My thoughts on AgarwoodAssam's Āsāma Garjana:
I generally shy away from full-on "classic" (i.e. barnyard) Hindi oud oils. Unlike many oud afficionados, I wasn't exposed to their smell when growing up and there was absolutely nothing that would prepare me for that type of olfactory sensation in my culture and environment. Oud generally is insanely complex and can take years for a new convert to wrap their mind around it. It was challenging enough for me to "get" even the more Western-friendly oud scent profiles like Borneo and Cambodian so the first time I tried an Assam oil (an old Oriscent classic), I was almost terrified 🙂 It was all war drums, horse hooves and heavy steps and clanking armour of marching troops. The raw primal energy was like a glimpse of a different world that is inhabited by heroes and villains, battling each other in earnest and living their lives to the fullest while we impatiently whip out our iPhones to check the Twitter feeds because the elevator ride is longer than 10 seconds. What can I possibly have in common with that violent and glorious world? It's too visceral and too real for someone like me!
Years passed and I still felt that I am too much of a wimp for the classic Hindi oud. I've dipped my toes into the gentler, well-behaved no-barn Hindis along the way and found them fascinating and enjoyable but subconsciously felt that while they shared much of their wilder cousins' DNA, something was missing from their composition - almost like looking at a doped up predator in a hazed slumber in front of a gawking audience. Well, I told myself - that's the compromise I have to make to enjoy a Hindi oud.
When I received a sample of an Āsāma Garjana (Assam Roars) from BengalRoots I didn't expect much from it. Sure, I am a sucker for any good quality pure oud and enjoy sampling even if just to see my previous ideas and opinions confirmed. After all, I sort of accepted the fact that the classic Hindi oud is not for me, it should be enjoyed by someone who grew up with it or lives in a place where that kind of a scent is socially accepted. The name of the oil, which translates as "Assam Roars" suggested like it would be an oil that wouldn't change my opinions in any way. Nevertheless, I was grateful to BengalRoots for the chance to try it an excited at the opportunity to sample a new oil from a genre that I am least familiar with.
The first time I opened the vial I was amazed at how diffusive the scent of the oil was - I didn't even have to sniff the plastic applicator, the aroma bloomed outwards and projected from a good distance. A first impression is often the most important and Āsāma Garjana didn't hesitate to greet me loud and clear 🙂 The scent was bright and vibrant, with a healthy dose of clean barn intertwined with sun-warmed wood and dried hay. I found myself surprised at actually LIKING the barn component; it's not violent, harsh and dismissive but instead vivacious, youthful and upbeat. It feels like a space filled with light and life, no darkness, mustiness or decay.
The barn diminishes very quickly and woodiness comes out. The scent clearly changes but the transformation is very subtle as the two qualities are so similar and so harmoniously related to each other it's hard to tell them apart at times. The barn can suddenly jump up again if the body temperature rises or recede almost entirely into its sibling woodiness. The scent remains sunny, bright and playful throughout. I was also surprised at how the scent stays detectable throughout the day, hardly any olfactory fatigue which often diminishes the perception of the aroma and takes away from the enjoyment of an oud.
I could never quite understand how oud can be described in terms of other smells, like coffee, raspberries, roses etc. When I read such descriptions I can't imagine what these can possibly smell like in the context of oud, so I try to stick to the concepts that make sense to me olfactorily - oudiness, woodiness, sweetness, bitterness, smokiness, resin, and a few even more subjective categories like diffusiveness, light/dark, young/old etc. Āsāma Garjana has the oudiness and woodiness in spades, the barn never quite goes away but becomes more of a nuance of the woody aspect, intermingled with sweet oudy quality. The mid-stage is great - the harmony between the barn and the wood aroma takes on an almost vibrating quality, as if they sing together in perfect synchronicity. The dry down is where the youthful playfulness finally takes a rest while the sweet universal oudiness persists, becoming sweeter and allowing the dried hay aroma to become more evident. I enjoy all three stages but the mid-stage is probably my favourite, that silent humming quality (pardon the paradoxical descriptive) of a perfect synergy of notes is something that I seek out and long for the most in oud oils.
The only quality that I wish this oil had more of is multilayered depth (for the lack of a better word). Or a wider dynamic range - which I understand to be an extended olfactory scale where the airy top notes and succulent heart notes are supported and amplified by low, deep bass notes. Āsāma Garjana is not devoid of the bassiness, but the deep notes are very polite and would definitely give the whole composition an additional oomph if they could be turned up. Having said that, I am not even sure this this is a valid observation, as I tend to compare whatever new oil I sample with my golden standard benchmarks, most of which are from some years ago when the oud scene was very different. Either way - Āsāma Garjana may not have the wizened depth of some of the legendary Hindi's of the past, but it's still dear to me for being my guide into the wonderful world of the classic Hindi oud and its signature note.
In short, Āsāma Garjana did not change my life, but I think I finally "get" what the classic Hindi lovers find in their beloved oils - the uncompromising vitality and the unmistakable vigor that a good Hindi can deliver. I not just understand that now but enjoy this quality that is hard to find in other oud genres, even among my most treasured and loved oils. Āsāma Garjana’s lively, bright and open presentation coupled with a harmonious unison on all the notes during its song make this oil very addictive (I smelled the heck out of my sample). Luckily, also very powerful, with only the tiniest amount needed make it sing at full volume. I also found myself reaching out for this oil to put on a small amount just before bedtime - there's something very soothing and comforting in its scent, and the drydown in the morning is a glorious welcome of the new day 🙂
I traded a few messages with BengalRoots and I understand that he's an individual who is not only interested in oud as a business venture, but someone who hears oud's poetry and has a deep passion for recreating "the Hindi" that made the Hindi the original oud loved and treasured for generations. I understand that his oils are offered at prices that make them a lot more accessible in a world where most (myself included) feel that they are hopelessly priced out of the market. I am very grateful to BengalRoots for his kind gesture of providing me a free sample and wish him every success that he deserves as someone who's not just a oud distiller and seller but a fellow ouddict himself! Hindi oud is possibly one of the least offered in the recent years as business follows the quickly vanishing wood to Thailand, Papua and Malaysia. Perhaps, Hindi oud is not quite as easy for a new oud convert to appreciate as some other scent profiles but it has the unique primordial energy that triggers some ancient genetic memories on the deepest level, and it has been "the oud" for a very long time. I hope BengalRoots is able to create more top notch oils in that proud tradition!
