Oud of the Day

[Sproaty]

A whole lot lately, let's see...

MesOud - Tuba. Nagaland wood soaked in rose hydrosol. Man, this is crazy stuff. The deepest red I've ever smelled. It took a short while to get there, at first it was a very unusual oud smell-I picked up on a deep crimson hue and then struggled to pick up the scent. I went outside into the cold for a bit and then the scent came rushing back at me, and overwhelmed me with the redness.
I could still smell it on my hand after waking up, and also over an hour later after cycling to work w/ thick winter gloves on (e.g. the inner glove fleece coming into contact with the back of my hand, where I'd applied the oil to)

Today,
MesOud - Tarakan Qadeem- like smooth, polished, glistening wood. A little sweetness at first gives way into an oudy core.
MesOud - Bulunga - really nice Indonesian oil with a much different profile to Tarakan, it's like a night/day difference in the sense of darkess vs light

Previously,
Sulaym - SQ Burma 79. Super smooth, somewhat earthy. Going off a hazy memory here tbh, will need to revisit
Sulaym - Kaliman Limau. A very long lasting oil - about 12 hrs in total! Was surprised. Okay, recently(ish) I was talking of a 'typical' Borneo but couldn't think of examples - this oil is representative of that. Rather sweet, ethereal, light & wispy top notes which make it seem like it'll be a "light" oil which will wear for a few hours, but no - its tenacity was very surprising to me.

Yusa - Nha Trang Ko - woo. Feels like I've smelled this before, it's got that now pretty classical bitter NT profile that I've smelled in several higher-end NT oils (Attar Store, Imperial Oud, Craft incense, Fugishi) which is super enjoyable.
I should compare the aforementioned oils to see if I can pick up the nuance to each of them. Kinda silly have 5x oils that are similar! (even though most are in small quantities)

 

[Zazu]

Jinkoh Store - Grand Emperor Pursat and Grand Emperor Koh Kong

Really love both of these oils. I think Cambodi may be my favorite region lately.

That grand emperor of Pursat is just pure heaven.

 

[Mr.P]

I had a chance to try some Hindi Amjad from mesoud. Here are my thoughts.

The opening has a complex muskiness with notes reminiscent of aged civet laid over a dense soapy-bitter core. Very appealing deep and engaging multilayered opening with a really nice animalic vibe that is different from the barnyard, manure, soaked wood aromas. A deep whiff reveals wholesome barnyard notes, over a thick spicy wood base, and a light vaguely metallic iron note that is sometimes found in Ruh Khus. This note is not a distraction and adds something interesting in the upper registers of scent. After the top and heart start to fade, a balanced lightly fermented spicy wood comes to the front, the civet-like quality extends into the base. Dry down has classic addictive Hindi appeal.

 

[Ahmaoud]

Wore Al Hashimi's Al Iksyr yesterday, unique both in it being a co-distillation of Assamese and Malay oud, and also being the only specimen of either region I have from the brand.

Starts off with a gyrinops versteegii like scent profile mixed with something delicately tart, this latter part only lasts for a few seconds before the former overtakes. Densely green, imagine foliage deep from within the jungle, mixed with concentrated resinous facets found in the heart of Assamese ouds, and a hint of something that tingles the nose. Has a presence which isn't grounded in barn-y notes, but a bitterness, which brings out the sweetness, even in austere ouds. The top and upper heart feels carbolic, not scent wise, but how the scent travels through the air. I wore a single swipe on each arm in the morning and enjoyed an aura through out the day and well into the evening. Dark green herbal resins, is the best way to describe this scent, quite addictive. Into the dry down, the carbolic distribution profile of the scent vanished, replaced with that of an incense smoke's wispy-ness. Wore some a couple hours before bed, and was easily noticeable in the morning, the dry down discards the bitterness, yet even that doesn't make the scent playful.

Paradoxically fresh and aged smelling, subtle yet always apparent, present yet never overpowering, all at the same time. Calming, serene and meditative, more Wuthering Heights than The Tale of Peter Rabbit!

 

[Arabiad07]

A whole lot lately, let's see...

MesOud - Tuba. Nagaland wood soaked in rose hydrosol. Man, this is crazy stuff. The deepest red I've ever smelled. It took a short while to get there, at first it was a very unusual oud smell-I picked up on a deep crimson hue and then struggled to pick up the scent. I went outside into the cold for a bit and then the scent came rushing back at me, and overwhelmed me with the redness.
I could still smell it on my hand after waking up, and also over an hour later after cycling to work w/ thick winter gloves on (e.g. the inner glove fleece coming into contact with the back of my hand, where I'd applied the oil to)

Today,
MesOud - Tarakan Qadeem- like smooth, polished, glistening wood. A little sweetness at first gives way into an oudy core.
MesOud - Bulunga - really nice Indonesian oil with a much different profile to Tarakan, it's like a night/day difference in the sense of darkess vs light

Previously,
Sulaym - SQ Burma 79. Super smooth, somewhat earthy. Going off a hazy memory here tbh, will need to revisit
Sulaym - Kaliman Limau. A very long lasting oil - about 12 hrs in total! Was surprised. Okay, recently(ish) I was talking of a 'typical' Borneo but couldn't think of examples - this oil is representative of that. Rather sweet, ethereal, light & wispy top notes which make it seem like it'll be a "light" oil which will wear for a few hours, but no - its tenacity was very surprising to me.

Yusa - Nha Trang Ko - woo. Feels like I've smelled this before, it's got that now pretty classical bitter NT profile that I've smelled in several higher-end NT oils (Attar Store, Imperial Oud, Craft incense, Fugishi) which is super enjoyable.
I should compare the aforementioned oils to see if I can pick up the nuance to each of them. Kinda silly have 5x oils that are similar! (even though most are in small quantities)

Mesoud Tuba is definitely a unique oil

My first thought is how smooth it is. Red sweet floral with background of woody incense. Zero barn or harsh notes. Really something special. It hasn’t even aged yet.

 

[mesOUD]

Mesoud Tuba is definitely a unique oil

My first thought is how smooth it is. Red sweet floral with background of woody incense. Zero barn or harsh notes. Really something special. It hasn’t even aged yet.

MashaAllah and Alhamdulillah
İ am very happy to hear and see likes about

 

[Castingshadows]

I’m wearing Elevation today from ASO

I know this is a spray but honestly it’s one of the best oud experiences I’ve had. It has everything I love about oud and is blended so incredibly well. It’s perfect.

 

[Mr.P]

I’m wearing Elevation today from ASO

I know this is a spray but honestly it’s one of the best oud experiences I’ve had. It has everything I love about oud and is blended so incredibly well. It’s perfect.

I am not surprised to hear this - the couple of blends i sniffed were all skillfully composed.

 

[Castingshadows]

I am not surprised to hear this - the couple of blends i sniffed were all skillfully composed.

He did such a good job with the ouds. I always thought this was just pure oud but someone said there’s deer musk in here although I don’t really smell it at all. Still it’s one of the nicest oud sprays I’ve tried.

 

[Mr.P]

Here’s another mesoud sample i have been checking out called “Hindi Mix”:

I found this to be a very appealing blend with a kind of spicy-amber-woody overtone. This is especially evident on first sniff from the bottle but on skin is just a small part of a complex opening. This oil has the presence of agallocha, the creamy sassafras is there but gentle, in balance with some ferment notes and classic scintillating wood notes. A deep whiff reveals a beautiful unified incense accord, and the fact that this is a mix comes through clearly in the aroma - it feels in some ways like a balanced natural oud perfume. Dry down is superb - pleasant, just enough tooth to be interesting and that sublime agallocha hypnotic buzzy woody sheen.

 

[mesOUD]

Here’s another mesoud sample i have been checking out called “Hindi Mix”:

I found this to be a very appealing blend with a kind of spicy-amber-woody overtone. This is especially evident on first sniff from the bottle but on skin is just a small part of a complex opening. This oil has the presence of agallocha, the creamy sassafras is there but gentle, in balance with some ferment notes and classic scintillating wood notes. A deep whiff reveals a beautiful unified incense accord, and the fact that this is a mix comes through clearly in the aroma - it feels in some ways like a balanced natural oud perfume. Dry down is superb - pleasant, just enough tooth to be interesting and that sublime agallocha hypnotic buzzy woody sheen.

As its name,it is mixture of 8-10 different hindi oils(which i had only 3 ml-5 ml oils,i blended all)

 

[Sproaty]

Hainan Shell CO2 by Yusa. Interesting! To me, this smells very similar to Bija Hainan by Rising Phoenix - a crazy, golden ray of light bursting from the back of my hand.
I don't think the Bija is CO2 distilled but there's a big similarity to here, based on my scent memory.

Also Mursaki by Yusa but haven't had the best impression of it - applied a few hours ago but struggling to pick up on it now. I had no idea of the oil, I was thinking maybe Malaysian from this purple hue that came to mind, but I just found the thread about the oil and it's Cambodi! D'oh. Didn't seem to have the dark oozie oudy backbone I'd associate to a Malaysian oil but it's what I'd have guessed

 

[Mr.P]

Hainan Shell CO2 by Yusa. Interesting! To me, this smells very similar to Bija Hainan by Rising Phoenix - a crazy, golden ray of light bursting from the back of my hand.
I don't think the Bija is CO2 distilled but there's a big similarity to here, based on my scent memory.

Also Mursaki by Yusa but haven't had the best impression of it - applied a few hours ago but struggling to pick up on it now. I had no idea of the oil, I was thinking maybe Malaysian from this purple hue that came to mind, but I just found the thread about the oil and it's Cambodi! D'oh. Didn't seem to have the dark oozie oudy backbone I'd associate to a Malaysian oil but it's what I'd have guessed

Your “crazy golden ray of sun” imagery reminds me of my impressions of a couple of sinensis oils i have smelled from grandawood and one from mesoud- this bright scintillating high register buzzing scent is a treat for me as well, if we are talking about the same thing. I have encountered this in both distillations and carbon dioxide extracts.

 

[Mr.P]

I’ve been evaluating a couple of CK oils from wardlab. I’m trying to find a decent smelling, reliable, budget kinam oil to use in perfume experiments.

Did I just say “budget kinam oil”? Pinch me I must be dreaming

wardlab showed me two at two different price points that are each striking in their own way. The more expensive one has much gentler scent, and at first that deceived me into thinking it really was one of the co2 extracts that smells mostly like the unheated wood (which is sort of does at first). That awesome kinam note follows however!. After diluting to 1% and applying as a spray, I’m actually completely taken by this oil, even though it is out of my budget at the moment. This one really does capture that classic beautiful scent that emerges when you get the heat just right with CK wood. I. In this case, instead of hitting you right away, it shows up and then gradually builds as the scent settles down. Another nice thing about this one is it does not have any of the “salivary notes” which are in many sinensis/ck oils and it is a balanced scent all on its own.

The other oil is also a CO2 extract, and this one is more robust in a very appealing way, with a little bit of something that reminds me of that sunshine note, but in a lower register. This does have some of the salivary notes but these are zero issue for my intended use (oud fragrance or oud as part of complex mixtures). the salivary notes seem to be easily masked with just about any other oil and the oudiness is strong in this extract so the salivary notes are not the main impression like some lower end oils/fractions. I’ve decided to get a couple of bottles of this because it will fit perfectly in to a couple of things I’m working on.

If you are interested in carbon dioxide extracts of CK wood I recommend you check these out.

Decent co2 extracts that don’t smell like wet wood, ck wood everywhere, “budget kinam oil” wtf is going on here?

 

[language scent]

Today i revisited this absolute GEM of an oil! I removed the tape I have it sealed with and unscrewed the cap and took a big whiff of the fumes that 4 grams had concentrated in the little space the vial has left in it for some months that I hadn’t opened it and mmmmmm the concentration of what is to come from a fat swipe smelling like a sweet thick vanilla Borneo flower garden with the smell of room temperature entry grade kyara logs falling from the sky and faint kyara heaters gently heating some kinam!!!

So I dipped in that clean glass swipe rod and added a fatty on my hand and spread it out to 1/3 of the back of my palm

It is the oil that has the most kyara aspects gathered that I have not seen in any other oil and I say this having gathered around 40 types of different kyara chunks close to 30grams of wild and mostly famous named kyara pieces ranging from .1-2g chunks from collectors and auctions in Japan in the last 4years collecting.

The flowery sweetness, spicy and bitterness of this oil is a PICTURE PERFECT representation of many of my kynam pieces at room temperature and even slightly on low heat however the oil shows it’s Borneo diesel/pine very faintly in a powdery way the note added to the top notes, but I can see through it and focus clearly on that which I see when I smell many of my kinams from the vials and when i heat some of them. I will not even bother rant about what else I smell as it transforms or the insanely gorgeous unique drydown.

For me this oil alone makes Ensar a legend and now I realize how many people feel as strongly as I do about this oil with other different oils he has released.

I tried many oricents as well so I have a very clear idea of the oils of Ensar Oud.

Shocked everytine I use this. I tried many other Borneo oils and non have this unique profile.

and again @zahir is also a legend for trading this oil for a gram or so of different kinam chips i sent him.

to those who know this oil as well as i do and who have heated a big variety of kinam in their lives i think you are lucky if you still have some! if you do lol POST A PICTURE OF IT HERE!! MAN THIS OIL MADE MY DAY AGAIN!!

 

[language scent]

I’ve been evaluating a couple of CK oils from wardlab. I’m trying to find a decent smelling, reliable, budget kinam oil to use in perfume experiments.

Did I just say “budget kinam oil”? Pinch me I must be dreaming

wardlab showed me two at two different price points that are each striking in their own way. The more expensive one has much gentler scent, and at first that deceived me into thinking it really was one of the co2 extracts that smells mostly like the unheated wood (which is sort of does at first). That awesome kinam note follows however!. After diluting to 1% and applying as a spray, I’m actually completely taken by this oil, even though it is out of my budget at the moment. This one really does capture that classic beautiful scent that emerges when you get the heat just right with CK wood. I. In this case, instead of hitting you right away, it shows up and then gradually builds as the scent settles down. Another nice thing about this one is it does not have any of the “salivary notes” which are in many sinensis/ck oils and it is a balanced scent all on its own.

The other oil is also a CO2 extract, and this one is more robust in a very appealing way, with a little bit of something that reminds me of that sunshine note, but in a lower register. This does have some of the salivary notes but these are zero issue for my intended use (oud fragrance or oud as part of complex mixtures). the salivary notes seem to be easily masked with just about any other oil and the oudiness is strong in this extract so the salivary notes are not the main impression like some lower end oils/fractions. I’ve decided to get a couple of bottles of this because it will fit perfectly in to a couple of things I’m working on.

If you are interested in carbon dioxide extracts of CK wood I recommend you check these out.

Decent co2 extracts that don’t smell like wet wood, ck wood everywhere, “budget kinam oil” wtf is going on here?

WHO DO I CONTACT FOR SOME SAMPLES!!!?? LOL

 

[Sproaty]

Your “crazy golden ray of sun” imagery reminds me of my impressions of a couple of sinensis oils i have smelled from grandawood and one from mesoud- this bright scintillating high register buzzing scent is a treat for me as well, if we are talking about the same thing. I have encountered this in both distillations and carbon dioxide extracts.

It's such a beautiful note. I also get it to some degree in new-age Hindi oils but always far more pronounced & stunning in Sinensis

 

[Ahmaoud]

Started the morning off with some RBO samples, specifically Sumbawa, Phuket, Mizoram and Nam Nao.

I rather enjoyed Sumbawa off the first couple of swipes, smelled quite green and fresh. Unfortunately it went the direction of many Sumbawas, the mid lightens the green facets and introduces a decaying forest floor note alongside some dried herb-ish aspects. I can appreciate the profile but it's not something I gravitate towards, perhaps more wearings needed.

Phuket was a joy to wear, from the initial, very syrupy swipe which felt like rubbing honey, leaving a dull yellow stain on my skin. Sweet, slightly mentholated aged Thai profile, no fermented-ness detectable. Ripe plum like sweetness, a delicious oud, which flirts with sweetness but never losing its character to it.

Mizoram had a nasal clearing spice to it, which transformed into something quite sour in the mid, pungent verging on the vinegary side but then settled down into something more refined. Chocolatey nuances but within a sphere of something which felt quite spicy. Perhaps I applied too much, I remember appreciating this one but I applied a lot less then.

Nam Nao I quite enjoyed, unfortunately didn't get enough time with it before I had to freshen up. One of the more unique Thai profiles, gentle herbs immersed in a floral honey, and rather airy. The honey like scent profile, is tough to balance, it can become overly sweet ruining any detectable complexity, but I feel like it'll be alright here.

 

[Ahmaoud]

As for what I wore fully today, Habzoud's Cambodi Smoke, which changes quite a bit during the first couple of minutes. Off the cap, I did initially get a liquid smoke sort of leaning scent, but take out the applicator, and you'll be greeted with a smoked toffee note, it's quite delicious, made me think of crème brûlée tops. Though it's not a sweet oil by stretch of the imagination, and on skin, while the smoke-y note is prominent it's not dense, but floating above a beautifully clean Cambodi. At one point I thought I could sense a rose note, similar to what you'd find in Ottoman Empire IV, but that was nonsense. Most likely my brain was associating scents I encountered alongside smoky incense, and it does feel like you're a walking bakhoor session. This then dries down to the most beautiful worn leather you could imagine, with a gentle, delicately sweet smoke having permeated it. I imagine walking out of a smoke room, on a cold evening, just as I'm exiting the doors and the cold air hits me, the scent which'd fill my nostrils would be this!

Followed by Al Hashimi's Prachin Koh, this semi-thaqeel feeling oil, has the perfect consistency for my taste, thick but not sticky syrup like, instead a bit waxy which allows for easier application. From the top there's hints of that Crassna profile but tweaked to present a smooth, and buttery, perfectly ripe pluminess, underneath which a very distinct floral undercurrent runs through. Plum facets vanish rather quickly here, taking a marked focus on the florals, slightly sour sweet. Culminating into a floral incense that's simply divine and I have no words to describe. Something in the first part of this scent reminded me of some Vietnamese profiles I've encountered. The florals you'll encounter in the dry down (a combination of sweet, very slightly powdery and cloud like feeling) are unlike any I've experience in ouds from this region and I went a bit YOLO with the application today...

 

[Mr.P]

These sound amazing… I know what you mean about sticky syrup oud.