Hareer

Facets of a deep dark leathery Hindi with a touch of barn marrying into perfect unison with the floral honey-like herbal aspects of Chinese Oudh. This isn’t just ‘like’, ‘similar’ or ‘close to’ – it is an actual Hindi-Chinese Oudh.

One of the luxuries artists that wield their own tools have is that they can create as their heart and inspirations desire. They blend, formulate and mix away to attain the beguiling scent they have envisioned, relentlessly pursuing the specific note they crave.

Chinese Eaglewood (Chinese name: Chenxiang) is a resinous wood from the tree of Aquilaria Sinensis that has widely been used in traditional Chinese medicine as a treatment of ailments such as stomach ache, asthma, vomiting, etc. The essential oil of Chinese eaglewood is rich in sesquiterpenes that have a special molecular structure. Some sesquiterpenes such as agarospirol, baimuxinic acid and α-agarofuran have even been reported to possess sedative and hypnotic effects (Institute of Materia Medica of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences. Modern Research on Chinese Herbal Medicine; Vol. 3).

The constituents of Chinese A. Sinensis are also similar to those of agarwood from A. agallocha and A. Malaccensis which are predominantly distributed in India and Malaysia. In fact Ceen is the perfect example of an oil of this genre – a true Chinese oil void of the forced fermentation effect that is so common in purported Chinese Oils.

In contrast, Hindi Malaccensis is more rugged, resinous, woody and barny Oudh. It is the type of wood that immediately springs to mind when you think ‘Oudh’. As I have said time and time again I believe for every Oudh traveller the final destination is Hindi Oudh. Once the nose is smeared with Hindi Oudh the world around pauses and sighs, you have reached home – other Oudhs are mere parts of the journey strengthening the olfactory repository and tolerance of the senses. What drives the craving for Hindi Oudh is the bold representation that exists in this genre; the barny woodsy, resinous tobacco like leather chocolate elements that ignite our passions and beckons to the wild beast within us.

I had always desired to distil Chinese Sinensis with the Indian Malaccensis. Though Chinese Sinensis and Hindi Malaccensis appear to be at complete polar opposites they share many common skeletal structures. Due to this and their own individual scents I knew with absolute conviction that if the correct notes were to be captured of the two woods it would have the potential to be an amazing oil, and it was.

The addition of a Chinese to the Hindi is like the last stroke by the artist to perfect the painting, the silk sheath on the razor sharp blade, the skilful rider who breaks the wild unbridled beast. When Cooking Hindi and Chinese Oudh the most amazing of scents is crafted, a scent that encapsulates the olfactory senses and takes the mind on a blissful and peaceful journey. A journey where you are alert and awake but the experience is calm and peaceful. Imagine a meditative experience that is action filled.

In this day and age acquiring wild Chinese and Hindi Oudh wood to cook is a luxury. It is a blessing to have old stock with which we can run these unique distillations. Many distillers would feel blessed simply having the opportunity to run such distillations.

HAREER in Arabic means silk, named so because silk is smooth yet strong, fine yet firm, light yet so durable that Genghis Khan’s army would utilise it in their armor. It is most befitting for this oil as calm meets excited, rugged meets finesse, green melds into dark and sweet drapes into bitter.

A beautiful vibrant barn at the top falling into a wonderful honey coated spicy nutty heart, figgy jam caressing a dark sweet even slightly bitter Oudhy bottom. Oudh coated in a floral pollen where the floral coats change like seasons.

If you liked Ceen, loved Al Malek Al Ceeni and craved Hudhayl then this is a single fragrance that will hit all those spots for you and transport you on a sensory adventure. The perfect balance of sweet and bitter and Indian and Chinese.