Hello everyone, It's been a while!
Adan (Al Hashimi). This is a special oil. From the stick it smells exactly like the amazing Filipino wood Al Hashimi released in the spring. It starts with a potent, highly concentrated herbal blast—tarragon, thyme, anise, mint, and robust black pepper, in a chewy-gummy format. Towards the end of a deep deep breath, there is that brain-piercing vaporous feel you get from the finest oils. A dense and fatty pollen-honey note emerges, never getting too sweet, perhaps the fattiness tames the sweetness. It gives a feeling of something wild and nourishing. Mixing with very heavy cream, it is almost edible, and to me is reminiscent of fine herbal ice creams you can find in Italy that make you forsake all other ice creams. For me the overall orientation of Adan is of very piquant herbs. Herbal vibes can be gentle and fleeting, but not here; Adan is mega, its herbs are not those grown in a kitchen window or sanitized greenhouse, they are the feisty and tenacious sun-concentrated wild herbs that manage to survive in the rugged hills of Mediterranean France and Spain. And from the striking herbalness to the honey-creamy base Adan very satisfyingly covers a wide spectrum. Is there Oudiness? Yes there is, I just can’t attach it to a note, I think it simply spans the whole development. Whereas other Gyrinops oils I’ve tried (from Sri Lanka mostly) have a sunnier, brighter, crystal-like quality, I find Adan to be darker, denser, and moodier, even earthier, yet it still has a vaporous penetrating quality.
It will be really interesting to see how this oil ages. But even now Adan is simply an outstanding oil, a top-notch achievement. Very well done
@Alkhadra and
@AbasFrag, congratulations gentlemen!
Note: I wrote this review, and then looked at Al Hashimi’s official description and see lots of overlap. So I add that the official description rings very true.