In the Sylhet region of Bangladesh, a small family distillery prepares one of the rarest ingredients in perfumery. Thick, dark agarwood—harvested from trees more than 150 years old—is distilled over three days using methods passed down through numerous generations of the Jalali family. The result is oud that has aged for more than 80 years, with a depth and clarity few others can match. And this week, Creed released Oud Zarian, a £500 fragrance built entirely around this single, limited harvest.
Oud, sometimes called “liquid gold,” has been prized for centuries across the Middle East and South Asia for its rich, resinous scent and role in spiritual and ceremonial rituals. In recent years, it has moved firmly into the luxury fragrance mainstream, with Western perfume houses reinterpreting its complex profile for modern audiences. As a result, it has become one of the most coveted—and polarising—ingredients in the global fragrance market. For Creed, Oud Zarian is part of this ongoing renaissance—but its use of long-aged Jalali oud makes it unusual even in the rarefied world of niche perfumery.
