安汶沉香 Origin: Ambon Island, Indonesia Hitting lower and stronger than our other Indonesian ouds, this incense is slightly animalic with condensed and powerful core notes. We find it spinning a thick, forest inflected cloud tightly around us, like all of the deeper ouds we love. . . . . . . . . . . Oud is a dear companion to us at Cultivate. It accompanies our morning tea ritual at home, welcomes us to the shop, inflects our exchanges with visitors throughout the day, and eventually sends us home feeling resolved. We have been learning about oud for as long as we have been learning about tea, and in many ways, see it as the counterpart to our long tea journey. Oud, sometimes called agarwood or aloeswood, is a very distinctive type of incense with a unique sweetness and complexity. Unlike incense like sandalwood, oud is not actually made from wood. Rather, oud is a resin, specifically produced by varietals of the Aquilaria species of trees native to Asia. These trees release resin when they are damaged by natural factors such as lightning, fire, or insect infestation. The formation of these special, aromatic resins happens very slowly, and can take decades. For many reasons, oud is regarded as one of the most valued substances in the world and can command a very high price. The scent of burning oud is transportive, clarifying to the senses, and extremely relaxing. It is thus a great accompaniment to any of our teas, and if you’ve been to our shop, you’ve likely unknowingly already met it.
