Our Story

From the Source to the Perfumer

The distance between an agarwood distillation unit in Asia and a perfumer’s desk in Europe is not only geographical. Production information can also be lost along the way. Aquiroma was created to keep that connection intact.

Aquiroma is the European presence of Abd Majid Oud. Established in Portugal, it gives fragrance houses, manufacturers, perfumers and industry professionals direct access to our agarwood oils from within Europe.

This European chapter is newer, but the work behind it began in the 1980s. Aquiroma brings that production history into a structure designed around the way European fragrance companies evaluate, approve and purchase raw materials.

Our European partners can receive samples, order from locally held stock and communicate with a team that remains connected to the production behind each material. This makes evaluation, documentation and delivery more efficient without separating the customer from the source.

Aquiroma is not a separate trading layer. It is the European extension of more than four decades of specialised work in agarwood production and distillation.

More Than Four Decades With Agarwood

Agarwood is not one material among many for us. It is our specialisation.

For more than forty years, Abd Majid Oud has worked across the agarwood supply and production chain. Our experience covers the selection of wood containing resin, preparation of the raw material, distillation, separation of the oil and final evaluation.

It has been built through practical work in agarwood producing regions and relationships developed over many years with plantations, raw material partners and distillation teams across Asia.

Experience with agarwood does not make the material simple. It shows us why simple descriptions are often insufficient.

Species and origin provide useful context, but they do not explain an oil by themselves. Resin development, the material selected for distillation, particle preparation, contact with water, microbial activity, temperature, pressure, duration, collection of fractions and resting can all influence the finished profile.

Our responsibility is to understand as much of that history as possible and communicate it clearly with the oil.

We Only Supply What We Produce

This principle is central to our work.

The oils in our portfolio are produced through our direct involvement. We do not buy unidentified finished oils from the open market and present them under a convenient origin or description.

Knowing the raw material and production process allows us to answer questions about the oil with evidence rather than assumption.

Our oils are supplied as produced, without added carrier oils, extenders or unrelated botanical oils. We do not use undisclosed blending to make one material appear to be another origin.

When more than one species or type of raw material is distilled together, that information is stated clearly.

This approach gives our customers a direct line between the sample they evaluate and the production behind it. It also allows us to provide meaningful information about species, origin, raw material, extraction and batch history.

A Portfolio Built on Difference

Our portfolio brings together agarwood oils from South, Southeast and East Asia, produced from different species, resin bearing materials and extraction methods.

It includes hydrodistilled and steam distilled oils, as well as selected materials produced through carbon dioxide extraction. Within each method, changes in raw material and process conditions can produce very different results.

Some oils are dense, animalic and leathery. Others are dry and woody, smoky and earthy, or softer with floral, fruity, spicy or balsamic facets. Many move through several of these directions as they develop on the blotter.

Origin matters, but it is context rather than a complete olfactive specification. Two oils from the same country can differ considerably. Oils from different origins may also share certain facets.

This is why we evaluate and present every material according to its actual production and olfactive character.

For perfumers, this diversity turns oud from one familiar idea into a working palette. It allows the material to be selected for a particular brief, formula and desired effect rather than chosen by origin or reputation alone.

Quality With Natural Variation

Quality begins before an analytical report is issued. It begins with the raw material selected and the decisions made during production.

Every batch is evaluated before supply. We consider its production history, olfactive profile, relevant physical characteristics and consistency with the intended product. Analytical testing is used where appropriate to support this assessment.

GC MS can provide valuable information about composition and help with comparison. It does not, by itself, settle every question about identity, adulteration or quality.

We therefore consider analytical information alongside sensory evaluation, traceability, production records and other relevant tests or documents.

Natural variation is part of agarwood oil. Pretending that every batch should be identical would be unrealistic. Professional users still need predictability, so we manage raw material selection and production conditions carefully and make batch approval part of the process where required.

For continuing requirements, we can provide approval samples, reserve selected stock and plan future production around expected demand.

This helps fragrance houses protect an approved olfactive direction while recognising the natural character of the material.

Documentation Travels With the Material

For a professional customer, an oil is not complete without the information needed to evaluate and use it responsibly.

Depending on the material and request, the available dossier may include a certificate of analysis, technical and safety data, GC MS analysis, IFRA information, allergen information, origin and traceability records, and relevant CITES documentation.

We confirm the available documentation for each material during the evaluation process.

Species of Aquilaria and Gyrinops are listed under CITES Appendix II and under Annex B of the European Union wildlife trade regulations.

Requirements can vary according to the species, source, product form, quantity, route and destination. We review each commercial movement on its own facts and provide the relevant documentation where required.

Through Aquiroma, communication with purchasing, quality and regulatory teams can be coordinated from within Europe. This gives customers a clearer and more efficient route from sample review to approved supply.

Built Around Professional Work

Different teams evaluate agarwood in different ways.

A perfumer may begin by comparing several oils on blotters and considering how each one develops in a formula. An evaluator may focus on profile, impact and batch variation.

A purchasing team may need clear information about availability, commercial quantities and production timing. A quality or regulatory team may need the supporting dossier before the material can be approved.

Our role is to connect these requirements. We support the process from initial sample selection and comparative evaluation through documentation, batch approval, ordering and delivery.

We work with fragrance houses developing fine fragrance and exclusive creations, manufacturers that need dependable commercial supply, and independent perfumers looking for materials supported by clear documentation and available in suitable quantities.

Commercial discussions, material selections and customer projects are handled with discretion. We remain closely involved so questions do not disappear between sales, production and documentation.

Why Aquiroma Exists

Aquiroma was created to shorten the distance between production at the source and professional use in Europe.

Our purpose is not simply to make agarwood oil available. It is to make a complex natural material easier to compare, evaluate, document and purchase without hiding the differences that give each oil its character.

We bring together the production experience of Abd Majid Oud with local European access, professional service and clear information.

The result is a more direct relationship between the people who produce the oil and the people who use it in fragrance.