So I met up with @Oud_Learner today, and he brought his Sri Lankans with him. Al-Syed Ceylon No 1, ditto No 2, and Adam's Si Lani. The following are some mental notes I made, which I thought my colleagues might want me to share.
I first applied ASC1, to be greeted with a translucent dose of chamomile, Granny Smith apple skins, and a potpourri of herbs combined in a mellow and exotic herbal tea sort of bouquet. The clarity of the oil was outstanding, each and every note was clearly defined. There was a strong pull to the entire orchestration of top notes.
This was closely followed by ASC2. Deeper, less top-notey, less complex, for some reason also quite appealing albeit from not the same grade of agarwood, clearly. I found more 'oudiness' in this one, less herbal tea and apple notes, and unlike ASC1 it had a more prominent transition phase between head and heart notes.
Both oils smelled excellent. I would improve the longevity factor by considering a change of condenser or collection style, albeit at the expense of less airy or heady top notes.
Adam's Si Lani was up next. Smoky smokehouse oudfest effect. Like you're inhaling the burning wood right from the charcoal, and it's not the 'gently heated' kind! Unabashed, brazen and Spartan, this is a category of oud which might not be for everyone, albeit many 'fumigators' would want to have it in their collections. If you liked Aroha Kyaku or Old School Vietnam, you're going to like this a lot. The longevity is stronger than with the ASCs, however at the expense of refinement and 'delectability'. "Some like 'em smoky!" should be the motto for this one!