A trend shift in dehn oud over the years?
- Thread starter Philip
- Start date
I don't know if oil preferences have shifted with time on the macro level but my opinion based on what little I see is that they haven't.
I'm under the impression, I stand corrected if wrong, that the greater bulk of oud oil consumption remains in the ME. When I look at products in that region, with that region as the bulk of its target and in discussion with the few I know from the region, I see very little if any change in preference.
When I look at the small, artisanal, niche vendors that we favor, I don't necessarily see a change but rather variety. I see Ceylon No.1 and Borneo 5000 Pearl offered alongside of Hud, Mahabali, Chamkeila, Hudhayl, Dr. Hindi, Bhutan No. P, Shuayb, etc.
When I look here on the board and I see psychopatic madmen like @kesiro and especially @bhanny (he doesn't know that he's my hero) who enjoy the full spectrum of oil favoring animalic, musky Chinese oils like Hainan 2005, China Pearlyang, Yunnan 2003, etc. I know that beautiful and "challenging" oils are still the mainstay.
When I think about the western market I say, "what market"? IMO the west has not yet embraced pure Oudh oil on the macro level. Are you referring to the "oud" compositions in modern designer and niche perfumery? If so, even within that small audience I see perfumes like Bond's Harrods Oud, Dior's Leather Oud, Montale's line, etc. touted as the best and they are perfumes that are trying to capture a more "funky" aspect of oud oil. Friendlier "oud" perfumes like Tom Ford's Oud Wood and Acqua di Parma's aren't discussed as much.
The funk is like the force, may the funk be with you.
I'm under the impression, I stand corrected if wrong, that the greater bulk of oud oil consumption remains in the ME. When I look at products in that region, with that region as the bulk of its target and in discussion with the few I know from the region, I see very little if any change in preference.
When I look at the small, artisanal, niche vendors that we favor, I don't necessarily see a change but rather variety. I see Ceylon No.1 and Borneo 5000 Pearl offered alongside of Hud, Mahabali, Chamkeila, Hudhayl, Dr. Hindi, Bhutan No. P, Shuayb, etc.
When I look here on the board and I see psychopatic madmen like @kesiro and especially @bhanny (he doesn't know that he's my hero) who enjoy the full spectrum of oil favoring animalic, musky Chinese oils like Hainan 2005, China Pearlyang, Yunnan 2003, etc. I know that beautiful and "challenging" oils are still the mainstay.
When I think about the western market I say, "what market"? IMO the west has not yet embraced pure Oudh oil on the macro level. Are you referring to the "oud" compositions in modern designer and niche perfumery? If so, even within that small audience I see perfumes like Bond's Harrods Oud, Dior's Leather Oud, Montale's line, etc. touted as the best and they are perfumes that are trying to capture a more "funky" aspect of oud oil. Friendlier "oud" perfumes like Tom Ford's Oud Wood and Acqua di Parma's aren't discussed as much.
The funk is like the force, may the funk be with you.
...what he said.
Seriously, I think PEARL really hit the nail on the head with the choice of artisanal Oud being simply larger but I have a theory as well.
I think that as mother and grandmother trees in the wild are being recklessly wiped out to extinction perhaps instead of altering the scent profile to make them more marketable to the ME markets they are instead being held to their own true natures instead.
Seriously, I think PEARL really hit the nail on the head with the choice of artisanal Oud being simply larger but I have a theory as well.
I think that as mother and grandmother trees in the wild are being recklessly wiped out to extinction perhaps instead of altering the scent profile to make them more marketable to the ME markets they are instead being held to their own true natures instead.
I would agree - there really isn't much of a Western market - what I think we see is just that Western living people are over-represented on internet oud forums - and perhaps are over-represented in terms of buyers in the niche/artisan oud category, for various reasons, relative to the general population of oud consumers..
Lol, I mean, between Kesiro, Bhanny, Koolaid, RobertOne myself, and a few others on here who I believe live in the USA, we are probably a few of what, maybe hundreds of people in the USA who know about and use pure oud oil? Thousands? I really have no idea - the vendors would have some stats on this.. Certainly nowhere in the USA have I ever seen oud oil for sale..
Anyhow, no, I think the barnyard and animalic ouds are alive and well - I will say though that my USA living friends, when they try my ouds, certainly like the non-barnyard ouds better (except for one friend, who thinks the Hindis are amazing)..
Lol, I mean, between Kesiro, Bhanny, Koolaid, RobertOne myself, and a few others on here who I believe live in the USA, we are probably a few of what, maybe hundreds of people in the USA who know about and use pure oud oil? Thousands? I really have no idea - the vendors would have some stats on this.. Certainly nowhere in the USA have I ever seen oud oil for sale..
Anyhow, no, I think the barnyard and animalic ouds are alive and well - I will say though that my USA living friends, when they try my ouds, certainly like the non-barnyard ouds better (except for one friend, who thinks the Hindis are amazing)..
On that point, I am going to speak from a place that is selfish.
I am very glad that the western market for great Oud is limited.
In just the last few months so much of excellence has sold out that I have dispaired quite a few times. Someone please give me a time machine.
Oh, and as for Hindi oils, love them. Borneos, love them. Thai? Love them. Chinese, love and so on.
Oud is a rainbow and enjoy all colours, the light and the dark.
I am very glad that the western market for great Oud is limited.
In just the last few months so much of excellence has sold out that I have dispaired quite a few times. Someone please give me a time machine.
Oh, and as for Hindi oils, love them. Borneos, love them. Thai? Love them. Chinese, love and so on.
Oud is a rainbow and enjoy all colours, the light and the dark.
No!
With that username I just assumed you lived in Maine!
I have not tasted any real cajun gumbo for too long. The so called flyover states have a lot going for them in the way of laidback friendly people and cuisine.
I wish I was in your neighbourhood after having to dig out the driveway and the sidewalk this morning while having to dash up and downstairs two dozen times to the kids.
Now, in keeping with the bluegrass jukebox theme, this below is the first that I ever heard. It was included on a CD on the first issue of a magazine called uncut.
It's still as beautiful today as it was almost two decades ago.
With that username I just assumed you lived in Maine!
I have not tasted any real cajun gumbo for too long. The so called flyover states have a lot going for them in the way of laidback friendly people and cuisine.
I wish I was in your neighbourhood after having to dig out the driveway and the sidewalk this morning while having to dash up and downstairs two dozen times to the kids.
Now, in keeping with the bluegrass jukebox theme, this below is the first that I ever heard. It was included on a CD on the first issue of a magazine called uncut.
It's still as beautiful today as it was almost two decades ago.
Last edited:
I had no interest in any of that music till I saw David Grisman and Garcia etc. I had some old deadhead tell me I had to see Doc Watson, he said he was the best blind picker ever. He was right. I used to see him all the time. I saw him at Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, a huge festival in Golden Gate Park right before he died maybe 3-4 years ago. I don't see music as much these days, all my money seems to be going somewhere else (cough cough Oh and I live in the woods near Santa Cruz, Ca. There are a few of us in Cali.
Oh and I live in the woods near Santa Cruz, Ca. There are a few of us in Cali.