First Chinese oil
- Thread starter Muhammed Patel
- Start date
@Muhammed Patel, welcome!
Hmm, I have some experience with both of the oils you inquire about and have enjoyed them both. HA is an interesting Chinese oud with a fabulous drydown but I think the H 05 is really in a different league. That is not to take anything away from HA, but you would not expect an oil which costs a fraction to really compete head to head that way. H05 is a benchmark, along with China Sayang.
Hmm, I have some experience with both of the oils you inquire about and have enjoyed them both. HA is an interesting Chinese oud with a fabulous drydown but I think the H 05 is really in a different league. That is not to take anything away from HA, but you would not expect an oil which costs a fraction to really compete head to head that way. H05 is a benchmark, along with China Sayang.
@Muhammed Patel As salaamu alaykum
@kesiro your mention of Hainan Arabi made me revisit my sample. Based on the note profile, I had been under the impression that it is a co-distill of Chinese and Hindi wood but after reading Adam's blurb I see it's Chinese wood done the Arabic way. Been a while since last wearing, the opening seems more like a Kalakassi lemony balm mixed with bitter orange, I’m not to the dry down yet but I remember it being a shape shifter.
I agree your assessment of Hainan Arabi and Hainan 2005 as well. Phil, you’re a car guy so you’ll get this immediately. Take two cars and paint them the same color, say Alpine Weiss. Same primer, same top, same clear, same sprayer. One car gets two coats each of primer, top and clear. The second car gets 4 primer, then sand. 5-6 top, then sand. 3-4 clear, then sand, clay, compound polish, wax and seal. Each car has the exact same color, first car looks good no doubt. Second car, that m@!?@#r will look WET!!! That’s why it is possible for oils to have similar notes verging on same, but be completely different in quality. Hainan Arabi is a high quality oil and from a note perspective I actually prefer it to Hainan 2005. But make no mistakes, as far as depth, richness and roundness, Hainan 2005 is WET!!!
@kesiro your mention of Hainan Arabi made me revisit my sample. Based on the note profile, I had been under the impression that it is a co-distill of Chinese and Hindi wood but after reading Adam's blurb I see it's Chinese wood done the Arabic way. Been a while since last wearing, the opening seems more like a Kalakassi lemony balm mixed with bitter orange, I’m not to the dry down yet but I remember it being a shape shifter.
I agree your assessment of Hainan Arabi and Hainan 2005 as well. Phil, you’re a car guy so you’ll get this immediately. Take two cars and paint them the same color, say Alpine Weiss. Same primer, same top, same clear, same sprayer. One car gets two coats each of primer, top and clear. The second car gets 4 primer, then sand. 5-6 top, then sand. 3-4 clear, then sand, clay, compound polish, wax and seal. Each car has the exact same color, first car looks good no doubt. Second car, that m@!?@#r will look WET!!! That’s why it is possible for oils to have similar notes verging on same, but be completely different in quality. Hainan Arabi is a high quality oil and from a note perspective I actually prefer it to Hainan 2005. But make no mistakes, as far as depth, richness and roundness, Hainan 2005 is WET!!!
@PEARL I am trying to figure out how to quadruple like your post. You are also dead on about the opening of HA. It almost had a Bengal feel to me. It then seems to change quite drastically and for the better IMO. You also bring up a very interesting and valid point. Scent note perception vs. depth/quality. I do not think they are mutually exclusive in some cases. For certain, there are some ridiculous quality oils which just do not do it for me scent profile wise and some lower priced/quality oils may have a profile I prefer. But the depth, complexity, and wood quality superiority between the is easily discernible.
Hi Bryan. I can’t seem to put my hands on my sample of the Hainan Vintage. But I’m a bad person to ask about citrus in Hainan oils-it’s not a note I discern very well in them. Regarding the HA and the HV, for awhile I thought they might be the same exact oil, both Adam and Faheem writing that they bought their oils from unnamed vendor(s.) but after several comparisons I decided that they are different. I don’t see going wrong with either. I’d love to put the two side by side again and compare for Pearl’s “wetness” quality, and also to see if I might learn to see the citrus quality you ask about.