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..