Grega

True Ouddict
IMG_20190713_170750.jpg
Yesterday and today have been blessed by the beautiful fragrances of ASO Hindi Ouds. The impressions are just that, not in depth, but first thoughts that came to mind while trying these oils. Still need plenty of wears to fully appreciate the finer details. Still have not tried them all.

Hind

Dark and heavy opening giving promise of a wonderful dry down.
The opening is my least favorite aspect of the progression. But after 40 minutes the resinous heart of the oil comes to the front which is much more to my liking. It has the aspect that for me defines what I perceive as depth in oils. That full-bodied feeling of an in an impression that seems to get larger and larger, like that feeling you get when you smell the spring air with its myriad scents where even when you can detect some of them you still feel a depth behind them which seems larger than what is present in those aspects you are conscious of.

The dry down is wonderful. The resinous note with its dark chocolate smoothness (there is even a somewhat sandalwoody edge to this that one could mistake for a musky, animalic note) blends with a cinnamon like texture which gives it a slightly spicy vibe that is complemented with a touch of rose. And then it transforms again as the resinous note goes more into the background revealing a warm wet clay that has a somewhat fruity sweetness to it. Quite a refined scent and a perfume in itself.

Zuhayr

Even as I was swiping this on my arm I knew that I would love this oil.
In contrast to Hind I love the intensity of the opening. And it is intense - as I smell from afar the cloud of scent is strong but as I go near my wrist I can barely smell anything due to the sensory overload. As the oil settles a bit and my senses adjust I can go a slightly nearer (not bury my nose in the wrist though ;)). Leathery and dark but unlike with Hind I feel as if the opening is more refined, smoother but still very primal, not pretty at all, not sweet but holding a beautiful energy that is focused which gives it a calming harmonising effect. A few minutes in I already feel a cool minty-myrrh like resinous center that I so love in Hindi oils. Yet there is so much going on around it. Aged flower petals, roses, crushed spices.
There is even a tart aspect lurking at the edges that is evading me, can't seem to recognise the association yet. It is like a shy beauty, hiding in the shadows ;).
It is covered by another aspect - that of some wild shrubs that have a particularly strong green "medicinal" acidic scent. Yet this is just a small aspect - the whole does not smell green. I honestly can't believe how complex the scent is. Now I don't care for complexity if it is lacking in feeling and thankfully here the feeling is fiery. Like a red setting sun that you observe in a wild meadow with an overflowing fullness of life.
The notes do remind me of Hind but IMO they work much better together here. It is less smooth than Hind but somehow more balanced. This just makes me think how much more I love a hindi oil that not only has the resinous sweet depth but also all the other myriad notes that contrast it and give it a place it deserves. This is why I could not fall in love with Hindustan 1 by AA, even if I found it to be a beautiful oil, for me it still lacked the contrasts and the orchestration. Same with some other non-hindi oils I tried. They feel like a moment of serenity in ecstasy from movement and life whereas Zuhayr gives the serenity of the immanent life. Life in movement.

Al Shareef has a poetic heart which shows itself in the oils :"Vast hills covered in dense forest, valleys of flowing rivers, rich sun-baked earth, and the thick pulsating scent of forest life." This is the best description of how alive the oil seems. Pulsating life (two of my favorite words).

Safwaan
A very smooth opening that reminds me of Aasifah. Rich, creamy scent, a bit more leathery than Aasifah though. There is a sweetness to it that I enjoy very much but also a dark bitter and sour aspect which is like a mix of dark chocolate and a piece of a cut tree that is soaked in rain. And then an unmistakable soaked sandalwood note comes through with an indolic flower macerating in it, maybe even hyraceum.
A forest after rain. Soaked woods, a little musty at the edges but with a graceful clarity in the central notes. As the scent unveils I feel a floral element emerging, not really fresh petals but more like opening a jar of pollen and with it a fruity sweetness that reminds me of plums. Lovely lovely stuff. The clear resinous heart that I so love seems darker than usual - myrrh and labdanum and black soil. Beneath this I sense a mix of cut grass and of a variety of crushed wild herbs and shrubs. How can this be only a single Hindi oil and not a gorgeous blend.
Then the resinous heart takes center stage again with the other notes lurking in the background.
The orchestration of notes is incredible and very much seems like an Al Shareef signature that I have not encountered so far in any other oils.

Qandahaar III
A subtler opening than the other oils. This I appreciate very much. Instantly I get an almost hainan sinensis vibe to it but this might be a hallucination as the oil is unfolding very slowly thus revealing its immanent aspects like in a slow dance. Mesmerising. I have yet to decipher any of these aspects. Perhaps I am smelling a mix of molasses, but gentle, refined, smoky but not burnt, fruits somewhere in the depths but again very gentle. Ahhh now woody resinous wafts come from the dark mass. It is like a folded treasure slowly giving out a glimpse of this and that aspect.
This is slowly building to a full bodied beautiful hindi scent that has all the wonderful aspects in unison. Depth, creaminess, spiciness, not heavy nor light, not loud nor soft, amber, dry petals and leaves, resin, neither dark nor light, wild herbs, cut grass that has been scorched by the sun, golden hay and molasses mixed with translucent honey and the smell of high altitude pastures brought to you from afar by cool summer winds when you are standing on an even higher hill. The dry down has the complexity of a burnt lichen together with the dry golden hay and sandalwood.
This one has it all.
 
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Grega

True Ouddict
Fantastic descriptions, thank you, Grega
Thanks Sproaty. Hope they help people decide which oils are more to their tastes.
 

Grega

True Ouddict
Hareer
I am surprised by how recognisable both the sinensis and the malaccensis aspects are. They are really blended well, there is a beautiful synergy between them yet they still reveal their own character but in a way that feels like the oil is single origin. The hainan aspects feel stronger of the two in the beginning but as the oil settles they are both very harmonised.
It feels like a strong oud, can smell it from afar. There is a smell to this which reminds of dust from wood beams after ants made their way through them. This is refined with a scent of pollen and nutmeg. The core is a lovely mix of minced minty leaves, lacquer, crushed wild herbs, woody resin, peanut shells, honey, while towards the edge you get the warm hay, roasted shells,sun scorched wood, gorgeous leathery dark chocolate and a thick honey scent smeared on skin. As time passes the oil seems to get better and better. Then it becomes silky smooth and intoxicatingly resinous. Truly an amazing experience. For lovers of both hindi and chinese oils this should be a love at first sniff.

I bought the samples so I could decide which oil to get but damn, now it is even harder to do so, I like each for different reasons.
 

Taooudist

Oud Beginner
Jezz Grega,

what a precise,but still beautifull,or rather poetic description that is!

@guys&girls,exuse me to disclose a secret,I know him and personaly and you probably dont know,Grega is authentic poet,namelely guitar master.
Thats where his taste/smell comes from;)

But,a bit of waste of talent,if I may say soo..
Al.shareef,Imperial or Ensar should send him samples and employ him for making reviews!

Grega,I hope Im invited to a sniff",for flattery atleast,heh.

Thanks,George,it was such inspiration,I ve swipped all 5 ouds I have today(and Im stoned);

And..
Alhamdulillah

Ali po domace Osti jarej!
 

Grega

True Ouddict
Jezz Grega,

what a precise,but still beautifull,or rather poetic description that is!

@guys&girls,exuse me to disclose a secret,I know him and personaly and you probably dont know,Grega is authentic poet,namelely guitar master.
Thats where his taste/smell comes from;)

But,a bit of waste of talent,if I may say soo..
Al.shareef,Imperial or Ensar should send him samples and employ him for making reviews!

Grega,I hope Im invited to a sniff",for flattery atleast,heh.

Thanks,George,it was such inspiration,I ve swipped all 5 ouds I have today(and Im stoned);

And..
Alhamdulillah

Ali po domace Osti jarej!
Ah I thought you would come today for a visit but alas the oud sniffing party will have to be held on the next weekend ;)

I am sure that when you try these Al Shareef ouds your tongue will deliver such poetic descriptions as well ;)
 

Taooudist

Oud Beginner
Ah I thought you would come today for a visit but alas the oud sniffing party will have to be held on the next weekend ;)

I am sure that when you try these Al Shareef ouds your tongue will deliver such poetic descriptions as well ;)
In my humble opinion,your opinion is too humble

Just sniffing oud doesnt give you a masters degree in philosophy and guitar

I would come a while ago,if I wouldnt have to work.
We are lacking a rescuer,soo everyday work.
No time ,as for ouddict forum.
Im just checking in minute swipping the.wanted forum,if anyone will grant my request for buying atleast a sample of Hindustan1,which as you know was my first oud.
There is none!
It is a completely heartbreaking issue,none of bought ouds doesnt come even closer to mentioned oud.

Is any of ASO as good as this one?
 

Grega

True Ouddict
In my humble opinion,your opinion is too humble

Just sniffing oud doesnt give you a masters degree in philosophy and guitar

I would come a while ago,if I wouldnt have to work.
We are lacking a rescuer,soo everyday work.
No time ,as for ouddict forum.
Im just checking in minute swipping the.wanted forum,if anyone will grant my request for buying atleast a sample of Hindustan1,which as you know was my first oud.
There is none!
It is a completely heartbreaking issue,none of bought ouds doesnt come even closer to mentioned oud.

Is any of ASO as good as this one?
Well my tastes might be different but I prefer almost all of these ASO ouds to Hindustan 1 :eek:

Any day you have enough time do come by :D
 

Uday Lalan

Junior Member
Thanks for the nice reviews of Hindi
I have tried Hind and Hudhayl by Aso.
Hudhayl was a very memorable oil and
showed different facets of oud very beautifully. Hind was good too but Hudhyal was truly fit for Royals.
Hope to try other Hindis by ASO someday soon.
 
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Al Shareef Oudh

Master Perfumer
View attachment 9552 Yesterday and today have been blessed by the beautiful fragrances of ASO Hindi Ouds. The impressions are just that, not in depth, but first thoughts that came to mind while trying these oils. Still need plenty of wears to fully appreciate the finer details. Still have not tried them all.

Hind

Dark and heavy opening giving promise of a wonderful dry down.
The opening is my least favorite aspect of the progression. But after 40 minutes the resinous heart of the oil comes to the front which is much more to my liking. It has the aspect that for me defines what I perceive as depth in oils. That full-bodied feeling of an in an impression that seems to get larger and larger, like that feeling you get when you smell the spring air with its myriad scents where even when you can detect some of them you still feel a depth behind them which seems larger than what is present in those aspects you are conscious of.

The dry down is wonderful. The resinous note with its dark chocolate smoothness (there is even a somewhat sandalwoody edge to this that one could mistake for a musky, animalic note) blends with a cinnamon like texture which gives it a slightly spicy vibe that is complemented with a touch of rose. And then it transforms again as the resinous note goes more into the background revealing a warm wet clay that has a somewhat fruity sweetness to it. Quite a refined scent and a perfume in itself.

Zuhayr

Even as I was swiping this on my arm I knew that I would love this oil.
In contrast to Hind I love the intensity of the opening. And it is intense - as I smell from afar the cloud of scent is strong but as I go near my wrist I can barely smell anything due to the sensory overload. As the oil settles a bit and my senses adjust I can go a slightly nearer (not bury my nose in the wrist though ;)). Leathery and dark but unlike with Hind I feel as if the opening is more refined, smoother but still very primal, not pretty at all, not sweet but holding a beautiful energy that is focused which gives it a calming harmonising effect. A few minutes in I already feel a cool minty-myrrh like resinous center that I so love in Hindi oils. Yet there is so much going on around it. Aged flower petals, roses, crushed spices.
There is even a tart aspect lurking at the edges that is evading me, can't seem to recognise the association yet. It is like a shy beauty, hiding in the shadows ;).
It is covered by another aspect - that of some wild shrubs that have a particularly strong green "medicinal" acidic scent. Yet this is just a small aspect - the whole does not smell green. I honestly can't believe how complex the scent is. Now I don't care for complexity if it is lacking in feeling and thankfully here the feeling is fiery. Like a red setting sun that you observe in a wild meadow with an overflowing fullness of life.
The notes do remind me of Hind but IMO they work much better together here. It is less smooth than Hind but somehow more balanced. This just makes me think how much more I love a hindi oil that not only has the resinous sweet depth but also all the other myriad notes that contrast it and give it a place it deserves. This is why I could not fall in love with Hindustan 1 by AA, even if I found it to be a beautiful oil, for me it still lacked the contrasts and the orchestration. Same with some other non-hindi oils I tried. They feel like a moment of serenity in ecstasy from movement and life whereas Zuhayr gives the serenity of the immanent life. Life in movement.

Al Shareef has a poetic heart which shows itself in the oils :"Vast hills covered in dense forest, valleys of flowing rivers, rich sun-baked earth, and the thick pulsating scent of forest life." This is the best description of how alive the oil seems. Pulsating life (two of my favorite words).

Safwaan
A very smooth opening that reminds me of Aasifah. Rich, creamy scent, a bit more leathery than Aasifah though. There is a sweetness to it that I enjoy very much but also a dark bitter and sour aspect which is like a mix of dark chocolate and a piece of a cut tree that is soaked in rain. And then an unmistakable soaked sandalwood note comes through with an indolic flower macerating in it, maybe even hyraceum.
A forest after rain. Soaked woods, a little musty at the edges but with a graceful clarity in the central notes. As the scent unveils I feel a floral element emerging, not really fresh petals but more like opening a jar of pollen and with it a fruity sweetness that reminds me of plums. Lovely lovely stuff. The clear resinous heart that I so love seems darker than usual - myrrh and labdanum and black soil. Beneath this I sense a mix of cut grass and of a variety of crushed wild herbs and shrubs. How can this be only a single Hindi oil and not a gorgeous blend.
Then the resinous heart takes center stage again with the other notes lurking in the background.
The orchestration of notes is incredible and very much seems like an Al Shareef signature that I have not encountered so far in any other oils.

Qandahaar III
A subtler opening than the other oils. This I appreciate very much. Instantly I get an almost hainan sinensis vibe to it but this might be a hallucination as the oil is unfolding very slowly thus revealing its immanent aspects like in a slow dance. Mesmerising. I have yet to decipher any of these aspects. Perhaps I am smelling a mix of molasses, but gentle, refined, smoky but not burnt, fruits somewhere in the depths but again very gentle. Ahhh now woody resinous wafts come from the dark mass. It is like a folded treasure slowly giving out a glimpse of this and that aspect.
This is slowly building to a full bodied beautiful hindi scent that has all the wonderful aspects in unison. Depth, creaminess, spiciness, not heavy nor light, not loud nor soft, amber, dry petals and leaves, resin, neither dark nor light, wild herbs, cut grass that has been scorched by the sun, golden hay and molasses mixed with translucent honey and the smell of high altitude pastures brought to you from afar by cool summer winds when you are standing on an even higher hill. The dry down has the complexity of a burnt lichen together with the dry golden hay and sandalwood.
This one has it all.

humbled by your love and appreciation:praying::Inlove: towards our works!
 

Taooudist

Oud Beginner
It was an amazing experience testing al 7,8 samples from Al Shareef Oudh.
Let me say,the Gregas description matches to the point.
I ve liked the most the brute "mustang"power of the opening and Lo!,then the dry down,soo many different notes,some of them very subtle,that all you can think is whats next?

And thanks Grega for warning me(i used to put yusuf,as other light"oils on my mustages),but I had to test it.
Let me just say,I have a few days off...it was such a sensory overload at first I thought I swipe some.more...well it burnt my reception nerves I think.
I learned my lesson

Anyway,thanks for samples,Ill defenetily buy from Al shareef this time and Inshalaah if there will be a discount like last year much bigger quantity then just samples
 

Grega

True Ouddict
For me Qandahar 2 is one of the best Hindi oils i have smelt to date
How you tried nm 3 as well?

I have to say that I probably like Zuhayr the most out of these. It just speaks to me.
 

Grega

True Ouddict
Thanks for the nice reviews of Hindi
I have tried Hind and Hudhayl by Aso.
Hudhayl was a very memorable oil and
showed different facets of oud very beautifully. Hind was good too but Hudhyal was truly fit for Royals.
Hope to try other Hindis by ASO someday soon.
I did not have a chance to try Hudhayl. Is it more leathery and dark chocolate like?

I have tried Aasifah as well apart from the ones I reviewed. I regret not buying a bottle when it was still available.
 

Grega

True Ouddict
It was an amazing experience testing al 7,8 samples from Al Shareef Oudh.
Let me say,the Gregas description matches to the point.
I ve liked the most the brute "mustang"power of the opening and Lo!,then the dry down,soo many different notes,some of them very subtle,that all you can think is whats next?

And thanks Grega for warning me(i used to put yusuf,as other light"oils on my mustages),but I had to test it.
Let me just say,I have a few days off...it was such a sensory overload at first I thought I swipe some.more...well it burnt my reception nerves I think.
I learned my lesson

Anyway,thanks for samples,Ill defenetily buy from Al shareef this time and Inshalaah if there will be a discount like last year much bigger quantity then just samples
I like to regularly take a few days off from strong fragrances as even when smelling from my wrist I get too used to the smell and then can't get the full spectrum of it. Can't imagine what it would do to me if I applied it to my moustache (if I grew some ;)).
 

Taooudist

Oud Beginner
Let me tell you my secret spectrum...yusuf on mustages,nha trang on the beard,on left and right beard some hoi an,and zuchair on right wrist and safwaan on left.
It such a spectrum,that even you couldnt give a rewiew ,I think

But thanks for samples Grega,I have decided...Al Shareef next buy
 

Grega

True Ouddict
Let me tell you my secret spectrum...yusuf on mustages,nha trang on the beard,on left and right beard some hoi an,and zuchair on right wrist and safwaan on left.
It such a spectrum,that even you couldnt give a rewiew ,I think

But thanks for samples Grega,I have decided...Al Shareef next buy
Sproaty has serious competition! :D
You are welcome! I am glad you enjoyed them :)
 
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Grega

True Ouddict
Anyway let me give a description ogf Hindi oils from Alshareef in one sentence:

Jimi Hendrix
(Strong,but perplexed,suble yet loud and stays in your head for a long time);
Indeed a fine choice with Hendrix.

I am just now enjoying Qandahaar III
and your post inspired me to play some music along with it. But what would suit a Hindi (other than Hendrix ;))?!

Marco Mencoboni's beautiful interpretation of Royer of course! Cembalo and oud, the finest mixture!
Power through technique born out of time, repetition, focus and love. Strength and subtlety and utter abandon in humility before the muse.
 
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