Maroke Zen
I’ve said it before, Maroke ouds are a nightmare to distill! The yield kills you every time and supply is scant. But, as with Maroke Sultan, we tried to cut the cost at no expense to the quality, to craft an artisanal Maroke oud that belongs on the
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Maroke Zen is your staple jungle mire Maroke thrown on its back. First whiff: mimosa, honeysuckle & pine cone. A piquant scent that outstrips the crispiest Borneos.
Instead of berries, wafts of spice – clove, anise and cardamon. Neither humid nor wet, it must be among the brightest sun-baked spicy orchestrations of top notes I’ve smelled in pure oud so far.
Maroke Muah had little spicy or soft woody notes to speak of and with Maroke Sultan the spicy top notes eventually made way for its damper Papuan jungle roots. Maroke Zen takes Maroke Sultan but doesn’t let it dry down. The top notes sing non-stop. Thirty minutes in, warm woods baked in that mimosa-sweet fennel crispness hum full steam. Two hours in, you’re dipping your head into an aged oak barrel – walking down a cellar whose walls have soaked up the scent of vintage vats bathed in maple syrup.
Maroke Zen basically never goes base. Because it’s a top-heavy oud, the scent of midday mountain air lingers longer, cooled only by a savory breeze blown by acacias nearby.
Sillage is medium to loud with strong tenacity – the scent clings on me for hours. It’s also one of the more suit-and-tie friendly ouds you can wear… And for the ladies, a small drop gently lathered over your scarf adds an air of individualism with just the right measure of Bohemian.
If you’re one of the Maroke-only! oudheads out there, don’t think twice about this one.
