Jibaal

From the Arabic meaning mountains, there could not have been a name more befitting than JIBAAL for this towering Oudh which is packed with personality. Before I go into the Oudh let me explain further why we chose to name this Jibaal…

Wedged in the heart of South East Asia as the only landlocked country in the indo-chinese peninsula, Laos is a geographically fascinating country. It is bordered by Myanmar and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia in the southeast and Thailand to the west and southwest.

The country of Laos is covered by dense jungle on mountainous land wrapped by the Mekong River forming large parts of western boundary with Thailand. This unique geography bestows Laos Oudh with its unique features and characteristics. However, capturing that nuance is no easy feat. For this reason I believe 90% of the Oudh on the market claiming to be Laos oudh is either not Laos oudh or at most is Laos oudh that has gone through a nasty fermentation process in an effort to make the oudh smell ‘Hindi’ which results in a scent worse than fungal cheese, though that is a story for another day.

As an impoverished country, one can also understand why people may not pay attention to Oudh distillation. Lack of means or even skill stops them from coaxing out the subtle nuances of this unique wood, instead they would rather attempt to get the maximum yield of oil by any means necessary.

JIBAAL is Laos Oudh – the way it should be. It represents the rich geography it hails from sharing features with China, Thailand, Cambodia and Burma but with the added strength that is synonymous with high lands similar to the Oudhs of Nagaland.

Greeting your olfactory senses with a cloudy waft of leather JIBAAL bedazzles you into thinking you have the most clean Nagaland laal(red) Oudh but before your thought is complete it moves swiftly onto a deep dark ripe fruit note which is synonymous to the heydays of Cambodi Oudh. Then comes the earthen spices of Burma which glide into the most tantalising basket of ripened dates, tamarind, and woody stems. Just when you thought it was over you are greeted with layers of bitter honey sprinkled with the sensation of pollen reminding you of rich deep Hainan Oudh.

Jibaal is a true Laos Oudh. A gracious tribute to Laos and a representation of her towering mountains, rivers and the borders that surround it.

NOTE: This is the 2nd release of Jibaal.