Oud smells smoky, resinous, faintly barnyard and intensely warm. It is the most expensive and most polarising note in perfumery, central to Middle Eastern fragrance for centuries and now a fixture of Western niche work.
Oud (also called agarwood, oudh or dehn al oud) is formed inside Aquilaria trees when the heartwood is infected by a specific mould. In self-defence the tree produces a dark, aromatic resin. Only a small percentage of wild trees produce oud naturally, which is why most commercial supply now comes from inoculated plantation trees in Cambodia, Laos, Assam and Thailand. The resinous wood is either steam-distilled into oil or burned directly as bakhoor.
Oud is a base note and a dominant one. Perfumers temper it with rose and saffron in Arabian compositions, with leather and spice in modern niche fragrance, and with patchouli and musk in smoother, more approachable Western interpretations.
Oud performs best in cold weather and evenings. It projects strongly on skin and layers well under wool and silk.
