COLABA OUD
How to Choose High-Grade Oud Wood (Khashab Al Oud)
A definitive connoisseur's manual on selecting authentic agarwood chips: understanding cut styles, grain density, bubbling resin quality, and seller grading.
Understanding Agarwood Chip Formats
Oud wood is harvested in traditional cuts: 'Muri' (curved hollow shells rich in interior resin), 'Zura' (small, dense knuckle pieces), 'Salla' (hand-cleaned thin splinters ideal for quick personal scenting), and 'Char' (flat, broad plates). Choose Muri or Char for long majlis burn sessions, and Zura or Salla for daily personal use.
Decoding Seller Grades: Super vs Triple Super vs Sinking
Grading reflects resin saturation and density. Single Super represents quality commercial wood with visible resin veins. Double Super contains dark, saturated resin pockets. Triple Super and King Grade sink partially or completely in water due to immense oleoresin concentration, bubbling continuously over coals without charred off-notes.
The Heat Test: Natural Charcoal vs Low-Heat Electric Censers
High resin chips should never be placed directly onto blazing red coals. Allow charcoal to form a white ash layer or use an incense mica plate. Watch for continuous bubbling of dark resin: authentic agarwood releases aromatic sweet, balsamic smoke for 5 to 15 minutes without burning harsh.
Global Distillation Network & Sister Maisons
Colaba Oud collaborates with specialized distillation centers and heritage trading houses across the Middle East, India, Sri Lanka, and Southeast Asia: