SUEDE X PREMIUM 2023 • in-house 100% wild Oud blend • Central Vietnam
• highlights: Soft natural suede leather and a medley of gourmet dried fruits. Silky smooth and round Vietnamese Oud perfection.
• material: 100% wild natural Aquilaria crassna
• production: A carefully crafted in-house blend of three top-shelf 100% wild Vietnamese Oud oils distilled in 2022 and early 2023. In this carefully considered blend we’ve achieved a silky smooth classic, the kind of Oud we are famous for. 100% pure wild Oud oil.
• scent description: Rest assured, Suede X Premium is the ultimate in smooth, soft, clean and natural leather notes showcased, but perfectly harmonized, in a classic Vietnamese Aquilaria crassna dreamscape. Smooth and sweet right from the bottle. On top of delicate, warm, natural suede, you'll notice a background of freshly baked spice cake; earthy cassia, vanilla, raisins, and allspice. There's a touch of fresh blonde pipe tobacco here as well (but zero smoke). Very, very slowly, as this oil opens up and transforms on your skin, the suede leather aura and soft spice aspects gently fade, and a medley of gourmet dried fruit emerges. Luscious dried apricot, golden raisins, the finest sticky dates and golden figs… This is a journey into classic Viet Oud perfection.
• notes of controversy: None. A silky smooth classic, the kind of Oud we are famous for.
• special notes:
Skeptical about leathery Oud? Suede X Premium is definitely not your typical leathery Oud! "Leather" is usually a poor generalization when describing Oud. More detail should be provided. There is an incredible variety in what leather might smell like including some unpleasant, sharp, or chemical notes that are clearly undesirable. Some Oud buyers have become cautious about buying Ouds described as leathery in any way. With our Suede X Premium there are no surprises. No leather overload. Nothing to hide here. Just smooth and delicate suede perfection in a beautiful harmony with other notes.
A note about Oud blending here at Aroma Sublime. We pride ourselves on carefully considered blending, with the goal of elevating already superb ingredients into something absolutely Sublime. Of course, our Oud blends are crafted using only the finest 100% wild Oud oil (either in-house distillations or verified and lab-tested partner-distillers) already aged to perfection. All our Oud blends are still only 100% pure wild Oud oil with nothing else added. Our blended oils are NOT a secondary B-grade product, or an afterthought, as is the case with many such products on the market. And that's if they tell you it's a blend at all... Our Oud blends are a matter of pride and have often been customer favorites since the very beginning.
PAHANG CHERRY SINGLE RESERVE • Single-Tree Wild Oud, Aquilaria malaccensis • Pahang Malaysia
• highlights: Creamy, dark and mysterious; featuring black cherry, apple, black pepper, vanilla, narcotic deep florals, black soil. Unique deep green color.
• material: 100% wild Aquilaria malaccensis, distillation from one single wild tree.
• production: April 2023, ultra-traditional process by a master distiller, low-temperature distilled in wood-fired copper still with glass collector. Crafted by a Malaysian third-generation true master distiller. Lab-tested for purity and authenticity.
• scent description: Creamy, narcotic, dark and mysterious; PAHANG CHERRY SINGLE RESERVE is a beautifully crafted, darkly-sweet, and smooth Oud experience right from the start, reflecting a quintessence of classical Malay oud tradition.
( Generally speaking, most Malaysian Aquilaria malaccensis distillations are soaked in water for days or weeks before distillation imparting various fermented and barn notes to the finished oil. This one is not soaked at all, and is very traditionally distilled in a wood-fired copper pot by a true master. The resulting Oud oil features essentially zero barn or fermented notes, and zero smoke, as is sometimes the result of less skilled wood-firing. )
PAHANG CHERRY SINGLE RESERVE is sweet and buoyant right from the start but with a certain dark and mysterious promise of deeper delights to come. Early notes include prominent ripe black cherry, complex and bright gourmet peppercorn, silky vanilla pod, blackest soil, and even an unexpected salty mineralic note that threads through early on. Classic Oud notes of fresh blonde tobacco and light natural leather mingle subtly and intermittently. Crisp sweet apple soon emerges, and will partner in a beautiful slow dance with the black cherry throughout the drydown. The cherry and apple will ebb and flow, but are a primary theme in this Oud. You’ll also notice an almost ineffable but omnipresent floral creaminess here reminiscent of Orris root. This is also a major theme that remains quietly present through most of the drydown. There are moments when the black soil aspect comes to full clarity, a vast temperate deciduous forest at night; dense, dewy, lush, dark and cool. Oxygen and lichens. Stillness. It will not be long, however, until warmth and light re-emerge. Allspice and port wine make brief appearances at the heart. Deep into the drydown, the finish is easy and gentle; featuring cooked apples, new wood, carpenter’s shop, overripe cherry, more black pepper, and that abiding sultry creaminess.
• notes of controversy: Sometimes has a slight oily petroleum note at close proximity, a note which does not project. We provide details like this in the spirit of honesty and full transparency as we do with all our Oud oils.
• special comments: We expect this oil to age particularly well. We think its an exceptional value at current pricing. Rest assured we are setting aside a little of this Oud to see what happens in 5 years or more.