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Agartala Wardi 2020 - Barlekha Bangladesh / Assam / Manipur / Tripura - Pure Artisan Dehn al Oud Oil - Rising Phoenix Perfumery - RPP
Agartala Wardi 2020 - Barlekha Bangladesh / Assam / Manipur / Tripura - Pure Artisan Dehn al Oud Oil - Rising Phoenix Perfumery - RPP
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Agartala Wardi 2020 - Barlekha Bangladesh / Assam / Manipur / Tripura - Pure Artisan Dehn al Oud Oil - Rising Phoenix Perfumery - RPP
Jungle : Barlekha / Agartala Valley - Bangladesh / Tripura Border
Class : Wild, Incense Grade
Species : Agallocha
Distillation : Traditional Deg and Bhapka
Distillation Date : February 2020
This is a super cool batch I picked up awhile back from a retired industry veteran friend of mine that still dabbles in “only the special stuff”.
He and I connected and met many years ago, and in addition to developing a trustworthy loose partnership of sorts, the relationship was warm and friendly right from the start - and has developed into a deep friendship and appreciation of one another. We keep talking about opening up shop together somewhere in the Gulf. Wouldn’t THAT be something !?
When he finds cool stuff like this - he will offer me the first right of refusal. Some of the stuff he finds - woods especially - are insane. Very rarely does he offer me oil specimens. This one I couldn’t pass on.
Like many industry vets, he’s got decades of pipelines and relationships that sort and filter things so that when things eventually land in his lap, it’s “The special stuff” kinda things. Real bangers.
SCENT
We don’t know exactly where the wood for this oil came from. Only that it’s from Agartala - a long valley on the edge of Bangladesh that borders Tripura in India, and that it was distilled in Barlekha - a town at the end of the northern end of the valley.
We also know that it’s a traditional production, and that it was originally acquired in February of 2020. Not entirely sure if it was distilled at that time, or if it was already older, but I’ve tagged this as a February 2020 production as that’s the hardest date we have. Who knows, very well could have more years on it.
Has a really nice viscocity to it, as well, in addition to a beautiful cherry red color.
To my nose it smells like a superb Tripura odor profile, which is no surprise given the proximity. But sometimes I also detect a little Bangladeshi Chocolatiness, and sometimes I get a little Southern Assamese / Manipuri character. Geolocations are wild things, ignoring modern political borders. Terroir is King.
To an industry vet who spent decades working in the Arab markets, it’s a particular type of odor profile that Arabs usually refer to as “Wardi” - meaning “floral”.
It’s interesting because I’ve shown this to several Arab and Subcontinental friends and they all tell me it’s a very floral oil. Meanwhile … to my nose (Westerner) - I’m not sure I’d say it’s overtly floral - at least not how I usually think of floral odor profiles (like either of my Haflong oils, or Bai Qinam, which smells like straight up Kynamic White Flowers).
It’s a Traditional Oil - meaning it was distilled in a Deg and Bhapka set up, and there was some fermentation - but it’s sooooo freakin smooth.
It’s not really horsey. Not to my nose, at least. I’ve been wearing it for the last week or so before sitting down to write this, and my wife (Japanese / Yellow Asian Nose - ie, super sensitive to fermentation notes) hasn’t made any comments - which means it’s quite friendly if it can pass by without her telling me I smell like animals 🤣
I pay a lot of attention to demographics. It’s a big topic, even within the biggest players in the corporate industry - as tastes not only differ drastically from one area to another - but also show patterns of cultural and biological preferences.
It’s fascinating trying to understand human behaviors, and helps not only in marketing products - but also in selecting or producing them and knowing what might appeal to whom, and why. Tons of discussions I’ve had over the years with clients, trying to glean any insights.
I mention this because it seems your culture and your ethnicity may play a big role in the perception of this particular oil - a fun topic I discuss at length with people all over the world. All humans, yet not all the same biological perceptions. We see this play out a lot at OudFests I host, given the diversity of attendees. Quite interesting to observe !
So back to the scent …
If Pastoral Hay and Barn made silk - I think it would smell like Agartala. It wears very, very easily. So it’s safe to say this is a relatively easy wear, suitable for veterans and even for Oud Beginners.
On JK’s Cheese Scale - I’d call this a Brie on the fermentation level. Safe for all but the most challenged palletes. Perfect for training a nose coming off of more sweet Ouds.
*Is it floral? Yes … maybe. 🤷🏼♂️✅ Especially when walking Outside, I detect more florals
*Hints of smooth Milk Chocolate? Check ✅
*Silky Hay and Suede? Bingo ✅
*Woody and Oudy? Wont be disappointed ✅
And then there’s the drydown!
On clothing - I’m getting Milk Chocolate 🍫
On my scruffy face - Warm Oudiness
On Skin … MUSK 🦌!!
Which Region does it smell most like?
To my nose it favors Tripura … but a strong second is Bangladesh, with nuances of Southern Assam and Manipur.
And if you’re an Arab and know odor profiles well - it’s a Wardi. A very nice specimen of a Wardi, which are quite rare to find.
All I can definitely say is - it’s quite a special specimen. As I’ve pulled it back out to prep for the shop and I’ve been wearing it as I prepared for writing the listing description - I keep thinking just how nicely this oil has developed with a few years on it.
As I write this, we are in the throes of Georgia’s schizophrenic Spring / Second Winter weather where it can’t decide if it’s Spring or Winter one day, and Summer the next - I keep picking up nuances I hadn’t noticed previously. So I imagine this oil will morph quite a bit depending on your local Climate, and the Season you’re wearing it - and also depending on if you are wearing it on skin, hair, or clothing.
It’s as if the oil can’t decide who it wants to be! 🤣
Agartala is a deceptive complexity beast. It may take several wearings to wrap your head around this one. And then the Season will change and it’s a brand new learning curve. Just be prepared for the range of experiences and possibilities, and how this one is a bit of an enigma.
Added bonus - Floral oils smell insane with this. Pairs really well with Rose, Jasmine, Gardenia, and Frangipania. Pretty much any floral. Holds musk grains incredibly well.
For the price - this one’s one helluva value banger.
Small batch of oil, and one definitely worthy of any collection. Grab some while available !
Jungle : Barlekha / Agartala Valley - Bangladesh / Tripura Border
Class : Wild, Incense Grade
Species : Agallocha
Distillation : Traditional Deg and Bhapka
Distillation Date : February 2020
This is a super cool batch I picked up awhile back from a retired industry veteran friend of mine that still dabbles in “only the special stuff”.
He and I connected and met many years ago, and in addition to developing a trustworthy loose partnership of sorts, the relationship was warm and friendly right from the start - and has developed into a deep friendship and appreciation of one another. We keep talking about opening up shop together somewhere in the Gulf. Wouldn’t THAT be something !?
When he finds cool stuff like this - he will offer me the first right of refusal. Some of the stuff he finds - woods especially - are insane. Very rarely does he offer me oil specimens. This one I couldn’t pass on.
Like many industry vets, he’s got decades of pipelines and relationships that sort and filter things so that when things eventually land in his lap, it’s “The special stuff” kinda things. Real bangers.
SCENT
We don’t know exactly where the wood for this oil came from. Only that it’s from Agartala - a long valley on the edge of Bangladesh that borders Tripura in India, and that it was distilled in Barlekha - a town at the end of the northern end of the valley.
We also know that it’s a traditional production, and that it was originally acquired in February of 2020. Not entirely sure if it was distilled at that time, or if it was already older, but I’ve tagged this as a February 2020 production as that’s the hardest date we have. Who knows, very well could have more years on it.
Has a really nice viscocity to it, as well, in addition to a beautiful cherry red color.
To my nose it smells like a superb Tripura odor profile, which is no surprise given the proximity. But sometimes I also detect a little Bangladeshi Chocolatiness, and sometimes I get a little Southern Assamese / Manipuri character. Geolocations are wild things, ignoring modern political borders. Terroir is King.
To an industry vet who spent decades working in the Arab markets, it’s a particular type of odor profile that Arabs usually refer to as “Wardi” - meaning “floral”.
It’s interesting because I’ve shown this to several Arab and Subcontinental friends and they all tell me it’s a very floral oil. Meanwhile … to my nose (Westerner) - I’m not sure I’d say it’s overtly floral - at least not how I usually think of floral odor profiles (like either of my Haflong oils, or Bai Qinam, which smells like straight up Kynamic White Flowers).
It’s a Traditional Oil - meaning it was distilled in a Deg and Bhapka set up, and there was some fermentation - but it’s sooooo freakin smooth.
It’s not really horsey. Not to my nose, at least. I’ve been wearing it for the last week or so before sitting down to write this, and my wife (Japanese / Yellow Asian Nose - ie, super sensitive to fermentation notes) hasn’t made any comments - which means it’s quite friendly if it can pass by without her telling me I smell like animals 🤣
I pay a lot of attention to demographics. It’s a big topic, even within the biggest players in the corporate industry - as tastes not only differ drastically from one area to another - but also show patterns of cultural and biological preferences.
It’s fascinating trying to understand human behaviors, and helps not only in marketing products - but also in selecting or producing them and knowing what might appeal to whom, and why. Tons of discussions I’ve had over the years with clients, trying to glean any insights.
I mention this because it seems your culture and your ethnicity may play a big role in the perception of this particular oil - a fun topic I discuss at length with people all over the world. All humans, yet not all the same biological perceptions. We see this play out a lot at OudFests I host, given the diversity of attendees. Quite interesting to observe !
So back to the scent …
If Pastoral Hay and Barn made silk - I think it would smell like Agartala. It wears very, very easily. So it’s safe to say this is a relatively easy wear, suitable for veterans and even for Oud Beginners.
On JK’s Cheese Scale - I’d call this a Brie on the fermentation level. Safe for all but the most challenged palletes. Perfect for training a nose coming off of more sweet Ouds.
*Is it floral? Yes … maybe. 🤷🏼♂️✅ Especially when walking Outside, I detect more florals
*Hints of smooth Milk Chocolate? Check ✅
*Silky Hay and Suede? Bingo ✅
*Woody and Oudy? Wont be disappointed ✅
And then there’s the drydown!
On clothing - I’m getting Milk Chocolate 🍫
On my scruffy face - Warm Oudiness
On Skin … MUSK 🦌!!
Which Region does it smell most like?
To my nose it favors Tripura … but a strong second is Bangladesh, with nuances of Southern Assam and Manipur.
And if you’re an Arab and know odor profiles well - it’s a Wardi. A very nice specimen of a Wardi, which are quite rare to find.
All I can definitely say is - it’s quite a special specimen. As I’ve pulled it back out to prep for the shop and I’ve been wearing it as I prepared for writing the listing description - I keep thinking just how nicely this oil has developed with a few years on it.
As I write this, we are in the throes of Georgia’s schizophrenic Spring / Second Winter weather where it can’t decide if it’s Spring or Winter one day, and Summer the next - I keep picking up nuances I hadn’t noticed previously. So I imagine this oil will morph quite a bit depending on your local Climate, and the Season you’re wearing it - and also depending on if you are wearing it on skin, hair, or clothing.
It’s as if the oil can’t decide who it wants to be! 🤣
Agartala is a deceptive complexity beast. It may take several wearings to wrap your head around this one. And then the Season will change and it’s a brand new learning curve. Just be prepared for the range of experiences and possibilities, and how this one is a bit of an enigma.
Added bonus - Floral oils smell insane with this. Pairs really well with Rose, Jasmine, Gardenia, and Frangipania. Pretty much any floral. Holds musk grains incredibly well.
For the price - this one’s one helluva value banger.
Small batch of oil, and one definitely worthy of any collection. Grab some while available !
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