Hi Thomas, I had already given some thoughts on Borneo Zen, but I thought I could give a comprehensive review now: I have purchased four bottles of Borneo Zen in the past few months. That in itself is saying something, given that I am by no means wealthy. I never want to be without this […]
Following Trygve Harris’ latest escapades through Laos, some confusion has come up about the real state of agarwood. From some corners you’re being told agarwood is all but extinct, only to then hear that there’s in reality a surplus supply. So, what’s the deal? As I’m writing this, looking out at the distillery, a tractor […]
06
Mar
Mar
If you’re new to the world of Oud, one word you hear being chanted all over the place is ‘Cambodi.’ So, what is Oud Cambodi, anyway? In the beginning, there was Oud Hindi. This was the deep, reddish-brown juice that was presented to the Sheikhs and Emirs, Sultans and dignitaries in fancy crystal flasks back […]
30
Nov
Nov
30 May 2012 Kuala Lumpur ‘If you want oud oil, all I have to do is make a phone call. I can get you two kilos in two minutes. But you know what kind of oud it’ll be…’ explained the man who first set up distillation in Kuala Lumpur, as he showed us around his […]
We should all be rejoicing that ‘incense-grade’ agarwood seems to be blooming on the market like never before. Wild-harvested sinking-grade, incense-grade, and all kinds of super-duper grades are not only freely available online, but you can even go to any shopping mall in the Far or Middle East to see it for yourself! Yet, closer […]
Walking out from one perfume shop into the next, what I found in the Emirati malls and outdoor markets was that nothing had changed since my first visit there many years ago. ‘Thaqeel’ and ‘Kalakassi’ are household names in oud circles in both the East and the West. At $680 and $545 per quarter tola, […]
12
May
May
12 April 2012 Mission Borneo: Progress Report I. Eating Agarwood Dust Singapore. It’s here where we first heard the news that the agarwood world as we know it is at its end. Six months later, en route to Borneo, we stopped over in Singapore to find out what has come to pass since our last […]
Ensar just arrived in the thick jungles of Borneo, exploring the island’s oud scene. Known for legendary Borneo oils like Borneo 3000 and Borneo Kinam, Ensar embarks on a project to produce the next generation of artisanal Borneo oud oils. Join him on the journey. Visit www.oriscent.com and keep an eye on our facebook page – www.facebook.com/ensaroudoil – to […]
Just thought I’d share a few photos with you that pretty much sum up why I will only deal with Oriscent. This is a bottle of supposed “Top Shelf” Oud I had purchased some time ago from one of the so-called “Reputable” dealers here in the Gulf. Needless to say it has sat untouched since being […]
04
Apr
Apr
4 November 2011 ‘Not one single wild tree stands in the jungles of Laos,’ Christopher said to me today. A long term colleague and associate, Mr. Hoeth is a Swiss expat who relocated to Laos to pursue his passion of crafting agarwood oil. Apart from what I witnessed firsthand in the Far East just a […]