When I recently bought back a stash of Oud Royale II (Philippines, 2007) from a collector, I did what the Chinese oud tycoons did back in 2011 when they flew to the Gulf to buy back their own wood.
What does this tell you?
The only way to get this class of oud, is to get it back.
The reason you’re even reading about this is because we waited almost ten years after releasing Oud Royale II to release the only other vintage Filipino oud; one that smells completely different.
It almost feels like a lie. The world of oud seems so vast, with so many new vendors mushrooming, and the supply seemingly never-ending that it can’t be true. But all you have to do is ask. Ask yourself. Ask Google. Ask anybody.
Nobody sells vintage Filipino oud. It’s not that there are olde Filipino oils in circulation that you just don’t have access to. It’s that nobody owns any vintage Filipino oud to sell. At the time we made Oud Royale II and Pinoy LTD, who else was organizing fishing boats to survey the Filipino shores in search of agarwood? Certainly nobody took the treasures they found up to Taiwan to be distilled into the single most sought out signature in the oud world. This is the only oud of its kind that was / will ever be made.
With Oriscent ouds you get impossibly rare and expensive wood distilled into an a singular aesthetic. And Pinoy LTD is in many ways the El Capitan of this world. A scent that’s almost pure heart note right from the top, with a narcotic consistency that even Oud Royale II doesn’t give you.
No one can go back a decade to capture such a montage of mimosa, lilac and pepper lacquered in oud smoke, just like no one can now spend ten years to age it for these notes to marry and become a single addicting chord. In fact, hardly anybody knew about Filipino oud until last year.
This is oud where those around you don’t just feel comfortable in your fragrant presence — they want in. What others think might not matter; what this shows is the scent’s tenacity. The satisfaction of smelling the powdery pollen wave bounce off the flush of blue kyara. A combo that, once smelled, you cannot un-smell. You will crave this Pinoy like no other oud.
Pinoy LTD is the grandaddy of Filipino oud, and this is its 10 year anniversary. A pristine, herbaceous blue wrapped in the spice of myrrh, with a powdery soft-burning kyara glaze that’s the signature of each Oriscent legend. Fresh heart notes reminiscent of Suriranka and Maluku island ouds never depart from the resinous core native to the scent of mighty old gaharu.
Oud Royale II is darker, smokier, with a heavier tenor—it’s more Oud Royale. Pinoy LTD follows the zen tradition of Nha Trang LTD, Kyara LTD, and Royal Guallam where the resinous profile of the heated wood takes center stage. Don’t expect a youthful barrage of top notes out of sync with the body of the scent. Notes don’t scatter about, instead the scent progression holds super tight, slowly transmuting from top through drydown, with a narcotic, bitter-sweet medicinal sweetness that lines each chord.
After a decade capped in a dark safe, the maturity and depth bubble like a sticky slab of bangle-grade agarwood. Zero fractionation, Oriscent-style distillation, and a batch of old lapnisan that’s rarer than stardust faturan make Pinoy LTD one of the most mesmerizing scents known to Man.
Here’s what other people are saying about Pinoy LTD…
Positively mind bending. – Mike, USA
Pinoy LTD is beautiful. It has an old wood smell, it has the signature bitter Oriscent scent which gives it the effect of smelling wood chips straight off the slow burner. I do not detect much sweetness to the oil. I like how bright the oil smells. On my radar it smells closer to a Sri Lankan then a fruity Cambodi except this Pinoy has hints of white floral and grey dust. Hints of oceanic notes too. – Terence, Australia
Pinoy LTD is also now one of my favorites. It doesn’t occupy as many dimensions, yet it bursts with that unique quality of some island ouds which I’ve not been able to find from mainland species (reminds me a bit of a superb malaccensis I own, yet volumes higher in sheer force like a full moon that keeps you awake at night from its brightness). Quite elevating, like how the sound of when you first reach the beach activates excitement and release from what remains behind you when facing waves. – Lucas, USA
Pinoy Ltd is a bitter medicinal Oriscent tornado… We all know, for many, Vietnam is the holy grail for oud but I am a person who is open to be impressed. Before smelling Pinoy Ltd I didn’t know what to expect from it, neither was I ready to commit for a bottle over heavyweights like Royal Guallam, Sultan Suleyman etc. but Pinoy Ltd surprised me and made me realize sometimes you have to think outside the box and take a leap of faith.
Coming back to the tornado analogy… Pinoy Ltd is an oil with sheer power. If I didn’t know its origin, I would have thought its a Vietnamese Oriscent. Rich, powerful bitterness topped with elegant oudyness makes it an oil for special occasions. A tiny amount goes a long way but naturally the extreme projection mellows down during dry down. Pinoy Ltd is an instant crush and is full-vial worthy. – Naveed, Canada
When I first sniffed my vial of Pinoy LTD, I immediately noticed that it was unique, with scent notes I hadn’t experienced in other Ouds, including a lovely resinous “blond wood” tone. Each time I tried it, it unfolded a bit more. Imagine my surprise when, on the third try, I discovered a Kyara note emerging from its depths. How did it get there? From then on, the Kyara scent became more and more apparent, and my respect for the phenomenal mastery involved in creating this Oud has skyrocketed! This is the Nha Trang LTD of Philippines Ouds, the crème de la crème. I am deeply grateful to have a portion of this already legendary Oud. – Hank, USA
I LOVE IT! I just applied a tiny bit and its projecting like a monster. – Naveed, Canada
Pinoy LTD is to the dot exactly as I was seeing in my mind’s eye. Mellow marjoram/tarragon sautés in brown butter. Whispers of leatherwood honey in the back. The Oriscent way presents a bitter core and an almost Vietnamese vibe to the oil while the buttery fat oudy marrow of the Cumingiana variety remains truthful and typical. A regal yet finessed oil. Words like pristine, put together, simple yet profound come to mind. Beautiful oil and as expected tops all the Filipino oils I have had to date.
If you want the same balance but on steroids and some of those mindbending Vietnam and Oriscent bitter notes, with no harsh edges, angularities or otherwise anything out of place, then only Pinoy LTD would do. – Rasoul, Canada
Pinoy Ltd is simply gorgeous. A Philipino with the Oriscent signature is something else. Have to study it more to break it down but it is a work of art. – Nazif, USA