Oud Oil Reviews - MAIN THREAD

[Tuff]

Oud Royale 1985:
(hat tip 5MeO)

When I first put it on I was like

But then around an hour later I was like

But then finally three hours later I was like

What does it smell like?
Like the sorcerers library in this castle
https://staticdelivery.nexusmods.com/mods/110/images/58311-5-1412273666.jpg

What does it sound like?
Seastones of course!

 

[Waqas]

@bhanny and @RobertOne you are the experts, and enjoy your indepth reviews. i havent found any of your reviews of Oud Royale 1985 (i couldnt put it down) which recently was released by EO and Archipeligo 2014 EO.

 

[Waqas]

View attachment 376
@Ensar

Dearest Sir,

Hellfire And Damnation, Are you trying to kill me?

You know, you could just come round to my place, truss me, sell off my organs slowly on the Chinese market while I lay in an ice-bath without anasthetic and it would be much less painful than all the covetousness I am experiencing.

Call yourself Ensar Oud, do you?

View attachment 377

More like Ensar Dé Bloody Torquemada!

I thought the worst frustration that was Oud-related is when I blissfully unawares took a naughty little swipey of filthy dirty, dirty good Dr. Hindi while motoring, but no, you had to go and release that Oud.

Sigh.

I was discussing when I will re-enter the workplace earlier but mostly thanks to you (!!!) I might very well accelerate the timetable and cut out living in SE Asia just in order to get my more than fair shake of that as well as Archipelago, Purple Kinam, Sultan Ahmet, Oud Ahmad, Xiang Liao Ling, Green Papua, Borneo 500, all your olde ouds.... your kitchen sink....

Of course, one of the most peturbatory things about this situation is that after I get those treasures from you and start swiping I probably will not be able to even muster up a humanly decent amount of spite to mentally cast at you!

So please accept this with my most genteel regards now.

Now, on a slighly more serious note, I see that it is marketed as Aroha Kyaku +.

Well, I'm going to disagree with you publically and on one of your own Ouds, no less, and say that while it might be technically and artistically superior to AK it but no other Oud you or anyone else will ever produce can be as special as AK.

It was my first.

It opened my mind up to the wonder and splendour of every other Oud and I think because of that I react to it in such a profound way.

***** Rant Concluded *****

By the way, is it just me or did anyone try AK as their first and feel strongly about it too?

its not just you robert AK was my first buy at EO and it was how they got me hooked. although i had old kalakassi , crassna and several others, AK showed me that artisinal oud is almsot a seprate entity than traditional oud in general and now even though i have to explasin to my arab friends why i oud yousuf and jing shing are also an oud even though it smells like lillacs. its worth the explaining as a mercedes mini bus and a merceds S class are both mercedes but not like each other.

 

[bhanny]

@Waqas. Hello there! While I most graciously appreciate your faith, I most assuredly am not an expert. However, a great time to give praise to a couple lovely oils.

Oud Royale 1985. Before I knew what oud was, this is what I only dreamt it could be! Raw and heavily resinated. Deep, dark, ancient and jungly. THIS. IS. OUD.

Archipelago. Nice blend of sweet vanilla and cedar Borneo with sappy green and jungly New Guinea agarwood.

Sooooo..heck yeah..totally get why you can't put OR85 down!!! They don't make them like that anymore.

 

[RobertOne]

its not just you robert AK was my first buy at EO and it was how they got me hooked. although i had old kalakassi , crassna and several others, AK showed me that artisinal oud is almsot a seprate entity than traditional oud in general and now even though i have to explasin to my arab friends why i oud yousuf and jing shing are also an oud even though it smells like lillacs. its worth the explaining as a mercedes mini bus and a merceds S class are both mercedes but not like each other.

@bhanny and @RobertOne you are the experts, and enjoy your indepth reviews. i havent found any of your reviews of Oud Royale 1985 (i couldnt put it down) which recently was released by EO and Archipeligo 2014 EO.

Dear Waqas,

Thank you for your compliment, I do appreciate it but it's completely unjustified.

I am completely a novitiate on all things Oud, it has been far less than a year since my very first swipe of EO, which in turn was my first experience of Oud.

In many ways I still have so much to learn about so many aspects of this facinating art and craft despite the Ensar And Taha letters here, for example, only two weeks ago did I learn that for the best planting conditions for aloeswood are on a slope in order to avoid stagnant water but karst geology might overcome that requirement as it would allow for superior drainage... and that is just the cultivation aspect!

What saddens me the most and this is after EO DQ, EO EDA & FO DH are gone forever seemingly overnight and that EO OM°5 and so many others are running low is how much I have missed and will miss.

Not so much miss at that price but never having even bought a single bottle of this, of that gem of an Oud. This really saddens me.

I wish I had known about Oud just 10 years ago, I would have had at least 3 litres by now in a vault somewhere!

So, no review of Archipeligo or Oud Royale 85 for now, but I hope that after certain current arrangements are fulfilled very, very soon that I will be able to do Oud Royale 85 justice, and shortly thereafter Archipeligo.

 

[Tuff]

Hey girl, are those my favorite shoes you're wearing tonight? That's nice. Oh hey my favorite dress too? Damn girl you on fire. Oh you wore another favorite you can't talk about? Now You Done Gone An Dun IT. You Leave Me NO Choice. Pursat 2005 it is.

 

[PEARL]

Manipur Mash-Up

The Indian state of Manipur lies in the northeastern region of the country with Imphal as its capital city. Manipur is surrounded by Burma to the east, Mizoram to the south, Assam to the west and Nagaland to the north. The oils that I have experience with from there can be recognized as Oudh Al Hind, but their fruity note aspects are not typically Hindi, not red like a good Cambodian and not orange like most Thai oils I've smelled. They fruity notes are variations of reddish-orange or orangish-red. Not bright and peachy but rather dark dried peach or apricot; more Turkish fig rather than Black Mission Fig in addition to their other features. These oils come in at increasing incremental price points that are reflected in increasing incremental qualities of scent. IMO all are justified and high value.

Meitei-Old Manipur 2005-2006~Agarwood Assam($260USD/3gm), starts with a powdery, textured and smooth minimal barn note but not of the fermented variety. The opening is vivid, three dimensional and sits atop of the dark dried peach and figgy fruity undertone, with a hint of dark strawberry syrup. The top quickly(~30 minutes) fades into two dimensional territory with the fruits becoming more apparent with the drydown scent ensuing rather quickly as well. The drydown scent is one dimensional yet long lasting and instead of fading and becoming a skin scent it's vapory and projects well with good longevity.

Oud Yoshi~Ensar Oud($390/3gm IIRC), a non-barn Hindi and the oil with the "brightest" dark dried peach and figgy notes in the opening; a three dimensional oil with definite progression. As it goes into the middle there are honeyed wood, an almost aldehydic myrrh(think Serge Lutens La Myrrhe) and resin notes with a touch of medicine and candied, hookah-like tobacco, it's an oil whose richness you can taste in the back of your mouth when you inhale the vapors. It remains woody and somewhat sweet as it fades into the drydown. Good longevity and projection.

Royal Imphal~Ensar Oud($550/3gm IIRC), the most nuanced oil, with the most prominent barn note and strongest traditional Oudh Al Hind DNA. I may be wrong about when it was distilled(IIRC 2012) but it starts with a velvety, smooth, tightly woven, indolic barn note that smells well aged. As it goes into the middle notes Yoshi-like fruits appear but here they're darker with the ingrained barny-ness flowing as an undercurrent with a note of moist, sweet pipe tobacco and other unidentifiable notes. As it fades into the bottom notes the barn note remains in the background and never fully subsides and it becomes somewhat sweet and vapory, remains refined and noble.

Final verdict, Hindi DNA but fit in a unique category in my collection and different enough from one another as not to be redundant.
Meitei-quickly becomes one dimensional but a good scent and most projective oil, an everyday oil that can be a signature scent.
Oud Yoshi-more complex, a step up in quality of scent profile.
Royal Imphal-royal, complex and for me too decadent and involved to use everyday, half for special occasions and half to be put away untouched.

 

[Tuff]

Tigerwood Royale - What to say here.....

When I first bought one, I immediately wore it to work. Everyone could smell me from 10 feet away. I wasn't sure if this was a good thing or a bad thing, so I asked people if they liked it. They were indifferent. This oil is not going to win you friends in the western world. At first, I was overwhelmed with the wintergreen-camphor hit you get when you first apply this oil. The note was SO strong, it felt like someone had locked me in a janitor closet and spilled Simple Green all over the floor and it was quite overpowering. Since then I have come to not only admire the power of this oil, but actually be a little in awe of it. If you want to test your oils for projection, there is a great experiment that everyone can try very easily: Just take the top off, don't take the applicator out, just smell the edge for 3 seconds. Replace cap. Now go walk outside your house (this works much better at night when no sounds and no smells are about). Do you still smell the oil? For how many minutes? Does it linger under your nose, after you walked outside, for five minutes? And all you did is smell the bottle from a centimeter away? Then my friends, you have a winner. As others have mentioned, there is a tiger inside each bottle waiting to come out. After the tiger roars for a few hours with his amazing wintergreen thing, it dries down to almost the exact same sublime ambergris note that Oud Royale 1985 has. I realize the ambergris comparison is a little worn out, but it is true - it will remind you of old grandma's perfume. And it has a little staying power, just like the real ambergris. Since both oils were sourced nearby perhaps this ambergris note is a malaysian/sumatran thing. Some lucky so-and-so bought 10 tolas (looks at everyone suspiciously), so I had to grab a few before they went pooooooof.

 

[kooolaid79]

Tigerwood Royale - What to say here.....

When I first bought one, I immediately wore it to work. Everyone could smell me from 10 feet away. I wasn't sure if this was a good thing or a bad thing, so I asked people if they liked it. They were indifferent. This oil is not going to win you friends in the western world. At first, I was overwhelmed with the wintergreen-camphor hit you get when you first apply this oil. The note was SO strong, it felt like someone had locked me in a janitor closet and spilled Simple Green all over the floor and it was quite overpowering. Since then I have come to not only admire the power of this oil, but actually be a little in awe of it. If you want to test your oils for projection, there is a great experiment that everyone can try very easily: Just take the top off, don't take the applicator out, just smell the edge for 3 seconds. Replace cap. Now go walk outside your house (this works much better at night when no sounds and no smells are about). Do you still smell the oil? For how many minutes? Does it linger under your nose, after you walked outside, for five minutes? And all you did is smell the bottle from a centimeter away? Then my friends, you have a winner. As others have mentioned, there is a tiger inside each bottle waiting to come out. After the tiger roars for a few hours with his amazing wintergreen thing, it dries down to almost the exact same sublime ambergris note that Oud Royale 1985 has. I realize the ambergris comparison is a little worn out, but it is true - it will remind you of old grandma's perfume. And it has a little staying power, just like the real ambergris. Since both oils were sourced nearby perhaps this ambergris note is a malaysian/sumatran thing. Some lucky so-and-so bought 10 tolas (looks at everyone suspiciously), so I had to grab a few before they went pooooooof.

Wow just beautiful Tuff! So how many tolas did you buy ?

 

[Tuff]

Wow just beautiful Tuff! So how many tolas did you buy ?

Paypal credit was only stupid enough to increase my limit by a few grand Perhaps you can convince them I am a good slave and to increase my limit purrrty pweeeze. I, like many others here, have been driven to work much longer hours than I would normally, but still manage to maintain a smile this time around for some reason. But I only need 130 more bottles so I'm getting real close now. I can feel it!

 

[kooolaid79]

Paypal credit was only stupid enough to increase my limit by a few grand Perhaps you can convince them I am a good slave and to increase my limit purrrty pweeeze. I, like many others here, have been driven to work much longer hours than I would normally, but still manage to maintain a smile this time around for some reason. But I only need 130 more bottles so I'm getting real close now. I can feel it!

Ahhhh only a 130 more? Your not too far off of @RobertOne goal of 200. Hahahaha. Dream big Sir! That's awesome!!!

 

[kooolaid79]

Holy macaroni @Tuff i just saw your picture of your box of oils. Bravo Sir! Do you have a special box for them? I am thinking of putting mine in a box and hiding them in my closet. Need something nice and secure. Any recommendations?

 

[Tuff]

Holy macaroni @Tuff i just saw your picture of your box of oils. Bravo Sir! Do you have a special box for them? I am thinking of putting mine in a box and hiding them in my closet. Need something nice and secure. Any recommendations?

Ensar actually has a box about double the size of that box, it is very pretty. But I like the cardboard box, it's incognito. I'm afraid to put it on a pedestal too much, others near me are already freaking out how much I enjoy it, so best to be on the down low and downplay it. Nothing is secure sadly except burying a safe, and even then.

 

[kesiro]

Agar Aura Sultans Succor. As many of you who are familiar with Taha's oils can attest, he has a unique style. Very clean with top notes layered on top notes is fairly typical. Well, the Succor is a departure, in a big way. This oils has some serious grunt. An oil with some asynchronous qualities. How can it retain that 'clean' AA style but yet be dark, brooding, powerful, bitter yet slightly sweet at the same time? I have no idea how, but that is what it is. I personally really like Merauke and this oil would satisfy the most rabid fan of Merauke Filaria. It is so deeply satisfying. It's like you are in a dark, mossy, stone tunnel, yet sunshine permeates through to fully illuminate your way. This oil is an amazing achievement. Fantastic!!!

 

[Oudamberlove]

My first swipe of Oud Mostafa No 5 today.

How embarrassing!!
I kept bringing my wrist up to my nose for a sniff, over and over, repeatedly and repeatedly, geeez how embarassing
This HV oil (high viscosity) is so Scrumptious and although it's not a "fruity oil", the Cambodi fruit notes in it are just how I like them

 

[kesiro]

It is Friday! I see no better oil for such a day as Purple Kinam. Flawless oil. So gorgeous. It really is like a reward.

 

[PEARL]

Borai Choco Extreme~Feel Oud the first thing I did after applying a thick swipe was ask myself, "Where is Borai?" I used goggle-fu and found out that Borai is a village, in Iran. But wait, there aren't any agarwood trees in Iran, as far as I know anyway. Then I turned to artisan distiller Adam's Feel Oud website for answers. Trat? Organic? No way this is oil from Trat organic feedstock, but it is.
BCE starts with a jungly Malay type opening IMO, similar to that of Taha's Kehebatan but here it's more perfume-y, vapory and not as heavy when smelled from a distance. Smelled up close I can detect an undercurrent of indoles and a clean, crisp but light fermentation note. After an hour or so the Malay jungliness begins to subside and the fermentation note becomes more apparent, but again is very light and truthfully to say that it's a ferment note is a misnomer but the only descriptive adjective I can find to qualify it. It's a very unique note that I've only found in one pure oud oil, Taha's Mahabali, and oddly in by Kilian's Pure Oud perfume. The note has a dry character, if it was a color it would be matte, the low thunderous boom of a kick as opposed to the cracking report of the snare. As BCE continues to drydown Thai like fruits emerge as if they are about to burst but never quite do so but gently hover making their presence known. It continues as it fades many hours later and I do get faint wisps of a dark cocoa note. Very interesting, difficult to describe and truly unique oil.

 

[kesiro]

That write up is bad*ss Professiore Pearl!
I have been meaning to put some notes on my experiences with Tokusen Tai from AA. Until this oil, my experience with Thai oils has mostly been limited to run of the mill plantation stuff with the typical Thai fruity style and the one outlier, One of Ensar's high end oils, Qi Nam Thai, which is stunning.
So the Tokusen is a totally new experience for me. This is one of the most complex smelling oils I have ever experienced. This oil has so many facets, it's like a fancy cut gemstone. Smoke, wood, incense, spices, Kinam, yes, Kinam, dried fruits, bitter medicine, tobacco, all compete for stage time. This oil is simply dazzling in its complexity. I can honestly say I have never experienced anything like it.
Forget that it's a Thai oil. It defies that regional classification. Part of the scent is closer to the Vietnam Special K than any Thai oils I ever smelled. This is mad scientist kind of stuff. Taha, you da' man brother! This is a tour de force accomplishment.

 

[Oudamberlove]

A whiff of BCE sends my brain spinning like a Top

 

[PEARL]

Indeed Doc Stryker, I got a few samples from a rather cool hombre who likes his cars muy rapido, got some other Feel Oud gems too, reviews forthcoming once I get in a wear or three.