Tupelo honey-laced strawberry jam, and purple bubble gum. Figs, plums and nectarines. Ensar recently launched his most fruitilicious Cambodi to date: Oud Yusha.
Oud Yusha is definitive proof that organically cultivated agarwood can yield amazing quality Oud oil. When produced artisanally, that is.
Anyone can order Oud directly from a distiller. Just like anyone can order a Monet directly from the printers. You’re getting a picture on paper, sure. Just like you’re getting oil in a bottle. But you know the difference.
So, what do we mean by ‘produced artisanally’?
Put a swipe of Oud Yusha on the inside of your left wrist. Now swipe your right wrist with Encens d’Angkor. What you’re about to embark on is an olfactory journey through ages of perfecting the craft of Oud distillation.
If you think the scent of an oil depends only on the raw materials, think again. Oud Yusha and Encens d’Angkor were distilled from the same batch of wood. In the same distillery. Yet, the aromatic contrast couldn’t be more stark.
In preparation for distillation, the wood for the one was soaked in a certain way for a set time. The other was soaked less. The one was then distilled in copper vessels; the other in stainless steel. And so we could go on. Many, many unique tweaks and techniques were employed to create these two markedly different scents from the same raw materials.
Don’t think experimenting with distillation techniques is something just anyone can do in their spare time. Some of the oils take months to produce, costing you a pretty penny. And it can all easily go horribly wrong.
The finest wild agarwood in the hands of a novice will yield mediocre oil. The finest organic agarwood in the hands of a ‘mad scientist’ artisan will yield… Encens d’Angkor!
We rocked the boat so much with Encens d’Angkor that we could have easily gotten away with promoting it as something other than the pure bred Cambodi it is. But a trained nose will pick up its Cambodi pulse, and will delight in its unusual beat.
Dark top notes of cosy countryside cottage wooden floors, warmed by a flickering fireplace; a morning walk where fresh air reveals green flavors of guava, amberous patchouli, oakmossed-out sandalwood, pregnant with the ever present figs and blackberries, shrouded in a deep shade of incense and woods.
All proceeds from your purchase will go right back into the stills, helping to support sustainable agarwood cultivation, taking organic Oud to the next level.
3 full grams.
Sale Price: $229.95
You save: $20.00
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I couldn’t resist emailing you again, to share some more impressions on Encens d’Angkor. I’m surprised you didn’t mention honey notes in this oil’s description. Close the dry down stage, I detect a very noticeably ‘hot’ honey note that I have only seen in one other oil. Caramelicious and warm. Also, for the first time today, I realized that the name for this oil is perfect – it actually does smell quite a lot like a burning incense stick. It is as though Crassna oud is the agarwood part of the incense, while the other accompanying notes in the oil are the equivalent of spices and herbs traditionally used in incense-making. I can’t get over how complex this oil is! – Taha Syed, Toronto
Thank you very much for the prompt shipping. I have received yesterday both Oud Yusha and Encens d’Angkor. That Angkor is amazing. For the first few minutes and right off the stick I was trying to determine whether I was smelling a Borneo or Cambodi Oud. It kept shifting from the Borneo high pitched opening notes to the Cambodi fruits. It is like taking a Borneo Oud and taming it with a Cambodi. Opening note is very light turpentine with green wood notes, guava and sweet ripe nectarine. It was quite late last night when I tried it on so I couldn’t formulate my thoughts on it correctly. However, I can say this is one of the top ranges. – Hisham Suliman, FL
Angkor is less fruity than Yusha, has more of a smoky woods and cinnamon bark smell along with espresso-roasted coffee, patchouli, sweet plums, and some surprising smooth leather notes that I didn’t expect in an oud from this region. It ends with creamy toffee, cherry syrup and rubbed woods in the drydown. – Isabella Lee, NY
I want to say the quality of your oils is tip-top and the fragrance exquisite. I have been wearing the Encens d'Angkor and when it settles, a wonderful soothing woody, sweet fruity scent comes through and stays many wonderful hours on me afterwards. I simply love it. – Danny Ng, Singapore
Your Encens d’Angkor is another top oud. I like the ‘cozy countryside cottage wooden floors, warmed by a flickering fireplace.’ Add a little fruity background, and that’s exactly what I’ve been smelling for hours. I just realized what time it is! I put this on over 6 hrs ago and it stays the same after the sweeter top notes. I can’t describe your ouds very well, I just know they’re top shelf ouds. – Kevin Dalton, MA
Wow, how could I add anything to your description of the oil? I think your description is spot on, but I did encounter some additional scent developments which I didn’t see listed, so I thought I’d share them with you. First of all, I think it was a great idea for this oil to have been distilled the way it was. It bequeathes the oil a complexity I have never seen in cultivated oils before. With the multi-layered ensemble displayed by this oil, one could almost swear it was distilled from ancient wild trees. The opening is woody and smoky, yet soft and smooth, and really does remind me of a wooden cottage. A touch of leather adds a nice dark back drop for the brighter notes to stand out and shine more. A subtle fruitiness begins to emerge after about a minute. A hint of sweet roasted nuts makes me think of a pie fresh out of the oven, with a thick filling of succulent fruits, sprinkled with cinnamon and garnished with crushed almonds and macadamia nuts. Surprisingly, to me Encens d’Angkor actually gets sweeter than Oud Yusha as it develops further, but the smokiness and darker notes keep fading in and out, making the oil unpredictable and keeping my nose ever-glued to my wrist. I feel I still haven’t fully grasped all of the oil’s subtleties, but I look forward to spending more time getting to know it better. – Taha Syed, Toronto