Oud of the Day

My IO Super Hoi An hits the spot like no other.

I’ve been sniffing a couple of oils - 2 batches extracted from cultivated kinam grown on Hainan - source is Ward Lab.

The two oils share some traits but are quite distinct- one is physically thicker and has a more pungent / resinous top to it. I’m not sure how to describe it but its scent is wilder, more resinous and assertive. This is a profile i have smelled in some sinensis wood chips - a ck aroma but with an extra ripple of complexity to it.

The other is gentler, very sweet with a more confectionery emphasis - sweet smooth opening with faint notes of something like almond or wintergreen. This also matches the scent of some sinensis/ck woods i have heated and also reminds me of ejayb’s first ck distillation.

Still getting to know these, but these are very pleasant and among my favorite of a half dozen or so extractions from this type of material that i have had the chance to sniff.

Extracts of cultivated kinam present something quite different from heated wood… each seems to capture a different aspect. very interested to see how these age as well. There is a certain aspect to the wood that doesn’t get picked up in distillation… perhaps it is something that comes from the resin fraction and isn’t produced until the resin is heated to the point of decomposition/oxidation

At some point i may use ethanol to wash out all of the leftover residues of my various ck samples and merge them into a single blend.
 
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Sampling another legendary oud this evening.

EO - Oud Ahmad

Indescribable opening. Tingles my nose but in a way I haven’t smelled before. A bit of a smokiness to it, but not campfire at all; more of burning beautiful incense. The most pure incense smell I’ve ever experienced in an oil.

Definitely has a sweetness and red character to it. Rich berries in honey or some kind of a syrupy vibe. Very addictive and complex scent that is always changing and revealing new aspects.
 
Last night before bed I finished off 2x Royal Bengal Oud samples,
Mizram (says Bangladesh but it's India), wow. SUPER barnyard to the extreme. I applied quite a lot of this and was taken back by its skankiness.
Seblat (Indonesia). Very beautiful, clean, prestine, vaporous and just lovely. Shame it's oxidized so much but very good. Oil had hardened and didn't spread on my hand too well and came out all patchy.

[Ouddict.com] Oud of the Day[Ouddict.com] Oud of the Day[Ouddict.com] Oud of the Day

I woke up in the middle of the night and the Mizram had developed into a phenomenal drydown - the total opposite of its rather unappealing opening. Just a downright beauty of a Hindi. Was funny to compare to the Mizram oud from An Najwa which is wayyyy cleaner and "nicer", but the drydown of this Hindi clobbers it over the head. Just takes some time to get there!


Today, Trad & Kambodi Katheel by Al Hashimi.
Finished the KK, it had turned really hard and didn't really spread on my hand. Trad's gone a little of the same way too.
I'm worried about my oils now because these sample vials are just like V-Vials so what's stopping half my collection turning to shit and losing its beauty over the next few years?!
Both oils have lost their potency unfortunately - I can still smell one on my hand which I think is Trad but there's just a general aroma there and hard to make much of it.

[Ouddict.com] Oud of the Day[Ouddict.com] Oud of the Day
 
Sproaty said:
Last night before bed I finished off 2x Royal Bengal Oud samples,
Mizram (says Bangladesh but it's India), wow. SUPER barnyard to the extreme. I applied quite a lot of this and was taken back by its skankiness.
Seblat (Indonesia). Very beautiful, clean, prestine, vaporous and just lovely. Shame it's oxidized so much but very good. Oil had hardened and didn't spread on my hand too well and came out all patchy.

View attachment 31708View attachment 31711View attachment 31709

I woke up in the middle of the night and the Mizram had developed into a phenomenal drydown - the total opposite of its rather unappealing opening. Just a downright beauty of a Hindi. Was funny to compare to the Mizram oud from An Najwa which is wayyyy cleaner and "nicer", but the drydown of this Hindi clobbers it over the head. Just takes some time to get there!


Today, Trad & Kambodi Katheel by Al Hashimi.
Finished the KK, it had turned really hard and didn't really spread on my hand. Trad's gone a little of the same way too.
I'm worried about my oils now because these sample vials are just like V-Vials so what's stopping half my collection turning to shit and losing its beauty over the next few years?!
Both oils have lost their potency unfortunately - I can still smell one on my hand which I think is Trad but there's just a general aroma there and hard to make much of it.

View attachment 31710View attachment 31712
Click to expand...
I’m very surprised those Al Hashimi sample vials went bad like that. Those have far less air contact than the standard sample. I think some of the shelf life is also just based on the particular oil as well. How long did you have those samples for before they went bad?
 
Sproaty said:
Last night before bed I finished off 2x Royal Bengal Oud samples,
Mizram (says Bangladesh but it's India), wow. SUPER barnyard to the extreme. I applied quite a lot of this and was taken back by its skankiness.
Seblat (Indonesia). Very beautiful, clean, prestine, vaporous and just lovely. Shame it's oxidized so much but very good. Oil had hardened and didn't spread on my hand too well and came out all patchy.

View attachment 31708View attachment 31711View attachment 31709

I woke up in the middle of the night and the Mizram had developed into a phenomenal drydown - the total opposite of its rather unappealing opening. Just a downright beauty of a Hindi. Was funny to compare to the Mizram oud from An Najwa which is wayyyy cleaner and "nicer", but the drydown of this Hindi clobbers it over the head. Just takes some time to get there!


Today, Trad & Kambodi Katheel by Al Hashimi.
Finished the KK, it had turned really hard and didn't really spread on my hand. Trad's gone a little of the same way too.
I'm worried about my oils now because these sample vials are just like V-Vials so what's stopping half my collection turning to shit and losing its beauty over the next few years?!
Both oils have lost their potency unfortunately - I can still smell one on my hand which I think is Trad but there's just a general aroma there and hard to make much of it.

View attachment 31710View attachment 31712
Click to expand...
Usually Oils from Mizoram region are too barny and Harsh
I have a sample of RBO's Mizoram
It has quite strong barnyard but it is tamed to some extent and also gives a pleasant Dry down!
I'll have to try it again
But most of the Oils I tried from Mizoram are super barny(not the classical barn) they're more like Sewage Water
What we have from RBO is quite nicer
Than other Mizorami Oud oils which are mostly available in commercial Market.
I guess this comes from over soaking/fermenting.

As for Mighty Mizo i have distilled it without soaking, plus I distilled it using Assamese Agarwood Hydrosol and filtered water.
 
Ahmaoud said:
Wearing An Najwa's Pinoy Imperiale - my first Filipino oil and quite interesting. Soon after initial application I thought I must have been mistaken, because I started getting a profile similar to Papuan oils I have, not the Merauke style, which I don't enjoy. The ones I do enjoy are a bit hard to describe but assuming you know what that is, mix a Malinua profile into that and that's what I get from Pinoy Imperiale, in general.

Digging a bit deeper it's fruitier than either of those, with this feeling which makes me think of coastal waters. Very little minty coolness, but oddly doesn't feel heavy. I think what I'm describing as fruitiness would be better described as floral fruits, these aren't your fruit preserves but slightly fresh and under ripe. A woodiness is there throughout, subtle but present, what it really doesn't have is any spiciness, which I actually prefer, and the spiciness I'm referring to here is dessert spices, not chilies. As it dries down you get a sweeet incense-y note, void of smokiness, with the floral fruitiness from earlier becoming heavier.
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This Oud oil is the best example to prove that regions/soil, Terroir also matter irrespective of the species.
This oil is so gentle and smooth
Just opposite of what we get from Hindi Malaccensis Oud oils.
 
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Kolalid said:
I’m very surprised those Al Hashimi sample vials went bad like that. Those have far less air contact than the standard sample. I think some of the shelf life is also just based on the particular oil as well. How long did you have those samples for before they went bad?
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2018 I think. I'm not sure about gone bad per say, the katheel was always a thick oil but I guess it's hardened now. I'd only ever have the vials opened for a short time (e.g. I put the lid back on after dipping in a toothpick). I over exaggerated when I said "gone to shit" lol

𝗔𝗻 𝗡𝗮𝗷𝘄𝗮 said:
Usually Oils from Mizoram region are too barny and Harsh
I have a sample of RBO's Mizoram
It has quite strong barnyard but it is tamed to some extent and also gives a pleasant Dry down!
I'll have to try it again
But most of the Oils I tried from Mizoram are super barny(not the classical barn) they're more like Sewage Water
What we have from RBO is quite nicer
Than other Mizorami Oud oils which are mostly available in commercial Market.
I guess this comes from over soaking/fermenting.

As for Mighty Mizo i have distilled it without soaking, plus I distilled it using Assamese Agarwood Hydrosol and filtered water.
Click to expand...
I think my tolerance for barn has come way way down lately. It's kinda like with wine or whisky, gotta drink it for a bit before gaining an appreciation of it. I've not drank red wine in forever and used to really like it but now I'd find it a bit unpleasant for a while until I got used to it (I think). I used to have a lot of very barny oils but not nowadays
 
For me it was a swipe of “china exclusive” from oriscent, from whenever it was released. Has not changed much - sweet heavy peat mulch, fermentation, and singing resinous notes. A nice oil
 
I’m back. I’m just working on fragrance all the time these days from home so that is why I am smelling so many things recently.

Our talk yesterday about making a master blend from old samples had me digging a bit and I came across this sample of Hind from ASO.

I am no connoisseur of Hind oud (working on it…) but this is very much in line with what I’ve come to expect from this region. On first application is clear that this is a quality oil and even though there is a small amount in my tester bottle so lots of air exposure, it has held up well and it smells every bit as good as it did when i first got it. Sometimes I think I have a grip on which notes are coming from fermentation and sometimes I don’t.

My guess would be that this oil had some fair amount of soaking, and would be classified as old-school, gulf oriented due to barnyard and cheese-like aspects in the opening. Am I correct that this is where these aromas come from, and the same wood distilled with zero soak would be a soft smelling sweet woody floral safrole affair? I would love to get this straight.

One thing that’s really nice about this type of oil (for me) is that there is some overlap of aromas I associate with musk tinctures. In a certain sense it is more musky than any non-animal Musk I have experienced.

This oud feels primal. The muskiness is really doing it for me - i need a bit more of this type of scent in my palette. I have actually never purchased a full bottle of a hind other than one wacky one from rksons when Amit was engaging with the basenotes crowd a bit back in ‘98 or whenever the heck it was

If I recall, it is from select plantation wood - can’t quite remember the product description
[Ouddict.com] Oud of the Day
 
FreeSoul said:
@mesOUD 's Oud Said, really enjoy this, long lasting on my skin. Crowd pleaser as well!
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I was just swiping this literally 15 minutes ago. I would think this one would be a crowd pleaser because balances oudiness with something like unburned pipe / fine cigar tobacco. Pretty remarkable - it smells like walking into a humidor. I’ve encountered this note a couple of times over the years. I have this on my wrist next to a little al shareef hind - crazy combination the hind is adding a strong musk note, and that with the tobacco and cologne-like smoothness of the Oud Said brings structured fine vintage perfume to mind.

The Said also reminds of an oil that QT store used to sell that was well reviewed - it was called oud royale, was billed as being from Borneo and had a similar tobacco accord in its opening
 
Mr.P said:
I was just swiping this literally 15 minutes ago. I would think this one would be a crowd pleaser because balances oudiness with something like unburned pipe / fine cigar tobacco. Pretty remarkable - it smells like walking into a humidor. I’ve encountered this note a couple of times over the years. I have this on my wrist next to a little al shareef hind - crazy combination the hind is adding a strong musk note, and that with the tobacco and cologne-like smoothness of the Oud Said brings structured fine vintage perfume to mind.

The Said also reminds of an oil that QT store used to sell that was well reviewed - it was called oud royale, was billed as being from Borneo and had a similar tobacco accord in its opening
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Macerated oud said with ambergris and deer musk,still it needs time,i hope after it dinished it will be super b
 
EJayB said:
Bhamo from Agar Aura
Outstanding Performance and projection
Fabulous oil ! Haven’t herd much from Taha lately but sure could use more oud like this one!!!
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That’s right… I have not seen many people reviewing his stuff here these days. Most of my direct experience was in the very early days. He has to be cranking out top shelf stuff - I remember him first getting into the biz and he clearly had that drive to find and share the good stuff (and actively experiment with his personal distillations). I used to read his blog for a while there.
 
Zamrad 2 today. An unusual oil - trying to wrap my head around it. There are a variety of umami / soup-like notes in here i have not encountered in oud before… not even sure what adjectives to use. This oil brings some others to mind. I have this old Aceh that agarwoodindonesia distilled at the start of his ventures and i am reminded of that oil, would have guessed Aceh province based on its sugary sweetness - more sugary / pungent than earthy/spicy/mulchy. Sweet sour pungency in the top note brings thai crassna to mind a bit as well, though it is more subdued than in fresh thai oils. It has a certain tang in the very first notes that I associate with oils in the “indonesian green” category (assuming i understand the term).

It’s funny because it seems every time I think I have a grasp on what a particular region smells like I get an oil or sample that just throws that right out the window! just goes to show you you need a large sample size to understand anything

I need to reread the description but if I were taking notes for my own purposes or to identify other things in my collection to compare, I would say overall it hits like a merging of My thai, aceh, green indonesian oils and some other category of scent i have not encountered before.
 
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