I`m in the mood for Oud...

[roaduck]

This Cambodian Quadeem oil was posted through my letterbox today and all I can say is WOW and what a wonderful stream of intoxicating fragrant memories from Europe, China , Africa and the ME especially it has instantly evoked as soon as I got the lid off - it was actually overwhelming - it was like a genie coming out of the bottle - a la - I love Jeannie from the sixties - I got transported abroad - no jet or yacht needed !

I had to get on a plane twice a month for my career - I had constant jet-lag doing mad exhibitions everywhere and had no mercy from my bosses - Could do it in my twenties and thirties but no chance now!

This oil is nearly black from the heartwood - it doesn`t have a hexane note from the petrochemical solvent and is liquid carbon dioxide distillation - I think it`s the 1st generation batch judging on sillage and projection and is, nonetheless a true find and bargain.

Not that certain on age but I do know from experience - it`s over two but less than ten years old.

It is complex and deep enough to use on it`s own and I can tell it`s unadulterated - I have a BSC Org Chem from Exeter plus have smelt the best in Grasse and Jerash in Jordan but will layer it with the middle and top note oils when I get the time.

I know good Oud when I smell it - in the nineties I was regularly paying £15000.00 for 10 ml of 80 year old oud for myself and discerning clients.

At the time my salary was £12000 minimum a month so it wasn`t a concern.

I am currently doing herbal medicines - tisanes, embrocations, liquid extracts, decoctions, bath salts, french polishing varnishes, candles, aftershaves, perfumes and organic floral disinfectants for Christmas and am a month behind my usual schedule so am cracking on best I can.

The bottles and labels are ad hoc and I`m ashamed of the recycled bottle graveyard but I`ve got more pressing issues atm so I`ll have to see how things pan out presently and before Christmas.

I also have Cambodian oud essential oil on order and can not evaluate it until it arrives - I`ll see how thing go.

 

[sarimento1]

Welcome to B&B, Sir roaduck!
And all due respect for your oud experience!
Who would not be impressed with £15000.00 for 10 ml?!

for me, i can barely afford commoner oud...

 

[SharpieB]

£15,000 for 10ml is nuts. Even with making really good 90’s money, that was still over a month’s pay for a 10ml bottle.

As someone that has hundreds of top niche and designer fragrances and has collected them for over 40yrs, I still can’t get my head around even nearly spending that.

To each their own and all that. I thought I was nuts for regularly buying $300+ bottles.

 

[Fordfather]

I thought I was nuts for regularly buying $300+ bottles.

You are...

 

[roaduck]

Unfortunately or not I got immersed into Middle-Eastern sheik culture at the time and went down an inexorable rabbit hole satisfying my curiosity and fervent quest for all things Eastern without the necessary resultant zen realisation that can only be ultimately attained with experience and mass socialisation and so made many mistakes on my journey even though I thought I was sufficiently armed with my science degrees - little did I know that they were a brick or two in the true foundations of perfumery knowledge and I learn every day because it is a huge subject like languages and computers both.

 

[TOVT]

I have no idea what it might smell like.

 

[roaduck]

Confession here - I lived in Hong Kong and Macau in the nineties and catered for Chinese, Japanese and European audiophiles as an international Hi-fi sales consultant and it was over a $100 a foot for interconnects and speaker cable alone and low output moving coil cartridges started out at $500 and went upto £22K for a Kiseki Lapus Luzuli which I owned and earnt at the time - now unretipped mint ones are $40-$50K because of rarity etc so it puts things in perspective.

If you are wearing an eighty year old Oud experienced players will know that you`re a serious player just by the smell, nevermind the provenance and multi thousand contracts are more or less guaranteed - unfortunate but true nevertheless.

Here`s a pertinent example - I came across a 38 year old Cambodian Quadeem oil the other day in my local chamber of commerce and it was $168.00 for a 0.1 ml tester - that is a five hundredth of teaspoon - you will know it`s worth it in one inward breath if you`re experienced and well-travelled

 

[roaduck]

I have no idea what it might smell like.

Like Mysore Sandalwood with knobs on - get out there and mingle is my advice.

 

[WetShaveVet]

Incredible stuff and it has legs. Ameer Al Oudh by Lattaffa

 

[roaduck]

Also, what people forget is that 0.1 ml will literally do litres of cosmetics, perfumes and aftershaves because it so powerful yet not overwhelming like modern scents.

My recent acquisition lasts days but does not blow your head of cos it`s not made in a lab and so I expect and welcome variance power because like amber, oakmoss and tonka bean it is a powerful perfume or cosmetic fundamental base that can be built on.

 

[roaduck]

Incredible stuff and it has legs. Ameer Al Oudh by Lattaffa
View attachment 1931400

Risk it for a biscuit - go East - go off the map - go traditional - assert ourselves !

 

[maxman]

Oud is difficult to place in the fragrance spectrum of prices if you have no experience with the real oil.
It's.....well.... just intoxicating. It's truly not like anything else in the fragrance world.

Is the price justified by the quality of ingredients and complexity of production?
I believe so.

Would I personally spend a year's worth of pay on one bottle? no, but... i do like to buy samples. The concentrated oil, the REAL oil is so powerful, all you need is a dot with a toothpick on your wrist. that's it. that much will last the entire day.

I favour Cambodian Oud. It's simply out of this world.

 

[roaduck]

Confession here - I lived in Hong Kong and Macau in the nineties and catered for Chinese, Japanese and European audiophiles as an international Hi-fi sales consultant and it was over a $100 a foot for interconnects and speaker cable alone and low output moving coil cartridges started out at $500 and went upto £22K for a Kiseki Lapus Luzuli which I owned and earnt at the time - now unretipped mint ones are $40-$50K because of rarity etc so it puts things in perspective.

If you are wearing an eighty year old Oud experienced players will know that you`re a serious player just by the smell, nevermind the provenance and multi thousand contracts are more or less guaranteed - unfortunate but true nevertheless.

Here`s a pertinent example - I came across a 38 year old Cambodian Quadeem oil the other day in my local chamber of commerce and it was $168.00 for a 0.1 ml tester - that is a five hundredth of teaspoon - you will know it`s worth it in one inward breath if you`re experienced and well-travelled

Sorry I meatnt a one fiftieth of a teaspoon - its still bloomin strong and will do the business - - with it I can attest ! No worries whatsoever - it lasts in spades but is not overwhelming because it`s not a chemical thing made in a lab deffo`.

 

[roaduck]

Oud is difficult to place in the fragrance spectrum of prices if you have no experience with the real oil.
It's.....well.... just intoxicating. It's truly not like anything else in the fragrance world.

Is the price justified by the quality of ingredients and complexity of production?
I believe so.

Would I personally spend a year's worth of pay on one bottle? no, but... i do like to buy samples. The concentrated oil, the REAL oil is so powerful, all you need is a dot with a toothpick on your wrist. that's it. that much will last the entire day.

I favour Cambodian Oud. It's simply out of this world.

The sample is $168 without shipping - personally I think it`s worth it Marc.
Decent vintage Amber absolute and Jasmin Sambac and Rose Otto with guaranteed provenance, age and GLC testing is much more expensive and they are not that rare and esoteric in the scheme of things - also with quality heartwood oil ; you only need a dot as you enunciate.

 

[roaduck]

Incredible stuff and it has legs. Ameer Al Oudh by Lattaffa
View attachment 1931400

That looks lovely but a bit light to me - oud is nearly black - oh how do I know ? Just lived in the ME, North Africa and Asia for fifteen years plus got an Org Chem Bsc in Organic Chemistry and Phytopharmacology from Exeter - 30 odd years ago - chose the wrong hobby - Science is never enough - silly me !

 

[Phoenix997]

Amouage sell these Attars that are crazy prices, something £400 for 12ml but they are pure oils. I never considered them, until this thread

 

[roaduck]

Phoenix997 I only paid a song for my two - I can easily tell that they`re not garbage because of four full passports and hundreds of phone-cards etc - if you Know your Ouds ; you can close a deal or woo seriously !​

 

[Barbablanca]

I would dearly love to smell some of these ouds. Sadly I haven’t the means to afford anything like that. I probably don’t have the nose to appreciate them fully either.
Jack

 

[Barbablanca]

Out of curiosity I went on the Rogue perfume site but did not see the listing for your find. I presume they are out, or did I just miss the listing?
Jack

 

[roaduck]

Travelling, one gets connections and the best contacts are not always fully vetted and earnt - life`s a gamble ; as they say.