Dark, animalic, earthy-woody. Sumatran oud has a wild, jungle-floor character -- more aggressive and raw than Cambodian or Indian ouds, with a pronounced leather-barn undertone.
Dark, animalic, earthy-woody with a pronounced leather-barn character on opening. More raw and aggressive than Cambodian oud, less sweet than Indian, with a jungle-floor dampness and volcanic-soil undertone. The animalic notes (from chromones) are stronger and persist longer. Not for the timid.
Deep, tenacious dark-woody warmth, very persistent
Terroir & Maturity
Indicative 2025 wholesale prices.
The Full Story
Oud Sumatra refers to agarwood distilled from Aquilaria species (primarily A. malaccensis and A. microcarpa) grown in Sumatra, Indonesia. Indonesian ouds, including Sumatran, are generally considered darker, more animalic, and earthier than their Cambodian or Indian counterparts.
The olfactory profile of Sumatran oud is characterised by a pronounced animalic-barnyard top (from chromone derivatives like 2-(2-phenylethyl)chromone), a damp, jungle-floor earthiness, and a dark, resinous-woody heart. The terroir -- tropical lowland rainforest, volcanic soils, high humidity -- shapes the infection chemistry of the Aquilaria tree and, consequently, the distillate's character.
In perfumery, Sumatran oud provides a raw, uncompromising woody-animalic base note. It is less clean than Cambodian oud (which tends toward sweeter, fruitier profiles) and less sweet than Indian oud. The note works in dark ambers, animalic compositions, and oud-centric fragrances where wildness is desired over polish.
This note in Première Peau. Nuit Elastique · Albâtre Sépia. Sample all seven extraits in the Discovery Set.
The fungal infection (primarily Phialophora parasitica) that produces agarwood resin is the tree's immune response to wounding. Healthy Aquilaria wood is pale and odourless. The dark, fragrant heartwood forms only in infected trees -- oud is, literally, a tree's attempt to heal itself.
Extraction & Chemistry
Extraction method: Hydro-distillation or steam distillation of infected Aquilaria heartwood harvested from Sumatran trees. Distillation may take 3-7 days. Oil yield is extremely low. Wild Sumatran Aquilaria is CITES-listed due to overharvesting; plantation sources are increasingly common.
Oud Sumatra is a raw, animalic-woody base note from Indonesian Aquilaria distillation. Pronounced chromone-driven animalic character, jungle-floor earthiness, and dark resinous depth. Less clean than Cambodian oud, less sweet than Indian. Works in dark ambers, animalic compositions, and oud-centric fragrances.
