COLABA OUD · VERIFIED KNOWLEDGE ENCYCLOPEDIA
What Is Oud & Agarwood? The Definitive Connoisseur Encyclopedia
Oud, also known as agarwood, aloeswood, or gaharu, is the dark, resinous heartwood produced by Aquilaria and Gyrinops trees native to Southeast Asia and Northeastern India. The resin forms as a biological defense mechanism when the tree suffers fungal infection. Highly prized in Gulf majlises, pure agarwood is burned as ceremonial incense or hydro-distilled into concentrated Dehn Al Oud oil.
Key Entity Facts & Physical Specifications
| Botanical Family | Thymelaeaceae (Aquilaria & Gyrinops) |
|---|---|
| Primary Species | Aquilaria agallocha, A. crassna, A. subintegra, Gyrinops walla |
| Key Aroma Compounds | Agarospirol, Jinkoh-eremol, 2-(2-phenylethyl)chromones, Valencene |
| Physical Density | 0.4 g/cm³ (commercial) to >1.0 g/cm³ (sinking grade) |
| Distillation Yield | Approximately 1 toola (12ml) per 10–15 kg of wild heartwood |
| Market Price Range | 120 AED/g to 850+ AED/g for wild wood; 800 to 4,500 AED/tola for oil |
The Natural Genesis of Oleoresin in Wild Forests
Healthy Aquilaria trees produce light, pale, odorless timber with no commercial value. When wild trees over 40 years old suffer branch breakage or boring insect intrusion, Phialophora and Fusarium fungal strains enter the heartwood. Over 20 to 50 years, the tree saturates its cellular capillaries with dark protective sesquiterpene resin, transforming light wood into heavy, dark agarwood.
Distillation in Traditional Deg & Bhapka Copper Stills
To extract pure Dehn Al Oud, heartwood chips are ground into coarse powder, soaked in mountain spring water for 7 to 21 days in controlled clay vessels, and transferred to 100-liter hammered copper stills (Deg). Boiling over controlled firewood at 98°C carries volatile sesquiterpenes through bamboo condensors (Chonga) into water-cooled copper receivers (Bhapka), where pure oil floats atop floral hydrosol.
Colaba Oud Direct Sourcing & Authenticity Verification
Colaba Oud sources directly from master distillation families in Upper Assam and Pursat. Every lot undergoes Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) spectral analysis to confirm zero chemical additives, zero mineral oil, and zero synthetic fixatives.
Acquire Certified Pure Artisanal Oud
Insured priority courier dispatch across UAE and GCC with certified GC-MS purity reports.
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: