Dhansiri 2010 : Nagaland Hindi Oud Oil - Traditional Wood Fired Indian Dehn al Oudh - Pure Artisan Oud Oil - Rising Phoenix Perfumery

Jungle : Dhansiri Distillation - Wood is from adjacent mountains of Nagaland Forest - India
Class : Wild : 180+ Year Old Tree
Species : Agallocha, Single Live Tree
Distillation : Traditional Wood-Fired Deg and Bapkha, Copper - Minimally Fermented
Distillation Date : Early 2010 - First 12 Hours
Distillation Type : Floral/Whiskey/Spicy


This is a super unique oil - distilled in a tiny village on the border of Assam/Nagaland, and harvested from a small hilly/mountain range East of the village, in Nagaland. The town is not easily accessible, and I had to send my team down through Nagaland to reach the area.

We acquired a few oils from the small distillation family that's been making oils for the last few decades - one of which I used part of to make Anahata 2023. Highly worth checking out. The other is Dhansiri Ateek 1987 ... an exceptional vintage batch. Keep an eye open for those.


THE SCENT


This is a really unique scent. Distilled from a single, old tree at least 180 years old, with already over a decade of aging on it - this is quite a rare specimen.

The scent, itself, is exceptional. It's a Traditional Oil, but don't let that scare you. What little fermentation there was has been dramatically smoothed over with time ; like old whiskey that loses its bite. To my nose, I wouldn't even say there are any fermentation notes. Rather, more of a gentle leather and hay, but they aren't in the forefront. More of a textural quality.

It's a dark oil profile - one that I usually call a Whiskey Profile - but there's not really any smoke or peat to it. Let's just say its deep without really being overpoweringly dark.

And strangely - there is a lightness to it - as it is also a rather floral and spicy oil. "Spicy", as Indians would say. Don't expect "cinnamon and spice" notes. There is a piquantiness to it in the nose. It dances a bit. The floral tone to it I wouldn't say smells like any particular kind of flower - but rather that floral quality that the best Nagaland woods are known for.

I wouldn't call this "ethereal" by any means, nor smokey - but there is a "dancing in the nose" quality to it that not unlike those first moments of ethereal vapors when a chip hits the subitism. It widens the eyes, so to speak. Not to mention smells really damn interesting. Some might experience this as a hint of smokiness ... but maybe not.

There's a lot of development on the skin. Twists and turns. I've noticed it also shape-shifts as I walk from inside in the air conditioning to outside in the heat and humidity. This oil has a lot of personality. A lot of faces. I imagine this will be fun to wear in any season.

I've sent samples to a number of clients and gotten a lot of feedback on it. Funny, and highly positive feedback. Funny because, really complex oils like these usually need several wearings for your brain to wrap itself around what it's smelling. There's no context in most of our cultures for the brain to compare it against, so it'll have to form new pathways to interpret it. Don't be surprised if you don't quite warm up to Dhansiri on first application ... but by the 3rd or 4th have grown to love and crave it. I see this happen a lot in oils like this. All the feedback I've gotten on this oil has been so - with several loving it right away.

Dhansiris 2010 isn't quite Ateek (my cutoff on classifying as such is 20 years of aging) - but the oil could certainly pass as one. It has an ancientness to its odor profile. Old antique furniture. Rustic library. Ancient spaces. Old jungle. It's not sweet - but there's that sweetness of old places to it. And the resinous drydown !! This is a book worth reading, a journey worth traveling.

This is a really excellent oil, and I hope you'll find some space for it in your collection. This is a gem worth grabbing. Enjoy!

Materials: 2010 Dhansiri Pure Hindi Oud Oil,Nagaland Oud Oil,Single 180 Plus Year Old Agarwood Tree,Traditionally Distilled Indian Oud Oil