Bhutanagu

Over the past two years, we’ve started offering unique Hindi hybrids like Naga Layyen & Naga Lutuf to shift gears and take Organic Oud to the next level. And the reception has been fantastic.

“A very rich and deeply exploitative experience for the price.”

“The price point is kind of ridiculous. I am so grateful for the opportunity.”

“Did I mention affordable?”

Here’s the difference:

We released Naga Lutuf to prove a point: That Hindi oud doesn’t have to smell like musty, pickled wood… nor do you need to pay four times the price to enjoy its fragrance.

But if mozzarella is too mild for you… if you want your oud to bite with gorgonzola teeth, then who am I to deny you a bottle of Bhutanagu?

So, to fuel your love for classic funk, yet round off the harsh edges, remove the overtly stinky twang of lower-grade distills (which is exactly what traditional soaking wants to cover up — the low-grade agarwood in the pot), and add the delicious honeybush sweetness unique to wild, mature Bhutanese aloes, this is the oud for you.

Bhutanagu’s distillation philosophy follows that of Aroha Kyaku, but with a higher percentage of wild oud wood. At least 50% of the agarwood used for this distillation is wild, composed of old, mature Bhutanese batches harvested years ago. On top of the refined aroma this gives you, we calculated the cost of the wild harvests based on prices we paid years ago to subsidize and offer you this low price.

The way to approach Bhutanagu is to take a swipe and dig right in. Smell the first minute as it leads into the second, into the third, then come back fifteen minutes later to smell its agallochan heart on full display. In fact, the emerging Bhutanese core intensifies by the half-hour as you quickly realize you’re smelling oud oil worth many times more than what you paid.

The distillation philosophy might be that of Aroha Kyaku, but the scent progression runs the other way.

Aroha Kyaku starts with a heavy hit of smoke that slowly evaporates into a dark-fruity heart, whereas Bhutanagu starts more low-key, with the spice of chai and semi-creamy top notes that steadily morph into its more bestial heart where the honeybush starts to bite harder and the field of wildflowers gives off its rich, warm pollen to let you know you’re in the heart of Bhutan now.

If you like the smell of old wet socks wrapped around a slab of cheese, then I can’t help you. But if you crave a discreet touch of fermentation, with the pepper-floral bite of agallochas drunk on crassna, then Bhutanagu is bound to be your go-to bottle. And at this price, swipe to your heart’s content…