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Rising Phoenix Perfumery
Nungkhal 4 - 2023 : Pure Manipuri 170+ Year Old Single Tree Oud Oil - Hindi Dehn al Oudh - Rising Phoenix Perfumery - Nungkhal Series 4 of 4
Nungkhal 4 - 2023 : Pure Manipuri 170+ Year Old Single Tree Oud Oil - Hindi Dehn al Oudh - Rising Phoenix Perfumery - Nungkhal Series 4 of 4
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Jungle : Nungkhal Forest Preserve, Manipur - India
Class : Wild Agallocha - 170+ Year Old Tree
Distillation : Traditional Wood-fired Copper Deg and Bapkha, 40 Day Soak / Fermentation
Distillation Date : July - September 2023 - Distilled for 50 Days
Distillation Type : Incense'y / Spicy, Tea-like, Cocoa
**This is a super cool Series of Oils - totaling 4 Nungkhal oils, all distilled from the same tree, in the same equipment - but under 4 different conditions.
THE BACKSTORY
Back in June and July of 2022, I was working with the local forestry department in the Nungkhal Forest Preserve. I was approached to purchase a tree estimated to be around 165 years old (we counted over 170 rings when we took it down - so it's at least 170 Years Old - possibly older). It was an old tree and very obviously heavily infected, which is what prompted the forestry department to reach out to us.
The funds from our purchase were used to update one of the forestry outposts there in the preserve, and to construct a new outpost. So we helped do a lot of good in purchasing this tree with their help.
It was quite a large tree, fully wild, and I was given a guarantee that it would contain "at least X kg's of premium wood". Needless to say ... it did.
I took and set aside roughly 14kg of premium and sinking wood from the tree, and decided the rest of the incense woods and shavings would be used to produce oil. 4 of them, to be exact.
This is way out in the countryside, and there's no real way to get the wood out to distill elsewhere in any large quantity - so I rented a well-kept local setup to put to work. Over $9,000 of firewood was purchased and used to distill these 4 oils, on top of the cost of the tree, plus the cost of cutting out and cleaning all the wood - which took more than 2 MONTHS just to carve it all out. This was not an inexpensive undertaking. Tens of thousands I put in to this experiment, and that's money all spent up front. I was terrified, to say the least. haha
It was July of 2023 before I had the funds to start the distillation (had to buy all that firewood!) - so the woods were good and mature and dry. Perfect for the project.
**In each of the 4 oils, I tried to evenly distribute shavings and the various grades of incense woods. The differences between the oils lay in the soak / fermentation lengths, and the length of time I distilled the oils, along with some other tweaks during distillation.
THE SCENT
Nungkhal 4 is the longest soaked / fermented batch we made. Soaked for 40 Days, and distilled for a whopping 50 Days! The oil from this batch continued to flow and flow, so I had to keep buying firewood to keep it going since the wood didn't seem to want to quite producing oil for us. This batch was the largest yield out of the 4 oils as a result, I imagine, of the fermentation. That - and this was damn good wood, dense with oil and resin.
Don't let that long fermentation spook ya, though - this is the smoothest and easiest of the 4 oils to wear.
Interestingly - the longer the ferment, the smoother the oil. Nunkhal 4 is like a fine aged Tea, with rich pepperiness, and a soothing incense tonality, with hints of tart fruits, chocolate and smoke. Delightful!
If you have tried any of my Ateek Series of very old Oud oils - you'll recognize that characteristic strength, and even though this is a new oil from 2023 - you'd easily think this was one of the oils from the Ateek Series. It smells OLD ... likely due to the sheer age of the material used.
Nungkhal 4 is NOT potently animalic - although it does have a little bit of a bite for those with tender noses. But of the 4, this is the gentlest. It smells very clean and smooth - loaded with Umami and a Tea-like, Incense vibe to it. For those that know me - I have a special place in my heart for oils with Tea nuances to them, as well as for Incense'y oils...and this has both! Some of my personal faves! The Incense here is less smoke and more of that Incense'y Resinous quality - although some are detecting some hints of smoke in the Drydown. I wouldn't call it a smokey oil, though - very gentle and pleasant. If the other oils were various Blue Cheeses, Nungkhal is a Brie / Camembert.
The feedback I've gotten from non-funk lovers have told me that the Nungkhal oils are weirdly addictive. Sticking in your nose, haunting you with warmth for hours. And now ... a warm cup of umami-laden Tea and Incense.
That punchiness found in Nungkhal 1 and 2 is pretty much unseen here in Nungkhal 4. That opening that lasted all of maybe 5-10 minutes in the 3 other oils I'd say here is maybe 1-2 minutes of a gentle purr - before it begins transitioning into tea and pleasant florals and tart berries - all the things lovers of Clean Hindi oils love about Hindis.
Nungkhal 4 is warm and Tea-like, with a delightful Pepperiness. The Incense Resin and fruity-floral tartness is soothing to the tired soul. In the Drydown - the scent undergoes a significant change, morphing into chocolate and incense, and a gently smokey scent, while simultaneously retaining an old book-like warmth and sweetness. Like pulling out an old book and reading it by the fire, warm cup of cocoa in-hand.
Of the Ningkhal Series, I'd say Nungkhal 4 is the MOST Nuanced and MOST Subtle of the 4 oils. Spicy, yet Mild and Gentle. Loads to explore.
Weirdly addictive, and hits all the sweet spots that Hindi lovers usually look for, with some dramatic twists. I suspect the additional fermentation has yielded the additional layers and depth, not unlike what we find in superbly aged specimens of Pu-Er cakes. Layers and layers to be explored and enjoyed.
Nungkhal 4 is the most nuanced of the 4 oils. The Funky Leather and Animalic tonalities are dramatically toned down - and the Spicy / Peppery Incense pairs beautifully with the Cocoa and Smoke in the Drydown, with hints of fruits and florals throughout. It's very enjoyable...like a warm Hindi Hug and Cup of Tea. Of the 4 oils, Nungkhal 4 is the most nuanced, and the friendliest on the nose.
This was a passion project and a HUGE risk I took - from harvest to distillation. Many more like it I've already undertaken ... but that's a story for another time.
If you're interested in some woods from this tree, please do reach out. It's excellent stuff.
Class : Wild Agallocha - 170+ Year Old Tree
Distillation : Traditional Wood-fired Copper Deg and Bapkha, 40 Day Soak / Fermentation
Distillation Date : July - September 2023 - Distilled for 50 Days
Distillation Type : Incense'y / Spicy, Tea-like, Cocoa
**This is a super cool Series of Oils - totaling 4 Nungkhal oils, all distilled from the same tree, in the same equipment - but under 4 different conditions.
THE BACKSTORY
Back in June and July of 2022, I was working with the local forestry department in the Nungkhal Forest Preserve. I was approached to purchase a tree estimated to be around 165 years old (we counted over 170 rings when we took it down - so it's at least 170 Years Old - possibly older). It was an old tree and very obviously heavily infected, which is what prompted the forestry department to reach out to us.
The funds from our purchase were used to update one of the forestry outposts there in the preserve, and to construct a new outpost. So we helped do a lot of good in purchasing this tree with their help.
It was quite a large tree, fully wild, and I was given a guarantee that it would contain "at least X kg's of premium wood". Needless to say ... it did.
I took and set aside roughly 14kg of premium and sinking wood from the tree, and decided the rest of the incense woods and shavings would be used to produce oil. 4 of them, to be exact.
This is way out in the countryside, and there's no real way to get the wood out to distill elsewhere in any large quantity - so I rented a well-kept local setup to put to work. Over $9,000 of firewood was purchased and used to distill these 4 oils, on top of the cost of the tree, plus the cost of cutting out and cleaning all the wood - which took more than 2 MONTHS just to carve it all out. This was not an inexpensive undertaking. Tens of thousands I put in to this experiment, and that's money all spent up front. I was terrified, to say the least. haha
It was July of 2023 before I had the funds to start the distillation (had to buy all that firewood!) - so the woods were good and mature and dry. Perfect for the project.
**In each of the 4 oils, I tried to evenly distribute shavings and the various grades of incense woods. The differences between the oils lay in the soak / fermentation lengths, and the length of time I distilled the oils, along with some other tweaks during distillation.
THE SCENT
Nungkhal 4 is the longest soaked / fermented batch we made. Soaked for 40 Days, and distilled for a whopping 50 Days! The oil from this batch continued to flow and flow, so I had to keep buying firewood to keep it going since the wood didn't seem to want to quite producing oil for us. This batch was the largest yield out of the 4 oils as a result, I imagine, of the fermentation. That - and this was damn good wood, dense with oil and resin.
Don't let that long fermentation spook ya, though - this is the smoothest and easiest of the 4 oils to wear.
Interestingly - the longer the ferment, the smoother the oil. Nunkhal 4 is like a fine aged Tea, with rich pepperiness, and a soothing incense tonality, with hints of tart fruits, chocolate and smoke. Delightful!
If you have tried any of my Ateek Series of very old Oud oils - you'll recognize that characteristic strength, and even though this is a new oil from 2023 - you'd easily think this was one of the oils from the Ateek Series. It smells OLD ... likely due to the sheer age of the material used.
Nungkhal 4 is NOT potently animalic - although it does have a little bit of a bite for those with tender noses. But of the 4, this is the gentlest. It smells very clean and smooth - loaded with Umami and a Tea-like, Incense vibe to it. For those that know me - I have a special place in my heart for oils with Tea nuances to them, as well as for Incense'y oils...and this has both! Some of my personal faves! The Incense here is less smoke and more of that Incense'y Resinous quality - although some are detecting some hints of smoke in the Drydown. I wouldn't call it a smokey oil, though - very gentle and pleasant. If the other oils were various Blue Cheeses, Nungkhal is a Brie / Camembert.
The feedback I've gotten from non-funk lovers have told me that the Nungkhal oils are weirdly addictive. Sticking in your nose, haunting you with warmth for hours. And now ... a warm cup of umami-laden Tea and Incense.
That punchiness found in Nungkhal 1 and 2 is pretty much unseen here in Nungkhal 4. That opening that lasted all of maybe 5-10 minutes in the 3 other oils I'd say here is maybe 1-2 minutes of a gentle purr - before it begins transitioning into tea and pleasant florals and tart berries - all the things lovers of Clean Hindi oils love about Hindis.
Nungkhal 4 is warm and Tea-like, with a delightful Pepperiness. The Incense Resin and fruity-floral tartness is soothing to the tired soul. In the Drydown - the scent undergoes a significant change, morphing into chocolate and incense, and a gently smokey scent, while simultaneously retaining an old book-like warmth and sweetness. Like pulling out an old book and reading it by the fire, warm cup of cocoa in-hand.
Of the Ningkhal Series, I'd say Nungkhal 4 is the MOST Nuanced and MOST Subtle of the 4 oils. Spicy, yet Mild and Gentle. Loads to explore.
Weirdly addictive, and hits all the sweet spots that Hindi lovers usually look for, with some dramatic twists. I suspect the additional fermentation has yielded the additional layers and depth, not unlike what we find in superbly aged specimens of Pu-Er cakes. Layers and layers to be explored and enjoyed.
Nungkhal 4 is the most nuanced of the 4 oils. The Funky Leather and Animalic tonalities are dramatically toned down - and the Spicy / Peppery Incense pairs beautifully with the Cocoa and Smoke in the Drydown, with hints of fruits and florals throughout. It's very enjoyable...like a warm Hindi Hug and Cup of Tea. Of the 4 oils, Nungkhal 4 is the most nuanced, and the friendliest on the nose.
This was a passion project and a HUGE risk I took - from harvest to distillation. Many more like it I've already undertaken ... but that's a story for another time.
If you're interested in some woods from this tree, please do reach out. It's excellent stuff.
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