Oud of the Day

[Castingshadows]

Bortnikoff’s Unreleased Hindi #1

I always forget I own this one. I couldn’t for the life of me place the region this came from since it smells different than any Hindi I’ve ever smelled and Dmitry swears he distilled sinking grade wild Hindi wood that was collected from all over India. To my nose and after another two years of experience, I think this is a Fili, Silani, Hindi co-distillation.

There’s this opening of chocolate but like actual chocolate and not barnyard chocolate, oceanic cooling notes similar to those found in Sri Lankans, then there’s a sort of bitter Cambodian/Fili thing happening that leads into a spicy kalakassi drydown mixed with a Silani jungle note.

The yield was so low so I guess I’m one of two people that own this oil. If you have this one let me know your thoughts.

 

[Dr B1414]

People hate the opening of NT LTD? How?

haha. Just few that I know of🙂)

 

[Dr B1414]

Bortnikoff’s Unreleased Hindi #1

I always forget I own this one. I couldn’t for the life of me place the region this came from since it smells different than any Hindi I’ve ever smelled and Dmitry swears he distilled sinking grade wild Hindi wood that was collected from all over India. To my nose and after another two years of experience, I think this is a Fili, Silani, Hindi co-distillation.

There’s this opening of chocolate but like actual chocolate and not barnyard chocolate, oceanic cooling notes similar to those found in Sri Lankans, then there’s a sort of bitter Cambodian/Fili thing happening that leads into a spicy kalakassi drydown mixed with a Silani jungle note.

The yield was so low so I guess I’m one of two people that own this oil. If you have this one let me know your thoughts.

I remember looking out for this one back when you first got it and described its profile here.

 

[Mr.P]

ASO - Al Malek Al Ceeni

The opening reminds me of some of Ensar’s Chinese oils like Royal Kinam, Hyang Kang, and Xiang Gang, and I have not smelled this note anywhere else. It’s sort of a rough, bitter scent, and it’s very pleasant.

That note fades into the background pretty quickly and after that it takes on an earthy quality that I associate with Papuan oud with a mentholic chord.

I like it.

ASO - Al Malek Al Ceeni

The opening reminds me of some of Ensar’s Chinese oils like Royal Kinam, Hyang Kang, and Xiang Gang, and I have not smelled this note anywhere else. It’s sort of a rough, bitter scent, and it’s very pleasant.

That note fades into the background pretty quickly and after that it takes on an earthy quality that I associate with Papuan oud with a mentholic chord.

I like it.

i liked this one as well. I agree it is royal kinam adjacent. I know some top shelf complex ouds smell a little different to everyone - fascinating to see the reactions of different people to things that I have smelled. It really helps to understand shared adjectives and develop common ground for descriptions.

 

[Mr.P]

Decided to make an oud residue megamix out of all of these tiny older samples… I don’t get much out of sniffing them once they are down to the last tiny bit. These are almost all 5+ years old at this point. I will fill each of these vials halfway with alcohol, let it sit, them combine all in one bottle It will probably be a bland and generic unfocused oud scent but worth a shot

 

[Sproaty]

yesterday, @An Najwa - Khlong Yai
Really good oil that seemed very unlike typical Trat oils and appeared more Cambodi-like to me - redder in profile as opposed to the usual yellowed Trat profile.

Today, an upcoming/unreleased Hindi from @Habz786
Woweee!! He told me it was an old style Hindi but without barn, and that's a perfect description. After not too much time you're into this outstanding drydown but having to go through a stanky opening. This is great, have had my hand to my nose quite a bit today

 

[mesOUD]

Decided to make an oud residue megamix out of all of these tiny older samples… I don’t get much out of sniffing them once they are down to the last tiny bit. These are almost all 5+ years old at this point. I will fill each of these vials halfway with alcohol, let it sit, them combine all in one bottle It will probably be a bland and generic unfocused oud scent but worth a shotView attachment 32178

İ made same,also add something on to modify,i wish i could know the recipe,because there are many many small samples,but it is super B,
Try it you wont disappoint

 

[Mr.P]

I am checking out HM Royal Malay Kelantan, 1990’s from Sualym

I should probably separate my opinions from my observations in these reviews, but I will start by saying this would be on the top shelf of my collection if I had a bottle. It is one of my “perfect” oud samples in the sense that the smell is rich, deeply appealing from start to finish, smells dignified and mature. For my tastes, this oil has no flaws and encapsulates exactly what I seek in oud especially Malaysian. Has a fair amount in common with ASO Malek al Malayzi… in both there is a lot going on vertically and horizontally but they are right smack in the sweet spot of this profile as I see it.

I can’t say if this is best or better than any other top tier oud - once they pass a certain threshold of quality, to me, “better” and “worse” become meaningless. I feel like oud can be perfect in many different ways simultaneously.
While I have lucked on perfect (subjectively) ouds at low prices, my samples with this profile are all generally very high price point oud.

I have found the same with jasmine grandiflorum - you can get all kinds of great absolutes online many of which are delicious and great for blending or as a fragrance, but nearly all of which have one or two flaws / off notes at one stage of their development or another. There are jasmine absolutes that have a perfect profile - each stage is charming, rich, and satisfying to smell - but you generally have to pay a significant premium, access to a limited number of high level wholesalers, and the ability to buy in bulk. We are so lucky to have oud that has been sought out, painstakingly selected, and curated into collections at the retail level for all of us. This is not something to take for granted…

Scent notes: a brief sugary opening over a rich appealing phenolic dark old oud scent; deep robust heart, hard resin edge, split oak, balanced tangy cola and a kind of white ambergris richness unifying it all. Maybe the faintest trace of some skillfully applied soak - not lactic cheesy but more deep and peaty. I do not think I could ever tire of this smell. I don’t have any full bottles of oil of this caliber… closest thing i have a bottle of is KM Super Ateeq from oudline ca. 2010 or so or their old Malay super, but they do not have the depth and saturation of this oil.

I will report back with notes on longevity and dry down as I get to know it over the weeks ahead, though I have smelled enough to be pretty certain about how this is going to unfold.

 

[Mr.P]

Here is a photo of the sample. silly to photograph the residue i admit but I am posting it just to post something with a color calibration backdrop. I don’t know how much information the color provides, but I decided to print a little color reference backdrop so that the color information has some kind of context.

Ironically, the color calibration backdrop is itself uncalibrated lol - I just found the photo on the Internet adjusted parameters until it looked reasonable on my inkjet printer. So the only value of this would be in comparing one photo to another that i took with that same backdrop.

This is probably deep into overthink territory, but I’m just trying to have a little fun here and j don’t take it too seriously.

 

[SonoranSwiss]

... After not too much time you're into this outstanding drydown but having to go through a stanky opening. This is great, have had my hand to my nose quite a bit today

I’ve smelled oils like this and consistently think barn, even when they are advertised by the distiller as “zero-barn”. Is it a fermentation note that is more funk than fecal and I’m erroneously lumping them in the same category?

 

[Habz786]

yesterday, @An Najwa - Khlong Yai
Really good oil that seemed very unlike typical Trat oils and appeared more Cambodi-like to me - redder in profile as opposed to the usual yellowed Trat profile.

Today, an upcoming/unreleased Hindi from @Habz786
Woweee!! He told me it was an old style Hindi but without barn, and that's a perfect description. After not too much time you're into this outstanding drydown but having to go through a stanky opening. This is great, have had my hand to my nose quite a bit today

Hey @Sproaty this oil has barn lol but its smooth and refined

 

[Kolalid]

Hey @Sproaty this oil has barn lol but its smooth and refined

Actually looking forward to learning more about this one then! I tried a sample of Tipu Sultan and it was nice but I was looking for a bit more of a punchy barn. Hopefully not too cheesy or overwhelming though. Finding the perfect balance of barn seems like it could be challenging haha

 

[Arabiad07]

@SULAYM - 1970s Burmese SQ

Quickly becoming one of my all time favorites. So glad I have a full bottle of this one. An absolute bold performance beast. One of the darkest strongest and most masculine ouds I’ve tried.

The opening blasts you with a strong woody, oudy funk but not barnyard at all. It evolves into a symphony of brown notes; leather, tobacco, chocolate, rich malty notes all complementing each other in perfect harmony.

In the background there is that beautiful piercing mintiness that is often found in high quality ouds. I was honestly very surprised to find it hiding in such a bold and heavy oud. It is not always noticeable at first glance, but it makes itself known and once you know it’s there it’s very clear.

Overall an extremely satisfying complex and layered oud.

which is your favorite. This one or HM Malaysian or Maraoke

 

[Sproaty]

Hey @Sproaty this oil has barn lol but its smooth and refined

ah yea sorry no horse/cow shit smells then 🙂. I meant to type "without having to go through a stanky opening", oops

I’ve smelled oils like this and consistently think barn, even when they are advertised by the distiller as “zero-barn”. Is it a fermentation note that is more funk than fecal and I’m erroneously lumping them in the same category?

Yes, most likely. Have you tried many Hindi oils? Some can be way too much at the start, but do dry down to an amazing beautiful smell

 

[Kolalid]

Attar store has top notch Vietnam oils. Fraction of their

which is your favorite. This one or HM Malaysian or Maraoke

I haven’t tried HM Maroke, and the Malaysian SQ I have is 1970s, so likely different from the one listed on Sulaym right now.

I will say both the Burmese and Malaysian are very nice top quality aged oils and it is hard to choose between them because they are so different. It really depends on the mood. If I am in the mood for something very bold and masculine classic dark oud then of course I will swipe Burmese. If I am in the mood for something subtle with a nice sweet floral and minty character then I go towards Malaysian. To me both are very worth their price and great examples of their styles.

 

[AlHind Oud]

Brunei Gold 2021

I regret not saving more of it for my personal use. Developed pretty well. It's blue, sophisticated, and immaculate.

 

[SonoranSwiss]

Yes, most likely. Have you tried many Hindi oils? Some can be way too much at the start, but do dry down to an amazing beautiful smell

Noted. Not yet, but I'll add it to the list. Thanks.

 

[Castingshadows]

IO’s Hainan Quinan

Simply put this oil is heavenly. Rich honey, warm woods, creamy vanilla, sweet sinensis drydown. I put a bunch in my hair this morning. Which by the way if you’re not putting Oud in your hair you’re missing out.

 

[Kolalid]

Oud Ahmad. Just so good.

 

[Immortaloud]

Elves & ouds... Immortal & Beautiful! Gandalf said once 😎

Thank you sir 🙏