SOTD

[Oudamberlove]

can you elaborate more? i personally dont get anything but bitter root veg out of fragrant harbour. not sure i can relate to the incense comment. help me see what you see

Well...... I use Japanese Incense sticks a lot...........
and when I swipe FH, I can’t help but associate it with the incense vibe, without the smoke!

It is probably because of the Borneol Camphor ingredient used in those Japanese sticks.

So at work yesterday, while driving my forklift, I still get wafts of that scent even if the swipe was hours old. That piercing note lasts long.

Also, when I “scent appreciate” that oil, the drydown really comes across as having an incense note, but as I mentioned earlier, with no smoke.

 

[Larry K.]

@Larry K. I haven’t tried IO’s Hainan Vintage.

Taha’s Mahabali and Ensar’s AO Meghalaya are both Hindi to the core but different presentations. Mahabali has a bittersweet, indolic quality that I describe as being concrete; earthy like hot, white beach sand in the sun. Clean yet challenging, smells like a Tripura wood I have on low-med heat and IMO is a textural masterpiece; a 2/10 on my barn-O-meter. AO Meghalaya is golden-brown hay, tobacco, a wee touch of the sweetness in China Sayang and the most medicinal of the AO’s IMO. Smooth in texture and a curative panacea, 4.5/10 on my barn-O-meter. Both are tola worthy and I clearly see why OAL has a tola of AO. AO as far as I know is already aged ~7yrs, I can’t begin to fathom how beautiful Mahabali will be in that long.

Pearl, thanks for discussing those two Hindis. I have a sample of Ensar’s AO and I’m getting curious about Hindi oils. I have Lushai Hills and Mr. Barn - which picked up my own Barn-O-Meter and threw it on the floor while yelling curses in Assamese. The AO is extremely approachable by comparison. I’m looking forward to listening to it.

 

[Simla House]

This morning I applied the newly acquired AA’s Chamkeila. This Indian Oud is one of @Taha’s Gen 3 oils which captures the oleresin of the wood. It truly is on par with the Senkoh series from @Ensar. I couldn’t imagine Assam Oud to smell like this, having no barn but rather something which is soothing and smooth. I can sense tobacco and Cambodian yet there is no Cambodian. A truly magnificent Indian Oud, the likes which are hard to come by. Thanks again @bhanny!!

Where is @bhanny hiding these days?

 

[Larry K.]

can you elaborate more? i personally dont get anything but bitter root veg out of fragrant harbour. not sure i can relate to the incense comment. help me see what you see

Rasoul, I’m sorry to say I agree with you on the FH. I get very little depth and a lot of what I identify as uninfected wood not carved away from the resinous areas and thrown into the grinder right along with the good parts. I hate to say this because IO produces some very lovely oils and I have no intention of impugning their products. Like you, because of the positive reviews, I wonder if I’m unable to detect what is so pleasant to the other reviewers whose noses I respect. Perhaps a few more months’ aging will bring things out.

 

[kesiro]

Adikuto X. This oil is quite different from when I got it upon release. It has blossomed quite a lot. I note another layer on top of the heart and base richness this oil had out of the gate initially. I am not getting some beautiful sweet, almost Myrrh-like incence smokiness on top. Wow was I surprised. For those that have this and have not tried it in a while, I would be very much interested in your thoughts.

 

[kesiro]

Almost forgot to ask. Who jumped on the People's Sultan??

 

[Rasoul S]

Well...... I use Japanese Incense sticks a lot...........
and when I swipe FH, I can’t help but associate it with the incense vibe, without the smoke!

It is probably because of the Borneol Camphor ingredient used in those Japanese sticks.

So at work yesterday, while driving my forklift, I still get wafts of that scent even if the swipe was hours old. That piercing note lasts long.

Also, when I “scent appreciate” that oil, the drydown really comes across as having an incense note, but as I mentioned earlier, with no smoke.

@Oudamberlove
i see. i also light up japanese jinkoh and kyara sticks almost daily. got a solid stash of some 50+ ones. off memory i cant really relate to this but ill give it whirl and see if i can align my nose with your experience.

 

[Rasoul S]

Rasoul, I’m sorry to say I agree with you on the FH. I get very little depth and a lot of what I identify as uninfected wood not carved away from the resinous areas and thrown into the grinder right along with the good parts. I hate to say this because IO produces some very lovely oils and I have no intention of impugning their products. Like you, because of the positive reviews, I wonder if I’m unable to detect what is so pleasant to the other reviewers whose noses I respect. Perhaps a few more months’ aging will bring things out.

your experience mirrors mine. in fairness this oil is categorized and priced accordingly by IO. i give it points for such a unique and really stripped down all the way to ginseng, bitter root note, but it is a note i enjoy studying not wearing...

 

[Oudamberlove]

I believe that one can enjoy an oud, in what it represents to them, and not always a dissection of the symphony.

Concerning Fragrant Harbor (not Fragrant Harbor supreme), it serves two purposes for me. The first is the Camphorous aspect married to some oudiness that serves as a smokeless incense for me. The second is a Sinensis Kick!, when I need it.
(Now if I were to use it in a Mukh, then that would be a third purpose)

Analyzing FH....
It possesses a note that I dislike the most among ouds. That bitter and slightly pungent fresh cut wood note. But unlike other oils that have this note from swipe to drydown, in FH it fades away towards drydown. That sort of amazed me a left me scratching my head “how can this be”?

But for the most part FH is low on aromatics. It’s like an oud stripped of the fanfare. You’re left with a mild white floral, camphor, sinensis bitters, resinousness, and oudiness. Definitely plantation, definitely a bunch of white wood, but the trees were probably of an excellent breed. Had those trees been left to grow for a few more decades, FH would be “off-the-hook”-good


Speaking of studying an oud. I swiped Plai Cheu yesterday. That oil deserves many sessions of study delight. After smelling Plai Cheu (which has zero barn), I can easily detect the “soak” in any other Crassna ouds. During drydown, the aroma smells like a Cambodi agarwood chip after pouring hot water over it.


But for today, I have to swipe the Doctor......Dr. Hindi to be exact

 

[Larry K.]

I believe that one can enjoy an oud, in what it represents to them, and not always a dissection of the symphony.

Concerning Fragrant Harbor (not Fragrant Harbor supreme), it serves two purposes for me. The first is the Camphorous aspect married to some oudiness that serves as a smokeless incense for me. The second is a Sinensis Kick!, when I need it.
(Now if I were to use it in a Mukh, then that would be a third purpose)

Analyzing FH....
It possesses a note that I dislike the most among ouds. That bitter and slightly pungent fresh cut wood note. But unlike other oils that have this note from swipe to drydown, in FH it fades away towards drydown. That sort of amazed me a left me scratching my head “how can this be”?

But for the most part FH is low on aromatics. It’s like an oud stripped of the fanfare. You’re left with a mild white floral, camphor, sinensis bitters, resinousness, and oudiness. Definitely plantation, definitely a bunch of white wood, but the trees were probably of an excellent breed. Had those trees been left to grow for a few more decades, FH would be “off-the-hook”-good


Speaking of studying an oud. I swiped Plai Cheu yesterday. That oil deserves many sessions of study delight. After smelling Plai Cheu (which has zero barn), I can easily detect the “soak” in any other Crassna ouds. During drydown, the aroma smells like a Cambodi agarwood chip after pouring hot water over it.


But for today, I have to swipe the Doctor......Dr. Hindi to be exact

Rasoul and OAL, thanks for your insights. I’m going to look for that sinensis in the FH.

 

[kesiro]

Hi Curt, totally agree with you on the Plai Cheu. A very interesting oil which was eye opening educational for me. The almost Vietnamese style bitterness combined with what are intrinsic fruit notes of that Crassna wood (as opposed to its analogue L'essentiel Cambodgien, which is all about accessory notes) is a unique animal and totally awesome.

 

[Ammar]

Agar Aura Tokusen Tai,

The modern art hipster juiced Crassna that deliberately rejected the traditional fruity-flowery Thai styles of the past.

Thai oil that I could wear and fully enjoy...

 

[Nikhil S]

Treasure Oud Kalakassi today.
I have always wondered since most woods on Heater smell nearly similar with subtle differences, why they smell different in oils ? I mean if ORSL smells similar to Wallapatta and Hindi Oils to actual fragrant Old Agallocha chips then why other oils don't reflect the wood. Any oud oil user can tell by the smell of Oil....if it's Laosi, Sinensis, Cambodi, Hindi......can people do the same with woods on the burner ?? Notes of camphor, sea salt, ocean, menthol, incense, Ambergris, rose etc......which they get in oil. Some people can also make out steel/copper styles/style of cooking ? And if I mix a bit of Sri Lankan/Vietnam/Cambodi in a single vial post distillation ? Will that smell even better to a Nose ? Basically, do we enjoy Oils more because they can bring more complexities/development that even the most sophisticated Kyara/Sinking old chips can ? Or it's just that Oils are easy to obtain and give us more freedom to wear a fractional smell of Oud for 5 times the price of wood ? I would love to hear some insights from the brothers/sisters who have been using Our for a long time....thank you! If someone wants Oleoresin why don't they just fumigate ?

 

[Rasoul S]

Treasure Oud Kalakassi today.
I have always wondered since most woods on Heater smell nearly similar with subtle differences, why they smell different in oils ? I mean if ORSL smells similar to Wallapatta and Hindi Oils to actual fragrant Old Agallocha chips then why other oils don't reflect the wood. Any oud oil user can tell by the smell of Oil....if it's Laosi, Sinensis, Cambodi, Hindi......can people do the same with woods on the burner ?? Notes of camphor, sea salt, ocean, menthol, incense, Ambergris, rose etc......which they get in oil. Some people can also make out steel/copper styles/style of cooking ? And if I mix a bit of Sri Lankan/Vietnam/Cambodi in a single vial post distillation ? Will that smell even better to a Nose ? Basically, do we enjoy Oils more because they can bring more complexities/development that even the most sophisticated Kyara/Sinking old chips can ? Or it's just that Oils are easy to obtain and give us more freedom to wear a fractional smell of Oud for 5 times the price of wood ? I would love to hear some insights from the brothers/sisters who have been using Our for a long time....thank you! If someone wants Oleoresin why don't they just fumigate ?

Great thought. Many I have pondered myself. I will reply in full after giving this more thought as is pretty late here on the left coast.

 

[Taha]

Treasure Oud Kalakassi today.
I have always wondered since most woods on Heater smell nearly similar with subtle differences, why they smell different in oils ? I mean if ORSL smells similar to Wallapatta and Hindi Oils to actual fragrant Old Agallocha chips then why other oils don't reflect the wood. Any oud oil user can tell by the smell of Oil....if it's Laosi, Sinensis, Cambodi, Hindi......can people do the same with woods on the burner ?? Notes of camphor, sea salt, ocean, menthol, incense, Ambergris, rose etc......which they get in oil. Some people can also make out steel/copper styles/style of cooking ? And if I mix a bit of Sri Lankan/Vietnam/Cambodi in a single vial post distillation ? Will that smell even better to a Nose ? Basically, do we enjoy Oils more because they can bring more complexities/development that even the most sophisticated Kyara/Sinking old chips can ? Or it's just that Oils are easy to obtain and give us more freedom to wear a fractional smell of Oud for 5 times the price of wood ? I would love to hear some insights from the brothers/sisters who have been using Our for a long time....thank you! If someone wants Oleoresin why don't they just fumigate ?

Perhaps you don't even realize it Nikhil, but your one single post is super packed with many important yet inter-related issues.

It ties into this:

Speaking of studying an oud. I swiped Plai Cheu yesterday. That oil deserves many sessions of study delight. After smelling Plai Cheu (which has zero barn), I can easily detect the “soak” in any other Crassna ouds. During drydown, the aroma smells like a Cambodi agarwood chip after pouring hot water over it.

and this:

Hi Curt, totally agree with you on the Plai Cheu. A very interesting oil which was eye opening educational for me. The almost Vietnamese style bitterness combined with what are intrinsic fruit notes of that Crassna wood (as opposed to its analogue L'essentiel Cambodgien, which is all about accessory notes) is a unique animal and totally awesome.

and this:

Agar Aura Tokusen Tai,

The modern art hipster juiced Crassna that deliberately rejected the traditional fruity-flowery Thai styles of the past.

Thai oil that I could wear and fully enjoy...

...and also a chip tip chip I smuggled into a package to Rasoul, and am dying to hear about. *cough*nudge*jab*

 

[Nikhil S]

@Taha I have Mai Wan Lao.

 

[kesiro]

Jing Shen Liu. Revisited this old friend today after quite a long time. A top shelf complex oil which makes me forget it is from cultivated wood.

 

[saint458]

Jing Shen Liu. Revisited this old friend today after quite a long time. A top shelf complex oil which makes me forget it is from cultivated wood.

Indeed ... it's certainly better than many wild ones.

 

[Larry K.]

Treasure Oud Kalakassi today.
I have always wondered since most woods on Heater smell nearly similar with subtle differences, why they smell different in oils ? I mean if ORSL smells similar to Wallapatta and Hindi Oils to actual fragrant Old Agallocha chips then why other oils don't reflect the wood. Any oud oil user can tell by the smell of Oil....if it's Laosi, Sinensis, Cambodi, Hindi......can people do the same with woods on the burner ?? Notes of camphor, sea salt, ocean, menthol, incense, Ambergris, rose etc......which they get in oil. Some people can also make out steel/copper styles/style of cooking ? And if I mix a bit of Sri Lankan/Vietnam/Cambodi in a single vial post distillation ? Will that smell even better to a Nose ? Basically, do we enjoy Oils more because they can bring more complexities/development that even the most sophisticated Kyara/Sinking old chips can ? Or it's just that Oils are easy to obtain and give us more freedom to wear a fractional smell of Oud for 5 times the price of wood ? I would love to hear some insights from the brothers/sisters who have been using Our for a long time....thank you! If someone wants Oleoresin why don't they just fumigate ?

Good and interesting question Nikhil. I always wondered if it was my indelicate and poorly educated nose. I’ve never had any oil along with a piece of the wood it was made from, so I’ve never been able to sniff out similarities in wood and oil forms, if any exist. Lately though I’ve caught whiffs of oil that smell like heated wood. This is mostly from Taha’s G3 oils. Which leads me to guess that Taha’s post above is hinting the differences in oils arise mostly from distillation technique and artifacts. But I wonder why this would be true-after all the wood itself (as opposed to the resin it contains) is an “artifact” which distillation removes.

By the way, regarding your statement that any oud user can distinguish many origins; A non-oud, non-fragrance friend of mine had asked me about Oud. Yesterday I introduced him to eight ouds, from Cambodian to Maroke, Thai, Hainan, Hindi, Malay, and Vietnamese. He’s a guy in his late 60’s who’s not into fragrance at all, and had never smelled oud in his life. He had no trouble detecting the differences, and he said he was surprised that each oil was so distinct from all the others. Oud Yusef and Nha Trang Ltd. were his favorites.

 

[rodeoclown]

Jing Shen Liu. Revisited this old friend today after quite a long time. A top shelf complex oil which makes me forget it is from cultivated wood.

Jing Shen Liu is a wonderfully elegant oil. the scent equivalent of donning a fine tux or custom ballgown. I feel dressed up with it on even if I'm wearing ripped up jeans.