It starts with the Aquilaria tree, which must grow for over a decade before it can form oud resin. But only when the tree is wounded and infected by a special mold does it produce the dark, aromatic resin that becomes oud. Even then it’s rare – only around 2% of wild Aquilaria trees ever generate this resin naturally making natural oud incredibly scarce.
Harvesting the resin-soaked wood is painstaking. Skilled harvesters cut the dense, fragrant heartwood by hand. The wood chips are soaked for weeks, then gently distilled for days until fragrant steam condenses into droplets of oud oil. It can take up to 8,000 kg of agarwood to produce just one liter of this oil, so each drop is unbelievably precious.
From planting to bottling, making oud spans many years. Such time, rarity, and craftsmanship are why oud is so expensive. For fragrance lovers, knowing the journey behind that tiny drop makes its exotic scent even more magical, a reward for patience and nature’s grace.