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Oud Borneo Tarakan
This is a gorgeously clean, zero-soak distillation of coveted wild Bornean oud from the island of Tarakan, with no notes of barn or fermentation whatsoever.
It opens up dark and slightly incensey, and with exactly the scent I imagine when I think of the Bornean jungle floor; almost as if you can smell the damp earth and rain-drenched logs after a torrential downpour on the island.
Not alone in the remote jungle, however, the wet earth and wood notes are beautifully tempered by a soft vanillic sweetness along with some umaminess, and a cincau note that is reminiscent of rooibos tea (pronounced: chin-chow: a southeast-asian drink with a sweet, roasted, herbal tea-like aroma).
As the scent progresses, it becomes more minerallic and earthy, almost like the scent of water gently flowing along the jungle floor or collecting in large, smooth boulders in a waterfall’s basin deep in the rainforest.
If I had to sum up this oud in one word, it would be the jungles of the tropics in a bottle. This is another gem that I’m proud to be able to offer you, and especially at such excellent value for a wild Borneo that I think you’d be hard pressed to find elsewhere.
Reviews (7)
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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.
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.Â
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.
Golden Sylhet 2021
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.
Malinau Hijau
When it comes to the world of oud, there’s a rare shade that catches the eye.
Hijau as they call it in Malay. Akhdarr. Green. The shimmering jade of the oud world that’s as rare as it sounds and always a treat.
But not all green gaharus are the same of course. There’s the green oceanic marine of the Ceylons, the green cola-jungle vibes of the Acehnese, and the green bitter-cacao incensiness of the Meraukes.
And then there’s this hijau.
Where the other greens dive with you to the dark depths of oceans and incense-laden jungles, this takes you very much in the opposite direction. Up and up for a breath of fresh air, high above the waves and wilderness, and up into the cotton-candied clouds of Malinau’s air.
It doesn’t smell of cotton-candied clouds, of course (?) but opens up instead with a beautiful airiness, a soft powdery cloud of bergamot-like citrus alongside wildflowers and honey, all underpinned by the tiniest hint of violet leaf’s green powderiness in the background.
With time, this incredible opening slowly settles and gains in sweetness, slightly resembling to me the tart and powdery scent of raspberries, or a mysterious narcotic floral of the tropics, before eventually arriving at its sweet green oudy drydown.
Artisanally distilled from high grade wild Malinau oud, the result is nothing short of sensational. One waft of this will tell you all you need to know about why true Malinau is one of the most sought-after profiles of Borneo - itself replete with many other treasured regions - and why its gorgeous old gaharus are only getting rarer with every passing year.
Les –
This is a wonderfully dark and intense jungle-sourced oud which will only get better as it ages. Top-notch!
KHAYAM –
Again a cosmic array of various nuances in this oud. A little under the nostrils gets one curling the upper lip to deeply inhale its flavours hour after hour.
Andrew and Elle –
A stunning Borneo Oud right here at a great price. Shipping is tracked and item arrived well packaged. A great experience.
Anonymous (verified owner) –
Very clean and strong scent, earthy and spicy and cool. Seller was very easy to communicate with. An excellent shopping experience!
Muhammad Ahsan Pervaiz (verified owner) –
So there are Ouds that are comforting and relaxing. If you are an anxiety patient like me. Just put Borneo Tarakan and go to sleep on your bed.
Muhammad Ahsan Pervaiz (verified owner) –
Bought the full bottle. Green gold in my opinion. I will be buying a lot more oud oils. Ashworth Ouds have all very delicate and lovely rounded profile. This one is cool foresty borneo
Anonymous (verified owner) –
This is the second time I purchase Oud Tarakan. The 2021 batch is less sweet/spicy compare to the previous batch, but retains the cool scent and more woody to my nose. A ‘cleaner’ version compare to 2020 batch. I can feel the deep jungle from the bottle. Thanks Muhammad for sharing it with us!