ZEN ONE 2020 • 100-year-old Japan-grown Zen temple Sandalwood essential oil • Oita, Kyushu, Japan
ZEN ONE 2020 • 100-year-old Japan-grown Zen temple Sandalwood essential oil • Oita, Kyushu, Japan
ZEN ONE Japan-grown Indian sandalwood ( Santalum album ) single-tree trunk heartwood essential oil distillation (Jan 2020)
This singular, very old Santalum album ( Indian sandalwood ) tree was situated in a 600 year old Zen garden in semitropical Kyushu, southern Japan. Surrounded by Japanese red cedar and giant bamboo forest, as well as yuzu and persimmon trees, all of which contribute to the unique aromatic expression of terroir exhibited through this very special tree.
A rare collector-grade superlative sandalwood oil showcasing a very special terroir and little-known sandalwood history and tradition inside Japan. Sandalwood trees don't grow particularly well in Japan, but there is a history in southern Japan, of Zen temples successfully growing a few trees originally brought from India going back hundreds of years. These rare trees are highly coveted for crafting the finest incense for the Japanese market and is rarely sold outside of Japan. The trees do not grow as tall as they do in a fully tropical climate. Perhaps as a result of the climate challenges, sandalwood trees grown in Japan produce an exceptionally dense and unique Sandalwood aroma.
• production: January 2020 in-house low-temperature hydro-distillation lasting 8 days in our copper still at Vietnam headquarters by Tony, Tha, and Pierre.
• species: Santalum album
• part used: heartwood of the main trunk, estate-aged outdoors 3 years before distillation.
• scent description: ZEN ONE is dense and intense; clean, spicy and invigorating but without being sharp or camphorous. It’s pure sandalwood glory all the way through, but with some unique features that reflect the very special terroir. Most notably, the outset features a surprising full medley of peppercorns; fresh green peppercorns, resinous and rich gourmet black peppercorn, scintillating pink, and fresh pungent long pepper. You will also notice a prominent sustained cedar note from outset to heart. The finish is big classic sandalwood quintessence, remaining dense and beautifully structured all the way. This oil has remarkable staying power. Absolutely epic sandalwood oil and an opportunity not to be missed. Read the extended article and get the full story on this very special tree.
• notes of controversy: none (but it should be noted that this is not a typical straightforward sandalwood)
SOME ADDITIONAL NOTES ON OUR SANDALWOOD SELECTION
There are two primary themes operating in the world of Santalum album sandalwood essential oil:
Approach #1 “Quintessence” is the large-scale sandalwood industry seeking to create a consistently clean, round, straightforward sandal aroma with a high santalol content, always looking toward a kind of quintessential "perfect", “clean”, “pure” sandalwood aroma. Any kind of divergent complexity, unexpected aromatic notes, or noticeable impressions of the terroir are discouraged here. This is really important when predictability is desirable, such as for the perfume industry. High Santalol content is the most important feature here. Quality and aromatic density increases with the age of the tree. Aging an already good oil in this category will almost always make it more buttery and round and smooth eliminating sharper top notes that tend to feature in younger oils. The goal is consistency and a kind of quintessential sandalwood perfection.
Approach #2 “Character” is one that favors variety and explores divergent sandalwood aromas that reflect unique tree and terroir as well as special processes in growing, harvesting, wood aging, processing, distillation, and aging of the finished oil itself. Of course it must first be recognizable as a true classic sandalwood aroma and higher santalol content will definitely be a desirable factor. However, this paradigm also favors interesting and unexpected aromatic notes as long as there is also discernible refinement and quality that would meet some kind of consensus among people with some kind of reasonably informed perspective. That is to say, it can't just be "interesting", it must be "interesting and good"!
This particular sandalwood oil, our ZEN ONE Japanese grown Santalum album, is definitely much more expressive of APPROACH #2 above.
The unique terroir is strongly expressed here. There are unique features, not normally found in classic Santalum album distillations. This is due to radically different growing conditions, from climate to surrounding flora and fauna, to soil quality and microbial factors.