KERINCI ROOTS - Vintage Artisan Sandalwood Wild Roots Oil - Timor / Indonesia (S. album)

(S. album) from Timor Indonesia. Wild sustainable harvest of mature tree. Root system only. Slow careful artisan distillation during the spring of 2020.  Small batch. 100% pure.

 This engrossing oil has a strong opening, woody enwrapped with hints of honey, frankincense, fruit (ripe oriental persimmon) and light suede. An hour in, it becomes sweeter and a bit floral while a woody-suede core remains. The sweeter floral sandalwood experience take progressively centre stage over the next few hours, as the transition to a long and vibrant dry down initiates.

One of the great interest of naturally growing sandalwood (of age) is how terroir and connection with surrounding plants infused it always is. of course are at the centre of this connection, and are often used as an elective part to distil on its own, separately from the heartwood.

The word Kerinci has mutliple meanings in Jambi (Indonesian province) : a mountain, a region, people, their language, etc. The etymology means "mountainous or hilly land", which suits the tree used for this distillation.

For sandalwood amateurs :  this oil is deliciously fragrant, but with its own terroir and character, as outlined above: wood, suede and a bit of fruit for the first few hours, sweet floral during the dry down, quite different from classic mysore type of profile (and an excellent complement ;)