For a while agarwoodindonesia had purchased agarwood oil from distillers, but finally we decided to distill our own. We had set up a small distillery of our own. So take a visit to our small distillery as you browse our website.
In Oud or agarwood world there are so many riddle to the people outside that world. Including the agarwood quality that named as the ” Black Magic Wood.” From the name itself it give me a goosebump. But let’s talk about it seriously. Black Magic Wood is an artificial agarwood. Made from agarwood itself or other kinds of wood like Paraserianthes falcataria wood or it can be made from Jack Fruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus or Artocarpus heterophylla) tree wood and other kinds of wood. The shape that is use for this is Papuan agarwood ( A.Fillaria) since to make A. Malaccensis BMW is quite difficult since the wood is too soft to be make as BMW.
The characteristic between artificial and natural oud or agarwood is quite different, but for the outsiders who is outside Indonesia they are not aware of this. They only judge by the strong smell. Black magic wood can be a lot stronger then common natural oud or agarwood since we can trim the note up beyond natural harvested oud or agarwood.
Also some BMW when we burn it, it will show a characteristic same like real natural harvested oud or agarwood. Such as bubbling, emits oil and emits resin.
The reason of the existance of this BMW is economical reason. Since real genuine agarwood or oud is very high and expensive. Indonesian who produce this kind of wood usually stated that this is BMW or artificial agarwood not real oud. The price from the craftsman for the best BMw is 150US$-200US$. It will look the same, smells the same as real ones. These wood usually made as gift since buying oud for some people it’s not that comfortable. It’s way too expensive.
There is a trick to detect your oud or agarwood chip is BMW or natural oud, by breaking it and see it’s fiber. If the resin mark is too good to be true meaning evenly distributed you should suspect that is BMW. Since natural oud are mostly do not have evenly distributed resin in it. Except for super king grade which is very very expensive and. Can reach minimum 7000 USD/Kg in the Indonesian market alone.
In Arabia this kind of agarwood were called as Black Agarwood since mostly it’s black in it’s color.
So folks don’t worry about this kind a artificial agarwood as long as it’s still using natural resin and natural technique such as high pressure, this kind a wood wouldn’t harm you. But obtaining natural so called real agarwood is a better way. Thanks for reading.
Tags: agarwood, artificial agarwood, black agarwood, Black Magic Wood, BMW, oudRecently we have guest from arabianoud company. One of the biggest and the largest Oud company ever exist on earth. It was very pleasing and exciting visit since we are a new born baby and being visit by such giant.
It was the toughest day of my life. Well I never work out with heavy loads before like 150 Kg of Oud woods. Grading them in the sun, picking each one of the them from a several huge pile of woods.
Wood business isn’t glamor like it may seem, it’s exhausting, complex and sometimes it can make you loosing friends or even your life.
Hunting agarwood in the wild isn’t as easy as people buy them in the mall. Malaria, wild animal sometimes your own teammate is your enemy or other guys that having bad intention. Why? Since agarwood is precious things when you get it, it worth something so it can bring greed to your minds and who knows. There are alot of stories about people missing in the jungle in their seek for oud or agarwood especially in Kalimantan (Borneo) also in Papua.
This explain why agarwood price is very high. Because of it’s extensive labor and harshness in obtaining it.
Also the papers that make you go here and there if you dont have the correct lines. It’s a lesson to me. I think in the future if I got enough doze of capital I will stick with the oil.
Thank You for reading
Tags: agarwood, Oud Agarwood, Oud grading, oudh indonesiaOud or gaharu in Indonesia had 17 kinds of species. But people especially traders in Indonesia divide these 17 kinds into 2 major class. The Gaharu so called “real ” oud and Gaharu Buaya so called “2nd grade” oud.
What’s the different between these two anyway?
Well First, let me introduce you to Gaharu or so called as “real” oud.
“Real ” oud are mostly come from Aquilaria Family. These includes The most highly priced now Aquilaria Crassna also known as Cambodi Oud. Aquilaria Malacensis, Aquilaria Beccariana, Aquilaria Fillaria (the Papuan Oud) and so on. These Aquilaria families were highly priced because of there high quality. Defining what is high and and not in oud business is difficult. Since many people strictly depend on their noses and experience. And nose those that aren’t trained enough can be easily to be fooled.
The reason aquilaria class is considered high grade is the highly eudesmol content inside the oil. They say the higher the eudesmol the higher the quality of an oud oil. But to me me this is still vague. What is behind the mystery of these Aquilaria are higly priced?
Some said the middle eastern people seek for oil that will dooze them up with full relaxation after they inhale the vapor. Simply they become very sleepy and wake up with a very relaxing state. And this is from Aquilaria Family.
From chemical aspect oud is very unique substance since it consist 17 kinds of compound. That each had different in these compound even in a single species that live in a different area.
Let’s discus about Gaharu Buaya
For you oud lovers outside my country (Indonesia) mostly didn’t have any clue about these type of Oud. The term “buaya” in gaharu meaning “crocodile“.
The naming of Buaya had their own story.
One version said that the naming came from where these so called gaharu buaya lives. Which is in the bogs or the swamp, that is the habitat of crocodile. Since they are gaharu so people called them as gaharu buaya to differ their jungle counter part.
Other version of this naming Buaya is actually a marking for it’s quality. Buaya in Indonesian culture related to a person that is a womanizer and a big liar. So marking it with this buaya name give it a difference with “real” oud. Well some gaharu buaya is quite disgusting resemble to what we called as minyak nyongnyong (very strong oil that super powerful in it’s oudor that make you wanted to vommit). But some where had agreeable odor close to Aquilaria Class. Like the one I had here Aetoxylon Sympetalum.
The Gaharu Buaya had a lot more species then the Gaharu from Aquilaria Family. That’s another difference. In oud perfumery industry, these gaharu buaya are largely use for mixture with Aquilaria Family to meet the demand of growing market. Since Aquilaria class is very expensive that would not be economic to use these Aquilaria in Industry.
Many of these Gaharu Buaya oil goes to India trough Singapore, there they will be mixed with other oud from Aquillaria Family and sell to middle east. And later on to the Europe and USA.
The point is people don’t let your nose and you experience trick you…..
Since my fellow friend sell several hundred dollars worth of oud for several thousand dollars because of the buyers mistake. My friend tried to explain with his best ways. Even show the guy a lab certificate . But the guy don’t get it. He simply give up in explaining it. Then he put several bottles and let him pick. The guy’s pick is on the wrong one…it only worth several hundreds a liter but he paid it for several thousand…. And when my friend warn him that is not a good one, the guy insist. So they had a deal and my friend is both happy and confuse.
Why this guy pick the wrong one? It was only a Gaharu Buaya….
That’s all folks….
Thank you for reading
Tags: agarwood, gaharu, gaharu buaya, gaharu oil, Indonesia Oud, oud, oud oil, oud perfume, oud perfumer, Oudh, oudh oilSeveral Kinds Of Agarwood That Exist In Indonesia
According to botanical point of view, oudh trees can be divided into several familia and genus. From it’s familia the agarwood or oudh trees were divided into 3 kinds of familia the first is the Thymeleaceae. This familia had several genus the first is Aetoxylon, the second is Aquillaria, the third is Enklenia, the fourth is Gonystylus, the fifth is Wikstroemia (use to be found in Java, now extinct because excessive hunting during the Dutch colonial era.)
the sixth is Grynops.
The second familia is Leguminosae it only had one genus Dalbergia, The last familia is Euphorbiacae it also had only one genus that is Excoecaria.
Now we shall discuss about species, Aetoxylon only had one species that able to produce agarwood resin that is Aetoxylon Sympetalum also known as kayu bidurob, laka, garu buaya and pelabayan. A.Sympetalum has average high of 15 M or 49.212 ft with 25-27 cm in diamater. It has egg shapped leaf, it grows in sandy low land forest with average rain rate per year is about 1400 mm/year.
As for Aquilaria genus it has the riches and the best species that can produce agarwood resin. It has several species the first is Aquilaria Beccariana, secondly Aquilaria Microcarpa this tree is able to grow 35 M or 114.82 ft in high and 70 cm in it’s diameter, The third is the queen of Indonesian oudh Aquillaria Malacenensis LAMK this tree can grow about 40 M or 131.23 ft in high (as tall as cellphone tower!) with it’s diameter 80 cm. This tree is the best producer of agarwood resin and oil in Indonesia.The fourth is Aquilaria Fillaria it is only grow to the average high of 15-18 M and the trunk diameter is only 50 cm. this tree is natively to eastern part on Indonesia such Moluccas and Papua. In Papua this tree call as Age and in Moluccas known as Las. The fifth is Aquilaria Cumingiani.
The third genus is Gonystylus. It had 2 species G.bancanus and G.macrophyllus This plant is a huge one. It can reach 45 M in hight and it’s diameter ranged from 30-120 cm (almost as large as a dinning table.) this tree live in the bogs or wetlands. It produce ball resin. The ball resin formed because an infection hit the ex branches growing area. It grows in Sumatera and Kalimantan (borneo)
The fourth genus is Enkleia. Enkleia is a liana plant wich means it’s a climber plant (it climb up to another plant trunk’s or any other things to gain sunlight). This plant lenght can reach 30 M and the trunk diameter is only 10 cm. It has red colored trunk with branches and also a hook that use for climbing.
The fifth genus is Wikstroemia
This plant is a bush plant. It can reach 7 M in high it’s branches diameter it’s only 7.5 cm. The branches where red or brownnish colored. In Indonesia there are 3 species of Wikstoemia, Wisktroemia androsalmofolia Decne found in Java, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, East Nusa Tenggara and Papua. The second Wikstroemia polyantha Merr found all over Indonesia and the third is Wikstroemia Miq found in Sumatera and Kalimantan.
The sixth genus from Thylemeceae is Grynops it has 2 species Grynops verstegii found in Nusa Tenggara, Sulawesi , Moluccas and Papua the second species Grynops cumingiani this plant found in Sumatra.
Now we shall discuss the second family the Legumiosae, this Family only had one genus and one species that can produce agarwood resin. Dalbergia parvifolia from the genus of Dalbergia found in Sumatera and Kalimantan. This plant is a liana plant.
The last Family is Euphorbiaceae. From this family we found one genus Excoeccaria, the only species that can produce agarwood resin is Excoeccaria Agalocha. This tree live in the mangrove area. It can reach 10-20 M and it’s trunk diameter can reach 40 cm.
To the next articles
Agarwood Indonesia