This oil is the last of our series of single-species oud oils of the four main species of agarwood found in Kalimantan, Borneo.

We first presented Keemasan (Microcarpa), followed by Berjiwa (Malaccensis), Beccariana (Beccariana), and now we present to you the woodiest of them all: Hirta (aka 'Candan').

This oil is of the same species as the dominant agarwood used for crafting our Malaysian oud oil Cantik Candan. But this time, instead of Malaysian dark oudy intensity this Candan is packaged in the unmistakable island-breezy quality common to all Indonesian ouds.

Bright and airy it may be, yet it packs a mighty woody punch due to the unusual physical property of Candan agarwood: a full-grown tree is around one-third the circumference compared to most other agarwood species. The aroma gets hyper-concentrated and for this reason, gram-for-gram, every sliver of Candan wood packs about three times the punch.

Woody to the max, perhaps the best similitude would be to imagine an extremely pretty Aquilaria Microcarpa oud (à la Keemasan) given a heavy woody base similar to Tanzanian Muhuhu wood, a dry biting woodiness like Texas cedar, and the assertiveness of Australian Spicatum sandalwood.
Now sprinkle the wood medley with the signature spice notes of Candan: allspice and cinnamon (far less than her Malaysian cousin though), douse it in thick Japanese Yuzu marmalade, and top it with sweet vanilla sugar.
As the scent develops on your skin, something unusual happens. It gets more bitter and 'darker' but also gets sweeter and 'brighter' as well. A most unusual scent development not common in ouds.

If you're one of those people who love the smell of Borneo Malaccensis from the bottle but don't like how it develops on your skin (for some, bitterness dominates and even verges on sourness), you'll be pleased to know that Hirta has the built-in unique quality of balancing its bitter and sweet notes all the way to the dry down.

And so, with this oil we conclude our species-specific Kalimantan distillations. I hope you found the series educational. By now, you should have a good idea as to which of the four species happens to be your personal favorite (and hopefully you enjoyed them all).