Golden Sylhet 2021
From £18.00
Every once in a while, you come across an oud oil that just stops you in your tracks. It demands attention. This is one of them.
As an oud oil distilled from old wild trees from Sylhet and nearby regions, you know it’s going to be a complex Hindi oud. What you smell however is not just complex, but a sweet, leathery, barny, and smoky Bengal powerhouse that is truly captivating.
The scent opens up with an intensely rich sweetness reminiscent of overripe fruits and honey, wafting in-between layers of strong animalic leather and barnyard.
As it progresses, the exquisite sweetness is replaced by a warm, spicy, smoky, and barny leather which comes to the forefront, holding centre stage before eventually reaching a sweet woody drydown.
Gorgeously warm and radiant, if this scent had a colour it would be gold. The sweet, golden, rays of sunrise penetrating the dense jungles of Sylhet, waking its inhabitants to another day in the wild.
Notes:
• Please note that is the new 2021 batch. The image will be updated shortly.
Reviews (16)
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Aceh Flora
A sensually green, zero-soak, wild oud oil from Aceh province in Indonesia, Oud Aceh Flora is a sweet, floral, and minty green beauty that reflects, in my mind, the flora of the jungle from where it hails, hence the name.
Swiping on the arm, it opens up with a strong blast of all shades of green: bright, grassy, mentholic, minty, jungly and vetivery notes, all accompanied by what reminds me of the powdery scent of rice flour, and perhaps a soft whisper of vanilla in the background.
Softening and sweetening as the scent progresses, this exquisitely bright, sweet and sour red cherry emerges, weaving in-between the soft vanilla and dark green jungles to produce what some may call a cola vibe that is simply beautiful.
Overall, however, this remains a dark green jungle-type oud which, alongside the gorgeous red cherry note mentioned earlier, also has floral, leathery, vetivery, mossy and even an almost dark, diesel-like facet to it which is hard to accurately describe, but makes it a fascinating oil in any collection.
Sylhet Orchard
Hailing from the rolling hills of Sylhet in Bangladesh, a picturesque region resplendent with lush tea gardens and tropical rainforests, this is most definitely NOT Hindi oud as you know it.
For most of us, traditional Hindi oud means barnyard and animalics. Love-it-or-hate-it affairs that are simply irreplaceable to their seasoned fans, and just downright offensive to everyone else.
Enter Sylhet Orchard, an artisanal distillation that showcases what high grade, wild Bengali oud can actually smell like. Gathered predominantly from the jungles of Sylhet Division and distilled using a special setup with zero fermentation, this oud firmly closes the door of the barn behind it and takes you on a summery sunshine-filled stroll amongst Sylhet’s fragrant orchards and hills.
Remarkably similar to excellent Thai or Cambodi oils, the scent opens up with a warm concoction of dark stewed fruits, honey, cinnamon and plums with a delicate tanginess reminiscent of green sultanas and hay perhaps, all streaming out together like the sun-ripened harvest of a luscious, fragrant orchard.
As the scent progresses, the green sultana-like tanginess comes to the forefront alongside a leathery facet, balancing out the profile beautifully against the sweet stewed fruits, before eventually reaching a light minty and sweet woody drydown.
Despite being a Bengal distillation, it’s amazing how Cambodian and Thai-esque this smells, but with a warm and radiantly yellow hue to it, and a beautifully rich and intense profile unlike many of today’s cultivated offerings from those regions.
Distilled in the first half of 2021, Sylhet Orchard has been ageing with me for several months now and already its profile has become a lot more beautiful and rounded, with the harsh edges disappearing and its profile becoming sweeter and richer, and it will continue to mature with time of course.
So, if you’re in search of an outstanding and unique distillation that will challenge your perception of what a Bengal oud can be... or can’t be, or you’re simply looking for a gorgeously pretty oud masquerading à la perfume to wear on the London Underground or NYC’s subway, I would highly recommend you try this.
Choron
Hailing from the ancient cradle of oud, this is a special 2018 co-distillation of incense-grade oud collected from various regions of Al Hind and beyond.
Artisanally distilled, with a short soak, low temperature cook, and several years of ageing now, it’s transformed into a beautifully balanced and rounded profile over time: A very refined Hindi oud full of character and depth, and yet void of all things animalics and barn.
As a high-grade Hindi, this can easily be called Kalakassi, but that term is actually a misnomer: an inaccurately-used label that’s often attached to top-drawer Hindis nowadays for marketing purposes*.
*(Kalakassi actually refers to one of the shapes of Hindi oud (wood). When a piece of oud is large and concave, i.e. resembles the shape of a banana leaf, it’s classified as Kalakassi, but that has no bearing on its grade or how resinated it is, simply its shape).
And hence, I decided to forgo this name for Choron instead, the Bengali distiller’s name for oud shavings. And not any shavings were used here; but the highly resinated shavings of wild, incense-grade oud. And the result is this gorgeous beauty…
Ultra-smooth, buttery almost, and complex, it opens up with a waft of soft incense, spices, and gentle tobacco around its beautifully dark Hindi oudy core.
As the scent develops, it gains slightly in sweetness, molasses now perhaps, contrasted by tobacco, woods, spices and leather, with a hint of hay and a clean barn somewhere in the distance, before eventually descending into a soft woody and spicy drydown.
Choron is most definitely not a loud Hindi oud roaring with animalics and barn, but it also isn’t a squeaky clean new-gen lacking in complexity and depth. Instead, it’s perhaps what many of its namesakes would love to be: A beautiful, delicate, tightrope walk between the two that shows you what Hindi oud, done right, can be.
Wild Oud Sample Set
This Wild Oud Oil Sample Set includes tiny micro-vial samples (approximately 2 drops) of each of the oud oils currently in store, as well as unscented toothpicks for application. The oils (and cost of this set) will change depending on their availability.
My aim is to make these sample sets very affordable so that you can test as many oils as possible before deciding to go for full bottles. The quantity in each vial is small but sufficient for at least two wears in my estimation.
The current wild oud oils included in this set are:
• Malinau Hijau
• Sumbawa
• Aceh Flora
• Choron
• Sylhet Orchard
• Golden Sylhet
You can read more about each of these oils on their individual listings.
Just to emphasise again, many of these oils are limited and can go out of stock quickly; therefore this list will be subject to change depending on availability of oils. I will of course update this list with any changes (including price) so that you know what you're getting.
Notes:
• The image is for illustration only, it does not show the number/colour/profile of oils you will receive.
Les –
Umran –
Super fast ,Excellent service and packaging,Ouds are beautiful will buy full bottle, wish I can buy all full bottles of samples send,very generous.thanks mohammad
Wayne –
This OUD Could not be better explained than by Muhammad’s description.It really is sublime. Spicy candied fruits, Honey and Dry woods, No cheese or barnyard notes. I am lucky enough to have been gifted some old pure OUD dating back 50+ years from Indonesia and Southeast Asia, and this is on par. Muhammad, thank you, Your reviews were excellent, but I am blown away
Paul langton –
This is a real oud coming from a certain place at a certain time. It enveloped me with its fragrance totally. Im not one for saying it smells like this or that, I just know this is a pure oud presented in its best form, fantastic.
Olivia McCarten –
Beautiful oils. I purchased an Oud and saffron sandal, the seller was kind enough to send them as one package when I accidentally ordered them separately, and he refunded the shipping. To top it off, I received a free sample of sandalwood! Will be coming here for all my essential oil needs in future 🙂
Andrew and Elle –
A beautiful hindi oil for those that are familiar with the classic Sylhet style. Great price for this and great service. Thank you!
Sulaiman (verified owner) –
Classic Hindi oud, exact notes as Muhammad explained and long lasting, woke up to smelling its sweet woody dry down. I’m excited to buy from here again. Thank you.
Umid (verified owner) –
compustar82 –
This is a very beautiful oud oil indeed! The very slightest hint of barn in the opening but perfectly balanced with sweetness. Gives way to a very complex and long lasting dry down!
Ashworth is an absolute gem in the industry. Their packaging shows the passion they have for their wonderful products! 😊👍
Bardissan isho –
Great great great stuff couldn’t believe what I was smelling at first really piece of art.
Kevin –
Oud de très bonne qualité
Kevin (verified owner) –
I have ordered several times and different ouds, the quality is superb, very deep and refined. the seller is very nice and serious. I recommend. kevin from France
Augagneur Kevin (verified owner) –
Great Oud, félicitations
Wayne –
This is my second purchase of golden sylhet, I just had to treat myself to a backup . It really is Like a warm sunshiny morning in the jungle. Warm and radiant with a perfect balance of ripened fruits, leather, woods, And very subtle barnyard. I am not a fan of the strong cheesy or barnyard nuances in some ouds. There is only the faintest twang ,but it Is totally balanced and Adds depth and somehow amplifies the radiant warmth and juiciness of the fruits . Such tremendous value. Thank you Muhammad
Khalid –
Golden Sylhet is a gem, crafted and brings forth by brother Muhammad’s wisdom that let you unfold the mystery of Hindi Oud. The golden sweetness of honey and ripe fruits delicately leads the way surrounded by growling leather, faint barnyard and smoke adding complexity to this entire journey through the woods. A Beautiful, multilayered Hindi Oud
Kailash –
Good quality Hindi
Dusty damp wood opening
Charred incense
Sunshine Hay and straw
Resin and tamarind tartness
Sugary finish