‘Our Istanbuli oil hails from Isparta, wonderful Damascena rose fields in full blossom end of May and distillation begins. There are a number of distilleries in greater Istanbul, focused on producing commercial quantity rose oil, not where this rose came from. The Istanbuli is a collaboration between Al Shareef and one of the few remaining traditional style distilleries that are operated by villagers in Isparta. Copper pots the likes of which you can still find in Taif, Saudi Arabia and Kannuaj, India. These traditional pots are unique in nature, originally designed to produce oils and rose water for the sultans and royalties of the time and spread across the world by Ottoman Sultans, they are a delicate, time consuming process with love and passion infused into each drop of oil. The Istanbuli rose oil has some similarities with the Taifi Rose oil, as it also does with the Isfahani oil, but not like any of them. Where the Taifi rose is citrusy and sparkly, the Istanbuli is more like the actual rose itself. Its ending has a lovely wood note, slightly cinnamon note that really brings warmth to the bright rose top.‘ – Al Shareef Oudh
