Al Malek Al Ceeni

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.

Ceen refers to China in Arabic, Al Malek Al Ceeni means The Chinese King and is very much a fine representation of oudh power that brings forth the beautifully detailed and complex Chinese landscape and culture. Distilled in 2012 from Wild Chinese Oudh Al Malek Al Ceeni is amongst Chinese Oudh Oils the ultimate experience of this genre. A treasure of a Chinese oil being distilled for a member of the Al Nahyan family of Abu Dhabi for whom we have been distilling custom oils since the 90’s.

Why is Al Malek Al Ceeni 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.

Aged for 8 years and some Al Malek Al Ceeni is an Oil with vibrant distinct scents celebrating the many terrains and scents of China: floral fields blossoming with pollen filled flowers, honeyed herbal medicines, breezing cinnamon into bunches of mint and the rich soil of the south with its sweet dampness that settles  into  a camphoric woodiness.

Al Malek Al Ceeni, is a dark oil with the strain of richness that is achieved only after aging a quality oil. The honeyed top notes debut with an aniseed base resting on freshly rolled hay; the honey notes are composed from dates, prune, raisin  fruit rather than garden flowers,  the slightest dusting of cinnamon and clove in the background and then a more prominent aniseed 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 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.

Al Malek Al Ceeni is another of the amazing oudh oils from the Al Malek series, these oils are pricey, however they are pricey for a few good reasons, the quality of the material, the rarity of the material and the artmenship an non replicable combination.