French company Montale has brought quite unexpected innovation into the modern European perfumery. Its Attars & Aouds collection is almost completely constructed around of the unique notes, traditional for the East, - notes of agar wood (aloes wood, oud). This disappearing tree is mentioned in the Bible, as a tree from Edema gardens.
It is so precious, that its pieces are stored in a treasury of imperial family of Japan and are given their own names. It is so rare, that on the average, it is necessary to do a 10-day’s way on jungle of Southeast Asia in order to meet a wild-growing miracle. The price of 1 kg of oil from its wood can reach 30-50 thousand dollars. No wonder that in 70th years XX in Thailand according to the command of emperor it has been decided to cultivate this extremely favourable to cultivation tree. Now Vietnam, Laos, Thailand and Malaysia are the basic manufacturers of perfumery products from aquilaria.
White and deprived with the smell wood becomes dark brown and fragrant after the tree, reached the age of 20 years (and more), is exposed to destruction and starts to struggle with a special fungus, accumulating around of the damaged place pitch. Distillation of wood is much more careful, than at any other tree. Japan and the Muslim countries are the main commodity markets for this oil and wood.
For east world aquilaria and its oil are surrounded with numerous legends, starting from its aphrodisiac properties and means from an impotence and finishing with its meditative properties. In these countries it is appreciated more, than oil of the rose, jasmine or sandal tree. The oil of aquilaria has quite sharp, deep wood aroma, with a gloomy smoky-balsam shade and “medical” semitones. It is the aroma for specific admirers - it is not universal and simply “fashionable”. It is easy to imagine aroma as externally quiet man whose presence forces to guard with possible troubles.
But Pierre Montale has not stopped on one pure note. He has decided to create aromas in the Arabian tradition, adding some additional components, not conceiving construction of a traditional French perfumery pyramid. Extra-components are also quite traditional for the East - rose, saffron, sandal tree, pepper, cinnamon and carnation.
However, Oud Cuir d′Arabie is the most courageous and deep aroma - it is a combination of the aquilaria’s note with birch tar, tobacco and something like creosote. It does not develop all at once; it just disappears, reminding a huge black statue from coal or gagate and warm from the sun. Indecently sharp firstly, then it becomes warm, but very persevering, dry and assured in its aromatic forces.
The combination of aquilaria with the skin is the unique (read: tar), and for modern perfumery with its easy, transparent and happy aromas… Aroma keeps on the skin, but it is necessary to get excited a little, and it will comes to life again.