Ensar Oud: Thai Encens No 2
- Thread starter Ensar Oud
- Start date
Ensar; That wood looks lovely.
When you say "a new distillation of Thai Encens 1", do you mean that you're using some more previously-undistilled but similarly-resinated wood from the same tree/source-wood from which the first batch of TE1 was distilled, or do you mean that the very dust that yielded the first batch of TE1 is being put through the distillation process again, to get yet another yield of oud?
Do you aim (via the techniques, timing, and vessels) to land at as close of an aromatic profile as the first batch as possible, or are you changing-up the factors a bit, to intentionally end-up with a different end-product (as compared to the first batch)?
When you say "a new distillation of Thai Encens 1", do you mean that you're using some more previously-undistilled but similarly-resinated wood from the same tree/source-wood from which the first batch of TE1 was distilled, or do you mean that the very dust that yielded the first batch of TE1 is being put through the distillation process again, to get yet another yield of oud?
Do you aim (via the techniques, timing, and vessels) to land at as close of an aromatic profile as the first batch as possible, or are you changing-up the factors a bit, to intentionally end-up with a different end-product (as compared to the first batch)?
Nice. In my experience, that type of wood ('teri kulit' in Indonesia) should give a superior smell, and probably a higher yield too.
I had the good fortune of smelling both 1 and 2 last week, and thought I'd share my impressions here, since this thread is dedicated to the oil.
Thai Encens 1:
I tested both 1 and 2 blind, and right away I could tell which one was TE 1, when I smelled it. It had that muted quality that I find in some very, very high quality oils. The kind of oil that blooms after coming in contact with skin. Almost like it comes alive.
The opening and heart notes are a pure agarwood scent, as if the agarwoodiness has been isolated stripped of all regional affiliations. It would have been impossible for me to tell where the oil was from, had I not known beforehand what I was smelling. Off the stick, it has a bottomless depth, much like Oud Mostafa. There's an ethereal quality which isn't really a sharpness, or a scent note per se, but almost like a halo - an uplifting aura hovering over the scent. The dry down is surprising. I smell grape chewing gum!
Interestingly, I didn't detect any fresh still notes in this oil, which is impressive given that this was my impression of the oil just 2 weeks after it was distilled.
Thai Encens 2:
This was love at first sniff. You keep producing organic oils like this, and other oud sellers like me don't stand a chance! : p
Like TE1, there is zero evidence of this oil being distilled from cultivated trees (I am beginning to see how using cultivated trees can actually be advantageous in producing high grade oils - IF done right).
Unlike TE1, this oil is very easy to place geographically. It is unmistakably Indo-Chinese, but there are two distinct stages (both Indo-Chinese). To my nose, the opening is actually the closest thing to Kyara LTD that I've smelled. It has that clean crisp woodiness, and that almost Irian 'cola' type note that Kyara LTD had. If you had sold this as a Kyara LTD 2, you would have had me fooled. Soon after this stage, the second Indo-Chinese stage unfolds, displaying a classic Cambodian fruity sweetness, not too different from that of Yusha. The heart notes are essentially a juggle of these two primary profiles, but of course with much more going on. There's no sourness in the drydown. Just good ol' Indo-Chinese oudiness.
Good job with these two oils, Ensar! The distiller must have thought you were crazy. I do too. : p
(such a huge risk to take)
Now I'm curious what the new TE 1 will smell like...
I had the good fortune of smelling both 1 and 2 last week, and thought I'd share my impressions here, since this thread is dedicated to the oil.
Thai Encens 1:
I tested both 1 and 2 blind, and right away I could tell which one was TE 1, when I smelled it. It had that muted quality that I find in some very, very high quality oils. The kind of oil that blooms after coming in contact with skin. Almost like it comes alive.
The opening and heart notes are a pure agarwood scent, as if the agarwoodiness has been isolated stripped of all regional affiliations. It would have been impossible for me to tell where the oil was from, had I not known beforehand what I was smelling. Off the stick, it has a bottomless depth, much like Oud Mostafa. There's an ethereal quality which isn't really a sharpness, or a scent note per se, but almost like a halo - an uplifting aura hovering over the scent. The dry down is surprising. I smell grape chewing gum!
Interestingly, I didn't detect any fresh still notes in this oil, which is impressive given that this was my impression of the oil just 2 weeks after it was distilled.
Thai Encens 2:
This was love at first sniff. You keep producing organic oils like this, and other oud sellers like me don't stand a chance! : p
Like TE1, there is zero evidence of this oil being distilled from cultivated trees (I am beginning to see how using cultivated trees can actually be advantageous in producing high grade oils - IF done right).
Unlike TE1, this oil is very easy to place geographically. It is unmistakably Indo-Chinese, but there are two distinct stages (both Indo-Chinese). To my nose, the opening is actually the closest thing to Kyara LTD that I've smelled. It has that clean crisp woodiness, and that almost Irian 'cola' type note that Kyara LTD had. If you had sold this as a Kyara LTD 2, you would have had me fooled. Soon after this stage, the second Indo-Chinese stage unfolds, displaying a classic Cambodian fruity sweetness, not too different from that of Yusha. The heart notes are essentially a juggle of these two primary profiles, but of course with much more going on. There's no sourness in the drydown. Just good ol' Indo-Chinese oudiness.
Good job with these two oils, Ensar! The distiller must have thought you were crazy. I do too. : p
(such a huge risk to take)
Now I'm curious what the new TE 1 will smell like...
Well, Thai Encens 1 & 2 were meant as experiments. It's important to note that they were experiments, not oils that we were planning to produce large enough quantities of to launch on the website.
Speaking of experiments, here's our latest one:
[video=youtube;3rROphE7kzs]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3rROphE7kzs[/video]
Speaking of experiments, here's our latest one:
[video=youtube;3rROphE7kzs]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3rROphE7kzs[/video]
Ensar: Is this "wild" harvested Cambodian oud "Wild" in the same sense that some Indian Asam Oud claim to be "Wild" even though it comes from Plantation because it is infected naturally or is this truly "wild" Oud woods that is caught by Gahru hunters in the forest. Another question if you don't mind me asking; by this stage when you came now in contact with this wood, how many times removed it is from it's original source? meaning how many times it's been bought and sold till it got here? and is that is something that you are privy to or this information is kept seceret?
I think the Assam 'wild' trees that are infected naturally are usually found in people's backyards. They are no different to naturally infected Assam trees you would find in the jungles. The plantation trees from Assam are never referred to as 'wild' from what I've encountered.
This batch of Khao Yai wood was collected from various sources. The first 4 kg was pure jungle wood, the second batch gave me some doubts, which led me to have it evaluated and checked by several local experts.
Long story short, given the 10 - 15 kg minimum required to fill one still, it was simply impossible to source exclusively jungle wood for this experiment. Some of the wood that went into the grinder was indeed cultivated, as my investigation led me to conclude.
However it should be kept in mind that there is a very fine line which if cultivated wood is allowed to cross, it matches and can possibly even surpass wild agarwood. If the infection is allowed to thrive long enough.
This is however not always easy to do, even if the farmer is willing, as some cultivated trees will simply get too sick to live long enough for the resin to reach 'super' grade.
We're going to have to start from scratch, I'm afraid, with all new raw materials. This experiment is going to be a co-extraction of super fine wild incense grade Khao Yai chips & the highest grade organic chips (such as went into Thai Encens 1)....
[video=youtube;76ZLNhks078]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76ZLNhks078[/video]
This batch of Khao Yai wood was collected from various sources. The first 4 kg was pure jungle wood, the second batch gave me some doubts, which led me to have it evaluated and checked by several local experts.
Long story short, given the 10 - 15 kg minimum required to fill one still, it was simply impossible to source exclusively jungle wood for this experiment. Some of the wood that went into the grinder was indeed cultivated, as my investigation led me to conclude.
However it should be kept in mind that there is a very fine line which if cultivated wood is allowed to cross, it matches and can possibly even surpass wild agarwood. If the infection is allowed to thrive long enough.
This is however not always easy to do, even if the farmer is willing, as some cultivated trees will simply get too sick to live long enough for the resin to reach 'super' grade.
We're going to have to start from scratch, I'm afraid, with all new raw materials. This experiment is going to be a co-extraction of super fine wild incense grade Khao Yai chips & the highest grade organic chips (such as went into Thai Encens 1)....
[video=youtube;76ZLNhks078]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76ZLNhks078[/video]
Thai Encens gets Best of 2011!
Thai Encens by Oriscent
2011 saw the birth of dozens of oud “perfumes” but the scent that won “Best in Show” is Oriscent’s Thai Encens, a limited artisan distillation from incense grade plantation grown wood – proof that oils extracted from cultivated trees can be every bit of good as their “wild” counterparts. Many women dismiss pure oud as being too masculine or over-the-top funky. Thai Encens could easily be mistaken for a blended natural perfume in which fruit, flowers and woods vie for wearer’s attention. The scents of juicy apricots and heady champaca, the warm spiciness of Sumatran cinnamon, and the soothing, sublime and elegant aura of illustrious green kyara, combine to create a perfume that is as sensuous as it is other-worldly. The seductive bouquet wafting from the “Joy perfume tree” effortlessly fuses with the soothing calmness of sacred woods. An ethereal, breezy, almost minty lightness drifts between and fuses these distinct yet complimentary accords. Hats off to Oriscent, not only for producing such a mesmerizing perfume, but also for supporting businesses that seek to provide a sustainable source of agarwood while enhancing the quality of our environment.
http://perfumesmellinthings.blogspot.com/
Thai Encens by Oriscent
2011 saw the birth of dozens of oud “perfumes” but the scent that won “Best in Show” is Oriscent’s Thai Encens, a limited artisan distillation from incense grade plantation grown wood – proof that oils extracted from cultivated trees can be every bit of good as their “wild” counterparts. Many women dismiss pure oud as being too masculine or over-the-top funky. Thai Encens could easily be mistaken for a blended natural perfume in which fruit, flowers and woods vie for wearer’s attention. The scents of juicy apricots and heady champaca, the warm spiciness of Sumatran cinnamon, and the soothing, sublime and elegant aura of illustrious green kyara, combine to create a perfume that is as sensuous as it is other-worldly. The seductive bouquet wafting from the “Joy perfume tree” effortlessly fuses with the soothing calmness of sacred woods. An ethereal, breezy, almost minty lightness drifts between and fuses these distinct yet complimentary accords. Hats off to Oriscent, not only for producing such a mesmerizing perfume, but also for supporting businesses that seek to provide a sustainable source of agarwood while enhancing the quality of our environment.
http://perfumesmellinthings.blogspot.com/
Couldn't agree more - I wore a bit of Thai Encens 1 yesterday and was amazed at how complex, uplifting and elegant the oil has become even after just a few weeks it has been distilled. It has so many decidedly un-oudy notes one wouldn't expect from an oud that it takes the wearer completely by surprise. As Marian noted - this can easily be mistaken for an blended natural perfume, but Thai Encens 1 is far more refined, unique and appealing than any perfume (or oud oil for that matter) that I've ever tried. Amazing, amazing stuff.
Ensar, In the video you show the dust and the chips fermenting in Plastic drums (an inert material). Has it been tried say to ferment them in wood carved drums or stone carved vessels or clay containers? wouldn't that improve the fermentationand maybe even impart a unique flavor to them in a similar fashion to how tea pots made of certain clay effect the smoothness of the Teas.
I think that's the one I posted on the 'Soaking' thread....
http://gaharu.com/showthread.php?53-Soaking
http://gaharu.com/showthread.php?53-Soaking
I've been so busy today with separating the oil from water, and then doing lots of different things with different distillers, that I've barely had the chance to sit with the oil and introduce myself. For now, it's the greenness of Kyara transmuted to the clarity of pure mint which you inhale and keep inhaling and keep inhaling and keep inhaling without reaching the bottom of the scent; or should I say top? It is pure sky; an opening from above that makes the head feel light. And it never turns to a 'woody' dry down, it just maintains its mint-kyara green from first note to last. That's the most amazing thing about it. Don't mistake the green of Khao Yai with any of the other oils' green you've smelled. It is an airy note that is more ethereal than air itself. It is a lightness untainted by physical traces of earth, wood, or the minerals of water. Even the color of the oil is the most translucent green. You can see through the oil as if looking through a light green-tainted glass. It is transparent. Some of it sank in water in the shape of a bulb, and we couldn't get it to float to the top of the water. This made the filtering especially tricky.
@Masstika: The still is not the little dome you see atop the concrete. That's only the lid! The still itself is contained within the wall structure.
@Masstika: The still is not the little dome you see atop the concrete. That's only the lid! The still itself is contained within the wall structure.
The yield was good the first day, but today (second day) we got half the yield we got yesterday... I fear if it keeps decreasing at a steady rate like this it won't be as much as we'd hoped for... Please pray that we get a good yield!
[video=youtube;3slGVQ7UZh8]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3slGVQ7UZh8[/video]
[video=youtube;3slGVQ7UZh8]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3slGVQ7UZh8[/video]