What really is Oud??

There are crypto coins and gold bullion and then there is tree fungus.  At $5,000/lb, the tree fungus is pretty appealing.  Also known as ‘wood of the gods’ for its popularity in the Islamic religion and “black gold’ for its rarity in the perfume industry, Oud is the fragrant core of Aquilaria trees and one of the most expensive raw materials in the world. The Oud industry is worth over $12 billion.

Oud is a resin found in Aquilaria trees predominantly in Southeast Asia.  The trees release the resin in order to protect themselves against fungus that decomposes the agarwood bark and branches. Like many rare and precious materials, Oud takes a long time to develop organically. It's not something that can simply be harvested, like so many other fragrance notes. Certain natural circumstances need to occur for it to form within the Aquilaria tree.  When the trees are damaged by external and environmental forces, the resin it produces to protect its core is what makes the heartwood into Oud over time. Unfortunately, bombing during the Vietnam war provided the external factor for damaged trees to release the valuable resin.

Demand has far outstripped supply. It is believed that for every ten trees in the wild, only one will have an infected heartwood. Expert perfumers seek out these older trees because of the superior richness of the resin’s aroma. Unfortunately, many of these older trees are now considered an endangered species.  Its population has decreased by 80% over the past 150 years. For this reason, the Swiss fragrance company Firmenich works with family businesses managing over 600,000 Aquilaria trees. Hundreds of these trees are over 80 years old, while others range from 5 to 50 years old.

So what does Oud smell like?  It’s a complex fragrance comprised of many aspects.  It is simultaneously pungent, yet very pleasing, invoking warm, smoky notes with tinges of dampened wood, sweet incense and tobacco. The predominant scent is musky and sensual.  There is no known synthetic chemical that can capture its smell. Its frequently used for scenting mosques and clothes in the Middle East, and it is believed that it can ward off the evil eye as well as attract lovers. Today it can be found among almost every major perfume house including Tom Ford Oud Wood, Creed Royal Oud, Kilian Musk Oud and Jo Malone Oud & Bergamot among many others.