I have always believed that the true beauty of Hindi oud lies in the wood itself.
Not in fermentation. Not in the barnyard character that many people have come to associate with traditional Indian oud oils.
But in the natural aroma of the agarwood.
Hindi 2024 is a distillation that represents that belief.
For me, this was an important oil to distill because I wanted to capture something very specific. I wanted an oil that smelled like real, high-grade Hindi oud wood, without allowing the distillation process to take away the natural character of the material.
Over the years, I have smelled many Indian oud oils. Some were extremely powerful, some heavily fermented, and others carried such a strong animalic character that it became difficult to recognize the original wood.
I have never believed that these qualities are necessary for an oud oil to be considered a true Hindi.
When I smell a beautiful piece of high-grade Indian agarwood, there is already so much character within it. The spice, the fruitiness, the depth and that unmistakable woody richness that makes Hindi oud so special.
Why should that character be lost during distillation?
This is exactly what I wanted to preserve with Hindi 2024.
The opening is beautifully clean, with a natural saffron-like character and a touch of fruitiness. There is a warmth to it, but nothing harsh or overly animalic.
As the oil begins to develop, it becomes unmistakably Hindi.
This is perhaps my favourite stage of the oil.
The heart carries a beautiful spicy fruitiness, but underneath it is the aroma of moist, high-grade Indian agarwood. That familiar smell you experience when handling good Hindi wood, before it ever touches the charcoal.