Oud Oil Reviews - MAIN THREAD
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Royal Bengal~Feel Oud
I've only tried a few of Adam's creations and he surely does have his own unique signature. I can't speak for them all of course but the ones I've tried are all very perfume-y, they billow out from the application spot and have a combination of notes that I haven't experienced in oud oils before. Royal Bengal is rich with fermented, cheesy notes and dark moist fruits on the stick. Once the applicator touches my skin all of the fermented, cheesy notes disappear and I'm left with classic Hindi notes of clean barn, dark earth and fruits. Behind that is an airiness, that perfume-ness, is it orange marmalade, orange rind? I don't know as I can't quite make it out but it's there as if it's about to burst loose. As it goes into the middle the dried orange zest notes become more apparent and are slightly sour, all the while the clean barn and fruits remain a fixture. As Royal Bengal further dries down it takes on a rawness, notes that are more reminiscent of some stages of development in Chinese oils that I've tried like Hainan 2005 and China Sayang, wild sour orange rind that fades into a lemony balm. In the deep drydown that lemony note backed by woody, oudy notes reminds me most of the camphorous lemon note of high quality Hougary frankincense when it first touches hot charcoal or is very gently heated; bright, clean, slightly sweet frankincense and that's a note I've never experienced in a pure oud oil, remarkable. Extremely nice pure oud oil with well above average projection and longevity.
I've only tried a few of Adam's creations and he surely does have his own unique signature. I can't speak for them all of course but the ones I've tried are all very perfume-y, they billow out from the application spot and have a combination of notes that I haven't experienced in oud oils before. Royal Bengal is rich with fermented, cheesy notes and dark moist fruits on the stick. Once the applicator touches my skin all of the fermented, cheesy notes disappear and I'm left with classic Hindi notes of clean barn, dark earth and fruits. Behind that is an airiness, that perfume-ness, is it orange marmalade, orange rind? I don't know as I can't quite make it out but it's there as if it's about to burst loose. As it goes into the middle the dried orange zest notes become more apparent and are slightly sour, all the while the clean barn and fruits remain a fixture. As Royal Bengal further dries down it takes on a rawness, notes that are more reminiscent of some stages of development in Chinese oils that I've tried like Hainan 2005 and China Sayang, wild sour orange rind that fades into a lemony balm. In the deep drydown that lemony note backed by woody, oudy notes reminds me most of the camphorous lemon note of high quality Hougary frankincense when it first touches hot charcoal or is very gently heated; bright, clean, slightly sweet frankincense and that's a note I've never experienced in a pure oud oil, remarkable. Extremely nice pure oud oil with well above average projection and longevity.
Professor Pearly-burly, very nice and detailed review!
I am going to try a stab at making a few insights about Mahabali v.1 and the Syed Mahabali. There are those oils where the chemistry is just right. When you put them on and the initial notes do the lambada on your cribriform plate and you just know. OM5 had that effect on me and a few others, namely Oud Ahmad. Now there are many oils where my initial reaction was very positive and developed into an all out love affair. But I am now talking about love at first sniff. The Mahabali's were that, and in a huge way. I do not recall Taha's description but I think he referred to it as barn without the barn. I guess that would be a pretty fair description. There is no mistaking the Hindi genre. I adore my aged Hindi oils (eg. Hud, Isa, Zachyryyia) so I have a fair reference point for that. The M and S.M. would be the 'clean', brighter, fresher side of barn, yet, still satisfying that craving. The Syed version is a little more velvety and definitely more complex and wider in its profile. There is a dark cherry barny note with nose tingling spices which is basically crack in oud form to me. Oils like this and Chugoku Senkoh which are clearly mostly oleoresin, exhibit their complexity from the quality of the wood and the mastery of the skill to bring it out. The results are pure bliss.
The projection is excellent for both versions. The S.M. seems to have better longevity and as to my estimation seems to be denser in the oleoresins. I would say is basically the original version on steroids. Very very nice stuff!!
I am going to try a stab at making a few insights about Mahabali v.1 and the Syed Mahabali. There are those oils where the chemistry is just right. When you put them on and the initial notes do the lambada on your cribriform plate and you just know. OM5 had that effect on me and a few others, namely Oud Ahmad. Now there are many oils where my initial reaction was very positive and developed into an all out love affair. But I am now talking about love at first sniff. The Mahabali's were that, and in a huge way. I do not recall Taha's description but I think he referred to it as barn without the barn. I guess that would be a pretty fair description. There is no mistaking the Hindi genre. I adore my aged Hindi oils (eg. Hud, Isa, Zachyryyia) so I have a fair reference point for that. The M and S.M. would be the 'clean', brighter, fresher side of barn, yet, still satisfying that craving. The Syed version is a little more velvety and definitely more complex and wider in its profile. There is a dark cherry barny note with nose tingling spices which is basically crack in oud form to me. Oils like this and Chugoku Senkoh which are clearly mostly oleoresin, exhibit their complexity from the quality of the wood and the mastery of the skill to bring it out. The results are pure bliss.
The projection is excellent for both versions. The S.M. seems to have better longevity and as to my estimation seems to be denser in the oleoresins. I would say is basically the original version on steroids. Very very nice stuff!!
Review: Sultan Leather Attar
When I first got the bottle in the mail, I did what everyone does, I smelled the edge of the top. It smelled like none of Ensar's prior creations, it wasn't his normal clean, simple perfumes that seem to have a clear trajectory when you smell them. This one was odd. It would smell like vanilla one moment, leather one moment, sweet tobacco, rose, kinam, russian forest, with some strange underlying sensuality vibe. All swirling around. It is a very male scent. It is not un-apologetically male, like Dhul Q, mansplaining to his friends while he takes up two seats on the subway with his Putin stance. This one is a little more reserved, less denim and more Italian fabric. Like George Clooney before he fled Europe and ran back to Los Angeles.
First impressions when wearing it: My grandfather shaving. Was it old spice or english leather that he used for aftershave? It's a blur. Then some irresistible note soon follows... is that Kinam? I think to myself when I smell this note 'Wow he's really going all out on this one if he put Kinam in there'. My guess is the Sinensis does have some Kinam notes. Soon after that it smells like the best root beer float you've ever had in your life. Not like A+W root beer, but more like some whole foods hippy sarsaparilla thing that costs as much as micro brew beer. With a vanilla note that makes Jungle Kinam extremely jealous. This lasts for about an hour or two, and combines with a lovely blond tobacco note. I would imagine if it was on your neck, your lady fren would wish to nibble on it. This then finally settles into a powdery rose/iris/vetiver/vanilla/je ne sais quoi of tobacco and sarsaparilla and others. I kept waiting for a pepper note from the Archipelago LTD, but perhaps that note is muted in this version that was used. I also kept waiting for the leather but it must be a really mellow effect, since I was waiting for the leather tannery smell like Cambodi X, but it was not forthcoming. It is not a sharp smelling fragrance, with mostly low powdery notes. Projection is medium. You don't get noticed across the room, but anyone standing next to you will eventually wonder what that intoxicating smell is. There is no way they could tune it out, it is beguiling. The tenacity however is -extremely- strong, and I could smell it on my hand after a few showers, and a shirt I had worn smelled quite noticeably like it a few days later. In this regard it is way above average. I have worn the original rose attar on a different part of my arm the next day, and the leather rose attar was stronger smelling at around the 10 hour mark, even though it had been applied a full day earlier. The Sultan Leather Attar unravels as a fragrance really nicely, it resembles the original swipe the whole time, and has no sour or fermented or wet BBQ smell that can happen with some ouds when they unravel.
The leather attar won nothing but praise from the ladies at work, they even said I should wear this full time and stop wearing oud (sneaky sneaky, not gonna work). Ensar is realllllllllly good at making frags, and it's a shame kafka and turin et al have not spent any time reviewing them. I think Adam should send kafka a nice sample pack with the twis v vial size with just Ensar's perfumes, i'll help pay the expense, just to see what he thinks. I would love his take on them. Anyone else like that idea?
Most purchases I get from Ensar I just think 'oh cool' and add it into the rotation without thinking about it. This Sultan Leather Attar I have been wearing every day for a few days now, trying to understand it, it is an enigma/shapeshifter. It is not as complicated as a Sultan Pasha fragrance, but many times when wearing Pasha I get the feeling he is trying too hard, it is an overly complicated smell. SLA takes it right to the edge of being too complicated a smell, but manages not to cross the line. It's certainly the most complicated perfume Ensar has made to date. Due to it's amazing persistence, you can wear less and less every day and have the same effect due to carryover. I really appreciate Ensar trying to make this, and hope we get some more cologne type frags in the future!
When I first got the bottle in the mail, I did what everyone does, I smelled the edge of the top. It smelled like none of Ensar's prior creations, it wasn't his normal clean, simple perfumes that seem to have a clear trajectory when you smell them. This one was odd. It would smell like vanilla one moment, leather one moment, sweet tobacco, rose, kinam, russian forest, with some strange underlying sensuality vibe. All swirling around. It is a very male scent. It is not un-apologetically male, like Dhul Q, mansplaining to his friends while he takes up two seats on the subway with his Putin stance. This one is a little more reserved, less denim and more Italian fabric. Like George Clooney before he fled Europe and ran back to Los Angeles.
First impressions when wearing it: My grandfather shaving. Was it old spice or english leather that he used for aftershave? It's a blur. Then some irresistible note soon follows... is that Kinam? I think to myself when I smell this note 'Wow he's really going all out on this one if he put Kinam in there'. My guess is the Sinensis does have some Kinam notes. Soon after that it smells like the best root beer float you've ever had in your life. Not like A+W root beer, but more like some whole foods hippy sarsaparilla thing that costs as much as micro brew beer. With a vanilla note that makes Jungle Kinam extremely jealous. This lasts for about an hour or two, and combines with a lovely blond tobacco note. I would imagine if it was on your neck, your lady fren would wish to nibble on it. This then finally settles into a powdery rose/iris/vetiver/vanilla/je ne sais quoi of tobacco and sarsaparilla and others. I kept waiting for a pepper note from the Archipelago LTD, but perhaps that note is muted in this version that was used. I also kept waiting for the leather but it must be a really mellow effect, since I was waiting for the leather tannery smell like Cambodi X, but it was not forthcoming. It is not a sharp smelling fragrance, with mostly low powdery notes. Projection is medium. You don't get noticed across the room, but anyone standing next to you will eventually wonder what that intoxicating smell is. There is no way they could tune it out, it is beguiling. The tenacity however is -extremely- strong, and I could smell it on my hand after a few showers, and a shirt I had worn smelled quite noticeably like it a few days later. In this regard it is way above average. I have worn the original rose attar on a different part of my arm the next day, and the leather rose attar was stronger smelling at around the 10 hour mark, even though it had been applied a full day earlier. The Sultan Leather Attar unravels as a fragrance really nicely, it resembles the original swipe the whole time, and has no sour or fermented or wet BBQ smell that can happen with some ouds when they unravel.
The leather attar won nothing but praise from the ladies at work, they even said I should wear this full time and stop wearing oud (sneaky sneaky, not gonna work). Ensar is realllllllllly good at making frags, and it's a shame kafka and turin et al have not spent any time reviewing them. I think Adam should send kafka a nice sample pack with the twis v vial size with just Ensar's perfumes, i'll help pay the expense, just to see what he thinks. I would love his take on them. Anyone else like that idea?
Most purchases I get from Ensar I just think 'oh cool' and add it into the rotation without thinking about it. This Sultan Leather Attar I have been wearing every day for a few days now, trying to understand it, it is an enigma/shapeshifter. It is not as complicated as a Sultan Pasha fragrance, but many times when wearing Pasha I get the feeling he is trying too hard, it is an overly complicated smell. SLA takes it right to the edge of being too complicated a smell, but manages not to cross the line. It's certainly the most complicated perfume Ensar has made to date. Due to it's amazing persistence, you can wear less and less every day and have the same effect due to carryover. I really appreciate Ensar trying to make this, and hope we get some more cologne type frags in the future!
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Review: Sultan Leather Attar
When I first got the bottle in the mail, I did what everyone does, I smelled the edge of the top. It smelled like none of Ensar's prior creations, it wasn't his normal clean, simple perfumes that seem to have a clear trajectory when you smell them. This one was odd. It would smell like vanilla one moment, leather one moment, sweet tobacco, rose, kinam, russian forest, with some strange underlying sensuality vibe. All swirling around. It is a very male scent. It is not un-apologetically male, like Dhul Q, mansplaining to his friends while he takes up two seats on the subway with his Putin stance. This one is a little more reserved, less denim and more Italian fabric. Like George Clooney before he fled Europe and ran back to Los Angeles.
First impressions when wearing it: My grandfather shaving. Was it old spice or english leather that he used for aftershave? It's a blur. Then some irresistible note soon follows... is that Kinam? I think to myself when I smell this note 'Wow he's really going all out on this one if he put Kinam in there'. My guess is the Sinensis does have some Kinam notes. Soon after that it smells like the best root beer float you've ever had in your life. Not like A+W root beer, but more like some whole foods hippy sarsaparilla thing that costs as much as micro brew beer. With a vanilla note that makes Jungle Kinam extremely jealous. This lasts for about an hour or two, and combines with a lovely blond tobacco note. I would imagine if it was on your neck, your lady fren would wish to nibble on it. This then finally settles into a powdery rose/iris/vetiver/vanilla/je ne sais quoi of tobacco and sarsaparilla and others. I kept waiting for a pepper note from the Archipelago LTD, but perhaps that note is muted in this version that was used. I also kept waiting for the leather but it must be a really mellow effect, since I was waiting for the leather tannery smell like Cambodi X, but it was not forthcoming. It is not a sharp smelling fragrance, with mostly low powdery notes. Projection is medium. You don't get noticed across the room, but anyone standing next to you will eventually wonder what that intoxicating smell is. There is no way they could tune it out, it is beguiling. The tenacity however is -extremely- strong, and I could smell it on my hand after a few showers, and a shirt I had worn smelled quite noticeably like it a few days later. In this regard it is way above average. I have worn the original rose attar on a different part of my arm the next day, and the leather rose attar was stronger smelling at around the 10 hour mark, even though it had been applied a full day earlier. The Sultan Leather Attar unravels as a fragrance really nicely, it resembles the original swipe the whole time, and has no sour or fermented or wet BBQ smell that can happen with some ouds when they unravel.
The leather attar won nothing but praise from the ladies at work, they even said I should wear this full time and stop wearing oud (sneaky sneaky, not gonna work). Ensar is realllllllllly good at making frags, and it's a shame kafka and turin et al have not spent any time reviewing them. I think Adam should send kafka a nice sample pack with the twis v vial size with just Ensar's perfumes, i'll help pay the expense, just to see what he thinks. I would love his take on them. Anyone else like that idea?
Most purchases I get from Ensar I just think 'oh cool' and add it into the rotation without thinking about it. This Sultan Leather Attar I have been wearing every day for a few days now, trying to understand it, it is an enigma/shapeshifter. It is not as complicated as a Sultan Pasha fragrance, but many times when wearing Pasha I get the feeling he is trying too hard, it is an overly complicated smell. SLA takes it right to the edge of being too complicated a smell, but manages not to cross the line. It's certainly the most complicated perfume Ensar has made to date. Due to it's amazing persistence, you can wear less and less every day and have the same effect due to carryover. I really appreciate Ensar trying to make this, and hope we get some more cologne type frags in the future!
When I first got the bottle in the mail, I did what everyone does, I smelled the edge of the top. It smelled like none of Ensar's prior creations, it wasn't his normal clean, simple perfumes that seem to have a clear trajectory when you smell them. This one was odd. It would smell like vanilla one moment, leather one moment, sweet tobacco, rose, kinam, russian forest, with some strange underlying sensuality vibe. All swirling around. It is a very male scent. It is not un-apologetically male, like Dhul Q, mansplaining to his friends while he takes up two seats on the subway with his Putin stance. This one is a little more reserved, less denim and more Italian fabric. Like George Clooney before he fled Europe and ran back to Los Angeles.
First impressions when wearing it: My grandfather shaving. Was it old spice or english leather that he used for aftershave? It's a blur. Then some irresistible note soon follows... is that Kinam? I think to myself when I smell this note 'Wow he's really going all out on this one if he put Kinam in there'. My guess is the Sinensis does have some Kinam notes. Soon after that it smells like the best root beer float you've ever had in your life. Not like A+W root beer, but more like some whole foods hippy sarsaparilla thing that costs as much as micro brew beer. With a vanilla note that makes Jungle Kinam extremely jealous. This lasts for about an hour or two, and combines with a lovely blond tobacco note. I would imagine if it was on your neck, your lady fren would wish to nibble on it. This then finally settles into a powdery rose/iris/vetiver/vanilla/je ne sais quoi of tobacco and sarsaparilla and others. I kept waiting for a pepper note from the Archipelago LTD, but perhaps that note is muted in this version that was used. I also kept waiting for the leather but it must be a really mellow effect, since I was waiting for the leather tannery smell like Cambodi X, but it was not forthcoming. It is not a sharp smelling fragrance, with mostly low powdery notes. Projection is medium. You don't get noticed across the room, but anyone standing next to you will eventually wonder what that intoxicating smell is. There is no way they could tune it out, it is beguiling. The tenacity however is -extremely- strong, and I could smell it on my hand after a few showers, and a shirt I had worn smelled quite noticeably like it a few days later. In this regard it is way above average. I have worn the original rose attar on a different part of my arm the next day, and the leather rose attar was stronger smelling at around the 10 hour mark, even though it had been applied a full day earlier. The Sultan Leather Attar unravels as a fragrance really nicely, it resembles the original swipe the whole time, and has no sour or fermented or wet BBQ smell that can happen with some ouds when they unravel.
The leather attar won nothing but praise from the ladies at work, they even said I should wear this full time and stop wearing oud (sneaky sneaky, not gonna work). Ensar is realllllllllly good at making frags, and it's a shame kafka and turin et al have not spent any time reviewing them. I think Adam should send kafka a nice sample pack with the twis v vial size with just Ensar's perfumes, i'll help pay the expense, just to see what he thinks. I would love his take on them. Anyone else like that idea?
Most purchases I get from Ensar I just think 'oh cool' and add it into the rotation without thinking about it. This Sultan Leather Attar I have been wearing every day for a few days now, trying to understand it, it is an enigma/shapeshifter. It is not as complicated as a Sultan Pasha fragrance, but many times when wearing Pasha I get the feeling he is trying too hard, it is an overly complicated smell. SLA takes it right to the edge of being too complicated a smell, but manages not to cross the line. It's certainly the most complicated perfume Ensar has made to date. Due to it's amazing persistence, you can wear less and less every day and have the same effect due to carryover. I really appreciate Ensar trying to make this, and hope we get some more cologne type frags in the future!
@Tuff - A most excellent in depth review! I have also found this oil to be something special but just do not have nearly the experience with attars, like I do with oud, to make many comparisons. I have found myself wearing tis oil daily since I got it. It is an extremely classy. Kind of make you feel like James Bond, but only Sean Connery, not so much the other actors. There is an alluring complexity without being just a complex scent which tempts you to keep sniffing to figure out what is really going on. A masterfully done rose/leather attar.
Review: Sultan Leather Attar
When I first got the bottle in the mail, I did what everyone does, I smelled the edge of the top. It smelled like none of Ensar's prior creations, it wasn't his normal clean, simple perfumes that seem to have a clear trajectory when you smell them. This one was odd. It would smell like vanilla one moment, leather one moment, sweet tobacco, rose, kinam, russian forest, with some strange underlying sensuality vibe. All swirling around. It is a very male scent. It is not un-apologetically male, like Dhul Q, mansplaining to his friends while he takes up two seats on the subway with his Putin stance. This one is a little more reserved, less denim and more Italian fabric. Like George Clooney before he fled Europe and ran back to Los Angeles.
First impressions when wearing it: My grandfather shaving. Was it old spice or english leather that he used for aftershave? It's a blur. Then some irresistible note soon follows... is that Kinam? I think to myself when I smell this note 'Wow he's really going all out on this one if he put Kinam in there'. My guess is the Sinensis does have some Kinam notes. Soon after that it smells like the best root beer float you've ever had in your life. Not like A+W root beer, but more like some whole foods hippy sarsaparilla thing that costs as much as micro brew beer. With a vanilla note that makes Jungle Kinam extremely jealous. This lasts for about an hour or two, and combines with a lovely blond tobacco note. I would imagine if it was on your neck, your lady fren would wish to nibble on it. This then finally settles into a powdery rose/iris/vetiver/vanilla/je ne sais quoi of tobacco and sarsaparilla and others. I kept waiting for a pepper note from the Archipelago LTD, but perhaps that note is muted in this version that was used. I also kept waiting for the leather but it must be a really mellow effect, since I was waiting for the leather tannery smell like Cambodi X, but it was not forthcoming. It is not a sharp smelling fragrance, with mostly low powdery notes. Projection is medium. You don't get noticed across the room, but anyone standing next to you will eventually wonder what that intoxicating smell is. There is no way they could tune it out, it is beguiling. The tenacity however is -extremely- strong, and I could smell it on my hand after a few showers, and a shirt I had worn smelled quite noticeably like it a few days later. In this regard it is way above average. I have worn the original rose attar on a different part of my arm the next day, and the leather rose attar was stronger smelling at around the 10 hour mark, even though it had been applied a full day earlier. The Sultan Leather Attar unravels as a fragrance really nicely, it resembles the original swipe the whole time, and has no sour or fermented or wet BBQ smell that can happen with some ouds when they unravel.
The leather attar won nothing but praise from the ladies at work, they even said I should wear this full time and stop wearing oud (sneaky sneaky, not gonna work). Ensar is realllllllllly good at making frags, and it's a shame kafka and turin et al have not spent any time reviewing them. I think Adam should send kafka a nice sample pack with the twis v vial size with just Ensar's perfumes, i'll help pay the expense, just to see what he thinks. I would love his take on them. Anyone else like that idea?
Most purchases I get from Ensar I just think 'oh cool' and add it into the rotation without thinking about it. This Sultan Leather Attar I have been wearing every day for a few days now, trying to understand it, it is an enigma/shapeshifter. It is not as complicated as a Sultan Pasha fragrance, but many times when wearing Pasha I get the feeling he is trying too hard, it is an overly complicated smell. SLA takes it right to the edge of being too complicated a smell, but manages not to cross the line. It's certainly the most complicated perfume Ensar has made to date. Due to it's amazing persistence, you can wear less and less every day and have the same effect due to carryover. I really appreciate Ensar trying to make this, and hope we get some more cologne type frags in the future!
When I first got the bottle in the mail, I did what everyone does, I smelled the edge of the top. It smelled like none of Ensar's prior creations, it wasn't his normal clean, simple perfumes that seem to have a clear trajectory when you smell them. This one was odd. It would smell like vanilla one moment, leather one moment, sweet tobacco, rose, kinam, russian forest, with some strange underlying sensuality vibe. All swirling around. It is a very male scent. It is not un-apologetically male, like Dhul Q, mansplaining to his friends while he takes up two seats on the subway with his Putin stance. This one is a little more reserved, less denim and more Italian fabric. Like George Clooney before he fled Europe and ran back to Los Angeles.
First impressions when wearing it: My grandfather shaving. Was it old spice or english leather that he used for aftershave? It's a blur. Then some irresistible note soon follows... is that Kinam? I think to myself when I smell this note 'Wow he's really going all out on this one if he put Kinam in there'. My guess is the Sinensis does have some Kinam notes. Soon after that it smells like the best root beer float you've ever had in your life. Not like A+W root beer, but more like some whole foods hippy sarsaparilla thing that costs as much as micro brew beer. With a vanilla note that makes Jungle Kinam extremely jealous. This lasts for about an hour or two, and combines with a lovely blond tobacco note. I would imagine if it was on your neck, your lady fren would wish to nibble on it. This then finally settles into a powdery rose/iris/vetiver/vanilla/je ne sais quoi of tobacco and sarsaparilla and others. I kept waiting for a pepper note from the Archipelago LTD, but perhaps that note is muted in this version that was used. I also kept waiting for the leather but it must be a really mellow effect, since I was waiting for the leather tannery smell like Cambodi X, but it was not forthcoming. It is not a sharp smelling fragrance, with mostly low powdery notes. Projection is medium. You don't get noticed across the room, but anyone standing next to you will eventually wonder what that intoxicating smell is. There is no way they could tune it out, it is beguiling. The tenacity however is -extremely- strong, and I could smell it on my hand after a few showers, and a shirt I had worn smelled quite noticeably like it a few days later. In this regard it is way above average. I have worn the original rose attar on a different part of my arm the next day, and the leather rose attar was stronger smelling at around the 10 hour mark, even though it had been applied a full day earlier. The Sultan Leather Attar unravels as a fragrance really nicely, it resembles the original swipe the whole time, and has no sour or fermented or wet BBQ smell that can happen with some ouds when they unravel.
The leather attar won nothing but praise from the ladies at work, they even said I should wear this full time and stop wearing oud (sneaky sneaky, not gonna work). Ensar is realllllllllly good at making frags, and it's a shame kafka and turin et al have not spent any time reviewing them. I think Adam should send kafka a nice sample pack with the twis v vial size with just Ensar's perfumes, i'll help pay the expense, just to see what he thinks. I would love his take on them. Anyone else like that idea?
Most purchases I get from Ensar I just think 'oh cool' and add it into the rotation without thinking about it. This Sultan Leather Attar I have been wearing every day for a few days now, trying to understand it, it is an enigma/shapeshifter. It is not as complicated as a Sultan Pasha fragrance, but many times when wearing Pasha I get the feeling he is trying too hard, it is an overly complicated smell. SLA takes it right to the edge of being too complicated a smell, but manages not to cross the line. It's certainly the most complicated perfume Ensar has made to date. Due to it's amazing persistence, you can wear less and less every day and have the same effect due to carryover. I really appreciate Ensar trying to make this, and hope we get some more cologne type frags in the future!
I have a sample here of SLA that's just arrived, but I haven't gotten to it yet.
Your review has pushed it to the front of the queue for tomorrow evening
Destination: Meghalaya
The Hindi genre of agarwood oils are undoubtedly my perennial favorite. I've tried agarwood oils from India proper and oils from neighboring locales done in the traditional Hindi way; oils from places like Tripura, Cachar, Bhutan, Burma, Nagaland, Assam, Bengal, Manipur and Karbi Anglong. Among even the mightiest and best of Hindi agarwood oils there is, IMO, one destination and set of agarwood oils that stand alone, the "cream of the crop" of Hindi oils; and those are the Meghalayans.
The Meghalayans are Oud Yunus, Assam Organic 2010, Oud Isa and Oud Nuh. I experienced these oils singularly but having done so allows me to assess them as a collective. As a collective, each individual oil can only be compared to another oil in the Meghalayan lineage. To varying degrees they all possess a quality of scent that I can only describe as being focused, a pin point accuracy and stillness. This quality is the state of being, it is devoid of any horizontal or vertical complexity, the quality is nearly weightless yet piercing. The quality is antiseptically medicinal, clear and non-resinous; becoming resinous is something that happens later in the development of these oils. The quality is pervasive before the top notes and permeates deep into the heart. In AO '10 it lasts about 30-45 minutes before the top notes appear, and enhances the harmony as it segues into it's dark dried fruits. In Oud Yunus it lasts about 90 minutes before the top notes, before the pollen and hay, going deep into the chocolate coated English toffee core. In Oud's Isa and Nuh it lasts a few hours before the top notes, giving balance to the golden, smooth barn infused Borneo like notes of Isa and the deep, crimson Cambodi like notes of Nuh.
Among the venerable, incomparable Meghalayans there is an oil that IMO wears the crown, the "Capo Di Tutt'i Capi" of the Meghalayans; and that oil is Assam Kinam. On the stick Assam Kinam is pungently medicinal. On the skin AK starts with that same piercingly antiseptic quality but here it is accompanied by a mellow sweetness that lends texture. The oils remains that way for several hours before going into the heart where the very best things about Oud Isa and Nuh are harmoniously on display. The oil is bright with tinges of red in the background and notes of tobacco and hay, as well as cool spices such as cardamom and anise.
In the "let the oleoresins talk" thread Sidi Taha posed the million dollar question of whether we oud savants preferred dramatic or fuller oils. Dramatic as in contrast from top to bottom and full as in complexity in the middle notes. One thing Taha pointed out and I agree with is that dramatic and full oils can be made from high and low grade wood, as well as being found in oils which highlight the resin and those with auxiliary notes. Frankly, the Meghalayans are not, IMO, dramatic oils and they needn't be because what they give is something you don't want to change. Nor are they full with concentration of their beauty in the middle, they are immaculate from top to bottom. For me, the Meghalayans are the pinnacle of the aged Hindi scent profile and aesthetic, period. The Meghalayans are to Hindi oils what the Mapogos and Majingilane were/are to lion prides; dominant. Except with the Meghalayans, I believe their reign will remain uncontested.
The Hindi genre of agarwood oils are undoubtedly my perennial favorite. I've tried agarwood oils from India proper and oils from neighboring locales done in the traditional Hindi way; oils from places like Tripura, Cachar, Bhutan, Burma, Nagaland, Assam, Bengal, Manipur and Karbi Anglong. Among even the mightiest and best of Hindi agarwood oils there is, IMO, one destination and set of agarwood oils that stand alone, the "cream of the crop" of Hindi oils; and those are the Meghalayans.
The Meghalayans are Oud Yunus, Assam Organic 2010, Oud Isa and Oud Nuh. I experienced these oils singularly but having done so allows me to assess them as a collective. As a collective, each individual oil can only be compared to another oil in the Meghalayan lineage. To varying degrees they all possess a quality of scent that I can only describe as being focused, a pin point accuracy and stillness. This quality is the state of being, it is devoid of any horizontal or vertical complexity, the quality is nearly weightless yet piercing. The quality is antiseptically medicinal, clear and non-resinous; becoming resinous is something that happens later in the development of these oils. The quality is pervasive before the top notes and permeates deep into the heart. In AO '10 it lasts about 30-45 minutes before the top notes appear, and enhances the harmony as it segues into it's dark dried fruits. In Oud Yunus it lasts about 90 minutes before the top notes, before the pollen and hay, going deep into the chocolate coated English toffee core. In Oud's Isa and Nuh it lasts a few hours before the top notes, giving balance to the golden, smooth barn infused Borneo like notes of Isa and the deep, crimson Cambodi like notes of Nuh.
Among the venerable, incomparable Meghalayans there is an oil that IMO wears the crown, the "Capo Di Tutt'i Capi" of the Meghalayans; and that oil is Assam Kinam. On the stick Assam Kinam is pungently medicinal. On the skin AK starts with that same piercingly antiseptic quality but here it is accompanied by a mellow sweetness that lends texture. The oils remains that way for several hours before going into the heart where the very best things about Oud Isa and Nuh are harmoniously on display. The oil is bright with tinges of red in the background and notes of tobacco and hay, as well as cool spices such as cardamom and anise.
In the "let the oleoresins talk" thread Sidi Taha posed the million dollar question of whether we oud savants preferred dramatic or fuller oils. Dramatic as in contrast from top to bottom and full as in complexity in the middle notes. One thing Taha pointed out and I agree with is that dramatic and full oils can be made from high and low grade wood, as well as being found in oils which highlight the resin and those with auxiliary notes. Frankly, the Meghalayans are not, IMO, dramatic oils and they needn't be because what they give is something you don't want to change. Nor are they full with concentration of their beauty in the middle, they are immaculate from top to bottom. For me, the Meghalayans are the pinnacle of the aged Hindi scent profile and aesthetic, period. The Meghalayans are to Hindi oils what the Mapogos and Majingilane were/are to lion prides; dominant. Except with the Meghalayans, I believe their reign will remain uncontested.
A beautiful read as always @PEARL. Some people are blessed with the like of a general Oudh. Some more into other regions but I got to hand it to you, the depth you display in regards to Hindi Oudhs, with the eloquence in such a time capsule like is unparalleled.
A true gift reading your posts each time you post something!
A true gift reading your posts each time you post something!
Oud Laos 1995 (Raja) by Bengal Roots/Agarwood Assam
Pure Oud Bliss ! Well I wasn't really expecting it to blow me away afterall I thought Zak bhai is more dedicated to Hindi Ouds. But I forgot one thing - he is also an Oud lover like me and in constant lookout for mystical oils. He was pretty keen on making me test it. So when I came back after a hectic workday & settled down, I decided to take a swipe and this is what happened....
A blast of green mentholic balsam of Indonesian resin hit me. Some green spices and I was really confused. No animalic musk. No salty butter effect. I really was pretty convinced that this was just a regular affair. But boy I was wrong. Within an hour I started getting sweet hints of Kinam which every loved of old wood craves. It started getting more intense with time till the 2nd hour mark where it showed be some green bitterness and pulses of sweet oud bliss kept flirting with my nose causing multiple waves of Oud Zen. At this point I was awestruck and I messaged him at 230am just to give my dua to him and his Abba. This is the same Oud Zen, the fourth dimension which makes my gurus like Ensar bhai stand apart from most distillers. I wont say hats off I will say again God be with you my friend. Zak bhai you are a man of your words. Much respect. I immediately booked 2 tolas of it. But mind you it needs the right temp preferrably cold weather. Longevity is 7 to 10 hours.
Pure Oud Bliss ! Well I wasn't really expecting it to blow me away afterall I thought Zak bhai is more dedicated to Hindi Ouds. But I forgot one thing - he is also an Oud lover like me and in constant lookout for mystical oils. He was pretty keen on making me test it. So when I came back after a hectic workday & settled down, I decided to take a swipe and this is what happened....
A blast of green mentholic balsam of Indonesian resin hit me. Some green spices and I was really confused. No animalic musk. No salty butter effect. I really was pretty convinced that this was just a regular affair. But boy I was wrong. Within an hour I started getting sweet hints of Kinam which every loved of old wood craves. It started getting more intense with time till the 2nd hour mark where it showed be some green bitterness and pulses of sweet oud bliss kept flirting with my nose causing multiple waves of Oud Zen. At this point I was awestruck and I messaged him at 230am just to give my dua to him and his Abba. This is the same Oud Zen, the fourth dimension which makes my gurus like Ensar bhai stand apart from most distillers. I wont say hats off I will say again God be with you my friend. Zak bhai you are a man of your words. Much respect. I immediately booked 2 tolas of it. But mind you it needs the right temp preferrably cold weather. Longevity is 7 to 10 hours.
So i guess you like it??
Lol! Sounds really interesting for a Laotian brew Nikhil. The funny coincidence is that I arranged for trying somenof this oil yesterday! Thanks for the comments brother!! 2 tolas!! Wow!!!
Lol! Sounds really interesting for a Laotian brew Nikhil. The funny coincidence is that I arranged for trying somenof this oil yesterday! Thanks for the comments brother!! 2 tolas!! Wow!!!
. Plus it has a very long and slow transition which sadly I have only experienced in stuff like Hainan. But how can an oil turn from an Indo to a Chinese Dry down. I was shocked. Plus the price is too good and very limited amounts. Plus I have very rare profiles of Hindi. I have loads from private distillers. But yeah I wont be able to indulge in more buying lol. Have fun. Would love to hear your exp with the oil.
Wow many congratulations on the Laos oil Sir @Nikhil S. I heard many good things of this Oil. Zak bhai is trying to follow his legendary father who was a master distiller way back in the day.
I ordered some of his Indian wood which he sent me to sample a few months ago from the region of Tripura. Got to say it's some of the best Indian wood I have ever come across. Had to order some, so I ordered 125 grams
He also sent me a sample of the Laos oil. Should be getting it in about a weeks time hopefully.
I ordered some of his Indian wood which he sent me to sample a few months ago from the region of Tripura. Got to say it's some of the best Indian wood I have ever come across. Had to order some, so I ordered 125 grams
He also sent me a sample of the Laos oil. Should be getting it in about a weeks time hopefully.
Wow many congratulations on the Laos oil Sir @Nikhil S. I heard many good things of this Oil. Zak bhai is trying to follow his legendary father who was a master distiller way back in the day.
I ordered some of his Indian wood which he sent me to sample a few months ago from the region of Tripura. Got to say it's some of the best Indian wood I have ever come across. Had to order some, so I ordered 125 grams
He also sent me a sample of the Laos oil. Should be getting it in about a weeks time hopefully.
I ordered some of his Indian wood which he sent me to sample a few months ago from the region of Tripura. Got to say it's some of the best Indian wood I have ever come across. Had to order some, so I ordered 125 grams
He also sent me a sample of the Laos oil. Should be getting it in about a weeks time hopefully.
ARCHIPELAGO
Today the package arrived. I am truly grateful to dearest Adam; his cooperation is immensely commendable. Incredibly amicable man he is. Thank you, Adam.
The ocean of aroma that encapsulates and turns you to an island is Archipelago. Really four-dimensional oud oil it is, and its fourth dimension is beyond time and space. No doubt, nose is subject to consciousness. And the effect of the fragrance that this oud lasts is like being blessed with ‘Un-smelt Scents’; therefore, it transcends honey, buttery, barnyard-y, or toffee, etc. notes, for me. The way each tide of an ocean reflects ocean as such, each puff of Archipelago emits oud as such. Layers into layers, and meanings into meanings! Emerson’s poetry and Thoreau’s essays are one per cent of the introductory HELLO from Archipelago.
It is my first experience of Ensar Oud’s creativity, and it is just experiencing metaphysical in physical. I confess a better-late-than-never sort of phenomenon seems untrue to me now, because ARCHIPELAGO had to be acquired that very day when launched. Thank God, now I have this blissful grace. Running low now.
The rest of the oils in the package I will experience if somehow or other get myself liberated from the lovely mesmerizing spell of Archipelago.
Thanks to Ensar.
Today the package arrived. I am truly grateful to dearest Adam; his cooperation is immensely commendable. Incredibly amicable man he is. Thank you, Adam.
The ocean of aroma that encapsulates and turns you to an island is Archipelago. Really four-dimensional oud oil it is, and its fourth dimension is beyond time and space. No doubt, nose is subject to consciousness. And the effect of the fragrance that this oud lasts is like being blessed with ‘Un-smelt Scents’; therefore, it transcends honey, buttery, barnyard-y, or toffee, etc. notes, for me. The way each tide of an ocean reflects ocean as such, each puff of Archipelago emits oud as such. Layers into layers, and meanings into meanings! Emerson’s poetry and Thoreau’s essays are one per cent of the introductory HELLO from Archipelago.
It is my first experience of Ensar Oud’s creativity, and it is just experiencing metaphysical in physical. I confess a better-late-than-never sort of phenomenon seems untrue to me now, because ARCHIPELAGO had to be acquired that very day when launched. Thank God, now I have this blissful grace. Running low now.
The rest of the oils in the package I will experience if somehow or other get myself liberated from the lovely mesmerizing spell of Archipelago.
Thanks to Ensar.