The Silk Road

My first big boy incense sticks. I have been breaking these guys into quarters and listening in the mornings.

The blending is incredibly well-done. The scent is primarily of sweet agarwood, but there is a creaminess, spiciness, some animalic quality and a vaporous freshness.

The scent lingers in the space for a few hours and is dank and heavy.

I have tried heating on an electric burner. At lower temps the sandalwood really shines. The animalics make it so that the scent does not really “project” at lower temps. I think it sort of relies on the smoke to push the scent out there. Which, in my opinion is an example of why this incense is so good. Good ingredients used in the right way, not only ingredients which smell nice on their own. But ingredients which help boost each other. And ingredients that would not reach their potential without the help of smoke.

 

[Mr.P]

Kyara Zen - Dreams of The Silk Road

My first big boy incense sticks. I have been breaking these guys into quarters and listening in the mornings.

The blending is incredibly well-done. The scent is primarily of sweet agarwood, but there is a creaminess, spiciness, some animalic quality and a vaporous freshness.

The scent lingers in the space for a few hours and is dank and heavy.

I have tried heating on an electric burner. At lower temps the sandalwood really shines. The animalics make it so that the scent does not really “project” at lower temps. I think it sort of relies on the smoke to push the scent out there. Which, in my opinion is an example of why this incense is so good. Good ingredients used in the right way, not only ingredients which smell nice on their own. But ingredients which help boost each other. And ingredients that would not reach their potential without the help of smoke.

Some things definitely need to be heated up properly to be appreciated that's for sure. I burned some beautiful Kalimantan at the wrong temperature yesterday and my whole house smelled awful - sour, fecal, skanky. Done right that same wood liberates a deeply beautiful minty blast.