Sandalwood oil of the day

[Mr.P]

I found a distiller that offers both steam and hydro distilled sandalwood. The steam one is significantly higher priced. Any idea what difference it makes? Is it better or worse than hydrodistilled?

Funny I would've thought the opposite because according to the books I've read a high-pressure steam distillation was favored by industry because it is a short efficient process compared to the weeks long hydrodistillation process. I have heard that these days first distillation oil doesn't meet ISO(?) specs and it requires rectification and redistillation to get over 90% santalol. Perhaps the steam distilled stuff is $$ if it is from an industrial source with testing and has been re-distilled and rectified to meet some standards and the Hydrodistilled stuff is more of a field distillation?

My information is only as good as the sources I've read though because I don't have first hand experience. Some of the most expensive oil I have seen has been hydrodistilled oil but that might just reflect the US online market. Always looking forward to corrections on misconceptions!

 

[Mr.P]

You know, that's really a great way of putting it, Mr. P. When I first tried it out of the bottle, I'd say the first few hours were possessed by this very clean, high-pitched airiness. I really associate this with rootstock which seems to be more transparent and far less woody. Only much later does this lactonic creamy character come forth on my skin. I don't smell any sour twang to it.

Glad someone else relates. I've had quite a few occasions where I stepped out on a snowy day and my brain is saying "Sandalwood" when that crisp dry air hits.

I think I've noticed the same thing you have with root oil being more simple and smooth in profile. I noticed this with the root oil from Sri Lanka that was going around for a while but I didn't know if it reflected the profile of Sri Lanka in general or of the roots in particular.

I remember when they first started digging up the Sri Lankan roots that were left in the ground during earlier sandalwood "gold rush" enterprises. I read an article online about somebody starting this venture to excavate the roots. If I recall once the sandalwood oil prices had crossed some threshold, it became viable all the sudden and sure enough the oil seemed to be everywhere online at least within a year.

 

[Saudalhajri]

Funny I would've thought the opposite because according to the books I've read a high-pressure steam distillation was favored by industry because it is a short efficient process compared to the weeks long hydrodistillation process. I have heard that these days first distillation oil doesn't meet ISO(?) specs and it requires rectification and redistillation to get over 90% santalol. Perhaps the steam distilled stuff is $$ if it is from an industrial source with testing and has been re-distilled and rectified to meet some standards and the Hydrodistilled stuff is more of a field distillation?

My information is only as good as the sources I've read though because I don't have first hand experience. Some of the most expensive oil I have seen has been hydrodistilled oil but that might just reflect the US online market. Always looking forward to corrections on misconceptions!

I stand corrected, he distills a bunch of different sandalwoods and some are expensive than others, on average the hydrodistilled ones are pricier, but some of the low temperature steam distillations are more expensive. I’ve never tried them side by side

 

[Mr.P]

2002 Tamil Nadu Hydro distilled oil today. Beautiful warm woody, hints of maple, musky, milky. As good as it gets

 

[Goodness Nose]

one of my friends still has a few drops of the first Mysore I distilled. i simply have to recreate this... its just so good.

 

[Saudalhajri]

Mysore sandalwood sample, it’s my first time trying pure mysore (not in an attar or maceration or blend).
Very very beautiful scent, creamy, smooth, milky, very smooth subtle wood notes with no sharp off notes, there’s a certain sweet spiciness I can detect about an hour after application. , it doesn’t seem to be aged too long, smells “fresh”. I’ll ask the distiller for info about its exact age. But it is usable, not too young or immature.
I’ll try it out more and get a second opinion, I’m planning on ordering a lot more inshallah if it meets all criteria, I’ve got a big project coming.

Edit : as expected it’s 3 months old, heartwood only distillation. Still a really nice sandalwood despite its freshness,

 

[DubOudh]

View attachment 42694

Mysore sandalwood sample, it’s my first time trying pure mysore (not in an attar or maceration or blend).
Very very beautiful scent, creamy, smooth, milky, very smooth subtle wood notes with no sharp off notes, there’s a certain sweet spiciness I can detect about an hour after application. , it doesn’t seem to be aged too long, smells “fresh”. I’ll ask the distiller for info about its exact age. But it is usable, not too young or immature.
I’ll try it out more and get a second opinion, I’m planning on ordering a lot more inshallah if it meets all criteria, I’ve got a big project coming.

Edit : as expected it’s 3 months old, heartwood only distillation. Still a really nice sandalwood despite its freshness,

That's a sample?????

 

[Saudalhajri]

That's a sample?????

if you tell distillers that you're planning to start a perfumery business and will order large batches later they tend to become more generous. I'll use half of it to macerate ~0.2g of ambergris and ~0.7g of musk.
Edit: to clarify im not lying or subtly scamming, i am indeed planning to start a small business to fund my bad buying habits.

 

[-Renton-]

one of my friends still has a few drops of the first Mysore I distilled. i simply have to recreate this... its just so good.

Golden Sun? Mine is still green lol. I have a gram still, I need to see if it has changed aroma. It definitely has when I smell it from the bottle.

 

[Goodness Nose]

Golden Sun? Mine is still green lol. I have a gram still, I need to see if it has changed aroma. It definitely has when I smell it from the bottle.

i think the green color came from it sitting in the copper condenser too long. a pretty looking side effect for that fraction!

 

[Mr.P]

if you tell distillers that you're planning to start a perfumery business and will order large batches later they tend to become more generous. I'll use half of it to macerate ~0.2g of ambergris and ~0.7g of musk.

That's a pretty massive sample -

if you tell distillers that you're planning to start a perfumery business and will order large batches later they tend to become more generous. I'll use half of it to macerate ~0.2g of ambergris and ~0.7g of musk.
Edit: to clarify im not lying or subtly scamming, i am indeed planning to start a small business to fund my bad buying habits.

sounds like you're going to be making some fantastic stuff. Very much appreciate you sharing the experiences you're having along the way.

 

[Saudalhajri]

That's a pretty massive sample -

sounds like you're going to be making some fantastic stuff. Very much appreciate you sharing the experiences you're having along the way.

It wasn’t that expensive really, the only downside is that it’s a very fresh distillation, it has all the mysore characteristics but lacks the depth that aging brings, and the longevity as well, I can still smell it on my hand about 7 hours later after going out and washing my hands thrice. I’m guessing if it were aged for a decade its value would quadruple, it’s very much a good choice for my long term maceration projects.

 

[Mr.P]

2002 deg distilled tamil nadu oil once again. For whatever reason I am reminded of fresh snowfall when i smell good sandalwood - some cool dry powderiness that is just beautiful to me. Other facets are musky, maple, urine, deep fuzz, dry wood. Sublime - I treat myself to a drop of this a week at most in spite of having a good supply.

 

[-Renton-]

i think the green color came from it sitting in the copper condenser too long. a pretty looking side effect for that fraction!

I put some on just there and oh my, could you remind me when you distilled it again? It was around feburary or was it April this year? It has aged beautifully and is VERY potent. It has smoothed out a lot, no more weird notes (like mint) but plenty of exotic and very unique notes to sandalwood (but still sandalwood notes). I honestly don't know how you done it with such young sandalwood from karnataka, mysore/mysuru... but this is literally probably now a big favourite sandalwood oil of mine!!! It's super interesting in its notes compared to other sandalwoods, it's got a lot going for it. May do a write up later.

 

[Fragdoctor]

Left wrist : Mysore Maharaj @tabeer oud

Right wrist : Mysore Qadeem @An Najwa


Left wrist has opened up with green earthy sweetness on a woody background

Right wrist has opened up creamy sweetness, super smooth on background if a woody base

Left wrist is a tad bit louder ( likely a relatively new distillation, I might be wrong )

Right wrist is very old hence the smoothness and not too loud


I’m loving the bubble around me right now.

 

[s4ksh4y]

Santal 'S' by Lucky Oud
Australian Sandalwood Oil opens with a peppery spiciness that gradually transitions into a smooth, creamy woodiness...

 

[Rai Munir]

Santalum Spicatum: A vintage oil acquired from a very dear friend. Though I didn't have high hopes, but the oil proved itself up to the scratch and worth the price. Very freshening and refreshing.
Mysore Sandal by Craft Oud: As ever, wonderful into wonderful. Each year, this house brings pristine and ultimate quality of Mysore Sandal oil.

Fog laden air and Sandal! Love it.

 

[Mr.P]

Got a tola of this delicious sandalwood from @mesOUD in the mail today along with a sample of the recent distilled attar Naseem. Very interesting attar! This one is going to take me a little time to get to know but there's so much going on with lots of different fragrances peeking in and out. I can sense the oud, the animal ingredients, cedar and sandalwood all balanced nicely, and I also get a kind of medicinal vibe, in a good sense - I feel like this is coming from the oud and some animal ingredients. I have only applied one swipe (and at a time when I had some other oils competing with this one) so I will have to report in more detail after wearing it another time. very interesting, complex, lots to dissect

 

[Oudamberlove]

On the left, MO NTT 3
on the right, AHO Mysuru 3

Starkly, they are both fresh Artsanal distillations.
Crudely, both make me think of medicinal esters.
I can smell the regional differences although there are so many similarities.

Both remind me of all the goodness of sandalwood in the raw wood form, with lots of santalols, some florals, woods, and creams.

I’m not extrapolating any animalics or smokiness, but one could argue it.
They are almost perfume-like.

I get to enjoy the changes as they age.

 

[DubOudh]

Bilquis By @Al-Hind Oud
I am glad I purchased a second 1/4 tola of this beauty. Couldn't resist the temptation to use a small dab of this one with Kashmiri musk in it for about five weeks already. Compared to the bottle with nothing added, I can immediately get a powerful musk notes coming through. Usually Sandalwood can dampen the musk grains but not this one. looking forward to how this develops and having a similar bottle for comparison is an added bonus for me.
Lovely oil.