Clay Face
Honolulu, Hawaii
(This post was last modified: 04-23-2017, 11:44 PM by Bouki.)
Tundra Artica (Saponificio Varesino) oud, cedar, rose
Oud is a key note in many types of incense and perfume. It's incomparable aroma gives a fragrance an austere elegance. I first smelled this moody scent many years ago in Japan, where it is known as jinko (沈香) ‘sinking wood’. The tree it comes from grows in Vietnam, Laos, Burma, Cambodia, and Thailand. Wood from a healthy plant is almost odorless, but when it becomes infected by a kind of mold, it produces an aromatic resin that greatly increases the density of the wood so that it no longer floats. What does it smell like? Those who have been lucky enough to sniff a piece of well aged jinko use words like old wood, cheese, camphor, mint, mold, prunes, dry rot, and honey. It's not only an extremely complex scent, it’s also supremely expensive, to the point that some chunks of jinko are kept as national treasures in the ancient temples of Kyoto and Nara. They are unveiled to the public only once each decade.
Does any real oud find its way into commercial incense, perfumes, and cosmetics? Due to its high cost, that seems very unlikely. Most perfumers use synthetic oud that offers a pleasant woody scent. It reminds me of old furniture.
Oud is a key note in many types of incense and perfume. It's incomparable aroma gives a fragrance an austere elegance. I first smelled this moody scent many years ago in Japan, where it is known as jinko (沈香) ‘sinking wood’. The tree it comes from grows in Vietnam, Laos, Burma, Cambodia, and Thailand. Wood from a healthy plant is almost odorless, but when it becomes infected by a kind of mold, it produces an aromatic resin that greatly increases the density of the wood so that it no longer floats. What does it smell like? Those who have been lucky enough to sniff a piece of well aged jinko use words like old wood, cheese, camphor, mint, mold, prunes, dry rot, and honey. It's not only an extremely complex scent, it’s also supremely expensive, to the point that some chunks of jinko are kept as national treasures in the ancient temples of Kyoto and Nara. They are unveiled to the public only once each decade.
Does any real oud find its way into commercial incense, perfumes, and cosmetics? Due to its high cost, that seems very unlikely. Most perfumers use synthetic oud that offers a pleasant woody scent. It reminds me of old furniture.
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