Oud, also known as agarwood, is one of the rarest and most expensive components used in perfumery. It’s even been referred to as “liquid gold”. It’s made from dark, sticky resin from the Aquilaria tree that, when processed, turns into blackened agarwood (what we call oud), which can then either be burned as incense or blended with perfume.

And what does oud smell like?

Oud is a mysterious scent, with a woody aroma reminiscent of resin and incense. Its notes are a bit hard to describe. Although it’s definitely not for the faint-hearted, we can tell you that much. We’d describe it as being very sensual and even smoky, sometimes slightly sweet, and just a little spicy due to layers of warm spices in the background. But some say that it’s an earthy scent reminiscent of dried leaves or dirt. Still, others claim it smells buttery, sometimes even medicinal. So, which is it? Perhaps we’ll just leave it up to you to decide.

Whatever it smells like, it’s obviously doing something right. In spite of its high price, perfumers continue to strive to create the most intoxicating aromas using oud. From Tom Ford to Christian Dior, Byredo to Creed, every luxury and niche label has been hard at work developing blends to capture the heady, resinous aroma of this exotic oil.