In the pantheon of luxury aromatics, Oud essential oil (distilled from agarwood) stands a class apart.
The most coveted class of agarwood is wild forest agarwood harvested exclusively from mature, naturally occurring Aquilaria trees. This prized commodity represents the pinnacle of both aromatic quality and status in the world of agarwood. Yet, with this notoriety, rarity, and increasing value, comes a pressing concern: the looming shadow of unsustainability. A combination of factors are making the very best wild agarwood harder and harder to find, more and more expensive, and subject to greater regulation and restriction.
The Primary Cause of the Decline of Wild Agarwood: Large-Scale Deforestation
The true primary cause for the increasing rarity of wild agarwood is not poaching or overharvesting as many believe. It’s actually general deforestation, massive industrial-scale deforestation in which agarwood species are simply collateral damage.
General deforestation (for lumber, farming, and other human exploits) is reducing the sheer volume of untouched wild forest worldwide, thereby diminishing the range and prevalence of the naturally occurring agarwood trees, which proffer our most beloved scent. The real long-term solution is saving old-growth forests and encouraging re-forestation including the re-planting of agarwood species.
This is a serious and complex issue that requires collaboration between regulators, governments, and industry. Awareness and activism from the general public to support the preservation of natural forest around the world as well as pointed attempts toward reforestation can be extremely helpful in this regard.
Optimally, wild agarwood trees should only be harvested when in a fully mature state and nearing the end of their natural life cycle. Older wild trees have fulfilled their primary role in the natural environment and contributed to the replenishment of the species. Unlike the vast majority of other forest resources, the harvesting of mature wild agarwood trees does not require destructive practices such as clear-cutting or burning. Mature trees also offer us the most bountiful harvest of aromatic wood, agarwood that is also of the very best aromatic quality.
The cultivated (farmed) agarwood industry, in its most responsible and conscientious form, can also be a major collaborator toward improving the prevalence of agarwood species in natural forest environments worldwide. We have seen many examples first-hand; Responsible, green, organically farmed agarwood operations that also participate in forest stewardship and long-term transgenerational sustainability planning. We cannot say this about the cultivated agarwood industry at large, since standard practices are so highly variable. From chemical-laden highly destructive practices, to clean, green, and regenerative; the cultivated agarwood business is a whole other topic of discussion beyond the scope of this writing.
The Menace of Unskilled and Careless Wild Agarwood Poaching
The global demand for Oud and agarwood has led to a surge of unskilled and irresponsible poachers looking for quick profits. These individuals will target even the youngest trees, which yield only minuscule amounts of aromatic wood. In doing so, not only is quality compromised, but a life, one that could have contributed significantly more value in the future, is cut short. Aroma Sublime firmly distances itself from such practices.
While this is often anxiously promoted as the primary cause of the ever-increasing rarity of wild agarwood species, this is not entirely accurate. The impact of agarwood poaching cannot compare to that of general large-scale deforestation. Unskilled, irresponsible, and often illegal poaching of immature agarwood trees is a serious problem in some parts of the world, and the ever-increasing value of the wood, combined with aggressive regulations and law enforcement, can result in conflicts between harvesters and authorities. While this problem should not be ignored or minimized, it does tend to distract from the bigger problem, large-scale industrial deforestation on a global scale.
Aroma Sublime Sets a New Course Toward Greater Sustainability; Mature Trees Only
Aroma Sublime's commitment to sustainability is evident in our movement toward 100% responsible harvesting of only mature wild trees nearing the end of their natural life cycle. We are now able to commit fully to this, as we have developed more and more relationships over time with skilled, committed wild-harvesters, often lifelong and multigenerational practitioners, who understand and respect responsible wild harvesting practices with an interest in safeguarding immature trees, for a bounty that only comes with patient respect for nature’s course.
Mature agarwood trees, nearing the end of their natural life cycle, are our primary focus. These grand sentinels of the forest, with their years of accumulated aromatic wisdom, produce agarwood and Oud oil that is intense, intricate, and full. When it comes to Oud, time and the complexity that only natural processes can offer, impart the superior quality Aroma Sublime is famous for. And now we move forward with a crystal clear vision for increased sustainability.
How do we verify and enforce our sustainability policies?
We achieve this high standard by carefully vetting our wild-harvesters and artisan distillers, developing personal relationships, often meeting them personally and visiting them on-site. These are often lifelong or multigenerational agarwood experts with a deep connection to the land and with a strong interest in stewardship and the preservation of agarwood species for future generations. We are interested in the story of each tree we harvest, and frequently, as much as possible, are involved in the harvesting and processing of the tree from discovery to distillation, from forest to flacon.
Aroma Sublime Stays Strictly Small Scale: a feature, not a bug
Aroma Sublime is strictly small-scale when it comes to wild agarwood. We don't want to become a huge company and dominate the market. We don't want to compete with irresponsible mass harvesters and middlemen who buy any scrap of wood from any seller. We choose to focus on quality and not quantity. We are interested in sustainable and personal practices, rather than unbridled expansion.
Indeed we are eagerly awaiting improvements in the farming or agarwood; sustainable cultivation of agarwood that results in a final product that we can truly say is as good as wild. So far, nothing compares to the very best wild agarwood and Oud.
Our experience is that both sustainability and aromatic quality can be in confluence: mature trees generally offer a superior aromatic depth, complexity and fullness that is second to none. As such, we can confidently make the choices we do based on both aromatic quality and our broader ethical responsibilities.
The Art of Singularity: Single-Tree Oud Distillations
Much like the best wine or coffee, wild Oud can capture the essence of a precise geographic location, or better yet, the spirit of a single mature tree. At Aroma Sublime, this is our chosen path.
1. Celebrating the uniqueness of a single tree:
Each wild agarwood tree has a story to tell—a narrative of its life and journey; its unique terroir, its struggles, and its triumphs. By focusing on oud oil distillations from single trees, or small groups of mature trees in the same location, we aim to capture this story in its purest form, offering our consumers an aromatic experience that's unparalleled in its specificity and refinement.
2. A More Distinct Symphony of Notes:
The resultant Oud oil, derived from individual fully mature trees, carries with it a unique symphony of notes. Just as a sommelier can identify the nuances of wines from different vineyards, seasoned noses can detect the aromatic variations in our single-source Oud oils. This approach not only provides a distinctive and limited edition product for our clientele but also reinforces our commitment to honoring each tree's individual essence and our greater ethos of sustainability.
Nature’s narrative and nuance
In a world where the clamor and controversy for wild Oud and agarwood grows ever more intense, our mission here at Aroma Sublime is to ensure that this demand doesn't drown out the wisdom and richness of the untouched forest, and the time-honored tradition of small batch artisan Oud distillation. For those seeking not just a fragrance, but an experience, Aroma Sublime is committed to sustainable practices around the harvesting and crafting of authentic wild Oud and agarwood, emphasizing the value of patience, small-batch specificity, and respect for nature's timeline.
