Since Oudimentary is having a summer sale with everything marked down 25%, I’ve been getting requests to finish my review of their Oud oils. So here we go:
Super Assam
Super Assam. When it comes to Indian Oud, I never know what to expect. There is such a diversity of fragrance when it comes to Oud from this region. Super Assam is a brown-reddish colored oil with decent viscosity. In its opening, the oil wastes no time in expressing that classic Indian funk–but not for too long. The funkiness is not very potent. It is more of a sharp top note that soon merges into the body of the oil. This oil does not have a “fecal” or even a very strong “barnyard” aroma. Instead, imagine woods and hay with notes of dry tobacco, chocolate undertones, and a hint of fruit. But it is the woodiness of Super Assam that stands out to me. I think the oil is likely distilled from the Assam chips that Oudimentary offers, because the oil smells identical to those chips. At its core, it is a woody aroma paired with the smell of sweet hay, accented with cinnamon. With Super Assam, I really enjoy the dry down of the oil the most. It is not as diffuse as other Indian oils I have worn, but it does have excellent tenacity. Super Assam would blend beautifully in a perfume because it lacks an overpowering aroma while presenting clean notes of wood and hay. For $187.50/3ml, it is the cheapest Indian Oud I have smelled that is still good quality. I would consider using it in my perfumes and also wearing it when I’m in the mood for an Indian oil that is not too loud and fecal.
Thai Super opens with a sweet woodiness that immediately draws me in. Characteristic mineraly Thai notes. Slightly fruity, but mostly sweet. The woodiness is very nice and captures something of the smell of burning Oud chips. This is one of Oudimentary’s higher quality distillations, to my nose. Moderately diffuse with an average tenacity, but it makes for a nice wear.
Thai Old
Thai Old stands in contrast to Thai Super, immediately exhibiting peppery notes amidst tobacco leaf. It is much more lively than Thai Super. Thai Old’s cigar-like aroma carries itself quite well, making for a more diffuse aroma with a moderate tenacity. Notes of fruit mingle in the body lending some complexity to the aroma. This oil is also an organic distillation. It is hard to choose between Thai Old and Thai Super. Thai Super certainly has a more mature aroma and its woody notes are beautiful. But Thai Old has a little more kick. It depends what you are in the mood for. They are both good Thai oils, although I no longer see Thai Super available on the Oudimentary website. At $74.25 for 3ml, Thai Old gets the award for the most affordable Oud oil of good quality.
Oud Impressions 