Oud Sheikh Najd

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.

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.