Oud Reviews
- Thread starter Ouddict
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All oils I have had from Al Shareef are incredibly rich and full-bodied - in fact that is what characterizes his oils for me - each vendor has some signature traits to their oils, and the richness/full-bodied aspect of AS oils really stands out.. Without knowing anything about oud distillation I will say the AS oils seem more "old-world" or classic style ous vs the super clean and fresh type scents that AA and FO tend to do - maybe his soak times are longer? I really don't know - Oils like Ridhan, A'Meen, and Rakhawah have no real barnyard, and yet just so rich and sumptuous - he must be using some secret technique, or perhaps he is sourcing some unusual and amazing wood.. 😛
Btw an amazing oil for the cost and just in general is "Rakhawah" by Al Shareef - bottomless depth on this one, deep dark, somewhat bitter, somewhat fruity type oil - very brown/purple/gold scent profile. It smells way more like some extravagant Hindi/Cambodian oil than a Borneo, and if someone told me if was 15-20 years old I would believe them... I'm surprised I don't see more review for this oil
Btw an amazing oil for the cost and just in general is "Rakhawah" by Al Shareef - bottomless depth on this one, deep dark, somewhat bitter, somewhat fruity type oil - very brown/purple/gold scent profile. It smells way more like some extravagant Hindi/Cambodian oil than a Borneo, and if someone told me if was 15-20 years old I would believe them... I'm surprised I don't see more review for this oil
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Mr.P
oud<3er
Mai bo rai - I should have picked up a bottle of this.
At first the sample was a little too funky for me but today I applied a swipe and got a nice classic cambodi / Lao impression. This would have been a nice oud to have a tola or two of stashed away. I expect it will age really nicely...
At first the sample was a little too funky for me but today I applied a swipe and got a nice classic cambodi / Lao impression. This would have been a nice oud to have a tola or two of stashed away. I expect it will age really nicely...
Al Shareef Oudh
Master Perfumer
@Kyarazen congrats on your first post here!!!
@jalil
Jazak Allah Khair for your feedback. I haven't tried the other two oils by EO and IO respectively. However regarding Hudhayl I can say that this beautiful oil brings forth some of the greatest Hindi treasures of time. To get a full appreciation of the luxury beauty of this oil trying the wood that this oil was distilled from, puts into context wood-to-oil relationship. Then the work of the artisan can also clearly be understood.
@5MeO
The richness and full bodied depth and beauty of an oil in my opinion comes from the heart of the artisan. The high tech pot or the classical degs, they do play a role, but the spirit and nuances by which an artisan utilize his tools is what gives the oil real life. I remember when we first offered our products on line three years ago one of our new online clients found Al Shareef II very challenging, and they wrote to me words along those lines. I responded to them and suggested to give themselves time with the oil and that Al Shareef II isn't a sprint, it's a long marathon.
3 days later I got an email saying "I am lost in this oil". 3 weeks later I got an email saying "I still haven't figured out all the pathways in this oil", 3 months later "a day doesn't go by without me applying or thinking about Al Shareef II" 3 years later i got an email recently "I have oils from all the major houses offline and all the vendors online, Al Shareef II is my most beloved oil".
I am a fairly private person when it comes to our art and our customer relationships, but every now and then when an a craft of ours is recognized in the way you have done, I feel to share those intimate intricacies helps our clients better understand the enormity of our arts that they behold.
@jalil
Jazak Allah Khair for your feedback. I haven't tried the other two oils by EO and IO respectively. However regarding Hudhayl I can say that this beautiful oil brings forth some of the greatest Hindi treasures of time. To get a full appreciation of the luxury beauty of this oil trying the wood that this oil was distilled from, puts into context wood-to-oil relationship. Then the work of the artisan can also clearly be understood.
@5MeO
The richness and full bodied depth and beauty of an oil in my opinion comes from the heart of the artisan. The high tech pot or the classical degs, they do play a role, but the spirit and nuances by which an artisan utilize his tools is what gives the oil real life. I remember when we first offered our products on line three years ago one of our new online clients found Al Shareef II very challenging, and they wrote to me words along those lines. I responded to them and suggested to give themselves time with the oil and that Al Shareef II isn't a sprint, it's a long marathon.
3 days later I got an email saying "I am lost in this oil". 3 weeks later I got an email saying "I still haven't figured out all the pathways in this oil", 3 months later "a day doesn't go by without me applying or thinking about Al Shareef II" 3 years later i got an email recently "I have oils from all the major houses offline and all the vendors online, Al Shareef II is my most beloved oil".
I am a fairly private person when it comes to our art and our customer relationships, but every now and then when an a craft of ours is recognized in the way you have done, I feel to share those intimate intricacies helps our clients better understand the enormity of our arts that they behold.
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jalil
Oud bully
@jensz
If people let me have some time with 😀 yesterday I have a great compliment I smell like goat's cheese 😕
@Al Shareef Oudh
Burn hudhayl wood on my low temp burner and simultaneously smell my wrist with a swipe of hudhayl oud is definitly the plan 😉
If people let me have some time with 😀 yesterday I have a great compliment I smell like goat's cheese 😕
@Al Shareef Oudh
Burn hudhayl wood on my low temp burner and simultaneously smell my wrist with a swipe of hudhayl oud is definitly the plan 😉
Shabby
Junior Member
Today I'm comparing the Imperial Oud's old Sandalwood/Ambergris attar to the new one, called Mysuru Ambur. The biggest difference for me is that in the old incarnation, the ambergris and santal were somewhat distinct, which had its own merits, but in the new one they are not only melded together tightly, but they complement each other perfectly. It is especially the citrusy aspect of the sandalwood that acts as a kind of top note which gives it some added class and refinement, but the body is also tighter and more distinguished.
A very fine scent indeed, seriously beautiful and I can almost guarantee that this will get compliments wherever you take it.
A very fine scent indeed, seriously beautiful and I can almost guarantee that this will get compliments wherever you take it.
F4R1d0uX
Resident Artisan
Hi everyone !
I'm a new member and I'm less far experienced than you.
I've heard long soaking period is a matter of yield.
In the old times, the demand was smaller than when arabs became wealthy people.
But in clean conditions you can soak wood for a month easily without being over barn.
It's also known by distillers that long period soaking wood (more than 2 weeks) suits better with copper pots than stainless steel pots.
Last point is the collection of the oil.
If collected by hands in India (mostly) there is no glass separator.
I guess so but maybe someone else has got a better explanation.
Mandeel AlMandeel
Oud Geek
Welcome to the forum , and thanks for information later u can write this info in distillation section
jalil
Oud bully
Al Shareef Oudh - Ceen
Wow!!! it was a long time I dont smell a oud who dont remind me an other oud.
I have no reference to compare it to an other.
Its a chinese oud for shure but so sweet and smooth.
It open with a walk in the forest, not the jungle but a french wait forest in the fall full of mushroom.
But you already get a beautiful note of wild honey in the nose.
The chinese medecin/kinamic note is already here but very smooth.
I love this oud a the first swipe.
Wow!!! it was a long time I dont smell a oud who dont remind me an other oud.
I have no reference to compare it to an other.
Its a chinese oud for shure but so sweet and smooth.
It open with a walk in the forest, not the jungle but a french wait forest in the fall full of mushroom.
But you already get a beautiful note of wild honey in the nose.
The chinese medecin/kinamic note is already here but very smooth.
I love this oud a the first swipe.
Ammar
True Ouddict
KZ Malaysia Classic:
The description of this oil by the humble Dr. Chia (KyaraZen) is a bit of understatement. This is a gem found by him offered with unbeatable price and needs to be praised. Wearing this oil is like a journey through the whole broad range of the dark central Malaysian oud spectrum from the jungly, earthy, woody, and wet leaves at one end to the greenish, medicinal, and resin-loaded at the other end. It starts with sweet medicinal, resinous, chocolate, and woody notes mixed with well-balanced mild salty fresh mushrooms aroma (a tricky note for me as this can be turned into a raw meat smell in the heavy resinous Malaysian oils which I dislike) that stay for a while; followed by a dry woodiness that I’ve smelled in the best Gyrinpos and Hirta spp. But here is the kick, a sudden regal musky greenish coriander/grape leaves-like note that I found strong in Oud Ahmad from the beginning to the end comes into life setting the dry woodiness in the back, mellowing gradually to sandalwood-like creaminess with a hint of birch tar that I’ve only encountered in some of the high end maroke oils. Oud liquor with bottomless depth if I may add! It has been a while since an oud oil puts a smile on my face…Yep, it is that good 🙂
The description of this oil by the humble Dr. Chia (KyaraZen) is a bit of understatement. This is a gem found by him offered with unbeatable price and needs to be praised. Wearing this oil is like a journey through the whole broad range of the dark central Malaysian oud spectrum from the jungly, earthy, woody, and wet leaves at one end to the greenish, medicinal, and resin-loaded at the other end. It starts with sweet medicinal, resinous, chocolate, and woody notes mixed with well-balanced mild salty fresh mushrooms aroma (a tricky note for me as this can be turned into a raw meat smell in the heavy resinous Malaysian oils which I dislike) that stay for a while; followed by a dry woodiness that I’ve smelled in the best Gyrinpos and Hirta spp. But here is the kick, a sudden regal musky greenish coriander/grape leaves-like note that I found strong in Oud Ahmad from the beginning to the end comes into life setting the dry woodiness in the back, mellowing gradually to sandalwood-like creaminess with a hint of birch tar that I’ve only encountered in some of the high end maroke oils. Oud liquor with bottomless depth if I may add! It has been a while since an oud oil puts a smile on my face…Yep, it is that good 🙂
Mandeel AlMandeel
Oud Geek
Sahafi
Junior Member
I just gotta share: Hudhayl, the oil, is Elegance Personified!
It carries the smoothest, creamy vibe, including dried fruits, a mild turn to pepper & spice, and a nod to old, broken-in weathered leather. I chuckled to myself while wearing an A-2 bomber jacket, and a lovely person walked up to pay me a compliment on the jacket, mentioning its smell!
It already feels like an old soul oud.
It carries the smoothest, creamy vibe, including dried fruits, a mild turn to pepper & spice, and a nod to old, broken-in weathered leather. I chuckled to myself while wearing an A-2 bomber jacket, and a lovely person walked up to pay me a compliment on the jacket, mentioning its smell!
It already feels like an old soul oud.
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Ammar
True Ouddict
Tigerwood Royale (TR) vs Tigerwood 95 (T95):
TR: on the medicinal resinous side without prominent meaty/mushrooms note with a healthy dose of white chocolate. A hint of unnamed flowers in the back, and greenish muskiness in the drydown (cf. Oud Ahmad). Less woody, less earthy and jungly. It has this dignified aged liquorish balsamic vinegar vibe (royal? cf. OR85) more than its brother likely due to supreme aging. More refined overall but without much development. The intensity of the aromas or what I like to call it the olfactory density is thicker likely due to higher resin content of the distilled wood.
T95: incensy with hint of smokiness, woody, earthy, sweet dark chocolate, cajun nuts, and less medicinal and resinous…a little bit of menthol, cinnamon, jungle with trace mustiness, minerals, and wet rocks in the drydown. More complexity and depth but slightly less refined than its brother without any compromise of its quality.
Both are magnificent oils and on the different sides of the olfactory spectrum worth having both .TR definitely royal to several other dark Malaysian oils but, personally, not so much royal over T95. I would not surprise if people still consider T95 as their personal favorite among the two… because they are different.
Both deliver what they advertised with plus points to T95 because of its unmatched price tag to the quality.
TR: on the medicinal resinous side without prominent meaty/mushrooms note with a healthy dose of white chocolate. A hint of unnamed flowers in the back, and greenish muskiness in the drydown (cf. Oud Ahmad). Less woody, less earthy and jungly. It has this dignified aged liquorish balsamic vinegar vibe (royal? cf. OR85) more than its brother likely due to supreme aging. More refined overall but without much development. The intensity of the aromas or what I like to call it the olfactory density is thicker likely due to higher resin content of the distilled wood.
T95: incensy with hint of smokiness, woody, earthy, sweet dark chocolate, cajun nuts, and less medicinal and resinous…a little bit of menthol, cinnamon, jungle with trace mustiness, minerals, and wet rocks in the drydown. More complexity and depth but slightly less refined than its brother without any compromise of its quality.
Both are magnificent oils and on the different sides of the olfactory spectrum worth having both .TR definitely royal to several other dark Malaysian oils but, personally, not so much royal over T95. I would not surprise if people still consider T95 as their personal favorite among the two… because they are different.
Both deliver what they advertised with plus points to T95 because of its unmatched price tag to the quality.
Habz786
Resident Artisan & Ouddict Co-Founder
Lalitya firstly when i smelt this i thought "This is a Burmese oil". The top and middle notes hold Burmese DNA and funny when i read the description the wood is sourced from near the Burmese border! The Hindi appears in the dry down and this is really a crystal clean oil. This oil isn't very easy to describe especially the top notes but i do pick up spices, freshly cut greenery, muskiness, tea & cannabis. The dry down is where the sweet Hindi DNA is apparent and the smell of a gentle chip sizzling on low heat with a lovely incense note with a slight hint of citrus. When i smell this alongside Kyara LTD there are some nuances both oil share!
Ammar
True Ouddict
Thank you jensz, but keep in mind my interpretation to medicinal is probably different from what you comprehend, and also my interpretation for medicinal note in Malaysian oud is different from what I smell in Chinese oils for example. That's why I think the best way to reach the closest objective review is to compare what someone perceive from a particular note to the closest oils he had tried before in comparison to the reviewed oil...It is in the same vein of Old School Malazi and agar supreme but more amplified, stripped from any off-putting aroma, and dignified, and remotely to Oud Ameen (what a beautiful note in this oil).
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Oudamberlove
Member
When I got the TWR, I did a direct comparison swipe of the two Tigerwoods. That really knocked-out my nose, it was hence difficult to do any evaluating. They seem related, but both are very complex, more so with the TWR. Another difficulty was the use and abuse of my olfactory senses. This week I just got some Siberian Castor, Siberian Musk, Civet paste, and two Vintage/Antique Sandalwood oils (one thick as honey😵), add to that it's really cold at work and I just fought-off a chest cold, I'm struggling just to enjoy my Oud let alone assess the new stuff😕
@Ammar, well said. I agree with you for sure and I don't assume I'll get the same medicinal note as you do, but I did enjoy your careful review!.
We don't all detect the same scents. Also, we may detect the same scent but interpret it differently and refer to it with unlike words, so it may seem were talking about different scents when we're really talking about the same one. Okay that sentence was a mess. But anyway developing olfactory sensitivity and a corresponding vocabulary is part of the adventure, and I've for sure learned a lot from other people's vocabularies. So while I'm sure to remember your 'medicinal' observation, I won't be thrown off if I don't pick up the same. ☺
Oh and Ameen is a wonderful oil! To me the unique prominent note there is reminiscent of ambergris. I never quite believe my perception of it, but it's immediately there each time I wear Ameen and I'm surpised and delighted every time. I have only a sample, am considering a bottle. Not sure why I've not gotten it yet. Probably because I'd also love Rakhawah and feel I need to choose between them even though they're very different.... analysis paralysis.
We don't all detect the same scents. Also, we may detect the same scent but interpret it differently and refer to it with unlike words, so it may seem were talking about different scents when we're really talking about the same one. Okay that sentence was a mess. But anyway developing olfactory sensitivity and a corresponding vocabulary is part of the adventure, and I've for sure learned a lot from other people's vocabularies. So while I'm sure to remember your 'medicinal' observation, I won't be thrown off if I don't pick up the same. ☺
Oh and Ameen is a wonderful oil! To me the unique prominent note there is reminiscent of ambergris. I never quite believe my perception of it, but it's immediately there each time I wear Ameen and I'm surpised and delighted every time. I have only a sample, am considering a bottle. Not sure why I've not gotten it yet. Probably because I'd also love Rakhawah and feel I need to choose between them even though they're very different.... analysis paralysis.
Ammar
True Ouddict
@jensz
Just go with Ameen if you ask me! In my opinion, it is the best oil to represent Al-Shareef signature note and mild reminisce of his Giant the unbelievable and unmatched (literally!) Al-Shareef I. It is also one of the oils that I best enjoy by sniffing from the wand, and I predict it will age supremely.
Just go with Ameen if you ask me! In my opinion, it is the best oil to represent Al-Shareef signature note and mild reminisce of his Giant the unbelievable and unmatched (literally!) Al-Shareef I. It is also one of the oils that I best enjoy by sniffing from the wand, and I predict it will age supremely.
