about new releases

Kruger

Well-Known Member
#61
@Mr Oud ,Ensar said to me "Oud Nuh & Oud Isa are brothers".
Nicely put. Oud Nuh and Oud Isa share that translucent 'Borneoesque' quality, for which reason they are the two most extraordinary Hindis I've come across. I haven't tried Oud Isa in while, so will have to revisit my vial to remind me of how exactly they compare, because although being brothers, they have very unique personalities.
 

Ensar Oud

Well-Known Member
#62
You mention the Ibrahim to be ethereal and powdery. Does it display any 'Borneoesque' qualities like the Nuh? How similar or different is it to the Nuh? We know very little about the Meghalayan oils Isa and Yunus. Can you tell us a little more about these two? The Borneo 5000 sounds very interesting. Any further info on this? and, how does it compare with the Borneo 3000 and 4000?
You're welcome, Mr Oud! Ebrahim has zero Bornean characteristics. Unlike Nuh, a pure Meghalayan oil, it hails from Burma, the opposite end of Assam, and comes from a jungle adjacent to the Oud Mostafa one. It is more ethereal than Mostafa, less fruity; leathery undertones with hints of white pepper and a powdery aura that actually reminds me of Creed's Baie de Genievre, as off-the-wall as that may sound! The distiller traveled all the way to Jordan in person to make the delivery of this oil, along with Khidr and Isa, and as he handed me the lot he singled out Ebrahim and said, 'This is the best oil I've ever distilled for you.'

I am not sure that I agree with him (Oud Nuh will go down as one of the greatest Ouds of all time, right up there with Oud Royale No 1, Kyara Koutan & everything else I've distilled :p ) but it certainly displays a refined powdery character I've not encountered in any other oil from that region.

The Meghalayan Silsila

First there was Oud Yunus. This was our first venture into a jungle previously unexplored by our wood gatherers. The creamy, toffee-meets-barnyard character we unveiled there got me super curious. I asked for some tweaks. Greater discrimination in the raw materials, less soaking and slightly higher cooking temperature gave birth to Assam Kinam. When I got this oil, I was struck dumb by the sweet, almost Cambodi-like notes.

Further tweaks, a few debates with the distiller down the line, and we got Oud Isa. I could see the Meghalayan hue transmute from Cambodi to Bornean fruit right under my nostrils. Yet all the while, the same signature Meghalayan temperament permeating each batch.

Then there was Nuh. The timelessness of the scent led to the name. This marked a return from the Bornean honeyed notes I got in Isa to a slightly smokier oil that was a good middle ground on the note scale between Bornean & Cambodian.
 

Tarik

New Member
#63
Salam alaykoum ,bonjours a tous

Je suis nouveau sur ce forum,mais je vous lis depuis très longtemps.

I'm new in this forum,and i'am very happy to read you.(with google Translation)
Excuse me my english is very ,very poor .



Tarik from Paris
 
#66
I have a question pertaining to New Releases and Samples. The question is directed more to vendors or customers whom might know the answer. I was wondering why paid samples are not usually offered with ALL new releases? Why is it offered sometimes and only by some vendors and not others? From the Purchaser point of view, Samples are a great way to be able to judge for one self whether that oil is the right one for him or her. It's an effective way to be able to understand the breadth of the Oud Spectrum for people of limited means and at the same time I feel it increases the customer base for the vendor. So I am curious to hear it from the other side and how do they view the practice of offering Paid Samples and if they feel that it "cheapens" their products or that it undercut their sale. Thanks ahead for all those answering :)
 
#68
Masstika, I'ma buyer and I think that any strategy is made, knowing its customers and products with the objective to sell whatever the seller wants.
Certainly there is a probability of a hit and miss, and can be repaired during the time sale through the removal or placement of the sample.
Your first question may have multiple answers.
For example, a small amount of the product and great optimism for sale because the seller has confidence that your customer will buy.
And profit is realized faster than provide samples for later purchase.
I have more thoughts but I would wait for other opinions.
 

Kruger

Well-Known Member
#69
Thanks for bringing up the issue, masstika. We are routinely contacted with the question of why we don’t have samples of all our oils available. Below are just some considerations which might shed some light on the issue.

We’re based in Jordan. We either receive our distillations here, or we bring them back with us. However, we are not always in Jordan. In fact, we’re frequently on the move. If we’re in the jungle or at the distillery and someone in New Zealand wants a sample, the only way to get it to them is if we have already poured, pouched, and packaged the vial beforehand. It’s impossible for us to do things on a ‘pour-as-you-go’ basis.

Another reason for not offering samples of certain oils is limited availability. If you’re thinking of samples as a means to try an oil to see if you’d like to get a full bottle, then consider Thai Encens and Thai Ambre, for example. Both sold out within about a week. If we'd offered samples, by the time someone received them the oil would have already been long gone (defeating the purpose of getting the vial). Or, right now, with only two bottles of Khao Yai II remaining and not a drop left to spare, how can we offer samples of this oil without eating into one of the full bottles for sale, and not go though the hassle of having to pour and package and process each sample order, go to DHL (in whichever small town we may find ourselves), just to send one sample out to someone? The logistics just don't work.

Whenever we have a good supply of an oil (i.e. it doesn’t fall into the ‘extremely limited’ category mentioned above), we do apportion an amount to be offered as samples. We then pour, label, pouch and package each vial, which is then sent to our fulfillment centre in Missouri, from where it goes out whenever we receive an order.

Although it might not seem that way if you take a snapshot view of our ‘Samples’ page, we’ve always offered samples of each oil we had in reasonable supply, with only two exceptions: Assam Black and Borneo Kinam. Both these oils were pre-filled into full bottles as soon as we received them, and to this day Ensar regrets not leaving some aside from which to pour samples.

Why then does it appear as though we deliberately offer samples of some products and not others? It’s not possible to know beforehand how many samples will sell, and how fast. Look at Oud Nuh, as an example. We currently only have two full bottles remaining, while we still have a few dozen sample vials left on offer as part of the LTD Collection Set. Once the last two bottles sell out, we’ll be left with a few dozen sample vials of an oil that is no longer on offer. On the other hand, we also had Kyara Koutan, where the samples sold out before the full bottles. Those who never knew about the sample see an ‘expensive’ bottle on sale without the option to try it, and then speculate about our intention for doing this. The same goes for many of our oils currently on offer [seemingly] without ever having had a sample option. Assam Organic, Oud Emerald, Chinese Exclusive Oud, etc were part of the Oudilicious Sampler, which is now sold out. It is impossible to calculate beforehand which will sell out first, the sample size or the full bottle.

Last but not least, we don’t do oud as a mere business venture. Many a merchant would hate to have inventory lying around that doesn’t move. This is not the case with Ensar Oud. Hard as it might seem to believe, Ensar Oud doesn’t operate as a mercantile set-up in the same way a pizza parlor does – the more the merrier, the faster the better. Our oils are distilled in order to stay, not so they could go. A great deal of personal effort and involvement has gone into the production of each oil, so each is dear to us.

As a painter sits in front of his canvas, his whole being is absorbed in the act of producing, of creative expression. Parting with the finished piece, like most end up doing, is never easy. A part of the artist goes along with it. But they do it in order to share their passion – to share something of those moments spent on the plane of creativity.

We are motivated and inspired to continue what we do because we’re able to introduce people to, and educate them about the fine art of distilling oud oil, and to enjoy the moments where people who know a thing or two appreciate our work. We don’t offer samples in order to entice people to buy. They are available to those who are unfamiliar with oud, allowing them a glimpse into this world. And they are available to existing oud lovers who are likely to end up with a full bottle of the oil they try anyway.

Great painters don’t show photos of their work to others, thinking ‘Will they buy it, will they buy it?’ Instead, they are hoping for a smile, a kind word, a token of appreciation – not for the hours spent sitting in front of the canvas, but for that moment when souls are joined by a shared sense of wonder.
 
#71
Assam supreme

@Abdullah - Does Ibrahim still have Assam Supreme left? How did you contact him? I emailed him about a week ago and he has not replied yet. Its no longer on his site. I really like Assam Supreme and for the price its a really lovely oil. sweet, woody and not to fecal.

@Ahmir-It returned to website now! And i received it.It is woody,resinous,little "green",animalic,not too fecal,dry,roots and spicy.Good for the money!
 
#72
Thank you Thomas for that insightful response and thank you for shedding the light on those factors that I have not considered and have not known. Truly, an educated customer is a "good" customer :) I also believe that the way you explain Ensar Oud's approach to Oud Oil distillation and Business sets it apart from say others that offer 50% discount on their stocks as a way to move merchandise for example. And I am not belittling the second approach I am just saying that it is different.
 
#73
It says that the Assam Supreme is "Wild Harvested". I had thought there is absolutely no wild harvest coming out of Assam. Could this be a harvest of wild trees that are naturally or chemically inoculated by humans? does anyone have a definitive answer?
 

Kruger

Well-Known Member
#74
You make a good point about the Assam Supreme, masstika.

The description is actually a bit ambiguous. It says "Wild-harvested from agarwood trees". I don't really know what this means. If it read 'from wild-harvested agarwood trees', then I'd understand. But what exactly does 'wild-harvested from agarwood trees' suggest?

I've seen the 'wild' card being thrown around very loosely too many times, and based on the idea that wild harvests in Assam is not a everyday event, I too had my doubts. Someone gave me a sample of Assam Supreme which, given the price, I compared to my Assam Organic. They are very similar, in terms of complexity and texture, which just got me doubting the claim even more. But like I said, I'm not entirely sure what the claim is...
 
#75
Thanks Abdullah for the info. I managed to get myself a bottle. Its a young oil that needs a bit of aging. I have left it with the lid off for around a week with two hours of Sun in the evening. It has become much sweeter already.
 
#76
I got a sample today from SMK Fragrances of an Indonesian oud and was completely blown away. My area of oud awareness has been centered on SE Asian product, first as it was distilled and possibly tweaked for the Middle Eastern market and secondly by some of the niche oud producers that are mentioned on this site. I had never smelled indonesian oud before and at first smell it was a blast of honey and sunshine as if my nose and body were coated in honeycomb. Then the woodsy notes came on that struck familar accord in me. I had to find out more and it is a hydro-distillation in very small amounts and of course very pricey. I am working on my own perfume line and cannot be entrapped by such luxuries that have no place in the public marketplace, this is a thing of regal beauty for those who appreciate the divine, and I need all my funds focused on buying more tuberose and bergamot. I may order some in the near future but for now I have a few swipes in the bottom of a vial that I can treasure in a private moment of meditation upon the greater good.