Oud of the Day

[DubOudh]

Ensar Oud Aroha Kyaku 2018.
I bought this in 2019 and my first impressions of it were an opening like smelling a stale over filled ash tray...😂
Over the intervening years I have often just sniffed it from the bottle, wondring why oh why did I ever buy this. But this has gained with age and I have done a three hundred and sixty degree turn on this one. The ash tray opening is there but it has been emptied and it is more a smokey opening with a petroleum note there, then stale.
It remind me of old car fumes from years ago.
Oh what mad pursuits we follow with our noses...

 

[Dr B1414]

Oriscent Purple Kinam very special oil. This one takes many wearings to unlock and wrap your head around. From an artistic point of view, it is a master oil. The distiller must be very proud of what he achieved here and I see why Ensar praises it so much. Quite an experience. It feels extraterrestrial. Purple fruits and florals have an orgy in a spaceship only to later crash it somewhere in Indonesia (it has a Maluku oil flair in the dry-down). Lots of piercing qualities with this one, similar to Taha's Royal-level oils. I don't like it as much as oils like Oud Sultani, Ahmad, Kannan, or Berkilau but I think it is superior overall. I much prefer Rembrandt or Caravaggio to Picasso but I see a more complete artist in the latter.

Agar Aura Khmer Rosso Red Vietnamese flavor all over it. Cambodian? Where? Ancient smelling, gummy in texture with an overall bitter-green cooling sensation. The cousin of Oud Salahuddin.

 

[Imran297]

Cambodi smoke by @Habz786. I get blown away each time I wear it. Truly magical

 

[Fragdoctor]

Rose oud by @Faizal_p today - very nice and smooth aroma with a good balance between sweet and crisp rose and tarty slightly leathery Hindi oud.
Nothing harsh here…only slight fermented notes in the opening for a brief time. A very blended perfume I must say.

 

[Escentually]

mesOUD - Trat Borai

After reading many positive reviews on this oil the last couple of days, I was very excited to swipe this one. Prepared my palette by trying the 2 other Trats and the Thai Classic in the sample set first.

To begin Trat Borai has a very similar semi soaked/fermented funky note that I got from Trat Sweet. Nothing unpleasant as always from Mehmet and not as strong of a fermented note as Thai Classic or Trat Classic. A sour cream funky cheese note begins to play out simultaneously wit a dusty/waxy peach. I almost thought I made a mistake and swiped Trat Sweet again with how similar the opening was to me.

It’s after this oil begins to warm up that it starts to differ from the others to me. More sour tamarind with a slightly citrusy/yellow floral/honey undertone. Very slight, and definitely dominated by this syrupy red woody/apricot funk, but I notice it briefly poking out.

I thought y’all were crazy when I read that there’s a petrichor cool breeze component to this oil. Off the vial and the first portion of this oil it’s so funky semi-soaked goodness that I couldn’t imagine what you guys were smelling. It’s only now later into the lifespan of this oil that I see the light.

The ripe/overripe tropical jammy fruit and semi-soaked funky cheese and sour cream notes of this oil die down dramatically. No longer are they screaming in your face and bouncing off your skin, now, a cooling earthy woody aroma has entered the fray along with it. Smells of the breeze running through the leaves of a tropical forest as the dewdrops drip to the ground after a fresh downpour. It’s fleeting, and if you focus too long on the scent the crassna sour jam starts to come out clearer. Taking your nose a bit further back from your skin and your transported to the woody jungles, with a crisp invigorating breeze bringing the wonderful aromas of the earth to you.

The deeper drydown is dominated by the now oh so familiar crassna woody red scent mixed slightly oily leather smell similar to the other Thai crassnas I’ve tried. There’s little hints of a dry tobacco, hay, earthy dust. All coming together with that slightly moist woody scent. All in all a banger oil, and probably my favorite of the samples I’ve tried so far.

 

[Mr.P]

I've been so stressed out the last couple of days because I thought I had misplaced some amazing samples that I got from Yusa aromatics. Reviews of these are a little bit overdue in my mind, and the first one I want to talk about is Yusa Aromatics' Huian Ko a 2015(!) oil that i assume is sinensis. Has some of that same appealing sweetness that you see from cultivated kinam but this hits harder and has more depth and breadth than any CK oil I have smelled.

This is a first impression even though I've worn it a few times, but this is some seriously nice stuff on an entirely different level then when I smell cultivated sinensis oils. While ck oils tend to smell simple and heavily refined, this hits like a full on wild oud. Bittersweet, some edge, notes of ck, carrot seed and nagarmotha come to mind. A different scent than royal kinam yet somehow brings that oil to mind. I will definitely be talking more about this later once I have worn it a couple more times. Absolutely wonderful oil though no question at all, I would be so happy if I had a stash of this.

 

[Shiningrobes]

mesOUD - Trat Sweet

Swiping the second of three Trat samples from Mehmet this morning. Saving Trat Borei for last as I’ve read it’s quite a unique one from the region.

This oil opens up with none of those soaked/fermented notes I experience in Trat Classic or Thai Classic. Instead there’s this dusty apricot jam mixed with a resinous wood shaving/pencil shaving note. Much rounder and sweeter than the previous Thais. There’s this honey like sweetness in the background too but it doesn’t feel too syrupy. I find that as it sits on the skin that dusty/old/mothball like note I’m note a big fan off starts to die down and the fruity tart sweetness of the apricot starts to shine brighter. This could be like a pseudo-osmanthus/apricot type note to me, as it’s changing in its character as I smell it.

Further along I notice a clove spice note coming out with the sweet apricot. Very similar to the Borneo Qi from Jinkoh Store. Not nearly as potent as in Jinkohs offering, and blending very nicely with the fresh sweetness of the apricot.

On the late drydown of this the sweetness and fruitiness is more of a wisp in the breeze, slightly spicy clove is now getting eaten up by an old furniture scent. Something akin to walking into an antique shop full of old wooden chairs, tables, drawers, and old Persian rugs hanging from the ceiling. Combining with that very familiar liquor red, woody cherry crassna drydown. Very meditative in the last hours of wear for me.

A much more wearable and easy-going take on the region to me, very delicious oil.
View attachment 37869

Can’t wait! I ordered some Mesoud samples before I left town for work and have a sample of this waiting for me at home.

 

[Escentually]

Can’t wait! I ordered some Mesoud samples before I left town for work and have a sample of this waiting for me at home.

You’re in for a treat! It’s a beautiful oil, and sure to satisfy anyone’s sweet tooth. I’ve loved everything on the sample set so far

 

[YusaAromatics]

I've been so stressed out the last couple of days because I thought I had misplaced some amazing samples that I got from Yusa aromatics. Reviews of these are a little bit overdue in my mind, and the first one I want to talk about is Yusa Aromatics' Huian Ko a 2015(!) oil that i assume is sinensis. Has some of that same appealing sweetness that you see from cultivated kinam but this hits harder and has more depth and breadth than any CK oil I have smelled.

This is a first impression even though I've worn it a few times, but this is some seriously nice stuff on an entirely different level then when I smell cultivated sinensis oils. While ck oils tend to smell simple and heavily refined, this hits like a full on wild oud. Bittersweet, some edge, notes of ck, carrot seed and nagarmotha come to mind. A different scent than royal kinam yet somehow brings that oil to mind. I will definitely be talking more about this later once I have worn it a couple more times. Absolutely wonderful oil though no question at all, I would be so happy if I had a stash of this.

Thanks for your thoughts on Huian Ko. @Mr.P We acquired this oil from a Hong Kong collector and its actually a Cambodi oil from the kinam producing species of trees. The Chinese call it "Bodhisattva chess" as it smells like kinam with the Cambodi sweetness.

 

[Mr.P]

Not the first time I've noticed some notes emerging from crassna oils that make me think of sinensis, but usually I have experienced that in the base notes. For example olefaktory "economy Laos" has some sweetness and confectionery notes in that base notes that are sweet and appealing in the way kinam is.

I just took a stronger whiff on the dipstick and I can totally believe it's crassna.

Not too long ago I actually pulled up one of the phylogenetic trees of oud species to see if those two species (sinensis, crassna) share a more recent common ancestor compared to the others but they actually don't.

Anyway, I look forward to studying this one and trying to sort it out with a fresh nose.

 

[Olfactory Nomad]

mesOUD - Trat Borai

After reading many positive reviews on this oil the last couple of days, I was very excited to swipe this one. Prepared my palette by trying the 2 other Trats and the Thai Classic in the sample set first.

To begin Trat Borai has a very similar semi soaked/fermented funky note that I got from Trat Sweet. Nothing unpleasant as always from Mehmet and not as strong of a fermented note as Thai Classic or Trat Classic. A sour cream funky cheese note begins to play out simultaneously wit a dusty/waxy peach. I almost thought I made a mistake and swiped Trat Sweet again with how similar the opening was to me.

It’s after this oil begins to warm up that it starts to differ from the others to me. More sour tamarind with a slightly citrusy/yellow floral/honey undertone. Very slight, and definitely dominated by this syrupy red woody/apricot funk, but I notice it briefly poking out.

I thought y’all were crazy when I read that there’s a petrichor cool breeze component to this oil. Off the vial and the first portion of this oil it’s so funky semi-soaked goodness that I couldn’t imagine what you guys were smelling. It’s only now later into the lifespan of this oil that I see the light.

The ripe/overripe tropical jammy fruit and semi-soaked funky cheese and sour cream notes of this oil die down dramatically. No longer are they screaming in your face and bouncing off your skin, now, a cooling earthy woody aroma has entered the fray along with it. Smells of the breeze running through the leaves of a tropical forest as the dewdrops drip to the ground after a fresh downpour. It’s fleeting, and if you focus too long on the scent the crassna sour jam starts to come out clearer. Taking your nose a bit further back from your skin and your transported to the woody jungles, with a crisp invigorating breeze bringing the wonderful aromas of the earth to you.

The deeper drydown is dominated by the now oh so familiar crassna woody red scent mixed slightly oily leather smell similar to the other Thai crassnas I’ve tried. There’s little hints of a dry tobacco, hay, earthy dust. All coming together with that slightly moist woody scent. All in all a banger oil, and probably my favorite of the samples I’ve tried so far.
View attachment 37910

Awesome review. I'll have to dig out my sample when I get home as I don't think I've tried this one yet.👍😁 Edit..ok. I'm home and am now wearing the Borai. I remembered that this one out of my sample set was actually the first one I tried out of the lot so very glad to be brought back to it because it's wonderful. Might have to get myself a larger bottle of this one I think.

 

[Escentually]

Awesome review. I'll have to dig out my sample when I get home as I don't think I've tried this one yet.👍😁 Edit..ok. I'm home and am now wearing the Borai. I remembered that this one out of my sample set was actually the first one I tried out of the lot so very glad to be brought back to it because it's wonderful. Might have to get myself a larger bottle of this one I think.

Thank you brother, I agree it’s a special one. With all the praise it’s getting Mehmet is going to have a hard time keeping this one in stock😅

 

[Mike Jonez]

Vietking @mesOUD
This will be my first time wearing & studying it on its own , the other I was way too impatient & threw on all 4 oils

 

[Xerohome]

heavy hitters for tonight ..
clean, smooth and sophisticated

 

[Mr.P]

I've been looking at some of these Sulaym heritage collection oils. I have applied each of them at least once and a couple I have applied several times to try to develop a meaningful description of the notes that I detect.

I have a small dab of 1979 Burmese - HM Sultan Qaboos. I believe the opening line in my email to Sulaym was something to the effect that this oil was "quite a trip!" It's definitely premature for me to be writing a review of this but enough stands out from two wearings to have a good sense of what it is, and I kind of can't resist.

Anyway this one made me chuckle In appreciation when I smelled it. I think you know the reaction i am talking about. Last burmese i smelled was Crassna. I smell things that remind me of mature top top shelf gulf style heavy old (non-hindi) ouds. But the dense aged-wood oiliness is something I have smelled mainly in oils like the old "Oud Royale" (so that was a qaboos oil all this time... had no idea!), km super ateeq, ASO malek al malayzi and a couple of other elder/stately indo/malay oils I've encountered.

It also has some of the zest of the hm lao in this set and the old bolisat lao oil. A certain bright penetrating slight sawtooth "scintillating wood" note. I assume this note reflects some method of soaking or extraction but that's not something I can be sure of.

More thoughts later!

 

[Escentually]

heavy hitters for tonight ..
clean, smooth and sophisticated


View attachment 37944

Swiping them all?!? My brain would be lighting up like fireworks

 

[Escentually]

Habzoud - Raja Hijau

Swiped this new A. Rostrata oil from Habzoud today. Nothing like I’ve experienced so far in my oud oil journey. This reminds me of the scents I’ve had glimpses of in perfumes compositions I own that use Sri Lankan Oud. A sweet aquatic green tropical fruit note. It feels more like a guava and pear flavor in this oil rather than a mango skin in the Sri Lankan’s. Mixed together is a damp earthy soil smell reminiscent of a post rainfall scent. Very cool feeling to it, I imagine this is what a mitti attar would smell like if it was mixed with those lovely fruity note.

Further along the sweet fruity aspect dies down and is replaced by a spicy woody incense note. Similar to the Borneo Qi from Jinkoh Store, a kind of cinnamon and clove scent that is less reminiscent of a freshly lit cigarette, and more of a leather jacket you’re smelling that’s been worn by a heavy smoker. This is all still accompanied by that damp clay scent running through the spices.

Blessed to have such a rare and exquisite oil!

 

[McOudtrade]

Habzoud - Raja Hijau

Swiped this new A. Rostrata oil from Habzoud today. Nothing like I’ve experienced so far in my oud oil journey. This reminds me of the scents I’ve had glimpses of in perfumes compositions I own that use Sri Lankan Oud. A sweet aquatic green tropical fruit note. It feels more like a guava and pear flavor in this oil rather than a mango skin in the Sri Lankan’s. Mixed together is a damp earthy soil smell reminiscent of a post rainfall scent. Very cool feeling to it, I imagine this is what a mitti attar would smell like if it was mixed with those lovely fruity note.

Further along the sweet fruity aspect dies down and is replaced by a spicy woody incense note. Similar to the Borneo Qi from Jinkoh Store, a kind of cinnamon and clove scent that is less reminiscent of a freshly lit cigarette, and more of a leather jacket you’re smelling that’s been worn by a heavy smoker. This is all still accompanied by that damp clay scent running through the spices.

Blessed to have such a rare and exquisite oil!
View attachment 37945

I got more lemon/lime and cola, and none of the tobacco you noticed. But everything else is spot on to my experience, especially the pear and guava skin

 

[Escentually]

I got more lemon/lime and cola, and none of the tobacco you noticed. But everything else is spot on to my experience, especially the pear and guava skin

I definitely got a fizzy cola, lemon lime note in the opening when the fruity tropical scent was still there.

You’re right! I’m not sure if my earlier fragrance was masking the scent but an hour or so after swiping I don’t get any of that. I think that woody scent had me mistaking it for a cigarette tobacco, and even then it smelled more like a faint glimpse of it coming of a smokers leather jacket. Now it’s settled down to me as a damp smell with maybe some mothballs and old dusty closet.

Take it with a grain of salt as the morning fragrance could certainly be affecting my perception of this oil

 

[Mr.P]

I got more lemon/lime and cola, and none of the tobacco you noticed. But everything else is spot on to my experience, especially the pear and guava skin

I like the lime and the cola 😍