Unnu Izza

 

Unnu Izza exudes an apple sweet incense rich aroma that sets it somewhere between Indonesian and Vietnamese on the oud spectrum. There's zero barn nor the figgy jam fruitiness of new age Cambodian ouds.

 

Think of mainstream Sumatran distills as the damper, even junglier alternative to mainland Malaysian ouds. They can get extremely wet smelling and often just too earthy. So, if you want a full bodied oud fragrance—not patchouli—then Sumatran oils are normally not your best bet. 

 

But take fully mature, un-inoculated Sumatran agarwood, run it through an artisanal extraction method and it reveals an incredible scent. No swampy dampness, no murky earthiness.

 

A well crafted Sumatran oil hits just the right balance between earth, incense and woods. I love Unnu Izza because it's clean cut and to the point. It's Sumatran oud to the bone, with a pine leaf crispness cloaked in an incense heartnote, infused with tropical florals; franginpani-lotus warmth, vanilla essence laced with mint. One of the most surprizing notes you find is a sweet purple herbal root scent (reminds me of refreshing beet puree stirred through a few spoons of honey)

 

Contrary to many Sumatran ouds, Unnu Izza is a clean hydro-steam combo distill. This means a fuller scent profile with a deeper, richer incense body. The raw agarwood used for extraction can be for or totally against you. If you're into funky pesticides, weird chemical inoculants, growth boosters, and pre-maturely harvested trees, then you don't have to look far to find a fine oud concoction of the sort. If you want to smell pristine 100% wild oud, get this mighty Sumatran.