Al Malek Al Ceeni II

Back in the month of Dhul-Hijjah 2016 we released CEEN, which sold out very quickly. The sacred Islamic Month of Dhul-Hijjah, historically this was the month wherein all of the different caravans from the furthermost corners of the globe would converge onto the Holy City of Mecca. Laden with the finest silks, exquisite perfumes and exotic spices, skilled merchants prepared to trade and showcase their wares as the masses gathered for the Holy Pilgrimage of al-Hajj.

In memory of this great tradition we reached out to the furthest jungles of Hainan to produce a prodigious Oudh Oil that we are delighted to include in our caravan of Oudh. An Oudh that unequivocally surpasses all other oils available from this region, the most dark, deep and intricate Chinese Oudh Oil you will have the pleasure to sample – Al Malek Al Ceeni – The Chinese King. Al Malek Al Ceeni sold out just as fast as did Ceen. Fastforward another 5 years and in 2023 as we approach the Islamic Pilgrimage season to Makkah, we are going to treat our customers to another treasure.

As some of the old timers know the Al Malek series of oils began with special distillations for royalty in the middle east. The Al Malek Al Ceeni was a Chinese gem distilled for a member of the Al Nahyan family of Abu Dhabi for whom we have been distilling custom oils since the 90’s. Ceen refers to China in Arabic, Al Malek Al Ceeni means The Chinese King and what befitting name it is for this grand oil, that stands tall and represents China and her wonderous landscapes.

Why is Al Malek Al Ceeni release 2 so special? It’s simple.  No third-man handling of the woods, no contamination in transport, and no mixing of stocks at a traders facility. We didn’t stop there – the Haji who distilled this oil with us was a Chinese gentleman himself who had performed the Holy Pilgrimage to Mecca – utilising trademark traditional Chinese methods that have been used for decades in extracting herbal oils for Medicinal Purposes.

Al Malek Al Ceeni an oil from a decade ago, long before online Chinese vendors came onto the scene, an oudh oil from a different time. Now we know that the scene has changed, and there is a healthy range of cultivated Chinese Kynam on the market. Having access to one of the prime producers of Chinese Kynam, we did exactly what you are imagining for Al Malek Al Ceeni release 2, we distilled Kynam into the Al Malek Ceeni.

Al Malek Al Ceeni is a dark herbaceous, cooling oil with richness that is achieved only after aging a quality oil. The manuka honeyed top notes debut with an aniseed base resting on freshly rolled minty hay; the honey notes are composed from herbs, camphor, salty resin with a dash of flowers from a Cantonese garden. The slightest dusting of cinnamon, vanilla and clove in the background and then a more prominent acassia undercurrent. It shares the very herby medicinal freshness that was also present in Ceen, that sensation which is associated the after effect of applying tiger balm and smelling it 4-5 hours down the track.  Al Malek Al Ceeni II progresses gracefully with a broad spectrum of notes from the Hainan genre slowly unfolding in each layer. Oriental resin covered in balsamic balm but without the sourness, blooming as the heart note, infused with the peppery, nutty scent of heated nuts. Notes of rose twirl in and out with the touch of moss and musk. Amber and myrrh accords luxuriously waltz before leading into a sensual deep, vintage woody base where the wood has been infused with honey balm, rich resin and aniseed butter.