Woody

Indian Oud

Note Profile

Botanical 36 perfumes

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About

Indian Oud is oud oil distilled from agarwood grown in India, mostly in Assam. It opens with a hard-hitting animalic, barnyard note. It then settles into leather, damp earth, hay and dark resinous wood over many hours. Perfumers use it for the most forceful, traditional oud character.

Scent Profile

Indian oud opens hard and animalic: barnyard, leather and fermented, with a sharp, almost fecal edge. Smoky and medicinal notes come with it. It then settles into worn leather, damp earth, sweet hay and dark resinous wood, with a tarry depth that lasts many hours. It is rougher and more pungent than Cambodian oud, which is sweeter and fruitier.

ScentWheel

Breadthmedium

EnvelopeBase · ~16h lasting

Family Woody & Earthy, Amber · Musk · Leather

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Materials That Can Make This Note

Perfumers can make Indian Oud from this natural extract.

Natural extract Agarwood oil resinous · aromatic · woody

Smell words come from published sources.

A given perfume with this note may use this material, or something else.

Origin

Indian oud comes from the resin-loaded heartwood of agarwood trees, Aquilaria malaccensis (older name A. agallocha), grown or wild-harvested in India, chiefly Assam. A fungal infection or other stress makes the tree lay down a dark, fragrant resin. Distillers soak the wood chips in water, often for weeks, then distil them. The wood ferments in the soak. Distillers and traders name that fermentation as the source of the barnyard note. Oils distilled without a soak smell sweeter and cleaner.

Usage in Perfumery

Perfumers use Indian oud as a base note in amber, leather and oud-centred perfumes. It gives depth, long wear and an animalic, smoky-woody backbone. It pairs with rose, saffron, incense, labdanum, tobacco, castoreum and balsams. It can also sit against bright citrus and florals for contrast. Its barnyard opening is strong, so it is used in small amounts. It appears mostly in high-end and artisanal perfumes and in attars.