Oud of the Day

[Mr.P]

Another @mesOUD banger - Havva wild Gyrinops Walla.

I pull out these benchmarks only when I'm ready to pay attention. I love the aromas in themselves, but it's aroma in the context of quality information about its origin that is the most fascinating to me. Having accumulated decades of experience with oils coming with only vague information, stories, and obfuscation about materials and origins, I see these oils as a chance to sweep some cobwebs out of the closet.

So this is Walla Gyrinops... i'm not somebody who gets 1 million associations when I smell things. I experience sensations more than associations and it's hard to put those into words, and I'm actually almost at a loss at the moment, but I will try to describe those sensations. Initial hit is vibrant, present, toothy. Not quite phenolic but a little bit medicinal and perhaps bordering on phenolic. The term phenolic is one that I I'm still trying to understand but I find useful as a catch all for a variety of bitter, medicinal, and robust notes. Again this oil is not phenolic but it's robust in its opening. When I take a deep whiff I get hit with a balance of notes I associate with both younger and aged oud oils - which makes sense given that this is a recent distillation of wild well-resinated wood. It is wonderful experiencing these aged notes in a fresh oil, and for me the experience of personally observing the maturation of a really fine fresh specimen from the hands of the distiller is a "bucket list" experience I thought I would not have in my life time.

 

[Mr.P]

Update on the Havva - it is doing the same kind of shock transformation that @AlHind Oud Firdous and Firdous Royale undergo (two more examples of killer benchmark oils right from the distiller). Maybe this is just the characteristic of quality Walla oud. It's just wild. Right now it's smelling like one of those nice musky Malinaus! This facet is hidden when the oil is first applied. Very distinctive two phase profile, I just love this second facet.

 

[mobyus]

AlMokhlif Oud - Hindi Assami Oud oil

It opens with slight barn-like animalistic notes before evolving into deep, resinous woody tones with hints of dried fruits, leather, and subtle floral undertones that create a profoundly meditative and luxurious fragrance experience. I always enjoy applying this one. The barn decreases over time as it’s worn.

 

[SteveE]

Jaya Qadeem from @Habz786 - wow, this came as a sample.
The description is perfect, I cannot improve on it!

The oil has a deep brown hue and upon application emites a super clean cloud of piercing cooling leafy mint, deep dark earthy woodiness, lush dense jungleness, cooked spices, pipe tobacco, roasted coffee beans, sweet Oudy resin, fresh clay pottery, the aroma of an oceanic breeze. Im also reminded of that old antique car interior smell which i always loved as a child, old yet sophisticated, mature yet lively.

I will be adding a larger bottle of this to my collection.

 

[Olfactory Nomad]

I've layered Siamlou oud with my attar of Merauke, bergamot and civet. Smells insanely good. I've just gone and done the grocery shopping for the week and I feel like I've broken some public decency law or something smelling this good while performing a mundane task. Highly recommend.

 

[Ouderriffic]

Danketsu by @Oudique

Had an Oudique delivery today which primarily included re-buys of oils/paste I had already bought before. More Zabad al Qamar, Al-Hoot, Ward al Bulgare, and Danketsu.

From the few oud oils I have from Oudique, I have noticed they all seem to pack a punch. This one is no exception.

I do have a few Pontianak and Merauke oils to reference, and I can definitely pickup the typical notes from both regions united within this oil. It really is a "match made in heaven," so to speak. The jungle floor aspect of the Merauke is perfectly subdued by the sweet coffee notes of the Pontianak, yet the incense note of the Merauke make its presence known in the dry down. A very unique co-distillation which I enjoy a lot.

 

[Olfactory Nomad]

Danketsu by @Oudique

Had an Oudique delivery today which primarily included re-buys of oils/paste I had already bought before. More Zabad al Qamar, Al-Hoot, Ward al Bulgare, and Danketsu.

From the few oud oils I have from Oudique, I have noticed they all seem to pack a punch. This one is no exception.

I do have a few Pontianak and Merauke oils to reference, and I can definitely pickup the typical notes from both regions united within this oil. It really is a "match made in heaven," so to speak. The jungle floor aspect of the Merauke is perfectly subdued by the sweet coffee notes of the Pontianak, yet the incense note of the Merauke make its presence known in the dry down. A very unique co-distillation which I enjoy a lot.

I think you've convinced me to get some. I've been looking at it in my cart for weeks now.

 

[Ouderriffic]

I think you've convinced me to get some. I've been looking at it in my cart for weeks now.

Oh you mean the same way you just convinced me to go for 1gr of Alamgir 1 with the sale going on?? Made the purchase about 10 mins ago 🤣

I think you will like it. I started with that .5gr and just added that 1gr. It leans more towards Pontianak than Merauke imo, which for my tastes is preferred.

 

[Olfactory Nomad]

Oh you mean the same way you just convinced me to go for 1gr of Alamgir 1 with the sale going on?? Made the purchase about 10 mins ago 🤣

I think you will like it. I started with that .5gr and just added that 1gr. It leans more towards Pontianak than Merauke imo, which for my tastes is preferred.

That's pretty funny. Congrats. Alamgir is incredible. One of those oils where you litteraly only need a dot. A full gram will really go the distance.

 

[Ouderriffic]

That's pretty funny. Congrats. Alamgir is incredible. One of those oils where you litteraly only need a dot. A full gram will really go the distance.

Oh, I know it is amazing stuff. A really awesome layering I did the other day was Alamgir + Firdous Royale and what a killer combo that was!

 

[Olfactory Nomad]

Oh, I know it is amazing stuff. A really awesome layering I did the other day was Alamgir + Firdous Royale and what a killer combo that was!

Oh nice! It layers well with a bunch I've tried it with. My favourite is layering Alamgir and Nizam Ul Mulk. Hot damn!

 

[Ouderriffic]

Oh nice! It layers well with a bunch I've tried it with. My favourite is layering Alamgir and Nizam Ul Mulk. Hot damn!

Oh wow, I just looked it up. It does sound amazing too.

 

[LasLunas]

I think you've convinced me to get some. I've been looking at it in my cart for weeks now.

DANKETSU by Oudique
Mine just arrived yesterday. So unique and teasing, oscillates between an earthy jungle and Sunday morning breakfast cooking. Intrigued by this oil. Balanced feelings all night from this oil.

 

[mobyus]

Sokkat AlTeeb - Khao Yai

There is something about Sokkat AlTeeb’s ouds that just hits different. This Khao Yai puts off notes of rainforest, spice, orange peel, and light florals.

 

[Mainiac]

TOL - Cambodi Musk

This is my first experience of oud mixed with musk and I'm loving it! It has that typical cambodi profile with a fierce animalic tone right down the center of it. I'm really eyeing HM Royal Ghaliya now....

 

[Ouderriffic]

TOL - Cambodi Musk

This is my first experience of oud mixed with musk and I'm loving it! It has that typical cambodi profile with a fierce animalic tone right down the center of it. I'm really eyeing HM Royal Ghaliya now....

I wish there were more musk+oud macerations out there. The best I have come across is Zumurrud from ASO. One of the favorite oils in my collection. HM Royal Ghaliyah is pretty heavy on oud+musk so I think you will like it.

 

[Saudalhajri]

2010 Kalakassi from India, cooked from very high quality trees over firewood.
This Oud is an odd one, many people have tried it and unanimously agreed that it’s a very good oil. Incredibly complex and smooth. I had suspected it’s mixed with a Thai oil specifically prachin - which isn’t an uncommon practice- , a few people said it might be, a few said it’s pure Hindi. The vendor confirmed it’s 100% Hindi, but I will remove any doubt by sending it to be chemically analyzed.

I put a few pinches of powdered Kyrgyzstan musk in one 2.5g bottle, it’s slowly gaining a Cambodian or trat like fruitiness now.

 

[Olfactory Nomad]

I wish there were more musk+oud macerations out there. The best I have come across is Zumurrud from ASO. One of the favorite oils in my collection. HM Royal Ghaliyah is pretty heavy on oud+musk so I think you will like it.

I think they probably are out there..just not so much in the West. I believe the oud and musk combo is a lot more common in the UAE for instance. Creating one yourself is a worthy project. Even if just as a learning experience. My oud and Siberian musk maceration came out waaaay too strong for me to use unfortunately, which is why I'm trying to sell it but I did learn many things in the process.

 

[Ouderriffic]

I think they probably are out there..just not so much in the West. I believe the oud and musk combo is a lot more common in the UAE for instance. Creating one yourself is a worthy project. Even if just as a learning experience. My oud and Siberian musk maceration came out waaaay too strong for me to use unfortunately, which is why I'm trying to sell it but I did learn many things in the process.

Perhaps you are correct about it being more common in the UAE. I have also taken the leap in making a few myself, but only with some organic oud oils so as not to risk too much on a bad blend lol. One turned out really great using RBO 2016 Trat and Mongolian. Then I did a few others using an organic A+ Malaysian Malaccensis (came with a grading cert) with Siberian, Mongolian, and one with both, but those ones I am not particularly fond of. I just didn't really love the oud oil to begin with so I regret even wasting the musk on them lol. I wish I had used the musk on more of the RBO trat I bought a tola of. Oh well, live and learn.

The Malaysian just has kind of a sour/acrid opening. I wonder sometimes if I could use it in some blends in a way that would offset the qualities I am not too fond of. Maybe that would also be a good option for the one you made and find to be too strong?

 

[Olfactory Nomad]

Perhaps you are correct about it being more common in the UAE. I have also taken the leap in making a few myself, but only with some organic oud oils so as not to risk too much on a bad blend lol. One turned out really great using RBO 2016 Trat and Mongolian. Then I did a few others using an organic A+ Malaysian Malaccensis (came with a grading cert) with Siberian, Mongolian, and one with both, but those ones I am not particularly fond of. I just didn't really love the oud oil to begin with so I regret even wasting the musk on them lol. I wish I had used the musk on more of the RBO trat I bought a tola of. Oh well, live and learn.

The Malaysian just has kind of a sour/acrid opening. I wonder sometimes if I could use it in some blends in a way that would offset the qualities I am not too fond of. Maybe that would also be a good option for the one you made and find to be too strong?

It's definitely something I have considered. I believe that nothing can/should be wasted. Maybe with more time it will settle down? It was a good exercise anyway as it taught me a good bit about how it behaves so all is not lost. It has really enhanced the bits i'm not particularly fond of as you say so I'm unsure if I'll ever learn to like it. I think Siberan musk is just too strong for me. It's a real knock your head off musk.