When Abdulsamad AlQureshi first introduced Thaqeel, it was marketed as being 90 years old—a bold claim at the time and one that positioned it as one of the first ouds to focus heavily on age as a selling point.
Thaqeel, for all its historical significance, is something I would recommend keeping in your collection more for its status than its scent. Times have changed, and the artisan oud world has evolved dramatically. However, this oil has a special signficiance for me as it came from the last stock Abdulsamad AlQureshi had in the Gulf and was procured in Madina in 2012. Subsequent iterations have been diluted with cheap Thai plantation oils that becomes apparent to anyone accusotmed to oud.
For collectors with deep pockets, Thaqeel is a trophy piece. It’s something to own, admire, and perhaps show off as a relic from the era when Abdulsamad AlQureshi began setting benchmarks for oud marketing.
At the time of its final sale in 2012, Thaqeel was considered expensive at $1200 for a 1/4 tola bottle, but by today’s artisan oud standards, it would seem like an absolute bargain. If you could step back into the era when Abdulsamad AlQureshi first launched it, you’d likely see it as excellent value.
Note: Please note that if the oil level in the photo of the bottle appears to be below the originally supplied quantity, this is due to decants for previous customers and not due to usage.
The price is for a 1g High Recovery Vial
(The photo depicts the original 1/4 tola sturdy Abdulsamad AlQureshi bottle)