Nisqu

Nisqu is an Akkadian word. It designated aromatics of the highest grade in the administrative records of ancient Mesopotamia: not the rarest, but the most suited to their purpose. Frankincense graded nisq had earned the designation through quality alone. The composition holds luban and oud as a single co-distilled material, the resin and the wood made inseparable before anything else is added. Red frankincense and yellow frankincense, each from a distinct tree and a distinct growing region, are blended alongside it. Cinnamon, cardamom, coriander, and saffron carry the historical depth. Civet and white ambergris hold the composition against skin. Choya raal, oakmoss, and black musk anchor the base. The smoke has been removed. What remains is what the smoke was carrying.