Images of Cambodia's iconic Angkor Wat temple are the most commonly used images for Cambodian oud oils.
Yet, this is the first ever genuine artisanally-distilled oud oil distilled from wild-harvested agarwood from the province of Siem Reap, home to Angkor Wat.
(yes, there are a few other distillers who have distilled some standard grade Siem Reap oud oils recently, but nothing close to the caliber of this oil)
Unsurprisingly, because of the ancientness of the raw material used, the oil has the 'oud petrichor' aroma you find in batches of old old agarwood. A combination of milky-vanillic sweetness coupled with an earthy rooty bitterness (think Bhamo or Luang). And just like those two oils, Angkor Royale hits your cranium with a thousand volt ZAP! ⚡️
Contrary to popular belief, which is in fact shaped by bad practices in modern-day distillation (bad apparatus, worse hygiene) and misinformation, one of the things most commonly observed by most folks is that oils distilled from anicent agarwood are always bright, clean and smooth. Whereas oils distilled from premature agarwood are usually harsh and often downright nauseating.
Not everything that glitters is gold.
Angkor Royale is glittery, golden (in both scent and color), and far more precious than gold.
The scent:
The first half of the scent profile is identical to the ambient aroma of raw vintage Cambodian agarwood chips. Don't know what that means (perhaps don't have any genuinely old batches of Cambodian agarwood)? Here's a trick you can do with modern-day agarwood more readily available: lightly wet the best quality Cambodian agarwood chips you have, and then rub them with your hands. After a minute or so, the wood will start emitting a faint aroma.
That is what I refer to as the 'ambient aroma' of agarwood of yesteryears.
The second half of the scent profile takes a twist, and exudes the true-to-life aroma of heated central Cambodian agarwood chips (agarwood from Pursat has a reasonably similar aroma). Pollen, raisins, cooked condensed milk with crushed vanilla, zesty wood, and a green-gold halo hovering over the entire scent spectrum.
If you've been around the block a while, you've likely built a formidable collection of Cambodian oils from Koh Kong and Pursat. Angkor Royale brings unique and rare flavors to the table, an assortment most have never experienced in a Cambodian oud oil before.
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