Sneak Preview: Oud Yusuf

Ensar Oud

Well-Known Member
#1

Natural perfumers have despaired of creating the scent of lilies. Lilacs are an even harder note to capture. Perhaps a hint of vanilla, with a touch of rose, some orris butter, violet leaves in a sandalwood base is as close as we get. Oud Yusuf smells so much like these sumptuous florals you'd think it was distilled from lilacs' and lilies' petals, not oud wood!

The seductive effect of the florals is punctuated by subtle honeydew and an ever present apricot that follows the scent all the way down to its immaculate powdered woody climax.

Perhaps the lightest oud you can wear, Oud Yusuf also ranks as the most flawless orchestration of scent notes I have ever encountered in single origin oud oil. Subtler than the finest Borneos' berried craze, it combines all the succulent fruit notes you crave in a Borneo in its unique Cambodian style, which makes it for me absolutely irresistible.

Smelling ahead to its full maturation a year or two down the line, I find myself with an oil I cherish every bit as much as Borneo 3000, and one that I apply more cravingly than any other. Four to five applications a day are the norm at the time of writing this.

What makes Oud Yusuf even more special is that it was distilled from 100% organic agarwood trees, that are harvested and maintained in the most ethical way possible.

Our artisan owns a small patch of forest with just 2,000 agarwood trees which he never cuts down. Each morning, you see him walking down the forest path with his dog behind him, chisel in hand, looking for the most infected trunks.

With a big smile on his face, you see him patiently picking at each trunk, chiseling out only brown shavings of resinated heartwood, mindful as he spares the uninfected portions so the tree can continue to grow and yield more agarwood.

The maximum amount of raw oud wood he can harvest in one day is ten kilograms. The maximum amount of oil he can produce in one month is twenty tolas. But his twenty tolas are dearer to me than twenty kilos of thoughtlessly harvested oud oil.

Because of the care he puts in every step of the distillation process, from the precise selection of the most infected heartwood, to the grinding, soaking and cooking of his oud oil, he is able to achieve a level of quality, beauty and sheer perfection in his oud no other distiller can match. And the lilacs and the lilies, the honeydew and the apricot notes in his oud all attest to his mastery and love of this craft.
 
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#3
I tried it, leave a smell of sugar cane in my beard, really viscous and very very good.
One of the best Thai that I bought.
Low price and high performance and satisfaction.
It leaves a candy smell of wood in the skin unparalleled for me. I've used it in JUMUA under 33 degrees celsius and oud remained wonderfully.
Oud Yusuf I recommend to anyone.
 
#4
This morning I have Usuf Oud on and it is true, this is one of the lightest Ouds I have smelled so far. it is filled with Yammy Apricot and peaches. it is like sticking my nose into a delicious gourmet french jar of Apricot jam that has been bubbling and stewing gently for hours over a slow and gentle flame. There is a very light note (like a very light violet color) could that be the Lilac note that Ensar is talking about (I never smelled lilac Abs.)? This is a delightful Cambodian style but instead of the dark berry notes here it is substituted with light, warm yellowish Apricot notes. Those Apricot notes stay there through the dry down phase which is dominated with Incense smell. This is as close to the scent one gets from heating oud chips before they start smoking. It is sweet and slightly acidic. It reminds me a lot of Borneo's dry down phase which could be soft powder-y but retains memories of earlier high notes. I was thinking about the name of the most beautiful prophet as it applies to this Oil. It is Yusuf when he was young before wisdom, life tribulation and divine inspiration has been added.
it's a Oud that has an external beauty but lacks the wisdom due to it's age. I am willing to venture that this could be one of the best Oils (surpassing Borneo 3000)in a very short years.
 
#5
@Masstika - Thanks for your review of Oud Yusuf and the 2 others. I always look forward to your reviews and those by Bluemoon and Oudiferous. Bluemoon if you are reading this we need you on board!!
Masstika do you think Oud Yusuf will be better than the original B3000?
 
#6
Thank you Mr Oud. I hope you find the reviews informative and helpful. I would not say better because the word "Better" implies that one is superior to another. I would look at it this way; while the B3000 got everyone's rave reviews that it set the Standard, it did so IMHO by turning all the dials of the notes and scents to neutral as in a music equalizer. I personally prefer Ouds that are turned either high or low never medium and as such I would say that Yusuf has tones more character than B3000. So it all depends on where your taste buds lie in the scale of notes and scents.
 

Ensar Oud

Well-Known Member
#7
@Mr Oud, Bluemoon sends her regards, along with this review of Oud Yusuf:

Yusuf is astonishingly floral! You mentioned a line of ouds for women – Yusuf should head the list :) What I especially like is its combination of sweet floral delicacy and soft powderiness. It glides, it flows – it is the epitome of youthful grace and poise. Although it does’t smell like lilac it embodies the delicacy and fullness of those beloved bushes which are as much at home in a charming English cottage garden as they are in the scrubs of Eastern Asia. Although it’s been said that the tea from the leaves of the lilac bush produces euphoria, smelling Yusuf does that for me! The floral notes seem brighter and more alive contrasted with the oudy/woody basenotes, and the woods seem especially deep and rich against the lightness of the bee-beckoning floral bouquet. I get the sense that this is still a young oil – it has all the buoyancy and carefreeness of youth. I can’t wait to see how it develops, although I hope it takes its time: I very much like it just the way it is right now!
 
#10
Salaams.

My first post here on the forum.

Regarding Oud Yusuf, wow! What can I say.. this oud oil is beautiful Masha-Allah! It has a lovely floral sweet vibe. It is definitely the most floral Oud I have ever had the pleasure of wearing Masha-Allah.

The day it arrived was a warm sunny day, and I put on a swipe of Oud Yusuf on my way out to a meeting. Whilst driving to the meeting, the sun was shining beautifully, I had the window slightly down to let in a nice cool breeze, and combined with the beautiful lovely aroma of Oud Yusuf, it was bliss. My mood was actually uplifted and I felt wonderful and happy Masha'Allah. At one point while I was stopped at the traffic lights, it made me smile as I swear I could smell raspberry jam! Then it went back to the beautiful floral oud aroma.

Later on that day someone came up to me and asked if I had any attar on me, and I apologised as I actually had none on me (I really need to start carrying some around). Anyway I thought to myself, did he smell the Oud Yusuf I was wearing and thats why he asked me for some attar? Then I thought naah maybe he was just asking in general. Anyway about an hour later we were about to stand for Asar prayer, and someone gave me a compliment on the scent I was wearing. Which then made me think that maybe the guy who asked me if I had any attar had actually smelled what I was wearing and thats why he asked.

Im so surprised how everytime I wear Oud Yusuf it makes me smile Masha-Allah.

I really want to buy two or three bottles of Oud Yusuf Insha-Allah.
 
#11
This is a good thing:) with everyone liking the organic oud, we have a future when the wild is gone including with his competitors.
I also like the Yusuf(hard not to!) I remember reading a few months back when Ensar was being questioned about his choice of oils with his label. He explained something about how it's art, it's not just the ingredients but the love & passion involved. This Oud Yusuf is another masterpiece worthy of his label, in my collection anyway.

Have a great day!
 
#12
Got my bottle of Oud Yusuf today, and I'm blown away!
It smells like nothing of this world, like Ensar has pulled it out of Heaven itself.
I do get the lilac note and a gentle woodiness, but I can't for the life of me put a description on it's scent.
Truly transcendent.
I may be easy to please as this my first Oud oil ever, but the experience I have with this Oud today will forever be burned in my memory.

I also want to thank Ensar for sending me samples of Assam Organic and Crassna Cha.
I haven't smelled them yet as I wanted a clean palate for the Yusuf.
 
#13
I'm gonna have to order another bottle of Oud Yusuf.
I'm not going to open it, but leave it to age and save it for later years.
At least that's what I'm telling myself to justify buying another bottle :)

I just love it more and more each time I put it on.
It's just perfect for me.
 

Ensar Oud

Well-Known Member
#16
SubhanAllah, I almost can’t believe it! Someone get me a flight to the distillery, pleeeeeeease!

Oud Yusuf is to come back though, by Allah’s pure grace. ☺️
 
#20
Would be amazing if it came back. Oud Yusuf, for me (and many others I presume) was the start to this incredible Oud journey. I had experienced a few other ouds before but one brother in the mosque was wearing Yusuf during zhikr and I looked over at him in shock and amazement at the scent. I ran over to him after and asked 'what is that!?' and he had a full bottle that a brother gifted to him. Immediately I got one of my own and now have 3. Even with all the other Sultan and Kinam ouds I've experienced, Yusuf owns a spot top shelf almost center in the collection. Not just because of nostalgia but because it's such a beautiful beautiful scent. How sad we were to hear the trees had been clear cut and the land barren. But, maybe there was another Yusuf forest that's been grown. Or a few of the trees survived. Either way, get this man on the first plane to Yusufville.