dear friends of oud,
i start by stating the obvious, that i always found brother Malik (@Alkhadra ) posts to be fair, thorough, detailed and most importantly constructive and helpful to our community. may he continue to prosper and take in the joys of oud(h) for years to come.
after a purchase of sinking grade brunei agarwood from Imperial oud and one from kyarazen, not to mention the beatuiful brunei oil of agar aura (kekasihku) and house of misk (brunei hues), i have fallen in love with Brunei offerings.
my main purchase was a slow sinking beautifully infected great thickness chunk of brunei agarwood from Alkhadra as well as borneo (sarawak) malaccensis. brother Malik was kind and generous to include a few other goodies.
btw the transaction, timeliness, packaging choice and look was perfect and shows plenty of care and thought. Alkhadra goes to the nth level to ensure customer satisfaction.
note: for example the piece he had advertised and i purchased due to dry weather had lost a tiny bit of weight and brother alkhadra brought this up to my attention and charged me less for it. i didn't expect this but very much appreciated it.
below are my impressions:
Sinking borneo Sarawak (malaccensis)
so pretty, airy, floral, delciate mint (not camphor or arctic mint) lightly citrus zest. best for low heat mon koh.
Walla Patta
in line with ASO, IO, KZ and other walla patta wood chips i have. classic walla patta notes. we all know what those are so i spare you. terrific for mon koh and soradaki. even did a piece BBQ style and 20 min later after the smoke wears off, the entire house smelled like heaven
sinking grade nha tarang (crassna)
only used once and a tiny piece on electric heater at low levels. a stronger mint note coupled with a dash of sweet vanilla yet medicinal element vapors greet the nose. later on when the piece is fully bubbling and burning hotter some spice and more sweetness emerge while there is still that cooling note in the background. this is awesome stuff
Brunei slow sinking (microcarpa)
i was expecting something along the lines of the brunei pieces i had from KZ and IO (think pretty, airy, floral, delicate green bittersweet) but not so much. here we have a decidedly earthier, darker, deeper quality to it. the aromas off the start on the slow heater are like antique bookstore, fresh earthed potatoes but longer time on the heater brings about more dark green notes and some cool menthol. i particularly like this wood when done BBQ style. so much smoke, so much oomph with huge lasting scent left in the house for a full day after the burn.
i will leave a review of his almost ready to be released oils in oil review.
there you have it folks. another set of straight up from the heart set of impressions that hopefully are of some use to fellow members.
i start by stating the obvious, that i always found brother Malik (@Alkhadra ) posts to be fair, thorough, detailed and most importantly constructive and helpful to our community. may he continue to prosper and take in the joys of oud(h) for years to come.
after a purchase of sinking grade brunei agarwood from Imperial oud and one from kyarazen, not to mention the beatuiful brunei oil of agar aura (kekasihku) and house of misk (brunei hues), i have fallen in love with Brunei offerings.
my main purchase was a slow sinking beautifully infected great thickness chunk of brunei agarwood from Alkhadra as well as borneo (sarawak) malaccensis. brother Malik was kind and generous to include a few other goodies.
btw the transaction, timeliness, packaging choice and look was perfect and shows plenty of care and thought. Alkhadra goes to the nth level to ensure customer satisfaction.
note: for example the piece he had advertised and i purchased due to dry weather had lost a tiny bit of weight and brother alkhadra brought this up to my attention and charged me less for it. i didn't expect this but very much appreciated it.
below are my impressions:
Sinking borneo Sarawak (malaccensis)
so pretty, airy, floral, delciate mint (not camphor or arctic mint) lightly citrus zest. best for low heat mon koh.
Walla Patta
in line with ASO, IO, KZ and other walla patta wood chips i have. classic walla patta notes. we all know what those are so i spare you. terrific for mon koh and soradaki. even did a piece BBQ style and 20 min later after the smoke wears off, the entire house smelled like heaven
sinking grade nha tarang (crassna)
only used once and a tiny piece on electric heater at low levels. a stronger mint note coupled with a dash of sweet vanilla yet medicinal element vapors greet the nose. later on when the piece is fully bubbling and burning hotter some spice and more sweetness emerge while there is still that cooling note in the background. this is awesome stuff
Brunei slow sinking (microcarpa)
i was expecting something along the lines of the brunei pieces i had from KZ and IO (think pretty, airy, floral, delicate green bittersweet) but not so much. here we have a decidedly earthier, darker, deeper quality to it. the aromas off the start on the slow heater are like antique bookstore, fresh earthed potatoes but longer time on the heater brings about more dark green notes and some cool menthol. i particularly like this wood when done BBQ style. so much smoke, so much oomph with huge lasting scent left in the house for a full day after the burn.
i will leave a review of his almost ready to be released oils in oil review.
there you have it folks. another set of straight up from the heart set of impressions that hopefully are of some use to fellow members.