Kadamtala 1978 "Ateek Series" Vintage Artisan Oud Oil

Taktsang Ateek 1949 Bhutan  - Bhutan / Tibet Border Oud Oil - 75 Year Old Dehn al Oudh - Ateek Series - 10 Year Commemorative Anniversary

Jungle : Taktsang, Bhutan - right near the Tibetan Border
Species : "Agallocha" (*although one might argue some unknown subspecies)
Class : Wild - a single, ancient tree - exact age unknown, but "centuries old"
Distillation : Traditional, Wood-fired Copper Deg and Bapkah - Collection of First 10 Days

Although I started Rising Phoenix in 2011 with a launch of alcohol-based fragrances - 2014 is when the company launched in it's current format here in Etsy, just before the Christmas season.

The world has changed a lot since then ... we were the only Agarwood and Oud vendor on Etsy at that time. Look at everything we've since inspired !

As such, 2024 is a 10 Year Anniversary, of sorts, and I wanted to launch a few extra special oils as we gear up for the holiday season and our unofficial 10 Year Commemoration.

Now for a real doosy ... a pure 1949 oil from the Border of Bhutan and Tibet !!

This is a relic distilled during the mid 20th Century - and from an area I don't think I've ever seen or heard of another Oud oil being from 😱 

This oil is a unique historical relic that I acquired directly from the distillation family that produced it in 1949. I was lucky in that they still had some of the distillation details, which I included above.

I have several of my own operations in various locations, and my Indian operation has become finely tuned at connecting with old old family operations, or their descendants, in the case that the operation is no longer functional. It's gotten to a point that they are now seeking US out, which is great news for all of you. Lots of cool relics to find their way into the shop for years to come. 

In an area like the Subcontinent, with such a long history of harvesting and oil production, it's amazing some of these historical finds from decades, even centuries past, that I've been able to be adding to the growing collection. It almost feels like an archaeological find !

“Ateek” - for those wondering, our English word for Antique has it’s roots in this word, which is the same word in both Arabic and Hebrew. It means ooooold ... a fitting moniker for this rare gem of an oil.

Regardless of the specific geo-location, it’s not often we get an uncut family heirloom that is 75 years old and counting. 

Just consider for a moment how a good bottle of Scotch is valued. 16-18 years old is already getting rare. 20-25 years old, and maybe a fortunate few will get themselves a bottle. 30 years old? 50? Usually fewer than 100 bottles will be sold world wide. And to find an 80+ year old bottle - you could have a down payment on a house! A nearly 100 year old bottle might buy a neighborhood of them !!

Extremely old Oils like these are rarely, if ever, available to the public - let alone in small quantities. Even when I find them, it's "all or nothing" - take it all, or lose the opportunity. So it's quite a rare convenience being able to even be able to sample an oil of this caliber.

Usually these rare finds are vaulted in VIP circles where the opportunity to purchase them is by invitation only, and at that - at prices manifoldly higher than what I offer them for. I know of two such VIP vaults, specifically - and I say this with confidence as I have a few customers in that echelon that have told me quite a few stories ... and prices - with the added burden of minimum quantity thresholds. 

I only mention this to emphasize just how rare it is to find an oil like this made available to the public, at a price that is less than a really old bottle of whiskey - and at a price tag far below what you'd expect on a dram of a bottle that old. These are historical relics, juiced from ancient trees, at a time when all the best wood would have been tossed into the pot to make the richest, most excellent oils that simply are not possible to reproduce today in any kind of scalable capacity.

My Ateek Series collection of oils are curated by me, and are mine, and mine alone. They are not available anywhere else, and your access to them is exclusively through Rising Phoenix.

THE SCENT

Bhutan, "Land of the Thunder Dragon" named Druk, who is the national symbol of Bhutan that graces their flag.

This particular oil was distilled from a single ancient tree harvested in 1949 from Paro Taktsang, which already is much further up than most of the rare Bhutan oils and woods we see, which generally come from closer to the border with India. This oil is practically Chinese ! This particular oil was made from a tree harvested up near the modern day Bhutanese / Tibetan border. I don't think I've ever seen or heard of a nearly Tibetan Oud before !

Taktsang ("Tiger’s Nest")  is a famous Monastery in Bhutan, for which the area is named. Guru Padmasambhava, popularly known as Guru Rinpoche, visited and sanctified Bhutan in the 8th century when evil spirits abounded and harmed people.

Legend has it that Guru Rinpoche flew to this site on a tigress’ back to subdue a local demon. Thereafter, he meditated here for three months.

Taktsang Goemba or Tiger’s Nest Monastery was blessed and sanctified as one of Bhutan’s most sacred religious sites. It hangs on a cliff and stands above a beautiful forest of Blue Pine and Rhododendrons ... hints of which can be found in the scent.

As one would hope, this oil smells ... ATEEK. It reeks of ancient awesomeness. Timeless old trees in primeval forests. Scents from another Time. Whispers of history long past. 

1949 Taktsang Ateek has a sense of rawness to its scent. Crisp High-Mountain Air, Wildflowers, and Thuja are followed by Ancient Woods and Moist Earth. As one of my Korean clients says, "It sinks deep into the Lungs." It has an incense-y quality, and an even more masculine woodiness.

I have a few clients that I've sent samples to, and several have commented that, although this is an Agallocha "by definition" of its origin - the scent profile is unlike other Bhutanese oils we've tried, making us all think maybe this is some sort of local subspecies, possibly even a different species altogether, as the oil is quite unique smelling.

The scent has a general dark feeling, yet somehow has a vibrant foresty quality to it - along with a mysterious fruity quality that I haven't yet found the right words to describe. It's not like the Juniper Berries, Mulberries, Tamarind or Plumbs that can be found in Cambodi, Burmese, or Thai oils. It's an opulent scent, dissimilar to what I've experienced from other regions. Almost Cassis-like in it's blackness. It is unlike anything I've smelled even from other Bhutanese oils.

It's made me wonder if this is a local subspecies or an entirely different species, as it's such a unique scent. But, for lack of knowing, I'll say it's an "Agallocha".

The everlasting longevity is another notable quality of 1949 Taktsang. Like the hanging cliff monestary bearing the same name, it practically moves in and hangs out in your nostrils forever !

If you're looking for something truly unique, but distinctively Oud'y - your search ends here.

1949 Taktsang Ateek is an oil for the archives - a centerpiece on your trophy shelf. I imagine for those of you that like to commemorate special occasions with special scents, you'll want to swipe '49 Taktsang Ateek. For those that do, your future will hold garlands of rich Bhutani-Tibetan Gold, gracing your memories for years to come ... and maybe roar like Druk the Thunder Dragon.