A Journey into The World of Oud Part Eighteen
Reconsidering Heating Agarwood
As readers of this blog know, I have not been a fan of burning Oud, both because of its effects on my lungs and its effects on my mind.
I found myself becoming very foggy and stoned by the smoke, and my lungs felt bad for days.
A New Approach
One of my free gifts in my Summer order from Ensar Oud, astonishingly, were a couple of very tiny chips of Vietnamese Kinam wood.
I understood right away that they were precious, and that I needed a new approach if I were to appreciate them.
I also knew that they shouldn't be burnt, so I asked Adam Coburn (who works with Ensar) how to use them. He said that one shouldn't burn top-quality woods, but instead very gently heat them.
He suggested that I purchase an electric Oud heater, set it at the lowest setting, and place a 1/8" layer of salt in the heating tray to buffer the heat, and then place one chip on the salt.
Wow! The tiny, barely visible, chip of Vietnamese Kinam released a transcendental scent for over 45 minutes!
Interestingly, I was not in a good space when I began sniffing the vapors, but after the session was over, I felt great! And my lungs were not impacted at all!
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After a couple of heating wood sessions, I realized that I wanted to get Ensar's Oud Heater, and saved up and got it.
With Ensar's heater, I didn't have to be very careful because it was rock solid, unlike the very fragile ceramic heater I'd been using. (I did discover that while I didn't have to add a layer of salt, I did like it a better after putting 5 sheets of mica into the tray, and then placing the wood on top of the mica.)
And boy does it bring out the best in the fine kyara woods.
So I've begun another Oud journey, reverently exploring the gentle heating of fine agarwoods.
My early explorations with heated wood
Recently, I decided to do a "flight" of two different woods, first Brunei Kinam and then Hainan Kinam, with a friend.
Immersing in the wafts of Brunei Kinam was lovely. It felt like basking in a gentle warm resinous breeze, olfactory poetry, creating a beautiful space.
And my instinct to continue by listening to the Hainan Kinam turned out to be spot on. Immediately we were both impressed by the power of the Hainan Kinam, it felt like being enveloped by a loving mama bear, with a deep and profound uplift.
I look forward to exploring more agarwood heating sessions very much.
(After the double session, my lungs have felt sore for several days, so I will need to be careful to only do one wood at a time.)
-------------------------------------------------- The Latest Great Ouds
Over the past couple of months, I've received and experienced several truly great new oils from Ensar:
Betonamu Senkoh
Imagine the prettiest Vietnamese oud, filled with notes of honey, peaches, and Sunlight.
I was surprised by the lightness and softness of this oil, and then by its subtle impact on my mind.
By scent alone, I wouldn't have known this was a Vietnamese oud, more like a Thai or Cambodi one, but it nevertheless quite lovely and enticing.
Oud Royale 2004
Those of you who've read my column know that I am not usually a fan of old ouds.
I didn't expect, because of this, to like this 15 year old oud anywhere near as much as I do.
It might have been called a "Senkoh" oil because its aroma doesn't vary from one sniff to another; in other words its quite consistent in its scent.
But that's not to say that this exceptionally well aged oud is in any way boring or monotonous, quite the contrary.
It is implicitly elaborate in its resinous fragrance, and both soothing and quite inviting.
Port Archie
This latest archipelago blend is surprising in many ways:
First of all, it smells different each time you take a whiff. (Perhaps that's because it was made from many types of agarwood, and each time you pick up on a different one.)
Next, it sneaks up on you. This doesn't initially seem like it will really alter your consciousness, but before you know it, it has. (In a very wonderful way.)
Finally, again perhaps due to its complexity, it becomes more and more endearing, and keeps beckoning you to take another sniff.
There is a world of scent to explore in Port Archie, and I can't wait to keep learning its secrets.
Oud Etrugrul
When I first sniffed this oil, I knew immediately that I was in the presence of a legendary oud.
Far better than any other Borneo oud I've ever experienced, this is a masterpiece in all ways: its scent, its power, and its effect.
The deepest resin envelops you in its embrace, incredibly welcoming and profoundly uplifting.
While every element of its scent makes for a unified experience, nevertheless the components are both diverse and beautiful.
The best Borneo oil on the planet.
Oud Royale: Maluku
The minute you take your first whiff of this oil, you understand why it's on the Oriscent (top-of-the line) page.
I don't want to stop sniffing it!
It has a depth of scent and a complexity that is far beyond that of most ouds, while being perfectly crafted and phenomenally and amazingly exhilarating.
Its green siren picks you up and takes you deep into the forest, until you are merged with the trees, the wind, and the earth. Its aroma is beyond my ability to describe, dark and yet vibrant, complex and yet integrated.
And it is far and away the best dark oud I've ever experienced.
How does Ensar keep crafting such masterpieces? It's one of the greatest of all of his creations.
(I rarely say that an oud is a real bargain, especially in this price range, but it really is.)
Postscript:
I recently purchased a couple of more truly outstanding Oud oils from Ensar, and received great one sample too:
Purple Sumatora
When I first sniffed this Oud, I was bowled over. All I could smell was kyara. And I felt that it should be named Purple Kyara.
But this has so many additional layers of scent that it is truly both unique and spectacular.
What a bouquet of flowers, wood, resin, and kyara!
It's an Oud that will be deeply valued always.
Suriranka 2.0
Picture the Sun shining through scented leaves, warming the bark of the Gyrinops trees and releasing a truly lovely bright uplifting resinous waft of gently heated agarwood.
I even like it better than the original Suriranka, as it has more sky and Light.
Royal Kinam 2.0
We are so incredibly lucky that Ensar not only has made an Oud of this caliber, but is allowing us to acquire a portion of it.
This is an incredibly potent Oud! At first sniff, one is brought into the Presence of Kyara, feeling its huge impact, opening up the doors of the mind to a Vaster plain.
The scent itself is green, sharp, dark, and linear, unmistakably Kinam.
But it's greatest value, and why it's such a treasure, is because of its transcendental nature. It brings you to a place that most oils can't even glimpse, and keeps you there, basking in sublimity.
There are only a handful of Ouds on the planet in the same class as this one.
Words fail...
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In an email today from Ensar Oud, he mentioned that Hong Kong got its name from agarwood!
I never knew that, and so I looked around and found this great article on How Hong Kong got its name.
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End of Part Eighteen
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