Haven't been by in awhile - but still an oud man!
Enjoying Oud Al Kaabah (Ensar) today - this is a cultivated oil released a few years ago around the time of Oud Yaqoub and Oud Yusuf.. It has aged wonderfully and I'm appreciated a very ripe quality - smells like the wood was soaked until just before the barnyard notes would be imbued - there's just this hint of barn to the Thai/Cambodi type profile.. Initially this was not one of my favorite EO oils but my appreciation has grown..
Yesterday - Santal Royale (Ensar) - fabulous sandalwood oil, one of the finest I've smelled, with a vibrant fresh tree quality coupled with an earthy/musky/spicy quality.. The complexity on this one makes it as interesting to study as a fine oud - usually sandalwood oils are really pleasant and beautiful to smell but can also be sort of simple and uninteresting after a few sniffs - not this one.. Those who have this in their collection are fortunate indeed..
Picked up some of his 80's Mysore sandalwood also - top shelf goodness here, sweet and rich.. Top-shelf Sandalwood on the electric heater can rival agarwood for aromatic intensity and enjoyment, and has a user-friendly quality that makes it the sort of thing that non-incense appreciating houseguests (here in the USA where basically no one knows about agarwood and Japanese style incense) can readily enjoy.. I've had some friends not really like what was very fine agarwood on the electric heater, but the sandalwood is always a hit..
Sultan Suleyman (Ensar) - it's hard to pick which of this top-shelf New Guinea distillations are my favorite, but this one competes for sure.. The Malaysian influence here is wonderful - imagine a hint of something along the lines of Purple Kinam teasing you amidst the epic, wild blue-green jungle aroma of the New Guinea agarwood.. An extravagant perfume..
Enjoying Oud Al Kaabah (Ensar) today - this is a cultivated oil released a few years ago around the time of Oud Yaqoub and Oud Yusuf.. It has aged wonderfully and I'm appreciated a very ripe quality - smells like the wood was soaked until just before the barnyard notes would be imbued - there's just this hint of barn to the Thai/Cambodi type profile.. Initially this was not one of my favorite EO oils but my appreciation has grown..
Yesterday - Santal Royale (Ensar) - fabulous sandalwood oil, one of the finest I've smelled, with a vibrant fresh tree quality coupled with an earthy/musky/spicy quality.. The complexity on this one makes it as interesting to study as a fine oud - usually sandalwood oils are really pleasant and beautiful to smell but can also be sort of simple and uninteresting after a few sniffs - not this one.. Those who have this in their collection are fortunate indeed..
Picked up some of his 80's Mysore sandalwood also - top shelf goodness here, sweet and rich.. Top-shelf Sandalwood on the electric heater can rival agarwood for aromatic intensity and enjoyment, and has a user-friendly quality that makes it the sort of thing that non-incense appreciating houseguests (here in the USA where basically no one knows about agarwood and Japanese style incense) can readily enjoy.. I've had some friends not really like what was very fine agarwood on the electric heater, but the sandalwood is always a hit..
Sultan Suleyman (Ensar) - it's hard to pick which of this top-shelf New Guinea distillations are my favorite, but this one competes for sure.. The Malaysian influence here is wonderful - imagine a hint of something along the lines of Purple Kinam teasing you amidst the epic, wild blue-green jungle aroma of the New Guinea agarwood.. An extravagant perfume..
i like santal royale quite a bit too. santal sultan and laosan even more so though!
Suley these days is THE ONE for me. i love the PK tease and the malay notes. so many great sultans and i don't have ahmet anymore to compare, but Suley is right up there. today though i wear sultan abdul hamit:
for fans of resin packed agarwood on high heat, that smoldering, bubbling goodness. for fans of duhl q and aroha.
abdul hamit is one delicious concoction smelling like skewers of exotic tropical fruits, laced with nectars and honey of equally exotic flowers and spiced with dustings of finest cinnamon, cardamom and nutmeg, roasted over open fire.