SOTD

[bhanny]

@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

Yes, sleep like kings! For everyone else, Ceylon 1 is amazing and this Laotians are both really intense and very good as well. Spending more time listening to them. Safe travels Taha.

 

[Ensar Oud]

@Ensar, so what type you personally prefer? gentle fumigation? or full on blast style?

Well, since you asked about my personal preference.... I just had an amicable debate with @Oud_Learner about this during our Sri Lankan session. He insisted that the burner with the coils inside (a.k.a. the 'Subitism' burner) is appropriate for heating Kyara, if you modify it to be temperature adjustable. And I was just saying, How can you put Kyara on a burner like that? Hot red coils inside, proper smoke coming out of — Kyara slithers?? ('Tak boleh laah!')

To me, the burner should ideally be running for hours on end, while you forget it's there, and are suddenly reminded by unexpected whiffs of Kinam coming out of nowhere that there is a 'listening' session going on.... So ideally, the fumigation should be so gentle you hardly remember you're partaking in it, and only if you put your nose to the heater (can't really call it a 'burner') you get incessant whiffs of the gentlest Kyara vapors.

That's not to say that I don't use high heat. You can't really heat other types of wood like that, unless they're from the Kyara family. Try heating old Cambodi wood, or high grade Port Moresby.... you'll get whiffs of it, but will miss out on the most riveting facets those woods have to offer, which truly shine on somewhat higher heat.

And for a distiller, doing different styles is important. So I did the same exact thing you pulled off with the Si Lani and Old School Vietnam with oils like Aroha Kyaku and Oud Dhul Q. To me, the apex of that genre was Qi Nam Khmer though. The most incensey profile Cambodi ever, with just the right dose of 'fumes'. I really miss that oil....

 

[Taha]

Very true! Part it of also has to do with the nature of the resin (e.g. Crassna has one of the softest resins, Beccariana one of the hardest), that dictates the optimal temp.
And part of it has to do with what's just "right" for the wood in question.
For Kyara, I too prefer extremely low heat. Its *not* supposed to be 'in your face' and gone in a puff of smoke, it has to sing for hours (imagine if The Godfather was squished into a standard 1½ hour movie length). I do confess though, that at the end of a kyara session, I like to zap it. The aroma sticks to my beard like crazy.

 

[Ensar Oud]

I wish I could do the zapping bit at the end, but my heater's not temperature adjustable.... It fact it's so low heat, you can practically keep reheating the same chips over and over and over again, and they'll still give off scent. So I just keep recycling the same kyara chips, occasionally adding a new one to the mix.

—

Smelling an old Vietnam oil now.... Ice cream for the soul....

 

[Taha]

"Ice cream for the soul" - I like that.

Zapping: well, I usually end with straight charcoal or high heat on my Subitism burner. Admittedly, every time I do though, I do think (no, I know) I could have gotten at least a good 2-3 more sessions out of it.

 

[Oud Learner]

@Ensar

Now I have to show you my burner the next time we meet up.

 

[Ensar Oud]

I'm ready whenever you are!

I'll get the Kinam ready!

I'd be curious to smell that New Guinea oil of Taha's that you reviewed recently.
Will bring my own version of New Guinea for comparison and contrast...

 

[Gaianmind]

EO-Bois de Borneo an old favorite!

 

[kesiro]

EO-Bois de Borneo an old favorite!

I am not familiar with that one but anything with the word 'wood' in it interests me. Do you have any info or details about it please?

 

[Gaianmind]

It was a cultivated Bornean oud distilled in 2010. It sold out a few years ago. Very vanilla and woods kind of oil. Also describe it as the smell of an afternoon shower in the forest, followed by the warming of the sun. Sweeter than some Borneo's. Ensar's only cultivated Borneo if I'm not mistaken?

 

[Joyoud]

I'm going with Malaysia Classic today by KZ. Very nice oil.

 

[Oudamberlove]

I'm enjoying a banana split sundae with vanilla ice cream, fruit compote, whipped cream, nuts, and a cherry on top. I've got an Aceh chip on the warmer, and a stick of Koh Shi Boku lit.
I got all that from a single swipe of Hun Yin

 

[5MeO]

It was a cultivated Bornean oud distilled in 2010. It sold out a few years ago. Very vanilla and woods kind of oil. Also describe it as the smell of an afternoon shower in the forest, followed by the warming of the sun. Sweeter than some Borneo's. Ensar's only cultivated Borneo if I'm not mistaken?

I was told by Ensar that it is an oud from wild wood..

 

[Gaianmind]

Oops you may be right! I was only assuming as it was listed in the organic ouds section. Thanks for the clarification 5MeO.

Now that I think about it I'm not even 100% sure it was in the organic ouds section? Might not want to take info from me lol!

 

[kesiro]

Today is the beautiful Yoshi. My daughter's favorite. A very uplifting scent to get the day going.

 

[kesiro]

I'm enjoying a banana split sundae with vanilla ice cream, fruit compote, whipped cream, nuts, and a cherry on top. I've got an Aceh chip on the warmer, and a stick of Koh Shi Boku lit. I got all that from a single swipe of Hun Yin

That sounds awesome. Truly is amazing what kind of olfactory symphonies oud can provide.

 

[Taherg]

It was under organic, u sure he said wild?
Definitely an oil that was high in demand, alas ..my lack of affinity towards Borneo oils means I don't wear Bois much...at all.

 

[5MeO]

Last night - Assam Organic (EO) before I went to bed, for the evening meditation. I burned a bit of Ensar's Port Moresby wood as well - wow, the combo of the barnyard oil and those rich Papuan chips was fantastic!

Today - Ridhwan (ASO) - extraordinarily rich, sweet, and musky(?) oil - extravagant..

Taherg yes it was under the Organic section, but it was actually wild wood.. It was placed in the Organic section due to the similarity of pricing w the organic/cultivated oils apparently.. I enjoy Bois de Borneo quite a bit, though if you have Borneo 2000 that to me has quite a bit of similarity in scent profile, but Borneo 2000 is a finer oil - usually I reach for that one instead of the Bois de Borneo..

Bois de Borneo was actually my very first artisan oud oil - I had received a couple oud samples whilst ordering oud wood (which I had been burning for awhile) from an ebay vendor - I tried these samples and did not like them, but the smell was so strong and unusual that I was a bit intrigued - I decided to try something from Ensar, and it was Bois de Borneo - after the crude and stinky oils I had tried from the ebay vendor the BdB oil was quite a revelation, and started the obsession

 

[Taherg]

Which Assam Organic? The 2007 or 2010?
Somehow I'm way more in love with 2010, even though Ensar said the 2007 is superior (it was more expensive too). The 2010 have these notes of ripe fruit intertwined with the barn which is irresistible.

Today Abdullah wore Manaka Jinkoh, all the other babies were jealous...

 

[5MeO]

I will have to check when I get home - I think it is the 2010 - there are certainly some nice fruity notes - blue cheese + ripe fruit + barnyard + liqueur is what is smells like to me.. Assam Organic was my first barnyard oud actually - I was taken aback at first, but then came to appreciate that genre..