If you were starting now...

#1
Hindi, Chinese, Vietnamese, Burmese.... fruity, Incense, smoky, barnyard..... I am new to the Oud world and am sorting out the map. My question to the more advanced members here is “ If you were to start a collection today and wanted to get a fairly broad based group of Oudhs, what would that look like?”
I bought EO’s sample set and am educating myself a bit through that. I liked Jing Shen Lu enough to make that my first bottle. What would you list as Oudhs that I should check out to get a diverse collection? Your answers could be specific Oudhs or, more helpfully, categories that I could look into.
Also, is this a good approach or should I just keep sampling and buy whatever strikes my fancy? All thoughts are welcome.
 

kesiro

Well-Known Member
#2
A very hearty welcome @Kswer! You pose a question we all had at one point. EO is having a killer sale right now so any of the oils he lists I would recommend. I think it is a good idea to get things from different regions. You will develop your preferences in due time but trust me, they will evolve and change as your experience grows. The Aroha Kyaku is a steal as are many others.
I would very strongly suggest looking at Taha’s oils as well. He has his own signature style and his stuff is awesome as well. For more traditional Hindi oils for a very reasonable price, Zak at Agarwood Assam is a tremendous resource. I believe we are living in the golden age of oud oils right now with tremendous options out there.
I am happy to answer any specifics if you have them.

Best regards!!
 

kooolaid79

Well-Known Member
#3
Welcome to this beautiful and awesome forum! As mentioned by the Doc@kesiro the sale over at EnsarOud is too good to be passed up. Those come rarely and to see the entire stock having some type of sale on it is a no brainer.
The Jing Shen Lu is a really smart and wise choice you went with as your first full bottle of Oudh. The Kyen note in that Oudh is very visible and it’s unlike something you have probably ever encountered. My humble advice is try listening to the deep notes it has and focus on the beauty of the wood. That would be a general comment for all oud’s.
Region wise, you will have to test and try just as @kesiro mentioned. They all have their own unique beautiful qualities and in due time you will discover that.
In the meantime until, you have some Oud’s to explore please go through this forum and start familiarizing yourself with the different terms of Oud. There is wealth upon wealth of information here and you will learn something new each time you read. Just my 2 cents.
 

PEARL

Well-Known Member
#4
A very hearty welcome @Kswer I think it is a good idea to get things from different regions...You will develop your preferences in due time but trust me, they will evolve and change as your experience grows.
Region wise, you will have to test...They all have their own unique beautiful qualities and in due time you will discover that...In the meantime until, you have some Oud’s to explore please go through this forum and start familiarizing yourself with the different terms of Oud.
Everything will change and no one can predict the way those things will change; from your taste to how you envision your collection, I think it's a constant experiencing process as long as you keep exposing yourself to new oils. In the beginning, exposure will allow for comparison and help you figure out what you like or dislike about different oils, it will also give a wider knowledge base of regional profiles, but even within a region there will be varied profiles. It may also help you learn how to assess an oil, past just what it smells like. I say sample as much as possible but when there's an oil that's undeniable, you'll know what to do. Otherwise, sample different vendor/distillers as each tend to have different style aesthetics or visions/approaches to how they distill oils that may resonate more so with you. If I were to start again with the knowledge that I have now concerning my preferences I'd have spent more time with some samples and would have less or none of certain oils and more of others; the pertinent thing to remember though is that I had to go through the experience to come to those conclusions, that experience is individualized and can't be substituted. About your collection, take for example myself compared to guys like @kesiro and @kooolaid79, their arsenals are more of that of students of oud, being more extensive, diverse and exploratory than my own arsenal of oils, whereas I tend to be more minimalistic in my approach and focus primarily on all genres of Hindi oils like Oud Nuh, Chamkeila, Chugoku Senkoh, Kanglei, Shano Shokat, Assam Kinam, Hastakshar Kalakassi, Old School Hindi, etc. What suffices for me would likely be too narrow in scope for them, but you have to live it to learn it. Welcome, enjoy the journey and where it takes you.
 
#5
Kesiro, koolaid79, Pearl, thanks for your replies. I will continue my sampling and educating myself as to what appeals to me.
The sale at EO is too good to pass up, though. Aroha Kyaku is a great smoky, Incense Oud. My nose is not educated enough to appreciate the higher priced Oud oils and my wallet is sighing in relief!
If you were to recommend a Oud oil supplier that was economical but still pure Oud oil, who would you suggest? I saw that someone say they use the economical oil on a daily basis and save the expensive oil for special occasions.
 

Oudamberlove

Well-Known Member
#6
@Kswer

Welcome to Gaharu.

You will be able to experience more oils by purchasing samples mostly.
I think all vendors offer sample sizes of their oils.

FYI, it can take many months to develop a satisfactory ability for appreciating oud oils.

GOud luck:D
 
#8
@Kswer Well, buddy, you hav found a very good point to start your oud journey from....This forum, its members, the knowledge represented here will provide you with a good guiding line to find your way through the Oud maze ;-)
Many of us here were where you are now, i believe...it is true for me at least...
I also started with a sampler, and soon got a full bottle based on what I liked in that sampler (which happened to be from EO, too). Once I realized I liked the "Cambodi" type oils, I bought two or three of them successively, and since everybody wrote rave reviews about Hindi oils, I also got myself the Assam Organic, which was quite a thing when it was still available - only to find out it wasn´t my thing at all at that time (this has changed over the course of several years as my nose and taste got educated and became more sophisticated).
What I am trying to say is, get at least two oils of the same type sso you can compare, and then something you like the description of. Educate yourself by trying things out. Buy samples, to check out new oils and different regions. If there is an oil you are absolutely sure you will never wear after the first try, well, that´s what the Marketlpace is for ;-) or give it to a friend who might like it.
You will find so many reviews and discussions here that you will be able to sort out what you would like to add to your collection.
I wish you a pleasant journey - it will take you places you never even dreamed existed :))