Oud of the Day

[Obada]

Brother I’m looking too, who will win the race? 😂 After experiencing a piece of the EOC profile in Emperor Of Pursat, I’ve been very keen to hunt down this oil also!

Then we share what we find, 50:50 😁

 

[Mousse de Chene]

I believe this is the "recently distilled" signature, I have smelled it in many freshly distilled artisanal oils. My observations over the last 25 years are:

1. It will transform slowly over time

2. In some oils (thai crassna), it can take 5+ years to transform completely

3. Fermentation seems to eliminate this aspect of oud

4. Have never smelled it in a Hindi / agallocha oil

I would love to hear the thoughts of people who are immersed in extracting or who have been widely sampling fresh oils.

This is no criticism of Mehmet’s method of releasing oils as his fresh oils are generally praised in this community, but do the majority of customers have any interest in witnessing the very initial aging process?
It’s like purchasing green bananas or rock hard pears, I’d rather buy them ripe so I can enjoy them right away, perhaps I lack patience?…I’d rather receive an oil that has undergone at least 6 months of aging than waiting for the ‘recently distilled’ signature to transform.

On the other hand, experiencing the maturation of an oil from year to year is where the true beauty is at for me! In some cases only two years of aging can completely beautify a good oil into something truly spectacular! I worry people are going to run out of their Anas or Havva before the distillations have their chance to truely bloom!

 

[Mousse de Chene]

Then we share what we find, 50:50 😁

Deal!

 

[Mr.P]

This is no criticism of Mehmet’s method of releasing oils as his fresh oils are generally praised in this community, but do the majority of customers have any interest in witnessing the very initial aging process?
It’s like purchasing green bananas or rock hard pears, I’d rather buy them ripe so I can enjoy them right away, perhaps I lack patience?…I’d rather receive an oil that has undergone at least 6 months of aging than waiting for the ‘recently distilled’ signature to transform.

On the other hand, experiencing the maturation of an oil from year to year is where the true beauty is at for me! In some cases only two years of aging can completely beautify a good oil into something truly spectacular! I worry people are going to run out of their Anas or Havva before the distillations have their chance to truely bloom!

I'd rather get it right away than wait a few years to get a sniff. I'm someone who's as interested in the study of changes in scent over time as the aesthetics of a particular moment in time. So for me, the fresh oils direct from the still of the craftsman have greatly enhanced value.

Actually in my case, what I don't have a lot of experience with is the young stages of really high quality oils so that's where my curiosity lies

 

[Fragdoctor]

This is no criticism of Mehmet’s method of releasing oils as his fresh oils are generally praised in this community, but do the majority of customers have any interest in witnessing the very initial aging process?
It’s like purchasing green bananas or rock hard pears, I’d rather buy them ripe so I can enjoy them right away, perhaps I lack patience?…I’d rather receive an oil that has undergone at least 6 months of aging than waiting for the ‘recently distilled’ signature to transform.

On the other hand, experiencing the maturation of an oil from year to year is where the true beauty is at for me! In some cases only two years of aging can completely beautify a good oil into something truly spectacular! I worry people are going to run out of their Anas or Havva before the distillations have their chance to truely bloom!

I can understand your thought

This is no criticism of Mehmet’s method of releasing oils as his fresh oils are generally praised in this community, but do the majority of customers have any interest in witnessing the very initial aging process?
It’s like purchasing green bananas or rock hard pears, I’d rather buy them ripe so I can enjoy them right away, perhaps I lack patience?…I’d rather receive an oil that has undergone at least 6 months of aging than waiting for the ‘recently distilled’ signature to transform.

On the other hand, experiencing the maturation of an oil from year to year is where the true beauty is at for me! In some cases only two years of aging can completely beautify a good oil into something truly spectacular! I worry people are going to run out of their Anas or Havva before the distillations have their chance to truely bloom!

i can understand what you are saying; being a student of oud I have experienced all sorts of oils. The likes of oriscent, early eo oils, agar aura, “sq bandwagon” etc. and have come to a conclusion that I’d choose a distillation that has been distilled from a wood whose quality has been shown to me, the distillation process has been shared and the yield amount is known. I will choose it any day over the other oils that are marketed based on stores and legends.
About maturation, there is a limit to it in my understanding, age does change the oil a little due to chemistry and stuff but the basic profile or core DNA never changes. At least never did for me.

 

[Mousse de Chene]

I'd rather get it right away than wait a few years to get a sniff. I'm someone who's as interested in the study of changes in scent over time as the aesthetics of a particular moment in time. So for me, the fresh oils direct from the still of the craftsman have greatly enhanced value.

Actually in my case, what I don't have a lot of experience with is the young stages of really high quality oils so that's where my curiosity lies

Very interesting, I see your point 100% from that perspective.
I place a greater value on how the distiller ages their oils. From what I understand talking to Al Shareef, AT & Ahom Oud aging oils is just as important as the distillation process, being an art form itself.
Generally, these techniques are kept in house as each distiller has their own aging methods & parameters to ensure the oil is the best it can be when being released to the market.

 

[mesOUD]

This is no criticism of Mehmet’s method of releasing oils as his fresh oils are generally praised in this community, but do the majority of customers have any interest in witnessing the very initial aging process?
It’s like purchasing green bananas or rock hard pears, I’d rather buy them ripe so I can enjoy them right away, perhaps I lack patience?…I’d rather receive an oil that has undergone at least 6 months of aging than waiting for the ‘recently distilled’ signature to transform.

On the other hand, experiencing the maturation of an oil from year to year is where the true beauty is at for me! In some cases only two years of aging can completely beautify a good oil into something truly spectacular! I worry people are going to run out of their Anas or Havva before the distillations have their chance to truely bloom!

We have discussed this here before
And we came to the following conclusion: For those who want to discover every stage of a structure and witness its journey through time, I decided to serve it they are distilled and cured
I have two goals in this
1) As I mentioned, some people like to see and enjoy all the stages of an oil (I am one of them)
2) I want to do a favor to the people who respect my work and buy blindly, I mean that if I have any of my oils left and they get old, their price will be at a very different level from the first announced price. I think that people who trust my work deserve to buy at a special price.
Edit:This is a bit selfish, but I also like to hear the congratulations of people who have experienced young and aged oils before, such as, is this oil really 1 week old, how can it be?

 

[Mousse de Chene]

I can understand your thought

i can understand what you are saying; being a student of oud I have experienced all sorts of oils. The likes of oriscent, early eo oils, agar aura, “sq bandwagon” etc. and have come to a conclusion that I’d choose a distillation that has been distilled from a wood whose quality has been shown to me, the distillation process has been shared and the yield amount is known. I will choose it any day over the other oils that are marketed based on stores and legends.
About maturation, there is a limit to it in my understanding, age does change the oil a little due to chemistry and stuff but the basic profile or core DNA never changes. At least never did for me.

Interesting points. I definitely agree with you that the basic DNA of an oil doesn’t shift massively, but what I’ve experienced in regard to maturation is the significant changes in horizontal complexities & auxiliary notes.
As I previously mentioned, in as little as 2 years I’ve witnessed facets in certain oils have become more or less pronounced, the rounding off of less desirable notes, the elevation of desirable notes etc.

 

[Mousse de Chene]

We have discussed this here before
And we came to the following conclusion: For those who want to discover every stage of a structure and witness its journey through time, I decided to serve it they are distilled and cured
I have two goals in this
1) As I mentioned, some people like to see and enjoy all the stages of an oil (I am one of them)
2) I want to do a favor to the people who respect my work and buy blindly, I mean that if I have any of my oils left and they get old, their price will be at a very different level from the first announced price. I think that people who trust my work deserve to buy at a special price.
Edit:This is a bit selfish, but I also like to hear the congratulations of people who have experienced young and aged oils before, such as, is this oil really 1 week old, how can it be?

Yes, I completely understand brother. Please do not interpret my post as criticism, I’m merely just asking questions that pique my curiosity. Maybe I need to experience one of your fresh oils to understand this perspective.

 

[mesOUD]

Yes, I completely understand brother. Please do not interpret my post as criticism, I’m merely just asking questions that pique my curiosity. Maybe I need to experience one of your fresh oils to understand this perspective.

You are most welcome brother,we are here to discuss

 

[Mr.P]

Very interesting, I see your point 100% from that perspective.
I place a greater value on how the distiller ages their oils. From what I understand talking to Al Shareef, AT & Ahom Oud aging oils is just as important as the distillation process, being an art form itself.
Generally, these techniques are kept in house as each distiller has their own aging methods & parameters to ensure the oil is the best it can be when being released to the market.

It's precisely this secrecy and the claims of unique methods among those selling acquired older oils that make Mehmet's work so interesting to me! It allows me to see for myself what happens when oils age...

I imagine it's good for everybody because we all get a chance to see the benefits of aging this way, and if all is as it should be it will help all of us to appreciate the benefits of carefully matured oud as well. And I actually think it's a very simple matter to safely store an oil to ensure beautiful maturation (i'd be very interested in any specific information about techniques of course).

 

[mesOUD]

It's precisely this secrecy and the claims of unique methods among those selling acquired older oils that make Mehmet's work so interesting to me! It allows me to see for myself what happens when oils age...

I imagine it's good for everybody because we all get a chance to see the benefits of aging this way, and if all is as it should be it will help all of us to appreciate the benefits of carefully matured oud as well. And I actually think it's a very simple matter to safely store an oil to ensure beautiful maturation (i'd be very interested in any specific information about techniques of course).

I will give a simple example, I selected around 500 grams of sinking woods from the distillation woods of HAVVA , to sell it as incense,but i put them back and distilled them (which I could easily sell as wood for 10.000$, which would be half of 16 grams oşl price and half of my yield)
But as you said, I like to do challenging works, even if I don't say it in words. To distill the kind of oils that can be served and appreciated even when they are young
Yes, aging will undoubtedly add a lot to an oil, but even the silence of quality and high level craftsmanship is enough to deafen the ears.
This is Soul of OUD

 

[Mousse de Chene]

It's precisely this secrecy and the claims of unique methods among those selling acquired older oils that make Mehmet's work so interesting to me! It allows me to see for myself what happens when oils age...

I imagine it's good for everybody because we all get a chance to see the benefits of aging this way, and if all is as it should be it will help all of us to appreciate the benefits of carefully matured oud as well. And I actually think it's a very simple matter to safely store an oil to ensure beautiful maturation (i'd be very interested in any specific information about techniques of course).

Good valid points. I’m not so convinced the aging process is as simple as it appears at face value, however. I could be very wrong. I am merely a novice, only being exposed to Oud for 6 years or so. Also, I’ve never conducted an Oud distillation. When respected veteran distillers inform me there is an art to proper aging, I’m inclined to believe them as the entire process is abstracted to me currently.

Mr P - do you wear these fresh oils or are you storing them for reference?

 

[Mr.P]

Good valid points. I’m not so convinced the aging process is as simple as it appears at face value, however. I could be very wrong. I am merely a novice, only being exposed to Oud for 6 years or so. Also, I’ve never conducted an Oud distillation. When respected veteran distillers inform me there is an art to proper aging, I’m inclined to believe them as the entire process is abstracted to me currently.

Mr P - do you wear these fresh oils or are you storing them for reference?

Yes - I didn't mean to suggest that ASO or the other one was feeding you a line of bull - I am sure there are critical decisions about temperature, permeability of containers, moisture eliminating steps, and knowing how long different regions take to lose their "still notes". I also know sometimes folks will leave jars open to the air for extended periods to alter the profile.

Because I'm specifically interested in the aging process I am studying the oils, not wearing them as scent. In that light, mystification is a problem (only for me personally i mean. I think it is ok, even essential for vendors to maintain secrecy if they have special methods of course).


It is worth underscoring my earlier statement that I'm not in this for quite the same reasons that I think a lot of other people are. I am interested in collecting these as specimens to be able to better understand the profiles of different regions as opposed to building a stash for regular wear. A lot of the oils that I write about I only wear when I am sitting at a desk and studying them, or occasionally just to enjoy on my own around the home and I have smelled so many good things at this point that quality information about the raw materials and methods is what is most precious.

 

[Mousse de Chene]

Yes - I didn't mean to suggest that ASO or the other one was feeding you a line of bull - I am sure there are critical decisions about temperature, permeability of containers, moisture eliminating steps, and knowing how long different regions take to lose their "still notes". I also know sometimes folks will leave jars open to the air for extended periods to alter the profile.

Because I'm specifically interested in the aging process I am studying the oils, not wearing them as scent. In that light, mystification is a problem (only for me personally i mean. I think it is ok, even essential for vendors to maintain secrecy if they have special methods of course).


It is worth underscoring my earlier statement that I'm not in this for quite the same reasons that I think a lot of other people are. I am interested in collecting these as specimens to be able to better understand the profiles of different regions as opposed to building a stash for regular wear. A lot of the oils that I write about I only wear when I am sitting at a desk and studying them, or occasionally just to enjoy on my own around the home and I have smelled so many good things at this point that quality information about the raw materials and methods is what is most precious.

Thank you for the clarification & your excellent communication. I understand where you are coming from now!

While I also collect various Oud profiles often in small amounts to educate myself on regionality, various species & also distillation signatures, I most definitely fall into the camp of someone who wears Oud oils & Attars for pure sensory enjoyment.
While I can appreciate your analytical approach, the actual wearing of Oud, Rose, Musk etc adds value to my life. The daily wearing experience of these materials light me up spiritually, hence why my posts are often emotionally charged, bordering on rapturous at times!

Even though I’m taking considered note of variation in profiles while heating wood, the pure pleasure the wood illicits is what keeps me bound to this interest. I have no desire to be the artist, I am merely the subject being affected by such beauty, the observer. While sometimes the abstract nature of this art form can be confusing, the mystic is part of its charm. Whilst I’m happy to gain as much understanding as possible, in a certain regard I don’t mind keeping my distance not to break the spell.

 

[Mr.P]

Thank you for the clarification & your excellent communication. I understand where you are coming from now!

While I also collect various Oud profiles often in small amounts to educate myself on regionality, various species & also distillation signatures, I most definitely fall into the camp of someone who wears Oud oils & Attars for pure sensory enjoyment.
While I can appreciate your analytical approach, the actual wearing of Oud, Rose, Musk etc adds value to my life. The daily wearing experience of these materials light me up spiritually, hence why my posts are often emotionally charged, bordering on rapturous at times!

Even though I’m taking considered note of variation in profiles while heating wood, the pure pleasure the wood illicits is what keeps me bound to this interest. I have no desire to be the artist, I am merely the subject being affected by such beauty, the observer. While sometimes the abstract nature of this art form can be confusing, the mystic is part of its charm. Whilst I’m happy to gain as much understanding as possible, in a certain regard I don’t mind keeping my distance not to break the spell.

in a certain regard I don’t mind keeping my distance not to break the spell

This is well said... one does not need to spend time backstage to enjoy a play!

 

[oud.time]

Does it resemble the original Emperor of China? That is the big dragon to chase in the field of HK oils IMO. I have a couple Yusas that will be inbound, and I'm looking forward to this one. Wish there was a sample pack for all, so many nice looking ones on the site.

Sorry I’ve never tried EOC. Overall I don’t have that much experience with Chinese ouds. I can say that all of the Yusa oils I’ve tried have been quality and at a good price. Nha trang Ko being the best followed by fragrant harbour.

 

[Woody]

Sorry I’ve never tried EOC. Overall I don’t have that much experience with Chinese ouds. I can say that all of the Yusa oils I’ve tried have been quality and at a good price. Nha trang Ko being the best followed by fragrant harbour.

Ah OK. I have some NTK and it is a pretty decent oil. Looking forward to the FH. Some nice sounding oils on the site, was tough to choose.

 

[Woody]

Now I'm looking at Habz's site, and it looks like I missed the boat on Raja Hijau. The new Philli one sounds pretty promising.

 

[Woody]

Brother I’m looking too, who will win the race? 😂 After experiencing a piece of the EOC profile in Emperor Of Pursat, I’ve been very keen to hunt down this oil also!

I would say that EO Kedah 1 has more overlap with EOC than EOP does. There's a GEOP too, but I've never tried it. Never tried EOK 2 either.