get together with @Simla House the other night to study some hindi/bhutan oils more closely. here are some of my impressions.
oils observed closely by wearing good swipe on skin and followed thru the course of the evening, night and even this morning:
muana zen (unreleased 2016 Bhutan distillation)
muana supreme (unreleased 2012 Bhutan distillation. looooong soak time and ferment. more so than royal Bhutan of same year)
bhutan red (unreleased 2009 Bhutan oil very traditional)
royal imphal (unreleased. iirc 2014 oil?)
below for detailed notes.
muana zen: most unique. familiar yet peculiar notes to my nose best described as a very soft subdued curry note. bay leaf. ginger. even curry leaf. something mildly zesty like buddha hand or some imaginary yet to be discovered citrus zest. so subtle though. other than that, the same muana note of red/black tea with milk, touch of wild honey and hint of vanilla. clean. pristine. love it
muana supreme: touch cheese, quite advanced notes of tobacco, leather, animal skin, touch sour fruit. then the beauty of muana comes and goes as a the dance continues
bhutan red: serious oil. very serious. old school but more harmonious than supreme and more restrained in the funk/fermented category. deep. very deep. it feels like the wood used was of a higher or different quality. i like this. not to wear as regularly but definitely crave it.
royal imphal: higher elevation note. hint of cheese at first but blows off to showcase a soft, tea/tobacco note but also the same muana. i could have been fooled easily and see this as another Bhutan. need to study further to pick out differences.
missing was muana royale which is awfully close to the already released nirvata muana except touch more focused, even more elegant and pitched at a frequency or two higher. fully clean non soaked oil, all about the pretty notes. nothing funky.
few more oils observed off vial/dipstick:
assam 3000: all sorts of melange of tropical fruit and delicious notes. no cheese. no sour berries. slight leather. some clean hay/barn.
shuayb: petrichor. dusty soil, mild barn, mild leather, no funk, no cheese, touch sour fruit but subtle. yellow orchard fruit mostly
ayoub (unreleased i believe): touch of that same muana/bhutan like notes. tea. rooibos, subtle vanilla, distant barn. no fecal, sour, sweat or cheese.
naga 3000: gorgeous. immediately noticeable as nagaland oil. fruit, red tobacco, tropical fruit to be precise and lychee, coconut husk subtle notes. lots goign on here in a very refined yet rich way.
asamugu senkoh: truly the brother of chugoku senkoh. still has that potting soil, bitter root veg, chinese vibrancy and zest but ever so subtle and soooo refined. this is the real deal.
hope these notes are of some help to fellow oud lovers.
oils observed closely by wearing good swipe on skin and followed thru the course of the evening, night and even this morning:
muana zen (unreleased 2016 Bhutan distillation)
muana supreme (unreleased 2012 Bhutan distillation. looooong soak time and ferment. more so than royal Bhutan of same year)
bhutan red (unreleased 2009 Bhutan oil very traditional)
royal imphal (unreleased. iirc 2014 oil?)
below for detailed notes.
muana zen: most unique. familiar yet peculiar notes to my nose best described as a very soft subdued curry note. bay leaf. ginger. even curry leaf. something mildly zesty like buddha hand or some imaginary yet to be discovered citrus zest. so subtle though. other than that, the same muana note of red/black tea with milk, touch of wild honey and hint of vanilla. clean. pristine. love it
muana supreme: touch cheese, quite advanced notes of tobacco, leather, animal skin, touch sour fruit. then the beauty of muana comes and goes as a the dance continues
bhutan red: serious oil. very serious. old school but more harmonious than supreme and more restrained in the funk/fermented category. deep. very deep. it feels like the wood used was of a higher or different quality. i like this. not to wear as regularly but definitely crave it.
royal imphal: higher elevation note. hint of cheese at first but blows off to showcase a soft, tea/tobacco note but also the same muana. i could have been fooled easily and see this as another Bhutan. need to study further to pick out differences.
missing was muana royale which is awfully close to the already released nirvata muana except touch more focused, even more elegant and pitched at a frequency or two higher. fully clean non soaked oil, all about the pretty notes. nothing funky.
few more oils observed off vial/dipstick:
assam 3000: all sorts of melange of tropical fruit and delicious notes. no cheese. no sour berries. slight leather. some clean hay/barn.
shuayb: petrichor. dusty soil, mild barn, mild leather, no funk, no cheese, touch sour fruit but subtle. yellow orchard fruit mostly
ayoub (unreleased i believe): touch of that same muana/bhutan like notes. tea. rooibos, subtle vanilla, distant barn. no fecal, sour, sweat or cheese.
naga 3000: gorgeous. immediately noticeable as nagaland oil. fruit, red tobacco, tropical fruit to be precise and lychee, coconut husk subtle notes. lots goign on here in a very refined yet rich way.
asamugu senkoh: truly the brother of chugoku senkoh. still has that potting soil, bitter root veg, chinese vibrancy and zest but ever so subtle and soooo refined. this is the real deal.
hope these notes are of some help to fellow oud lovers.