Oud Oil Reviews - MAIN THREAD

bhanny

Well-Known Member
#1
Hainan 2005

So I love Chinese oud. I mean really love it. I've got Hainan05's cousins, Yunnan 2003 and Exclusive. Both of them awesome. Hainan05, the best of all three? Well it's darn good. The bittersweet neroli laced animalics here are slightly less aggressive than the Yunnans (which are lovely as well, and sometimes exactly what I want). But here they are hauntingly beautiful. Love this one.

Just put this one on again after bathing my young boys and had been wearing Kynam No1 all day, which I thought had unfortunately been washed entirely off. So I keep getting wafts of kinam from the Hainan 2005, it weaves its way in and out, could this be the Hainan05 or is it last bit of the Kynam No 1? Guess I'll be forced to revisit this one soon, what a shame :)

UPDATE 9/11. Ok. So DEFINITELY the most amazing kinam note in the drydown here. This oil is special folks.
 

bhanny

Well-Known Member
#2
King Kong Koh - AA

Very nice Cambodian by Taha. Hits all the right points in my novice opinion. Dark red, medicinal, dark fruits, good projection and longevity. Well done!

Too bad his Lao One is sold out! Though good for you Taha.
 

bhanny

Well-Known Member
#3
Borneo 5000

Does indeed start a bit buttery, just as stated. What I really like about this one is the journey, the path it takes. At times it takes me out in the typical breezy ethereal borneo air, sweet and airy. Then suddenly it takes me deep into the woods, equally sweet, but this time honeyed and a bit heavier, but equally serene. Then I'm back out into the berried sweet sunny air again. What a trek! Love this one.
 

bhanny

Well-Known Member
#4
Kynam No 1

I'm almost afraid to review this one, I'm not sure I'm eloquent enough to describe it well. But this is really a stunning oil. I mean really stunning.

It's a light green. A mild minty, bittersweet, light green. Slightly grassy, slightly woody. So yeah, thats what it smells like.

BUT..much more importantly..its what it does to me. To my mind, to my soul. It takes me somewhere else. Somewhere out of this world. Like some mystical ancient buddhist mountain temple. Peace. Tranquility.

And this is 18:30 Tuesday evening, my pager blowing up with some patient at the hospital crashing, JAST after finally getting home, my 4-year old spilling his full cup of milk for the 3rd time in the last 10 minutes and my emotional 5.5-year old breaking down because he just can't imagine moving out of the house 13 years from now when he's and adult.

Nose to left wrist, deep inhalation, then another..PEACE. BLISS.

Then repeat for the next 12-24 hours, this stuff lasts and last and it keeps getting better and better.
 

bhanny

Well-Known Member
#5
Kalbar No 1 - AA

Incredibly well balanced woody/floral Borneo from Taha. Starts with some of that really nice airy, sweet, slightly berried vanillic Borneo. But is definitely balanced by Taha's characteristic yummy clean wood, microcarpa here. The two facets duel beautifully and for a long long time. A really nice oil here.
 

bhanny

Well-Known Member
#6
Sultan Mustafa - Ensar Oud

One of my new favorite ouds. This is a blend of very high grade, I believe very very high grade New Guinea agarwood and some Brunei agarwood. I have never smelled anything like this. Super amazing incense. This reminds me a bit of the sea given the unreal New Guinea wood here and the Brunei gives it this amazing deep blue-green deliciousness that I've never experienced before. And it fits PERFECTLY with the oceanic New Guinea component. Look out for this one!

Edit - Had a chance to review with Ensar, thank you for the clarification my friend, the amazing blue-green deliciousness is also from the New Guinea wood and not the Brunei as I had thought. Don't want to mislead, but regardless, it is an amazing oil!!!
 
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bhanny

Well-Known Member
#7
Kynam Emerald - EO

3 parts wonderful, slightly bittersweet, green kinam; 1 part crisp, crystalline, blue-green, tropical oceanic water. I find myself wearing this stuff more and more. Its quite addictive. I love the kinam note, I'm drawn to it. Add the crisp oceanic note and its hard not to find a happy place.
 

bhanny

Well-Known Member
#8
Beccariana - AA

I love how Taha distills his oils. Very true to the wood and this one is amazingly nice. A very nice balance between woody and floral notes. Definitely has some of the typical Borneo profile, breezy and airy at times, earthy and woody at others, it just flows so nicely. Top to bottom a great one.
 
#9
One of my new favorite ouds. This is a blend of very high grade, I believe very very high grade New Guinea agarwood and some Brunei agarwood. I have never smelled anything like this. Super amazing incense. This reminds me a bit of the sea given the unreal New Guinea wood here and the Brunei gives it this amazing deep blue-green deliciousness that I've never experienced before. And it fits PERFECTLY with the oceanic New Guinea component. Look out for this one!

Edit - Had a chance to review with Ensar, thank you for the clarification my friend, the amazing blue-green deliciousness is also from the New Guinea wood and not the Brunei as I had thought. Don't want to mislead, but regardless, it is an amazing oil!!!
And about the price ?
 

bhanny

Well-Known Member
#10
As I don't think he has listed it on his website and I am just a loyal customer, I will defer to Ensar. It is very nice and worth inquiring about IMO.
 

bhanny

Well-Known Member
#11
Kambodi 1976 - EO

Deep, very deep and rich red fruit. Fairly raw, yet so utterly smooth. This is a deep and soul-stirring oil. Perfectly raw and introspective. Good for the soul, good for the heart, good for the psyche.
 
#12
Does indeed start a bit buttery, just as stated. What I really like about this one is the journey, the path it takes. At times it takes me out in the typical breezy ethereal borneo air, sweet and airy. Then suddenly it takes me deep into the woods, equally sweet, but this time honeyed and a bit heavier, but equally serene. Then I'm back out into the berried sweet sunny air again. What a trek! Love this one.
How do you compare it to Borneo 50k or Borneo 2000?
 

bhanny

Well-Known Member
#13
I don't have Borneo 2000, but I do have Borneo 50K. They are definitely different animals. Borneo 50K is more of a gorgeous minty, vanillic, ethereal floral, with light dose of wood. Borneo 5000 has a bit of those ethereal florals, but also a large gob of syrupy honeyed woods. Definitely a bit more dense for me.

For me, they definitely differ enough to own both. And I am glad I own both!
 
#14
One of my new favorite ouds. This is a blend of very high grade, I believe very very high grade New Guinea agarwood and some Brunei agarwood. I have never smelled anything like this. Super amazing incense. This reminds me a bit of the sea given the unreal New Guinea wood here and the Brunei gives it this amazing deep blue-green deliciousness that I've never experienced before. And it fits PERFECTLY with the oceanic New Guinea component. Look out for this one!

Edit - Had a chance to review with Ensar, thank you for the clarification my friend, the amazing blue-green deliciousness is also from the New Guinea wood and not the Brunei as I had thought. Don't want to mislead, but regardless, it is an amazing oil!!!

What is the origin of this Oud ?

Sounds interesting
 

bhanny

Well-Known Member
#15
Hello aziz_m75! It most assuredly is. If you haven't already, check out the Ensar & Taha letters. Its hard to tell..but I'd guess Taha likes it as well :)
 

bhanny

Well-Known Member
#16
Borneo Diesel - EO

So..I can definitely say, without reservation, I have never smelled anything like this before. Never. Ever. I really don't have the eloquence to detail very specific notes, I will leave that to the experts, but I will do my best to explain its impression on me.

I kind of think of it as some seriously awesome psychedelic, kaleidoscopic, extraterrestrial rocket fuel up front (in the most deliciously smooth yet heady way), that then gently mellows its way back to modern day Borneo as a lovely woody base.

Totally awesome, totally unique, totally glad to have it in my collection!!!
 
#19
Is it thick and heavy ?

So..I can definitely say, without reservation, I have never smelled anything like this before. Never. Ever. I really don't have the eloquence to detail very specific notes, I will leave that to the experts, but I will do my best to explain its impression on me.

I kind of think of it as some seriously awesome psychedelic, kaleidoscopic, extraterrestrial rocket fuel up front (in the most deliciously smooth yet heady way), that then gently mellows its way back to modern day Borneo as a lovely woody base.

Totally awesome, totally unique, totally glad to have it in my collection!!!