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Oudiferous

New Member
#201
#201
Laph, in my opinion, Oud Yusuf is Ensar's best Cambodian offering (and arguably one of his best offerings right now). It exceeds the categorization of organic vs wild, because its soon on its way to being just as good as any of his LTD oils. It's become one of my favorites. Sweet, floral, and totally unique. Yusha/Encens are quite nice, very fruity, with Encens being darker and more incensey. They are great oils too. Crassna Cha is wonderful. Ideally, one would have a bottle of each of these oils ;) Reviews on all these oils are on my website, if you want more detail.
 
L

laph

New Member
#202
#202
Thanks Thomas and Oudiferous.
Oudiferous, I have been reading your blog and it's been very helpful.

Also, are there any new or updated thoughts on Oud Ishaq? I've just received Thomas's email about it.
 
F

floraopia

Guest
#207
#207
There are two Oud Adam's 1 and 2... but I have not had the chance to try them yet... funds permitting I might one day :p
 
L

laph

New Member
#208
#208
What about the Oud Mostafa Experiment?
Has anyone tried these oils?
Any comments on how they smell now and what they might smell like in a few years time?
 
M

masstika

Member
#209
#209
The Mostafa Experiment. The answer to a lot of questions that I had in my mind about the impact of vessels materials in the process of distillation and fermentation. One tree and 4 different outcomes. P1050969.jpg When I received the package in its new black slick box I decided to blind test the oils without knowing which is which in order not to anticipate or prejudiced my nose. As you see from the pictures the oils vary slightly in color from warm light orange to dark amber. All oils have a thick oily consistency and leave a sheen on the skin when rubbed. I did not understand L'Ouverture in the talk about fermentation and why mention it here in particular in relation to this obviously not Indian wood. All that is Answered when I opened the bottles. It's the smell of thousand flowers and plants sweetly decaying. It is fecal but not animalic as you would encounter in Original Mostafa. Now all comparison to original Mostafa should stop here IMHO because there is the difference in aging that separates the 2 Mostafas. I think a healthier approach would be to see this as a unique experiment on it's merit regardless of the Name. Oil No. 1 opens with sour notes and Plastic-y container scent.Over ripened apricot. Oil No. 2 opens with strong Pepper-y notes. Metali c notes like licking a pole of cold Stainless steel. almost sickly sweet in the opening notes. As the oil warms so does the intensity of the metallic notes. Oil No. 3 is a warm and sweet syrup like with bitter finish. Made my teeth chatter. Fresh plant life decay. The sweetness of the oil reminds me of the best of kinds of Thai Ouds. It is brash and assertive. Once the sweetness has abetted the warmth generated by the heated kettle seems to invite one more and more inward. Oil No. 4 has fruitiness that feels subdued and enveloped by scented smoke. This version has more of a green tint to the smell as in fresh green grass. Earthy and muddy notes permeates as in fertile land made wet by the monsoon rains.
In all of the oils in the group, 1 thru 4 one thing they share is that they are young oils and they come off as such. Another issue relating I think to aging and that is I have not noticed a lot of transformation in the Oils scent over time and through the Dry Down Phase. Couple of the oils were a bit overly sweet for my taste but that a personal preference. They are unique oils for sure with notes I have not smelled anywhere before nor do I necessarily associate those smells with the classical profile of Oud oils from India to Vietnam. It will be of most interest to see how they age after 2 years and if they would live up to the name of Mostafa and their ancestor.
 
M

masstika

Member
#210
#210
A quick note to clarify the picture; the batches are 1 through 4 from right to left. Also please note that those notes documented above are preliminary thoughts based on trying them once. I will be wearing them independently this week and will report back of any additional information. I forgotten to mention that part of my experiment above is I have cupped both hands together and smelled the two oils together (1+2 and 3+4) and they combination smelled amazing that I am thinking of decanting .5ml each and mixing them together. It should be an amazing elixir :) a question to Ensar, do you think those oils can use additional airing without sunning?
 
Ensar Oud

Ensar Oud

Well-Known Member
#211
#211
Contact with air will change the oils, but only to a certain point, after which essential oils tend to become one-dimensional and even flat if exposed to air for prolonged periods. I recommend using OME as you normally would any bottle of oud in your collection. The exposure to air that they will receive by simply opening and closing the bottle occasionally to give yourself a swipe should be sufficient to induce an 'aged' effect. But it should be pointed out that nothing beats natural aging in a closed container. There is a candied quality that comes out in Thai oil that has been distilled in this fashion, especially after it thickens a bit with the passage of time.
 
M

masstika

Member
#216
#216
I recently tried Agaraura's Amai Jinkoh. I was looking for a classical Cambodian profile Oud to replace my diminishing bottle of Oud Sultan. Amai Jinkoh starts off with a pronounced vinilic note of sweet rubberized leather. The sweet note overcomes any animalic note that was there a minute ago and instead becomes this dark sweet Blackcurrant, red berries and ripened fruit flesh. It is neither cloying or sickly because it's projection is somehow controlled so it doesn't go further than few inches above the skin. There is a sweet Bakhoor aura to the smell. In comparison to Sultan it has more berries and Blackcurrant and less raisin-y. There is a spiciness to it like a white pepper or a Habaneros pepper note that give it airiness as the perspiration evaporates (this will be very nice oil for the fall and winter months). There is also less chewing gum sweetness to it than sultan but somehow it is less...and I don't know what's the right word here would be but I guess it is "sexiness" to it. On the downside it is less complex and less deep than other Cambodie oils and that could be because it needs a chance to sit and age. Longevity is another drawback; in a side by side test with Oud Sultan, Oud sultan has outlasted it by a considerable margin. Still, IMHO this is nice oil for easy wear and that is prized accordingly. I am not sure about why it has a Japanese name because I don't detect specific Japanese references in it and I can’t say that it has incense like smell in the dry down. Actually, the dry down is a bit of mystery because the opening berry notes just disappear leaving the ever slight and air-y note of sweet balsamic Modena vinegar. Likeability scale 7.75 out of 10.
 
M

masstika

Member
#217
#217
A question to Ensar regarding glass distillation; can you share with us some of your thoughts on the process of all glass distillation process? What were the pros and Cons and what are your observation regarding the resultant oil in relation to say straight Hydro distillation? And would a process like that be appropriate with other types of wood such as Indian Oud? Lastly, are you planning on continuing on the experiment or this is a one time only?
 
Ensar Oud

Ensar Oud

Well-Known Member
#218
#218
My take on glass distillation is that it yields a nonchalant oil, untouched by the effect of the still materials (copper, steel, etc). The oil is clean, crisp and loud, much like a steam distilled oil. You get the character of the tree, untainted by the artisan's technique. As such, it is a mechanical process more so than an art form. The character of the oil is lacking the hallmark signature of the craftsman. Here we have departed the abode of art or traditional craftsmanship to enter the realm of advanced technology.

A suitable simile would be Turkish coffee. Traditionally, it is only brewed in a copper pot. A connoisseur will reject a cup of Turkish coffee boiled in aluminum as a distasteful innovation. Can you imagine a cup of Turkish coffee brewed in a glass pot? It would taste like a common French press, very clean and clear, but without that characteristic signature taste that makes Turkish coffee enthusiasts stick to their traditional brew.

We have Indian ouds with the same characteristics, however these were induced by the water type used during distillation rather than the material of the pot.

I have no projected upcoming glass distillation, being a fan of copper distillation myself, but if we find a large enough pot and the right batch of raw materials, I'm open to doing another run.

I touched on glass distillation and the Sarawak Experiment in the following video:

 
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M

masstika

Member
#219
#219
Thanks Ensar for sharing your impressions and thoughts on glass distillations. Great Video! If my understanding of what you've said is correct in the sense of the glass distillation being the most accurate scent profile representation of the wood that goes into the distillation outside any influence by the distiller, wouldn't it make more sense then to employ this technique with the more precious and higher grade chips and leave the copper to where the chips can use some tweaking and assisting by the Distiller? Also the way you describe the process sounds very automatic but wouldn't the other variables still be there such as the quality and type of distillation waters, the duration and the temperature of the run that needs to be determined and adjusted? A final thought; couldn't glass vessels be "aged" like copper and steel with residue building on the glass walls with usage?
 
Ensar Oud

Ensar Oud

Well-Known Member
#220
#220
It all depends on one's 'philosophy' I guess. Contemporary 'purists' might reason in your vein and argue that the oil's character is better preserved in a glass extraction unit. Traditional orthodoxy might argue that if you get to know it intimately enough, the oud resin is but a canvas upon which one can stamp their creative genius, evoking the precise character that he would like to see in his oil. Like my Oud Yusuf artisan. He won't give up his lilacs and his lilies no matter how much you offer to pay him to attempt something a little different. The ouds that move and grip us the most do so precisely out of the artistry that is manifest in their profiles, and the degree of perfection that has been attained in doing everything 'just right' according to the taste of the master. Imagine if both Oud Royale and Oud Sultani were extracted in glass vessels. You'd have radically different oils now; ones that I'd proffer would be much less complex or interesting than the current versions.

Yes there'd still be other variables in glass extraction, but these would be limited to the type of water and degree of heat employed. As for 'aging' glass vessels... I've been using my French press for a while now, and apart from a distinct smell of coffee that I get when I smell the metal plunger, the glass vessel itself remains perfectly scentless after washing.
 
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