SOTD
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Just when I thought I was not interested in Maroke oils...Xiang Liao Ling entered my life. I wore it today..and lathered my baby's head with it too.
When I met Ensar in Dubai, I had already disregarded the idea of getting a Maroke Oud, they just weren't all that enjoyable to me. I barely even glanced at Xiang as it lay on the table at Dubai Oudfest...
However, perhaps partially due to the fact that there were barely any oils on the table that I did not already own..I figured I may as well take a swipe..I sniffed
and then I swiped again..
and again..pulling into my lungs every note of deep green jungly awesomeness. I thought...yea its nice, but I am not interested in Marokes..
and I came back the next day to bother him some more..and swiped again (to make sure I was not agrandising its scent in my subconcious)... no..it really was that amazing. So I took home a new friend
God bless you Ensar...
When I met Ensar in Dubai, I had already disregarded the idea of getting a Maroke Oud, they just weren't all that enjoyable to me. I barely even glanced at Xiang as it lay on the table at Dubai Oudfest...
However, perhaps partially due to the fact that there were barely any oils on the table that I did not already own..I figured I may as well take a swipe..I sniffed
and then I swiped again..
and again..pulling into my lungs every note of deep green jungly awesomeness. I thought...yea its nice, but I am not interested in Marokes..
and I came back the next day to bother him some more..and swiped again (to make sure I was not agrandising its scent in my subconcious)... no..it really was that amazing. So I took home a new friend
God bless you Ensar...
Just when I thought I was not interested in Maroke oils...Xiang Liao Ling entered my life. I wore it today..and lathered my baby's head with it too.
When I met Ensar in Dubai, I had already disregarded the idea of getting a Maroke Oud, they just weren't all that enjoyable to me. I barely even glanced at Xiang as it lay on the table at Dubai Oudfest...
However, perhaps partially due to the fact that there were barely any oils on the table that I did not already own..I figured I may as well take a swipe..I sniffed
and then I swiped again..
and again..pulling into my lungs every note of deep green jungly awesomeness. I thought...yea its nice, but I am not interested in Marokes..
and I came back the next day to bother him some more..and swiped again (to make sure I was not agrandising its scent in my subconcious)... no..it really was that amazing. So I took home a new friend
God bless you Ensar...
When I met Ensar in Dubai, I had already disregarded the idea of getting a Maroke Oud, they just weren't all that enjoyable to me. I barely even glanced at Xiang as it lay on the table at Dubai Oudfest...
However, perhaps partially due to the fact that there were barely any oils on the table that I did not already own..I figured I may as well take a swipe..I sniffed
and then I swiped again..
and again..pulling into my lungs every note of deep green jungly awesomeness. I thought...yea its nice, but I am not interested in Marokes..
and I came back the next day to bother him some more..and swiped again (to make sure I was not agrandising its scent in my subconcious)... no..it really was that amazing. So I took home a new friend
God bless you Ensar...
Sounds awesome! Marokes are different for sure but great oil is great oil, no matter where it comes from.
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Well kesiro, I do agree. Great is great, no matter the geography.
But what I can tell you is that when the count down begins for a jungle trek, I often find myself rubbing Maroke Muah into my moustache. Go figure.
(and I type this with said moustache state)
Its interesting that Merauke oils are Filaria, a species of the Aquilaria genus. And yet, I find that all the species of the Gyrinops genus bequeath a closer experience to Aquilaria agarwoods than Filaria. Filaria is so singular and unusual... and yet, high grade specimens offer the closest similitude to the raw material, the wood.
And even when I'm going through a 'phase' (e.g. a Sri Lankan phase for me right now, Indian before that), every time I go back to a good Merauke oud, I wonder how I can ever find any other oud variety as satisfying.
But what I can tell you is that when the count down begins for a jungle trek, I often find myself rubbing Maroke Muah into my moustache. Go figure.
(and I type this with said moustache state)
Its interesting that Merauke oils are Filaria, a species of the Aquilaria genus. And yet, I find that all the species of the Gyrinops genus bequeath a closer experience to Aquilaria agarwoods than Filaria. Filaria is so singular and unusual... and yet, high grade specimens offer the closest similitude to the raw material, the wood.
And even when I'm going through a 'phase' (e.g. a Sri Lankan phase for me right now, Indian before that), every time I go back to a good Merauke oud, I wonder how I can ever find any other oud variety as satisfying.
Agar Parisien oud mukhallat by Agar Aura. Taha said Lao One was used in this version. Blended so well it's hard to capture individual notes for the untrained nose !
A very pleasant French-style attar, with ample dosage of natural oakmoss. Though it uses Lao One, I can't detect the funk (if any) at all. Awesome dry down.
A very pleasant French-style attar, with ample dosage of natural oakmoss. Though it uses Lao One, I can't detect the funk (if any) at all. Awesome dry down.
So today I tried the Kinam Emerald. This oils is an event. Can't say I have ever experienced anything like it. Some oils make you feel a certain way, some are almost a spiritual experience. Not this oil. This oil took me to a specific place, not a mental place but an actual physical place. I took a small swipe, closed my eyes and took a deep inhale. Instantly, I was on a rocky coastline in New England, the ocean dark and brooding. The clouds are a dark curtain, draped across the shoreline. A lighthouse is in the distance, a sentry for ships that might wander too close to the treacherous coast. A whale exhales a plume of krill smelling breath. Seaweed bounces in the rough surf. A mist of ocean water sprays up in my face in the gusts.
Does it smell pretty? Hell no. If you slathered this on and went to a gathering with close contact, you would end up alone within minutes. Not an inviting scent for company, IMO. But as a personal experience, it is unsurpassed in its ability to transform. I find my self sniffing over and over again in amazement. Wow, just WOW!
Does it smell pretty? Hell no. If you slathered this on and went to a gathering with close contact, you would end up alone within minutes. Not an inviting scent for company, IMO. But as a personal experience, it is unsurpassed in its ability to transform. I find my self sniffing over and over again in amazement. Wow, just WOW!
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Well kesiro, I do agree. Great is great, no matter the geography.
But what I can tell you is that when the count down begins for a jungle trek, I often find myself rubbing Maroke Muah into my moustache. Go figure.
(and I type this with said moustache state)
Its interesting that Merauke oils are Filaria, a species of the Aquilaria genus. And yet, I find that all the species of the Gyrinops genus bequeath a closer experience to Aquilaria agarwoods than Filaria. Filaria is so singular and unusual... and yet, high grade specimens offer the closest similitude to the raw material, the wood.
And even when I'm going through a 'phase' (e.g. a Sri Lankan phase for me right now, Indian before that), every time I go back to a good Merauke oud, I wonder how I can ever find any other oud variety as satisfying.
But what I can tell you is that when the count down begins for a jungle trek, I often find myself rubbing Maroke Muah into my moustache. Go figure.
(and I type this with said moustache state)
Its interesting that Merauke oils are Filaria, a species of the Aquilaria genus. And yet, I find that all the species of the Gyrinops genus bequeath a closer experience to Aquilaria agarwoods than Filaria. Filaria is so singular and unusual... and yet, high grade specimens offer the closest similitude to the raw material, the wood.
And even when I'm going through a 'phase' (e.g. a Sri Lankan phase for me right now, Indian before that), every time I go back to a good Merauke oud, I wonder how I can ever find any other oud variety as satisfying.
@Taha I knew I got that habit from you! A swipe of Maroke Muah in my mustache before I head out into the garden is pure bliss to me. Dreaming daily about Sultans Succor btw!
I love the primal dark earthy-ness of Muah, Xiang Liao Ling is far more elegant from start to finish. I love both for their unique expressions of the Filaria spectrum!
I love the primal dark earthy-ness of Muah, Xiang Liao Ling is far more elegant from start to finish. I love both for their unique expressions of the Filaria spectrum!
So I met up with @Oud_Learner today, and he brought his Sri Lankans with him. Al-Syed Ceylon No 1, ditto No 2, and Adam's Si Lani. The following are some mental notes I made, which I thought my colleagues might want me to share.
I first applied ASC1, to be greeted with a translucent dose of chamomile, Granny Smith apple skins, and a potpourri of herbs combined in a mellow and exotic herbal tea sort of bouquet. The clarity of the oil was outstanding, each and every note was clearly defined. There was a strong pull to the entire orchestration of top notes.
This was closely followed by ASC2. Deeper, less top-notey, less complex, for some reason also quite appealing albeit from not the same grade of agarwood, clearly. I found more 'oudiness' in this one, less herbal tea and apple notes, and unlike ASC1 it had a more prominent transition phase between head and heart notes.
Both oils smelled excellent. I would improve the longevity factor by considering a change of condenser or collection style, albeit at the expense of less airy or heady top notes.
Adam's Si Lani was up next. Smoky smokehouse oudfest effect. Like you're inhaling the burning wood right from the charcoal, and it's not the 'gently heated' kind! Unabashed, brazen and Spartan, this is a category of oud which might not be for everyone, albeit many 'fumigators' would want to have it in their collections. If you liked Aroha Kyaku or Old School Vietnam, you're going to like this a lot. The longevity is stronger than with the ASCs, however at the expense of refinement and 'delectability'. "Some like 'em smoky!" should be the motto for this one!
I first applied ASC1, to be greeted with a translucent dose of chamomile, Granny Smith apple skins, and a potpourri of herbs combined in a mellow and exotic herbal tea sort of bouquet. The clarity of the oil was outstanding, each and every note was clearly defined. There was a strong pull to the entire orchestration of top notes.
This was closely followed by ASC2. Deeper, less top-notey, less complex, for some reason also quite appealing albeit from not the same grade of agarwood, clearly. I found more 'oudiness' in this one, less herbal tea and apple notes, and unlike ASC1 it had a more prominent transition phase between head and heart notes.
Both oils smelled excellent. I would improve the longevity factor by considering a change of condenser or collection style, albeit at the expense of less airy or heady top notes.
Adam's Si Lani was up next. Smoky smokehouse oudfest effect. Like you're inhaling the burning wood right from the charcoal, and it's not the 'gently heated' kind! Unabashed, brazen and Spartan, this is a category of oud which might not be for everyone, albeit many 'fumigators' would want to have it in their collections. If you liked Aroha Kyaku or Old School Vietnam, you're going to like this a lot. The longevity is stronger than with the ASCs, however at the expense of refinement and 'delectability'. "Some like 'em smoky!" should be the motto for this one!
So I met up with @Oud_Learner today, and he brought his Sri Lankans with him. Al-Syed Ceylon No 1, ditto No 2, and Adam's Si Lani. The following are some mental notes I made, which I thought my colleagues might want me to share.
I first applied ASC1, to be greeted with a translucent dose of chamomile, Granny Smith apple skins, and a potpourri of herbs combined in a mellow and exotic herbal tea sort of bouquet. The clarity of the oil was outstanding, each and every note was clearly defined. There was a strong pull to the entire orchestration of top notes.
This was closely followed by ASC2. Deeper, less top-notey, less complex, for some reason also quite appealing albeit from not the same grade of agarwood, clearly. I found more 'oudiness' in this one, less herbal tea and apple notes, and unlike ASC1 it had a more prominent transition phase between head and heart notes.
Both oils smelled excellent. I would improve the longevity factor by considering a change of condenser or collection style, albeit at the expense of less airy or heady top notes.
Adam's Si Lani was up next. Smoky smokehouse oudfest effect. Like you're inhaling the burning wood right from the charcoal, and it's not the 'gently heated' kind! Unabashed, brazen and Spartan, this is a category of oud which might not be for everyone, albeit many 'fumigators' would want to have it in their collections. If you liked Aroha Kyaku or Old School Vietnam, you're going to like this a lot. The longevity is stronger than with the ASCs, however at the expense of refinement and 'delectability'. "Some like 'em smoky!" should be the motto for this one!
I first applied ASC1, to be greeted with a translucent dose of chamomile, Granny Smith apple skins, and a potpourri of herbs combined in a mellow and exotic herbal tea sort of bouquet. The clarity of the oil was outstanding, each and every note was clearly defined. There was a strong pull to the entire orchestration of top notes.
This was closely followed by ASC2. Deeper, less top-notey, less complex, for some reason also quite appealing albeit from not the same grade of agarwood, clearly. I found more 'oudiness' in this one, less herbal tea and apple notes, and unlike ASC1 it had a more prominent transition phase between head and heart notes.
Both oils smelled excellent. I would improve the longevity factor by considering a change of condenser or collection style, albeit at the expense of less airy or heady top notes.
Adam's Si Lani was up next. Smoky smokehouse oudfest effect. Like you're inhaling the burning wood right from the charcoal, and it's not the 'gently heated' kind! Unabashed, brazen and Spartan, this is a category of oud which might not be for everyone, albeit many 'fumigators' would want to have it in their collections. If you liked Aroha Kyaku or Old School Vietnam, you're going to like this a lot. The longevity is stronger than with the ASCs, however at the expense of refinement and 'delectability'. "Some like 'em smoky!" should be the motto for this one!
Basically, the cruder the distillation is, the more punchy it will be. The more delicate, the more the top notes will dominate. These compounds have a far lower density (ie high score in the silage department, low score in longevity), so what I like to do is keep my Gen3's in a compressed Argon-sealed vacuum state. This somehow makes the entire scent spectrum 'denser' and knits together the top to the heart to the base, which makes it as long lasting as any other oil.
For this reason I don't like releasing oils any earlier than 6-8 months post distillation, but a lot of folks really really wanted No. 1, hence I let go of a few bottles.
The argon is not really a must.. a topped-up bottle does the trick too. It's all about allowing the top notes to marinate in the base notes. But argon does speed it up (a LOT), and has some other interesting benefits too.
You shoulda smelled Lao Chen Xiang right out of the pot, on me it lasted no more than 20 mins (tops) on my skin. I think m.arif was at my place when I was commenting on this.
Now it lasts to the next day.
I strongly advise keeping the bottle sealed when not in use. For any oil that capture all the top notes of the wood unwarped (ie gentle cooking in the first week), the LAST thing you wanna do is airing and lamping, which is the typical thing distillers do to an oil. That only works for crude extracted oils. With delicate distillations, as long as the oil was cured properly (and the oil distilled properly) , the last thing you wanna do is lose the dainty notes to UV and oxygen.
By the way I just checked into the hotel. Gonna have lunch with the hunting team, then head off to the jungle for a quick survey. The local team member btw already got the local aborigines' approval, so... yippee! Forestry dept approval + tribe approval. We're all set!
Today we sleep like kings.
For this reason I don't like releasing oils any earlier than 6-8 months post distillation, but a lot of folks really really wanted No. 1, hence I let go of a few bottles.
The argon is not really a must.. a topped-up bottle does the trick too. It's all about allowing the top notes to marinate in the base notes. But argon does speed it up (a LOT), and has some other interesting benefits too.
You shoulda smelled Lao Chen Xiang right out of the pot, on me it lasted no more than 20 mins (tops) on my skin. I think m.arif was at my place when I was commenting on this.
Now it lasts to the next day.
I strongly advise keeping the bottle sealed when not in use. For any oil that capture all the top notes of the wood unwarped (ie gentle cooking in the first week), the LAST thing you wanna do is airing and lamping, which is the typical thing distillers do to an oil. That only works for crude extracted oils. With delicate distillations, as long as the oil was cured properly (and the oil distilled properly) , the last thing you wanna do is lose the dainty notes to UV and oxygen.
By the way I just checked into the hotel. Gonna have lunch with the hunting team, then head off to the jungle for a quick survey. The local team member btw already got the local aborigines' approval, so... yippee! Forestry dept approval + tribe approval. We're all set!
Today we sleep like kings.
@Taha the longevity of the Lao oil definitely was not that great when it first arrived that day. The second time I smelled it (when my nose got 'fried' ) it was indeed much better. I'd say the argon is really effective in this regard.
Awesome that the biggest obstacle has been settled Taha! With the locals' support and approval..and that dense of a forest..I pray you get a good haul this time! Sleep like kings tonight...Sleep with the insects and wild animals the rest of the coming weeks
Awesome that the biggest obstacle has been settled Taha! With the locals' support and approval..and that dense of a forest..I pray you get a good haul this time! Sleep like kings tonight...Sleep with the insects and wild animals the rest of the coming weeks