Customer Question:

Some Oud producers put the oil under the sun or expose it to the open air to ostensibly speed up the aging process or improve the oil. What do you think of these methods?

Answer from Aroma Sublime:

If there is a problem with a certain oil, then certain tricks like this can be applied to potentially improve the oil.

Most of the time we prefer to deal entirely in oils that are top grade every step of the way; from tree, to still, to aging process; and so tricks like this would not be required and might remove desirable nuances from an exceptional oil, flattening and simplifying the scent.

By sunning or airing out an Oud oil you lose the most volatile and ethereal components of the oil.
This can be extremely destructive to a premium oil with no vices and an exciting symphony of interesting top and heart notes.

Very commonly, If the top notes, especially, of a lower quality Oud oil are unpleasant, the oil can be “improved” with these techniques. You will also lose some of the pleasant top and heart notes as well, however, and might reduce the oil to a bunch of simple Oudy base notes.

I would not say that it’s wrong to use these tricks, but rather that it must be cautiously applied case by case.

For a top quality Oud with no obvious vices, I would recommend patient aging for at least one year in a closed container kept in total darkness and without extreme temperature fluctuations. Of course, there is no problem taking it out occasionally for a sniff.

On the other hand, If you have a medium- to low-quality Oud with vices or less desirable notes you can try to clean it up a little using air or sun exposure.

New Oud – Cambodi Sublime 7 year !​

A limited edition Oud discovered in Tony’s secret stash…​

So much excitement when we dug up this gem! This unassuming little bottle with only a few precious millilitres of one of Tony’s earliest Oud distillations!
Cambodia wild agarwood jungle distilled by wood fire more than 7 years ago. This has aged into a gorgeous smooth and perfectly round olfactory orgasm of vanilla pod, black liquorice jujubes, natural suede, very ripe black cherry, and candied orange peel. Zero barn. Zero sharp edges. Zero smoke. Zero vices. This is why Tony is a legend in the artisanal Oud world.

Only 3 ml available. $390 per ml. No samples.

The Team is Back Together!​

After more than 2 years apart, we are back together at Aroma Sublime headquarters in Vietnam, deep in premium wild agarwood country! Pierre has been able to return to headquarters with the lifting of travel restrictions for Vietnam and will be staying for at least one month, possibly longer…

We will be digging into Tony’s secret personal stash of oils and attars, some of which have been ageing for many years.
We will also be distilling some Oud, sandalwood, and more, and we will be showing you the process.
We hope you will join us. Keep an eye on our Facebook and Instagram pages for one-of-a-kind items and special deals. There will be something new every day!

Those interested in raw wild agarwood should pay especially close attention to our Facebook and Instagram pages over the next 30 days. There will be some very special one-of-a-kind agarwood pieces made available on a first-come, first-serve basis. These will not be featured on our website as they will disappear fast.