Oud (Agarwood)
31 fragrances with this note
Part of accords: Woody, Resinous / Balsamic, Oud, Animalic, Oriental, Spicy oriental
- Latin name
- Aquilaria malaccensis, Aquilaria crassna and other species
- Family
- Mezereon family (Thymelaeaceae)
- Origin
- India (Assam), Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia, plantations in Thailand
- Parts used
- heartwood saturated with resin after a fungal infection
- Raw materials
- oud oil (dehn al oud), wood chips for burning
- Extraction
- hydrodistillation of soaked wood
- Olfactory group
- woody (animalic-resinous)
- Position in the pyramid
- base
- Synthetic substitutes
- synthetic oud bases (with cypriol, Norlimbanol, styrax)
Oud (agarwood) is one of the most expensive aromatic materials in the world. The healthy wood of the Aquilaria tree barely smells. The scent appears when the tree is infected by a fungus: defending itself, it saturates its heartwood with a dark fragrant resin over many years.
How it smells: a dense, woody-resinous, smoky scent with animalic, leathery and sweetish-honeyed shades. Indian oud (Assam) is dark and “animalic”; Cambodian and Laotian oud are softer, honeyed and fruity.
In the Middle East oud is part of everyday life: wood chips (bakhoor) are burned at home and on holidays, and oud oil is used to perfume clothing. Oud entered Western niche perfumery in the early 2000s and became one of its most recognisable notes.
What it pairs with: with rose — the main pairing of oriental perfumery, with saffron and leather — luxurious dark classics, with incense — solemn resinous compositions, with vanilla and amber — soft sweet oud, with sandalwood — creamy wood.
Good to know: wild Aquilaria trees have become rare, so all species are listed under the CITES convention. Today most oud comes from plantations where resin formation in the trees is induced artificially.
Fragrances with Oud (Agarwood)
