Ant-teek 2016 : Pure Malaysian Ant Wood Oud Oil - Pure Dehn al Oudh - Ateek Series

Jungle : Peninsular Malaysia
Class : Wild, Incense-grade Ant Wood
Distillation : Copper, New Gen/Chinese Market
Species : Wild Beccariana, Malaccensis and Hirta/Candan Co-Distillation


After the success of my Terengganu Ant a year or so ago, and the successes of my Tiger King series - customers have been asking for another pure Ant Wood distillation.

For those new to the game, you might be wondering ... "What is Ant Wood?"

As a good deal of the market servicing the Western and Middle Eastern clientele is coming from an Islamic perspective - most of the woods we see are of particular types. By this I mean that certain types of woods are generally not seen in our market over on this side of the world, but are favored more over in the Far East - in the Asian markets of China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Japan.

What kinds of woods am I referring to? Woods like Kyara/Kynam, Soil/Clay woods, and particular insect formations - like Ant Woods.

Why is that?

Generally for a few reasons ...

The first is the most obvious - price. The Asian market is generally willing to pay higher prices for certain types of formations that they consider special, having either a superior scent characteristic - or a more nuanced one.

Another obvious reason is direct heat vs. indirect heat - referring to the Arab's preference for charcoal heating vs an indirect method like electric, or burying charcoal in rice ash - like that used in a Kodo session. Some types of woods are best not enjoyed on Charcoal.

This is meaningful in a few ways ...

Firstly - delicate woods require delicate heat. Tossing on charcoal generally means you'll miss out on the nuance - and favor just the resin notes that tolerate the higher heat. Enjoying really expensive woods in this way means you'll miss out on what makes them expensive - the nuances.

The second thing here is that many of these other types of formations are more temp sensitive, in part due to how their particular formation forms - but also because many of these other types of formations tend to be thinner formations. In particular here - are Ant wood formations, like which we used to produce this oil.

Ant formations tend to be thin formations made by the tree responding to ant colonies burrowing into the trunk wood. You read that correctly - the infected wood used in this distillation is formed by a particular insect - the ant.

Ant woods aren't often seen in Arab shops in the Gulf. In fact - I almost exclusively see them spoken of and offered in Asian circles, where they have a particular taste for their delicate sweetness. Ant wood is ideally enjoyed on delicate, indirect heat.

Although most distillations will likely have a little Ant or Insect Wood tossed in the pot as wood is being added indiscriminately - rarely do we see single batch distillations made SOLELY from Ant. Our first oil, Terengganu Ant was a big success and sold out quickly. As I am currently in the process of collecting enough suitable Ant Wood to run a second batch - I have a vintage batch of very unique Ant Wood oil that I present to you, distilled a few years back. I present to you, Ant-teek 2016


ABOUT ANT-TEEK


As the name implies - this oil smells ancient. Or as we've come to be calling vintage batches from 2000 or earlier, "Ateek", after the Arabic word for Antique or Old. This oil smells like an ancient library. More on that in a moment.

First, a little history on this oil ...

I have a few distillers I work with in West Malaysia, and some of my own equipment and operation in East Malaysia. This particular oil was distilled by the same guy I work with to produce my Tiger King Series and several other West Malaysian oils I've offered over the years.

This particular guy and his brother took over their Dad's operation when he retired. You should see some of the stuff he had in his inventory. OMG. But I digress ... I work with both brothers - and although they are brothers - they have their own individual operations. One brother deals solely with wood, and the other deals with woods, and also distills and makes beads. It's this brother that I tend to work and collaborate with, and we've been working together for quite a few years at this point.

The oils he produces for me are custom productions - hence the Tiger King Series. He also distilled Terengganu Ant and Ipoh Strawberry for me. As I've been wanting to make another Ant distillation, and it takes quite some time to collect suitable material and some quantity of it to juice, he offered me an oil he shelved that he had originally produced for the Chinese Market back in 2016. Just a few Tolas of exceptional quality that for whatever reason, he kept. I imagine when you smell it you'll understand why he kept it. haha But, since we are currently collecting woods, and it takes longer these days than it used to, he offered this vintage oil to me to hold me over.

Distilled in the style that has come to be known as a New Gen style - but not quite the same. New Gens tend to be really Top Note rich, and although this oil will punch you in the face with it's Top Notes - it's the sheer depth of the scent that makes this oil truly unique.

What I can't figure out is - does the oil smell like this because it has nearly a decade of aging on it, and this is what all my New Gens will smell like 8 or 10 years out - or was this oil unique to begin with? Whatever the case ... it's a winner.


SCENT


As mentioned previously - imagine the scent of an old library. Ancient hand-written works of art and hand-bound leather books housing sweet, vanillic parchment pages filled with the histories and stories of long past.

You stop to thumb through a book, cracking it open and breathing deeply - that scent that only old books have - like vanilla and spice - greet your curiosity.

As you browse endless rows of lovingly worn Teak and Mahogany shelves, you marvel at the worn polished and lacquered wood floors worn smooth by centuries of book worm's feet browsing the isles.

Wafts of varnish and stone catch your nose as the heat from your expedition gently warms the air.

The mix of Beccariana, Malaccensis, and Hirta no doubt impact this unique scent, either. The oil has a Purple tone to it - likely from the Beccariana - like wafts of Concord Grapes and Kudzu Flower Jelly ... delicacies both in Japan and here in the Southern US. Rich Asian Spice from the Hirta that'll pleasantly tickle your nose. Rounding off with that hit of sweet, syrupy Malaysian Malaccensis Oud resin that'll anchor your feet back down to the ground after your head has been in the clouds from the opening. It's an experience that is both exhilerating and meditative.

This oil smells ancient. The Ant Woods used must have come from quite old trees, because you can almost smell the centuries of intelligence locked into them. And knowing the stocks he had access to from his father's archives of inventory all those years ago - I have no doubt this unique oil was produced from ancient trees. You can really smell it.

This is a special oil, not just because of the caress of age, nor due solely to it's unique production from Ant Woods ... this oil is different. You'll understand what I mean when you smell it. I can only hope that some of the New Gens I've been producing will settle into something like we have here.

Ant-teek 2016 is a true Ateek Gem - ancient Ant Wood that'll delight your senses.

Small-batch vintage production. Quantity is limited - I imagine this will sell quickly like my previous Terengganu Ant distillation. This oil punches way above it's price - Grab some while available !

Materials: West Malaysian Ant Wood Oud Oil