What does Oud oil smell like? It is not an easy answer
The Mystery in the Wood: Why No Two Breaths of Agarwood are Ever the Same
The perfume that was never bottled by man.
How do you describe a scent to someone who has never smell that scent before?
For example, orange?
If I do not know what orange smells like, it does not matter how good your description is, I will never get it.
If I smell it, I will know it, and next time, when someone tells me it smells like orange, I will know exactly what that person means.
But I cannot convey that "idea" to someone who has never smelled an orange. He needs to try it.
The good news is that orange is very popular and widely available. So almost all of us know its wonderful aroma.
Similarly, with Agarwood, it does not matter how good or bad my description is, if you have not tried it, you will never get it.
To some people, it is the smell of a forgotten library in an ancient pagoda. To others, it is the sweet, honeyed breath of a tropical forest after a monsoon rain. The truth is, unlike orange, agarwood is a "ghost". It is a shifting, shimmering olfactory (relating to the sense of smell) puzzle that refuses to be pinned down by mere adjectives.
0. The Chemical Poetry of a Single Spark
I was born in Vietnam, where Aquilaria Crassna is native (a type of tree which "produces agarwood" in the right condition). Inside the heart of Vietnamese Aquilaria crassna lies a natural laboratory. There are hundreds of compounds hidden within that resinous wood, each playing its part in a silent symphony. Because there are so many volatile (substances that easily evaporate into the air) molecules at play, every person perceives the scent differently. What you perceive as a spicy earthiness, your neighbour may experience as a sweet hum. It is a scent that is felt as much as it is smelled. If you and your neighbour are asked to describe what you have just smelled, I am sure the answer will be very different
The Olfactory Blueprint: 30 Key Aromatic Compounds
While science has identified hundreds of molecules, these thirty represent the essential layers of the agarwood experience. There are hundreds, even thousands more. Imagine 200 of them in an agarwood oil, how do they smell?
Too hard to describe, you need to smell it to know it
| Compound Name | Aromatic Profile / Contribution |
|---|---|
| Benzylacetone | Sweet, floral, and balsamic; reminiscent of jasmine or strawberry. |
| β-Agarofuran | Major resinous backbone; creates a sweet, deep balsamic foundation. |
| Agarospirol | Woody, peppery, and slightly floral; essential to the "spicy" kick. |
| Dihydrokaranone | Rich, heavy, and tenacious woody scent that anchors the fragrance. |
| Neopetasane | The earthy soul of the wood; provides a grounded, forest-like core. |
| Valerianol | Calming, earthy, and slightly herbal aromatic profile. |
| Jinkoh-eremol | A deep, "medicinal" woody character found in Vietnamese varieties. |
| n-Hexadecanoic acid | A natural fatty acid that acts as a fixative to hold lighter scents. |
| α-Agarofuran | Supports the sweet, resinous body of the wood. |
| α-Eudesmol | Fresh, clean woody notes that provide a "lift" to the aroma. |
| γ-Eudesmol | The foundational woody scent typical of the Aquilaria genus. |
| Hinesol | A woody note with a subtle spicy undertone. |
| Anisylacetone | Sweet, spicy, and distinctly floral top notes. |
| Karanone | The sharp, "punchy" woody scent released during high-heat burning. |
| Nootkatone | Citrusy, woody, and complex; adds a bitter-sweet sparkle. |
| Baimuxinol | Characteristic of A. sinensis; provides a unique medicinal woodiness. |
| Jinkohol | Rare earthy, animalic note found specifically in A. malaccensis. |
| Jinkohol II | A heavier, "damp" woody animalic note unique to Malaysian wood. |
| Selina-3,11-dien-9-ol | Adds layers of complexity to the overall woody profile. |
| Epoxy-β-agarofuran | An intense resinous and balsamic note that deepens the scent. |
| Valencene | Provides a citrus-like woody freshness in the opening notes. |
| Aristolone | Sharp, woody, and slightly spicy; contributes to the "kick." |
| Guaiol | Woody with rosy, floral undertones; softens the scent profile. |
| α-Bulnesene | Deep, spicy, and earthy; the hallmark of "thick" resinous smoke. |
| Cubenol | Spicy and herbal woody note that adds a green dimension. |
| Patchouli alcohol | Provides the dark, camphorous, and earthy base notes. |
| Humulene | Hoppy, spicy, and herbal; adds a natural forest floor nuance. |
| Nerolidol | Floral, citrusy, and fresh green; lightens the heavier resins. |
| Caryophyllene oxide | Woody, spicy, and slightly sharp; a classic component of agarwood oil. |
| α-Gurjunene | Balsamic and woody; adds a smooth, rounded finish. |
|
There are more(*) |
1. Why the Aromas Differ Across the Map
Nature does not repeat itself. Why does a piece of wood from Northern Vietnam smell like honey, while wood from the South smells like a dark forest? The answer lies in the terroir (the natural environment, soil, and climate) and the species genetics.
As confirmed by recent research, different regions produce distinct "molecular skeletons":
- Eudesmanes: Foundational woody scents (55 types identified) that act as the canvas.
- Guaianes: Spicy and heavy resinous notes (53 types identified) that provide the character.
- Prezizanes: Unique to species like A. malaccensis, giving Malaysian wood its "animalic" and damp qualities.
2. The Perfume Without the Bottle
Agarwood is a "living perfume" because it possesses what the masters call **layers**. It is a three-dimensional fragrance. You have the volatile top notes (the **Benzaldehydes**) for immediate honeyed sweetness, the heart notes (the **Sesquiterpenes**) for a woody soul, and natural fatty acid fixatives that act as a glue, holding the scent for hours.
Furthermore, the smoke contains Chromones (stable aromatic molecules). These are the "hidden" sweetness of agarwood; they are easier to preserve than oils and release their spectacular depth only when heated. In high-grade Qi-Nan (Kyara), you even find Qinanmer—a rare hybrid where a chromone and a sesquiterpene have merged into one molecule, the pinnacle of the agarwood experience.
The next time you light a piece of Grandawood agarwood, do not try to name the scent. Just listen to it. It has a great deal to tell you.
References
Gao, M., Han, X., Sun, Y., Chen, H., Yang, Y., Liu, Y., Meng, H., Gao, Z., Xu, Y., Zhang, Z., & Han, J. (2019). Overview of sesquiterpenes and chromones of agarwood originating from four main species of the genus Aquilaria. RSC Advances, 9(7), 4113-4130. https://doi.org/10.1039/c8ra09409h
Thuy, D. T. T., Tuyen, T. T., Thuy, T. T. T., Minh, P. T. H., Tran, Q. T., Long, P. Q., Nguyen, D. C., Bach, L. G., & Chien, N. Q. (2019). Isolation process and compound identification of agarwood essential oils from Aquilaria crassna cultivated at three different locations in Vietnam. Processes, 7(7), 432. https://doi.org/10.3390/pr7070432
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