Nagaland Sultan is an oil that embodies the true spirit of Indian Oud. This oil encapsulates the finest clean Hindi Oud and is a single-source oil. Though all the raw material is from a single tree the oil possesses characteristics from completely different regions: the piercing, fizzy incense found in Malinau; the cooling bitterness found in Vietnam; the greenness of Malays and aquatics from Walla Patta. This vast array of different profiles intertwined into one solidifies the claim of Agarwood being the most special aromatic material available in the world. The raw material for this oil was very costly, very high quality and delicately distilled to capture how complex the Aquilaria agallocha species of Agarwood can be. It’s a marvel to smell and with some more ageing will for sure join the list of our previously released Hindis as a benchmark oils.

Nagaland being one of the most mountainous states in India and bordering Myanmar, oils from this region that are always sought after in the Oud world due to the uniqueness of profile when done right and the scarcity of raw material. Alhind Dhahab was our only other Nagaland Oud offering and both of those oils couldn’t be any more different. Sultan is 100% clean, full of life and character, whereas Dhahab was more towards a classical profile. I have let this oil settle for a while and some people have already had a chance to put their nose to this. One word to describe this oil is addictive. Its complexity and uniqueness will have you intrigued, curious and wanting to go back to your wrist time and time again.

I love how light the colour of this oil is. It’s a very light yellow with a nice medium viscosity. The oil has great projection and lasts a long time on skin. Off the dipstick you are hit with piercing aquatic fizz, golden pears and a bitter cannabis coolness. Once applied the oil radiates golden glowing incense, bitter peels and a minty freshness akin to frankincense, with some white florals. There is also a unique greeness present like lush forest floors with a hint of earth. Light spices are also present, the oil then shifts towards a phase of a variety of tea and fresh tobacco notes: Chinese green tea, Desi chai, Turkish tea, Ceylon tea laced with pipe tobacco. If you enjoy tea notes, you will be in love! The drydown has that classical sweet golden hay, Sidr honey, with wisps of gentle agar smoke laced with cocoa beans.

This oil is 100% clean with no off-notes. Each note is vibrant and makes itself known, all in harmony dancing around each other. The aroma is very addictive and complex and the colours of the notes remind me of a peacock. I’m sure there’s a lot I’ve missed out in the description, which you will discover for yourself!