SOTD

I would like to thank the Duke of Amman for choosing Suriranka Senkoh as a sample to send with my purchase. I am moved by its beauty and have never smelled anything quite like it. Exceedingly pleasant !

Edit: I have previously qualified different EO oils as happy, stately, beautiful etc... Suriranka Senkoh, however, is the first that has instilled tranquility and peace of mind. I am transported to an open field, laying on the grass, the cool breeze blowing. Not a care in the world!

Indeed !
Same here.

I will be off the forums now my friends. This is the last time I logged just to thank Ensar. I was finally able to secure my bottles of Suriranka and Sayang. And Suriranka has left me speechless. I have never sniffed an oil like this. There is a spectacular in everyway. I know I shouldn't get excited so early but this is an epic distillation. I have a very humble collection of Oils so if this sounds over the top kindly excuse me gentlemen. The spicy flavour of Gyrinops and Unripe Guava flesh are met by the sweetness of North Indian Ruh Khus/Vetiver here. The Oudiness that makes these Oils, Oud is like a ghost lurking in the shadows. It feels like a perfume. I don't know why my bottle is not filled up till the hilt but the wait for worth it. Thank you, Ensar. I was about to release a video of top 5 Oud oils of the year which will be an annual feature and I am happy to have secured it. It is magnificent.

@saint458 I’d like to hear your take on Assamugo Senkoh and Oud Zachariyya, a compare and contrast kind of thing if you will.

@Nikhil S you leave an indelible mark on the forums, your panoramic and passionate contributions and approach to all things agarwood are invaluable and ultimately irreplaceable, you will be missed, Shanti Bhai.

@PEARL
I know of no bigger honour than being acknowledged by the ones whom I hold in high esteem. Dearest sir you have been a constant source of learning. I want to say more but today a thank you is what I offer.

As an additional note, Assamugo Senkoh (I am pretty sure I am spelling it wrong again!) is a flawless gem. Don't even bother asking questions. As my good friend Zak from Agarwood Assam says, let the oils speak. AS will speak to you in silent whisper. Just close your eyes open your Oud centres. AS will caress you with a gentle breeze passing through the thick Oud forests of Assam. It is pure silk woven by threads of vivid colors which will come to life on your skin. I was lucky to pick up a sample with the ceramic burner. I wish I could afford it. But at the same time I am glad I can't .

My best wishes to one and all on this brilliant forum of Oud refugees. I learnt a lot. Life is calling me and I wish to be with her. Cheers.

Royal Guallam. A rare treat indeed. This one opens up with some of the strongest bitter medicinal notes of any Vietnamese oil I have tried, making it one of my favorites as I adore that profile. It the softens to a rich green kyara note. Absolutely stunning experience.

So sorry to see you go! Anyway, Instagram is only a click away, as is your YouTube channel!
And if smelling truly special oil means coming here to thank me for it, I guess I'm just going to have to show you a few more oils!

This one goes out to you, brother Nikhil, for all the wonderful work you've done to spread the message of OUD!

OUD ROYALE: SRI LANKA

Dearest bhaijaan
I would not have known true Oud if I hadn't crossed paths with you or my dear friend Sultan. I am a humble voice who is not bound by any emotion apart from the one which makes me support talents.

I understand the pain and struggle you must have endured to give Oud it's meaning. To make good Oud reachable to a global audience. The biggest challenge is to convince people. It is easy to sit at home and judge someone. I am guilty of that too. At times I have questioned Oud. But I learn from experiences good or bad. Some of these mistakes form pillars of a life worth remembering.

I have always adored your passion. You are an inspiration for me and for many new Oud lovers. I am happy with whatever I could give you and other precious artists back.

And I will continue to toil for true artists. I am not this to become a celeb. I am a mere relayer. After all human anatomy is my first love. A surgeon is the body's architect. Your work has the effect of classical Indian ragas and Bach on me.

God bless you and the whole team Brother Adam and Brother Kruger in your journey. I am so looking forward to the Royale. It looks like your Mona Lisa Be at peace and create. Just create. Your hands are your mouth. The world appreciates what you do.

Heartfelt Regards.

Morning... AA Kanzen....niiiiiiiiiiiice!
Evening...Sultan Abdüs Selam....XLnnnnnnT!

Royal Malinau from AA. Ok, where do I begin with this one. A beautiful, beautiful profile with many facets. If you like Purple Kinam and Borneo 50K, you will be stoked (pardon my California lingo). They are both in there. Don't know how, but they are. A true top shelf oil. But...., don't even get me stated on his Filipino oils. You are a bad man Taha.

i cracked the code. i knew i was smelling something super familiar but wasn't able to point to it. the very heart and essence of cinnamon heart candy! thats the number 1 note i get in royal Malian and find the same note in many sri lankan too.

AA Chamkeila

Pilipino 1. Tiny sample of this one. The profile here is very hard to describe. Taha says there is some jungly green but I just do not get that kind of scent. There is a light purply sweetness, along with some blue green notes. I would describe is as beautiful. It is not incensy. No burning wood. No frutti or fermented note. No walla patta style cucumber notes. I would imagine that if you mixed equal portions of Purple Kinam, Ceylon 1, and Koon Mai Wan together, it might smell like this. I will go on the record as saying this is the finest oil Taha has every distilled or sold. It. Is.That.Good.
Dammit.

Glad you're enjoying Pilipinas No.1! But I must correct you there... its not the best oil I made. Its the best wood I distilled. Its ALL about the wood, and not Taha.

See, only about 8 or so folks got the wood when I put it up for sale. I was so perplexed why more folks weren't interested in it (where else can you get agarwood from trees up to 500 years old?! Or Filipino for that matter).. got dismayed.. decided its time to grind up the wood and juice it. And this oil was born.

Ah, you want incensy and burning wood, ahem.. try the Pilipinas No.2. And don't hate me when you do, ha!

I should add.. I'm rather jealous of you right about now, I am fighting the urge to make it my SOTD as well, but the oil is now tightly sealed and undergoing the settling process. Can't touch it for a little while.
And so, for me today, its the two classics: India (Kalyani) and Cambodia (Kanzen).

Dear Taha, with all due respect, that is BS. Of course the wood was insane but it must take enormous skill to turn that into an oil like this. Just because somebody is given a perfect cut of meat, it in no way ensures they are not going to turn it into shoe leather during the cooking process. So I am going to give credit where it is due.
Oh, and the Pilipinos 2? Dayuuuuuuummmmmm! How in the world did you do that? Distill raw smoke into an oud profile like that? C’mon!

Well, thanks for the kind words doc. And errrrrm, the P2.. don't say I didn't warn you beforehand!

Haha yes, you and any other nut job as well who's obsessed with smelling like a walking censer.

I regret I bought only one bottle of Sultan Sufiyan. What a great mistake nobody is even selling it. If I could get 4 bottles & keep 3 bottles for aging ... tried a LOT to get it but no success. I don't even use it anymore. Only enjoy whiffs from the cap ...

When is Pilipinas No. 1 going public?

Assamugo Senkoh. Such a stunning oil. I think it, as well as Lavanya represent the pinnacle of the non-barn Hindi Oud oil genre. From my memory, the assamugo is a little sweeter and the Lavanya is a little more tart but we are talking very slight differences.

@Taha what is the first thing you smell in Royal malinau?

And the second most prominent note?