Hindi 2024

There is a particular smell I have always looked for in Hindi oud oil.

Not the barnyard character that people have come to associate with Hindi oud. Not an exaggerated fermentation.

I wanted the smell of the wood itself.

The material for this distillation came from Arunachal Pradesh, India, from wild agarwood of exceptionally high quality. These were not ordinary distillation-grade chips. They were the kind of resinous pieces I would happily place directly on charcoal and enjoy as incense.

And that became the idea behind this oil:

I distilled the wood myself in the UAE in 2024, using traditional copper hydrodistillation.

The opening carries an unusual combination of warm spice and a saffron-like character, alongside a surprisingly fruity quality. But give it time.

After around ten to fifteen minutes on the skin, the reason I love this oil begins to reveal itself.

It starts taking me back to the smell of real high-grade Hindi oud slowly burning over charcoal.

Deep wood. Resin. Warmth. Spice.

But without the barnyard character often associated with Hindi oud oils.

For me, that is what makes this distillation special. It doesn’t try to create an exaggerated idea of Hindi oud.

It brings me closer to the wood I started with.

Wild agarwood from India, distilled by my own hands in the UAE.

From wood to oil.