Want a benchmark to gauge what vintage, high-quality Santalum Album oil should smell like? Look no further than Santal 100K Aira, distilled in 2017, is a remarkable creation that captures the essence of ancient Santalum Album trees—around 100 years old—grown in the fertile soils of Indonesia. These trees belong to the same variety commonly known as “Mysore sandalwood,” celebrated worldwide for its unparalleled richness and depth.
This oil represents the pinnacle of Mysore sandalwood craftsmanship, with Feel Oud employing innovative techniques to distill the roots of these venerable trees into an aromatic masterpiece. The scent profile is outwardly perfumed, airy, and sweet, with creamy, buttery, and woody facets layered with extraordinary depth and complexity.
What makes Santal 100K Aira truly unique is the intentional amplification of “accessory notes,” the nuanced aromas that emerge from meticulous processing. Through Feel Oud’s signature hybrid soaking method—where portions of the wood were soaked for varying lengths of time before being combined—and the use of a hybrid still (stainless steel, copper, and pyrex glass), the distillation process enhanced every facet of the wood’s natural aroma.
The resulting oil is nothing short of transformative. The inherent creaminess of Mysore sandalwood develops into a rich, full-bodied note, embodying the very best of heavily aged sandalwood. The buttery and creamy aspects evolve into a spicy, slightly sour orris butter-like aroma, alive with vibrancy. Meanwhile, the woodiness deepens into a heady smoothness, surprising with its intensity, projection, and remarkable longevity.
Santal 100K Aira is both a tribute to the legacy of Mysore sandalwood and an exploration of its untapped potential. Distilled from the roots of ancient trees, it offers a rare and luxurious sensory journey—an olfactory experience of warmth, elegance, and timeless beauty.
From the Master Artisan's words himself, Russian Adam described the creative process employed to craft this sublime sandalwood as follows:
"What we have managed to put our hands on is sandalwood roots from ancient trees ( +/- 100 years old) dug out from underground. The species Santal album, grown on one of Indonesian Islands. Even on that isolated island all of the ancient sandalwood trees were cut down many years ago. (Now try to imagine the state of affairs on every continent not to mention the tiny province of Mysore, India … ) The oldest standing trees on that isolated Indonesian island are no more then 50 years old. Still amazing for making oil, however this time we were after something even more special.
Fully sinking chunks of sandalwood from the roots of trees likely to be well over 100 years old when felled. They were cut down long ago but the roots have just been sent to us to be chopped and distilled in a manner that most likely sandalwood has never been distilled before…
The chips were hand cut and then ground into powders of 3 different sizes. (Size of powder hugely impacts the aroma as well as the yield). Then these 3 lots were soaked for different periods of time in nothing but the finest mineral water from the Alps. Most likely, this is the first time in history of Sandalwood distillation that the powder from ancient roots meet the virginal, pure Alps mineral water. (Water is another critical variable in distillation that highly influences the aroma). Finnaly the cocktail was distilled for 8 days in a traditional food grade Portugese copper pot with fluctuating temperatures of the condenser as well as boiling water (another vital viriable that if wisely controlled adds beautiful nuances to the aroma).
The oil came out white in colour just like a creamy coconut butter. Once it has been cured it turns completely transparent. (It is well know that some of the finest quality sandalwood oils are transparent).
The delicate, airy, crystal clear and silky smooth aroma of Sandal 100K takes time to be fully appreciated and admired. At first sniff I was expecting a super sweet, creamy and intense opening which was simply not there. Instead my nose faced one of the softest and gentle scents I have ever experienced in a sandalwood oil. The nuances, depth and variety of notes start to come out slowly layer after layer.
The opening notes bring a milky, creamy, slightly powdery and airy shine. In another few seconds it start to increase power building up its seductive aura. If one sniffs just deep enough a sweet, creamy and slightly bitter taste reaches the throat. Smelling it has a slight uplifting effect akin to when its hydrosol is drank. One of the richest, juiciest, butteriest woody notes that I have ever experienced resides in the heart of this aromatic bliss."
Although I only have two bottles in stock, I would have liked to have kept the price lower, but given that our DHL shipping typically costs $50-60 and we only charge $25, we are stuck at this price level unfortunately.
The price is for a 1g High Recovery Vial
(The photo depicts the 2.5g Feel Oud bottle as shown on the Feel Oud site - unfortunately I am currently abroad and forgot to take a photo of my bottle that I actually decanted this Sandalwood from, but will update the photo in late January upon my return)