Ingredients · Woods · dry-down

Oud oil (Borneo / Indonesian)

Say itOOD oil

Greener, cleaner oud—woody, earthy forest-floor with light smoke and little animality.

What it is

Natural oil from resinous heartwood of Aquilaria species.

Where it comes from

Borneo, Sumatra and Peninsular Malaysia

When you smell it

Dry-down: what stays.

What perfumers do with it

Lighter, drier oud effect for woody compositions that avoid heavy barnyard tones.

Worth knowing

Only a small share of wild trees—about 7% by one estimate—ever become infected and produce agarwood.

Rules

Limited. Aquilaria in CITES Appendix II; exports require permits.

Also called

Malaysian oud; Aquilaria malaccensis, A. microcarpa, A. beccariana