Ant and Clay 2022

Ant and Clay 2022 - Kuala Pilah - Negeri Sembilan - West Malaysia - Pure Artisan Malay Oud Oil - Dehn al Oud

Jungle: Kuala Pilah, Negeri Sembilan - West Malaysia

Species: Malaccensis (and maybe a hint of Beccariana) - Wild

Distillation: March 1 - 12th, 2022 - No Soak, 12 Day Collection

Class: New Gen Stainless and Gas - Distilled exclusively from high grade Ant wood and a select batch of high grade Clay logs

Profile: Chinese Medicine Pharmacy

**Chinese Medicine Spices and Herbs - Long-lasting Sweetness - Rich, Syrupy, Oudy, Musky Drydown

After the success of several of my New Gen Malaysians (Ipoh Strawberry, Terengganu Ant, and the original batches of Tiger King) - I wanted to push the boundary again and make another stellar oil, this time from a unique combination of high grade Ant wood and some beautiful Clay Logs (really old, dead and buried wood).

The result was surprising...

ABOUT THIS PROJECT

This unique oil is made from 2 very different types of formations:

Ant colonies that are burrowed tunnels throughout a tree - and

Clay woods (woods that aren't just dead and decaying on the surface, but get buried over time or through weather and climactic events).

Ant wood oils made exclusively from those particular formations are rare, and usually quite pricey, as the woods aren't solid and are usually thin, so they are more challenging to carve out. High grade specimens are also pricey, for more obvious reasons.

High grade Clay woods are also quite rare and pricey, and solid logs - like the ones we used in this batch - are usually reserved for making beads, and the scrap is highly coveted for heating. We didn't use scrap materials here. I ground up whole logs and tossed them into the pot. You can see the quality of the logs in the listing photos. Was excellent material.

I wanted to see what would happen when the sweetness of Ant was combined with the terroir earthiness of the Clay.

Contrasting against Ant woods known for their sweetness - Clay woods can smell earthy, rich, mineralic, or even pick up characteristics of the specific clay types into which they found themselves buried. It's a whole layer of dimensions of scent - and one particular type of wood that is generally highly sought after in the Far East.

THE SCENT

The first really surprising thing about this particular oil - is that it started out Blue Green - a particular color in Chinese that's known as Qing. Qing oils usually smell quite herbal - "like Chinese Medicine". Blue, Green, and Qing oils are all HIGHLY sought after - both for their colors, as well as their unique odor profiles.

On the one hand - they can lean Minty - like some East Malaysian woods can be Minty / Medicinal smelling. On the other hand they can smell very Herbal - like the scent of a Chinese Medicine Pharmacy. If you've ever been into one, you'll recognize that scent immediately. As a Chinese Medicine practitioner, myself - it's a very familiar and pleasant scent profile, and one that is well-known and beloved by many East Asian consumers. It's quite a rare profile, and highly desired.

In this particular case - it's a potent Chinese Medicine Pharmacy profile, and smells soooo good.

I distilled this batch back in March of 2022 and then shelved it. I have several Malaysians I've shelved, and will be pulling out periodically to add some variety into the shop. (Don't overlook my Tiger King / TK Series, for example) (There are some special Malaysian woods in the shop, as well).

What often starts as Blue or Green or Qing will often morph into a brown or red color. In this case, after 3 years of aging - we now have a deep Blood Red-colored oil, like a liquid Dragon's Blood, or a really deep glass of red wine. So deep red that it almost looks black, like a dark garnet or ruby. For an oil, it's a really unique color of red.

The scent profile, Chinese Pharmacy scent aside, I find quite challenging to describe. It's Sweet. Very long lasting. The herbal notes morph and shift and smell like a dozen different things, yet like none of them. Star Anise and Dang Gui. Benzoin and Cloves. Humid Patchouli? Styrax and Mu Xiang? It's wild.

I'll add that I get some occasional "purple" or "grape-leaning" notes, which leads me to believe some of the Ant wood used may have had some Beccariana mixed in with it - as Becc tends to smell like Concord Grapes. I wonder if you'll notice that, as well?

And underneath it all, a thick Oudiness that hints on those sweet syrupy notes that can be found in Malaysian oils from the Peninsula.

Simply put - Ant and Clay is divine.