white frangipani
citrus peel
tuberose
vintage mysore sandalwood co2
fruit fusion (guava, persimmons, rotab dates)
bhutanese oud
Vial pictured is from 2011, but it seems to be (re)released in 2014.
‘You know by now that there are two types of Indian Oud. You’ve got the classic, feral Hindis that recall pastoral scenes involving horses, hay, and some fine animalics…. and you’ve got the white-flowered, acacia-honeyed innovations that happen if you take the ancient craft and apply a few tweaks.
But what happens if you cross over to neighboring Bhutan, painstakingly select the tallest, oldest centennial aquilarias standing, and apply these groundbreaking distillation techniques?
Instead of Oud Idrees, you get a very different kind of nose candy….
Bhuta Patala boasts white frangipani with a subtle citrus peel topnote, delicate nuances of tuberose laced with ultra fine CO2-extracted Mysore sandalwood from decades ago, and a fruity fusion of guava, persimmons and rotab dates. All evolving into the crisp, lively scentshot of gently heated Bhutanese agarwood chips……….
Some of the zestiness of Chinese Exclusive is here. Bhutan being located farther north than Assam, the scent profile is closer to the Chinese varieties of agarwood than the Indian. If you can imagine Chinese Exclusive Oud stripped of its feralness and animalics and left with only the zesty-floral heart, then you have a pretty good idea what Bhuta Patala smells like.
A few minutes into the scent progression, you get a distinct aquatic floral note that is all but identical to Bakul Attar. Smelling the applicator stick prior to applying the oil onto skin, you get a distinct aroma of raw, ripe raspberries. If the Assam 3000 is pure candy, Bhuta Patala is dry raspberry & candied lemon zest atop a sumptuous heart of Bakul Attar.
Why the low price? Being the first pioneer to work with Assam artisans for the perfection of Oud Hindi, Ensar enjoys a unique relationship of exclusivity with some of the most important distilleries in Assam.
This decade-long collaboration with our hunters and craftsmen gives us the ability to offer a lower price than anyone else in the field, along with a superior product. Because we get first refusal of literally every single batch that gets distilled, we are also in a position to select only the finest batches for Ensar Oud, while the oils we filter out are then sold to the outside market.’ – Ensar Oud
‘The oud opens with bright notes of citrus; pomello, tangerine, sweet lemon. At the heart though, Bhuta Patala is an oud for someone who loves flowers. Frangipani and freesia are the main players to me, but the overall impression is of lush, pulpy white and yellow flowers dripping with dew and nectar. The florals sweeten over time, becoming much like an organic wildflower honey I buy at my local farmer’s market. Grounding this all is the gentle wood base, which is so creamy that it brings to mind both sandalwood and agarwood.
Incredibily seductive, while being discreet, I can imagine this being worn by a sophisticated brunette. You catch snips of this alluring fragrance as she walks confidently past, and you want to follow so you can lean in and smell more …’ – Iris&Oud
ENSAR OUD