Over the next 14 weeks we will be exploring Oud wood and oil. Not the synthetics that are now a staple of mainstream perfumery; this series will go to the source of the oil itself.

This is the link to Part 6 of the weekly Oud Series which is on Fragrantica.
Fasten your web-belts; let’s go web-travelling…

Part 1: My name is dehn al Oud

Part 2: The Oud Oeuvre

Part 3: How to Burn Oud Wood

Part 4: RealOud – Phoenicia Perfumes

Part 5: Rolling In The Deep Without Adele

Part 6: What is the smell of Oud oil?

Private Collection: Neeshee Pandit from Oud Impressions

Next week we will explore the regional differences of Oud oil sourced from different terroir such as Papua New Guinea, Borneo, Bhutan and several other places. The links below are some preparatory reading if these scent profile differences interest you.

Bhutan
Oud Idrees – wild sinking-grade distillation from 100-yr old trees.  – Sunshine in a bottle.
Thailand
Oud Yusuf – organic and ethically harvested – A Floral Dream
Borneo
Borneo Kinam – wild-harvested – bold woodiness
Cambodia
Oud Kampuchea – wild-harvested –  – radiant resinous core, sweetly penetrated by notes of fruit.
India
Bhavana – wild-harvested –  – plenty of barnyard character

Further Reading
Scent Bound – Scent Notes: Oud
Absolute Trygve‘s Aromatic Quest
Kafkaesque on Elegant Wood or Medicinal Sexiness?
Enfleurage – Trygve Harris’ shop sells Aromatics from the Natural World

Related articles

• The End of Oud (TheFragrantMan.com)
• Oud in the Middle East (TheFragrantMan.com)
• The Blood of the Arabs (TheFragrantMan.com)
• What is Gaharu Wood? (gaharuwoods.wordpress.com)
• Arabian and Islamic views on fragrance (TheFragantMan.com)
• Bigger Stink Means Higher Price as Men Crave Rare Oud (bloomberg.com)