SOTD

Morning: The vibrant, and energizing Hainan 2005.
Evening: The calming, and reflective Oud Hud.

@kesiro thanks for sharing! I'm also expecting to sampling all 3 soon. Look forward to it; in the meantime you, or anyone else, manage to get Kiyosumi please do share your opinion about it

So ill initiate this post with an admission that I am way overdo on both contribution and lead posts. I will get on top of this inshAllah.

So in reference to the above post. I have been quite intrigued by kiyosumi because it is the most profound deep cherry note i have experienced in a Vietnam oil. There is no bitterness....a very balanced sweetness but the cherry is by far the dominant note, I would describe it as more grounding rather than uplifting. I have some excellent Vietnam woods which ive been able to collect and I love finding the right piece with the right burn where i get this same unmistakable cherry note unique to the origin. A very gentlemanly scent, something James Bond might be inclined to wear.

@Taherg thanks for your valuable review. That one seems very good
So by not picking the bitterness am I right in assuming you didn't perceive any kinam notes in that oil? Did you sample Vietnam Special K? If yes I would be curious to know if you find them similar at all while the VSK seems to boast strong kinam notes.

Welcome back and thank you very much for the review. My question is along the same lines as syncope's regarding kinam notes. To my oxperience, bitterness is bot always the only characteristic which indicates kinam notes. The VSK I would agree has a kinam characteristic but also does not have much in the way of bitterness or medicinal notes.

This afternoon/evening its the magnificent Oud Nuh. If there ever was a special occasion old school Hindi, this would be it. I think this is the most decadent Hindi in my collection. It is bursting with a complex profile of animalic, incensy wood, dried fruit. It is really perfection.

Tonight I put on the beautiful Green Papua. The beautiful floral top notes coupled with the greeness of this oudh makes it a perfect combination for anything meditation related.

Well, I am by no means an expert in Kinam. In fact I have never tried it before...when Ensar and Taha heard that I think they both looked at me like a deprived child haha.
My experience of kinam'ed oud oils are those with some characteristics of green/yellow bitterness. Anyone who has smelled Royal Guallam knows what this mind numbing experience is like in a vietnam oil. I do not really get that with Kiyosumi, nor Kinam Rouge in fact.... so the Kinam sensors did not go off for me personally. I wonder whether they are even the same species of agarwood, Royal G is a sinesis from what I understand, I would venture a guess that both KR and Kiyo are Crassna??

I am mostly tossing dust in the air here but the scent I have come to associate with kinam is by assumption only.

And kesiros post on Oud Nuh I could not agree more with. Out of my quite large and legendary Hindi collection, Oud Nuh stands out as the shining star....unless Ensar has something else hiding away I do not see that status being challenged.

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To make a long post even longer and related to Secret groundbreaking EO oils. I am totally captivated by Purple Kinam and Royal G. A while back I tossed out a leap of faith post on gaharu requesting Ensar to cosy up my collection of these Taiwanese distill oils with a Cambodi sister (still on my Cambodi tripp). Well Eid came early and when I was pointed to Coburn I had to put my money where my mouth was. Well, the oil did not disappoint one bit...and it was in fact an immediate kinam association and the first time I have experienced a green-ness in a cambodi oil...the bittersweetness is there as well. It now proudly stands alongside its sisters well deserving of that position of honour.

up next...Khmer special K comments..

Awesome write up Taherg! I cant wait for your comments on the khmer. I am still finding my way with this one but it is a monster quality creation from my take so far.

100% agree on the RG and PK. Those two are mindnumbing and when one gets to experience them, they become reference points what the pinnacle of oud can be.

Saumanasa for Father's Day...
Why is this oil so fragrant?
I can step outside of my room for a while, then return minutes later, and the fragrance of Saumanasa is still lingering in the air

For Father's Day it's Oud Royale 1985, an oil that is one year older than my daughter who has just visited

This father was visited by his kids' bug, caught at school, and is unable to tolerate almost any smell at all... running a fever (and a nose)... Started with camphor... almost regurgitated my iftar; followed by the most medical Sinking-Grade Ya Chuan oil you can imagine, and am lying here enjoying my recollection of previous wearings. I pray everyone is well, and request your prayers....

Happy Father's Day to all you dads. Ensar, so sorry to hear you got the bug. Doctor says lots of rest fluids and vitamin C. May it pass quickly!

In the world of Oud, a runny nose is devastating
I wish it clears-up soon, or your stock holders will vote-in a new CEO

SOTD - "Khmer Special K" - this one definitely brings the bitter-sweet kinam qualities - not like any Cambodian oil I've smelled before

I went and tried it after reading your post. What Cambodian? Like you said, bitter, medicinal sweet Kinam. I would have thought it was a permutation of one of the Vietnam oils.

SOT(Evening): The crowd pleasing Jungle Kinam .

Today I had to put on then Asaam 3000 multiple times. First time was to wake myself up in the morning. Needed something that would hit a small jolt like a caffeine shot. 2nd time was in the afternoon to enjoy the sweet nonbarn smelling Indian Oudh which I am sure you will be amazed with.

inshaAllah you feel better soon.

Well, the DHL eagle has landed last night and dropped off the magnificent Sultan Afnan. Immediately it is apparent that this is an Oud of immense depth. To my nose, it is definitely slanted toward the base olfactory spectrum in such a delicious way, yet in no way does the base overpower the heart and top. There are so many notes than come through that it will take many wearings to sort them out. There is an surprising but unmistakable Brunei component, along with burning kinam notes reminiscent of Vietnamese oud. Throughout is a very smooth sweetness intermingled with bright oceanic notes. OMG, I just can't even believe this creation. This is on a level of mastery which clearly puts it at the top of Artisinal Oud. Just an amazing achievement.