Oud of the Day

[User]

Royal Guallam - Ensar Oud

Really intense stuff. On the opening there is a bitter blast. I don’t have a better way of describing it other than bitter. It has the “most” of this facet of any oil I own so far. I assume this is what people mean by “kynamic” because I’ve certainly come across this facet in lesser amounts in other ouds. Behind this bitter kynamic edge there are medicinal notes, a spicy bite (sichuan pepper comes to mind), and some sweet honey and resin. It also has a citrus note to it that I particularly enjoy… subjectively, that’s probably my favourite part of this oil. I don’t think I have anything else like that.

I find some of Ensar’s stuff to be more powerful up front at the cost of being a little linear in the long run. This certainly falls into that category. It’s not that there isn’t a drydown… but I just find it loses some of its bitter edge over time and some resin-ey sweetness emerges in the final hours. It still lasts a while on the skin and, in general, is one of my favourite oils in my collection.

I love this oil and I know the note you are talking about. It’s very strong in some Vietnamese oils and I’ve smelled it from Hong Kong as well. Ii don’t believe this is Kinam, but it seems like everyone has a different definition. I thought this was Kinam when I first tried Nha Trang LTD, but I talked to Taha from Agar Aura about it, and he assured me that Nha Trang LTD is not kinamic. I think Ensar would disagree.

 

[Rai Munir]

Sylheti Oud (from a Bangladeshi friend- M Rashed) and Musk Tabac by Kashti (Mr Divyam): Spectacular, strong, sensational, and simply superb Oud oil it is. It is ambrosia, elixir and nectar for an Oud nerd and junkie. (I dedicate all swipes to dear Peter who used to say 'Barn without barn'. Attar Musc Tabac exudes crude Musk, sweet tobaccoy rose zest too. After a few months, it will be a nice blend.

 

[oudstronaut]

I love this oil and I know the note you are talking about. It’s very strong in some Vietnamese oils and I’ve smelled it from Hong Kong as well. Ii don’t believe this is Kinam, but it seems like everyone has a different definition. I thought this was Kinam when I first tried Nha Trang LTD, but I talked to Taha from Agar Aura about it, and he assured me that Nha Trang LTD is not kinamic. I think Ensar would disagree.

Interesting! I mean, I have other oils that have this note and I’ve generally associated it with kinam as it often is accompanied by a sort of “cooling” sensation that tingles the nostrils and this is in line with others’ impressions. I’m totally open to the idea that it’s not kinam though. I still need to invest in a good kinam reference. I know JK has that Bai Kinam oil… my speculation though, is that the bitter facet, the cooling action, and the “nose tingling” are ALL parts of what makes up the “kinam profile” and so some find it too simplistic to call something kinamic for having just one or two of these facets.

 

[oudstronaut]

I think Ensar would disagree.

I think Ensar would describe most of, if not all of, his oriscent line as kinamic. At least that’s what it sounds like from his write-ups. I also read somewhere that he claimed his taiwanese distillers “could make plantation thai oud smell kinamic” or something to that effect.

 

[User]

Interesting! I mean, I have other oils that have this note and I’ve generally associated it with kinam as it often is accompanied by a sort of “cooling” sensation that tingles the nostrils and this is in line with others’ impressions. I’m totally open to the idea that it’s not kinam though. I still need to invest in a good kinam reference. I know JK has that Bai Kinam oil… my speculation though, is that the bitter facet, the cooling action, and the “nose tingling” are ALL parts of what makes up the “kinam profile” and so some find it too simplistic to call something kinamic for having just one or two of these facets.

I am planning to get a heater and some actual Kinam wood to see what people are talking about.

I have tried lots of oils which are “kinamic” according to different people, like Taha and JK from @RisingPhoenix . I think I’m getting an idea of what it is but I am not sure. I think people might be talking about the sort of powdery note which is present in some oriscent oils and sort of there in Shan special k from agar aura, and myara from @RisingPhoenix, which are claimed by those vendors to be kinamic. Both of them swear that they are not using the term to sell an oil(as if to contrast themselves with another oud vendor). I see some similarity between them, but the notes are also sort of different. I might have perceived it because I was looking so hard for it. The similarity becomes more intangible if I look for it in oud ahmad.

There are a couple of notes that I thought were kinam, but I haven’t really figured it out yet. It seems much less tangible than vendors are making it out to be, and maybe there is not a single component responsible for the smell. For what it’s worth, I tend to like the oils that vendors claim to be kinamic.

By the way, if you like that note in Royal guallam then you should join the Nha Trang Ultima group buy if you haven’t already.

 

[User]

I think Ensar would describe most of, if not all of, his oriscent line as kinamic. At least that’s what it sounds like from his write-ups. I also read somewhere that he claimed his taiwanese distillers “could make plantation thai oud smell kinamic” or something to that effect.

Yes this is true. I think that is purposefully a feature of the oriscent line.

Ensar’s has also claimed that Kinam can be found in other aromatics besides agarwood. He didn’t specify which ones.

 

[oudstronaut]

Yes this is true. I think that is purposefully a feature of the oriscent line.

Ensar’s has also claimed that Kinam can be found in other aromatics besides agarwood. He didn’t specify which ones.

Ya, Russian Adam talked a lot about agaruspirol being responsible for the scent of agarwood and how some cultivated kinam he was working with had some of the highest levels he had seen. Agaruspirol is found in even higher concentrations in plants like ginger lilly. But of course, this brings us back to the conversation we had earlier about whether what we actually love about agarwood, is one of its constituent parts or how these parts come together in different ways depending on the region, distillation method etc.

Like would you rather enjoy a cheese made by monks who have been perfecting the recipe for centuries or an american cheese mass produced that is made to taste as “cheese-ey” as possible.

Still, you raise an important point which is, should we be calling individual notes that are either “bitter” or “cooling” kinamic if we don’t actually understand the entirety of the kinam profile? Are those the things that make kinam what it is, or is it a specific way in which those notes come together. I guess to answer that question I would actually need to have some solid references for the kinam profile.

 

[Mousse de Chene]

I have tried lots of oils which are “kinamic” according to different people, like Taha and JK from @RisingPhoenix . I think I’m getting an idea of what it is but I am not sure. I think people might be talking about the sort of powdery note which is present in some oriscent oils and sort of there in Shan special k from agar aura, and myara from @RisingPhoenix, which are claimed by those vendors to be kinamic. Both of them swear that they are not using the term to sell an oil(as if to contrast themselves with another oud vendor). I see some similarity between them, but the notes are also sort of different. I might have perceived it because I was looking so hard for it. The similarity becomes more intangible if I look for it in oud ahmad.

There are a couple of notes that I thought were kinam, but I haven’t really figured it out yet. It seems much less tangible than vendors are making it out to be, and maybe there is not a single component responsible for the smell. For what it’s worth, I tend to like the oils that vendors claim to be kinamic.

By the way, if you like that note in Royal guallam then you should join the Nha Trang Ultima group buy if you haven’t already.

Once you identify the ‘Kyara’ note it’s obvious in high grades of Sinensis or Crassna.
In my assessment it has nothing to do with powder, I usually perceive it in top note of an oil, it’s a sheer tonality; sparkling, minty, bitter without harshness, medicinal, extremely vibrant & full of energy.
After the initial top note molecules begin to evaporate it usually develops into a sweet direction; red berry / ripe fruits, marzipan, flowers, rounded deep oud resin. Obviously there are exceptions to the rule, but many oils follow this path to my nose.

I had smelt a few ‘Kinamic’ oils in the past but the most eye opening education was heating a small piece of wild Kyara ASO sent me & also cultivated Kyara from Kangiiten. I understood the note much more after smelling it in the wood.

 

[User]

Nha Trang

Once you identify the ‘Kyara’ note it’s obvious in high grades of Sinensis or Crassna.
In my assessment it has nothing to do with powder, I usually perceive it in top note of an oil, it’s a sheer tonality; sparkling, minty, bitter without harshness, very vibrant.
After the initial top note molecules begin to evaporate it usually develops into a sweet direction; red berry / ripe fruits, marzipan, flowers, rounded deep oud resin. Obviously there are exceptions to the rule, but many oils follow this path to my nose.

I had smelt a few ‘Kinamic’ oils in the past but the most eye opening education was heating a small piece of wild Kyara ASO sent me & also cultivated Kyara from Kangiiten. I understood the note much more after smelling it in the wood.

Hopefully I have the same experience after smelling the wood. I am sure that I've smelled the note that you're talking about, but what you described is definitely not present in every oil that is called kinamic.

Is there any specific oil that you can point me to that has the note you're talking about?

 

[oudstronaut]

I am planning to get a heater and some actual Kinam wood to see what people are talking about.

That is probably the way to go. I go back and forth when trying to commit to the burner thing. But I’ve never actually experienced it.

By the way, if you like that note in Royal guallam then you should join the Nha Trang Ultima group buy if you haven’t already.

I thought about it since you’ve first mentioned it. I am curious but I already have a gram of Nha Trang coming from JK that I’m pretty excited to try out! Also, if you liked Royal Guallam, his Asiki Boven is similar in its intensity at the opening. A little more green and fresh but it has that bitter element and I’d say even more of a cooling element! Might be worth grabbing even a sample next time you order from RPP!

 

[User]

That is probably the way to go. I go back and forth when trying to commit to the burner thing. But I’ve never actually experienced it.



I thought about it since you’ve first mentioned it. I am curious but I already have a gram of Nha Trang coming from JK that I’m pretty excited to try out! Also, if you liked Royal Guallam, his Asiki Boven is similar in its intensity at the opening. A little more green and fresh but it has that bitter element and I’d say even more of a cooling element! Might be worth grabbing even a sample next time you order from RPP!

I have Asiki Boven. I think JK also claims that oil to be kinamic. Very interesting oil.

 

[Mr.P]

Today I am trying some of the Kalimantan Bulungan wild oud oil from the mesoud sample set I purchased recently.

this is delicious stuff - tangy, herbaceous like cannabis; clean and multilayered aroma, addictive and hard to stop sniffing. i also get some of the best notes from breaking up a large block of peat moss for the garden. The smell reminds me a bit of some sinensis oils i have sampled, but the label indicates it is malaccensis.

 

[Mousse de Chene]

Hopefully I have the same experience after smelling the wood. I am sure that I've smelled the note that you're talking about, but what you described is definitely not present in every oil that is called kinamic.

Is there any specific oil that you can point me to that has the note you're talking about?

I’m sure you’ve smelt it also. Most of Ensar’s Oriscent line features the note as a signature characteristic. Mind you, I have only smell a few of them but the Nha Trang & Hainan distillations were very ‘kinamic’.

To be honest, I’m not a huge collector of these types of oils, while I admire the pristine clean sparkling nature of high grade new gen Sinenis & Crassna oils, my personal preference is for full spectrum, incensey, resinous Hindi & Malaysian oils.

I noticed you own ‘Fragrant Harbour’ from The Attar Store. This oil, plus Hamza’s two Nha Trangs offerings are kinamic. ‘Nha Trang Qinam’ is glorious.
‘Emperor Of Pursat’ from Jinkoh Store was a great surprise. It’s a new gen Crassna that smells kinamic in that sparking, bitter, floral, marzipan style.
‘Kanbi Koh’ from The Oud Lab is kinamic also, but has less of that vibrant energetic top note & more the the dense resinous berry jam heart. It suits my tastes to perfection & I prefer it to the previous oils I mentioned.

I reckon once you get the heater & wood you’ll understand the note right away, it’s pretty obvious.

By the way, I really like ‘Asiki Boven’ by RPP but to my untrained nose I’m not getting anything kinamic from it. Sure it’s minty, floral & terpenic but it’s not giving me the traditional Kyara profile. Don’t be confused by the reference.

 

[Rename]

Trying to describe actual Kynam (the wood) to someone is like trying to describe the taste of a strawberry to someone who has never tasted a strawberry. It’s impossible.

But once you’ve tasted a strawberry … you’ll recognize that taste, even a decade later.

You’ll understand it once you’ve understood it - and that’ll only come with tasting the strawberry.

I’ve used this analogy with many of the Chinese and Taiwanese vendors, and they’ve all loved it. Because they’ve struggled immensely trying to describe the flavor to all the newbies.

The only way to know it is to Know It.

 

[User]

I’m sure you’ve smelt it also. Most of Ensar’s Oriscent line features the note as a signature characteristic. Mind you, I have only smell a few of them but the Nha Trang & Hainan distillations were very ‘kinamic’.

To be honest, I’m not a huge collector of these types of oils, while I admire the pristine clean sparkling nature of high grade new gen Sinenis & Crassna oils, my personal preference is for full spectrum, incensey, resinous Hindi & Malaysian oils.

I noticed you own ‘Fragrant Harbour’ from The Attar Store. This oil, plus Hamza’s two Nha Trangs offerings are kinamic. ‘Nha Trang Qinam’ is glorious.
‘Emperor Of Pursat’ from Jinkoh Store was a great surprise. It’s a new gen Crassna that smells kinamic in that sparking, bitter, floral, marzipan style.
‘Kanbi Koh’ from The Oud Lab is kinamic also, but has less of that vibrant energetic top note & more the the dense resinous berry jam heart. It suits my tastes to perfection & I prefer it to the previous oils I mentioned.

I reckon once you get the heater & wood you’ll understand the note right away, it’s pretty obvious.

By the way, I really like ‘Asiki Boven’ by RPP but to my untrained nose I’m not getting anything kinamic from it. Sure it’s minty, floral & terpenic but it’s not giving me the traditional Kyara profile. Don’t be confused by the reference.

I don't know what to believe then. Taha says that Nha Trang LTD is not kinamic. The notes that you're talking about are not in other "kinamic" oils.

I have not tried any of those other oils, but I tried Pursat Qi.

 

[User]

Trying to describe actual Kynam (the wood) to someone is like trying to describe the taste of a strawberry to someone who has never tasted a strawberry. It’s impossible.

But once you’ve tasted a strawberry … you’ll recognize that taste, even a decade later.

You’ll understand it once you’ve understood it - and that’ll only come with tasting the strawberry.

I’ve used this analogy with many of the Chinese and Taiwanese vendors, and they’ve all loved it. Because they’ve struggled immensely trying to describe the flavor to all the newbies.

The only way to know it is to Know It.

There are many different notes in oud that are recognizable in that way. I am struggling to figure out which one is kinam.

 

[Rename]

There are many different notes in oud that are recognizable in that way. I am struggling to figure out which one is kinam.

There are many fruits.
There is only one strawberry.

 

[Rename]

There are many different notes in oud that are recognizable in that way. I am struggling to figure out which one is kinam.

Part of the challenge you’ll find … is the subjective nature of scent.

Kinamic to one may not translate to Kinamic for another. And pretty much everyone that knows this scent well will tell you that “kinamic” in an oil still does not smell like actual Kynam.

It’s why I say over and over again I really dislike using the term. Even when I feel I have to use it, myself - because it’s an overused and abused marketing term in the hands of most, and it’s tainted it’s use.

I try to be very, very reserved in its use. And even then - I dislike having to use it.

 

[Arabiad07]

I’m sure you’ve smelt it also. Most of Ensar’s Oriscent line features the note as a signature characteristic. Mind you, I have only smell a few of them but the Nha Trang & Hainan distillations were very ‘kinamic’.

To be honest, I’m not a huge collector of these types of oils, while I admire the pristine clean sparkling nature of high grade new gen Sinenis & Crassna oils, my personal preference is for full spectrum, incensey, resinous Hindi & Malaysian oils.

I noticed you own ‘Fragrant Harbour’ from The Attar Store. This oil, plus Hamza’s two Nha Trangs offerings are kinamic. ‘Nha Trang Qinam’ is glorious.
‘Emperor Of Pursat’ from Jinkoh Store was a great surprise. It’s a new gen Crassna that smells kinamic in that sparking, bitter, floral, marzipan style.
‘Kanbi Koh’ from The Oud Lab is kinamic also, but has less of that vibrant energetic top note & more the the dense resinous berry jam heart. It suits my tastes to perfection & I prefer it to the previous oils I mentioned.

I reckon once you get the heater & wood you’ll understand the note right away, it’s pretty obvious.

By the way, I really like ‘Asiki Boven’ by RPP but to my untrained nose I’m not getting anything kinamic from it. Sure it’s minty, floral & terpenic but it’s not giving me the traditional Kyara profile. Don’t be confused by the reference.

Man I dont care if Kanbi Koh is described as kinamic or not. That oil is amazing and out of this world. Hesitate to post this out of fear of it selling out …

 

[Rai Munir]

it’s a sheer tonality;

👍
Great