Sweet, fruity-woody, with dried plum and honey notes over a warm resinous base. Less animalic than Indian oud, less smoky than Indonesian. The chromone-derived sweetness gives it an almost gourmand quality. Like a wooden honey dipper left in a bowl of stewed dark fruits.
Evolution over time
Immediately
Immediately
Fruity-sweet burst, dried plum, honey on wood
After a few hours
After a few hours
Deeper woody-resinous warmth, less fruit, more balsamic
After a few days
After a few days
Warm, aged wood residue, faint sweetness, persistent base
Terroir & Maturity
Indicative 2025 wholesale prices.
The Full Story
Cambodian oud (from Aquilaria crassna) is a prized regional variants of agarwood oil, distinguished by its sweeter, fruitier profile compared to Indian (leathery-animalic) or Indonesian (earthy-smoky) ouds. The key characteristic is a dried-fruit sweetness — plummy, sometimes berry-like — layered over a woody-resinous base.
Aquilaria crassna is native to mainland Southeast Asia, primarily Cambodia, Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam. The resinous heartwood (oud) forms in response to fungal infection, typically by Phialophora parasitica or related species. Wild Aquilaria crassna is critically endangered — CITES Appendix II listed — and most commercial production now comes from inoculated plantation trees.
The volatile chemistry of Cambodian oud is complex: chromone derivatives provide the sweet, honeyed quality; sesquiterpenes (agarospirol, jinkoh-eremol) contribute woody depth; and 2-(2-phenylethyl)chromones create the characteristic fruity topnote that distinguishes Cambodian distillations.
In perfumery, Cambodian oud is favored for compositions where oud must be recognizable but not aggressive. Its sweetness makes it the most blendable oud variant.
This note in Première Peau. Nuit Elastique · Albâtre Sépia. Sample all seven extraits in the Discovery Set.
A kilogram of high-grade wild Cambodian oud oil can sell for $30,000-80,000 USD, making it a expensive natural materials on Earth — but plantation-grown alternatives now produce acceptable quality at 1/50th the price.
Extraction & Chemistry
Extraction method: Hydro-distillation or steam distillation of infected Aquilaria crassna heartwood. Distillation typically runs 48-72 hours for full extraction of chromone compounds. Yield is extremely variable — dependent on infection grade and wood quality. Plantation wood (inoculated trees, 5-8 years) yields lighter oil than wild-harvested old-growth. CO2 extraction is increasingly used for higher-quality captures.
Cambodian oud (Aquilaria crassna) functions as a heart-to-base note known for fruity sweetness — the most approachable regional oud type. Chromone derivatives provide honeyed-fruity character; sesquiterpenes (agarospirol, jinkoh-eremol) contribute woody depth. Favored in compositions requiring oud presence without aggression. Works in gourmand-oud hybrids, rose-oud combinations, and sweet amber constructions. CITES Appendix II — sourcing requires plantation certification.
