Olfactive Dreams

A Monolith of Mentholic and Spicy Incense Region: Sabah, Malaysia Wood used: Wild  Aquilaria microcarpa  (mostly) and some wild  Aquilaria malaccensis  shavings House:   Al Hashimi Ibn Zamrak (2017) in Total Recovery Vial I  will try to write my impression a bit differently for this oil as I have lot to say about it. I apologise if some of it sounds repetitive as I’m yet to acquire the art of non-academic writting. At the top I get a fleeting apple note – not sure about the variety though. Almost instantaneously (I used that word intentionally), Ibn Zamkrak (IZ) greets me with a very strong mentholic note with all sorts of wonder to follow. I t then reveals its earthy and hay notes.  The hay is pleasant and sweet – a cross between recently dried hays from Bangladesh and a bit of honey/toffee like sweetness of Spanish hay absolute. The earthy note is not very powerful now. But I can sense its intensity getting stronger. ...

Pleasant Filaria House:  HabzOud Region: Indonesia Wood used: Wild shavings from  Aquilaria filaria This yellow, rather ordinary looking 3 years old oil, distilled from wild Aquilaria filaria is my first experience with Merauke oils. What a great introduction! It starts off with an intensely minty/mentholic smell, coupled with a note of royal vetiver (hydro distilled essential oil from north Indian vetiver, aka, ruh khas). I know how non-IFRA compliant oakmoss absolute smells like. But I have no idea how oak-moss smells like. However, this oil has a powerful foresty green, and camphorous/incensy smell at the top that is quite similar to the non-IFRA oakmoss absolute I have. Both are outstanding. The hay note is just sumptuous - similar to a freshly dried hays – more specifically hays from Bangladesh – never too strong. There is also a hint of herbaceous notes that settle down quite quickly – more specifically something akin to middle and end not...