Unlike common belief, Oud is not a wood, but rather a rare and precious response from nature itself. What we often consider an injury is, for the Aquilaria tree, an act of resilience. When the tree feels threatened, it forms a dark, balsamic resin, Oud, as a protective veil. In this sense, Oud is not merely a material, but a defense mechanism, a quiet testament to the tree’s strength. This resin forms sporadically and only within trees aged twenty-five years or more, for it is only then that the Aquilaria begins to lose its natural defences and calls upon Oud as its final guardian. Olfactively, the longer the resin rests within the heart of the tree, the richer, darker, and deeper its scent becomes. Yet the character of Oud is never singular: the water that nourishes the roots, the jungle it grows in, and the surrounding environment all imprint their signature on its aroma. For Amouage, Oud represents a new chapter, an ingredient we are nurturing at the Amouage Manufacture for a creation to be revealed in 2026… Photography by @maria.caminoo and @four.30am #Oud #Perfume #Amouage #Oman