about new releases
- Thread starter abdullah
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Thanks Oudiferous and Campi. BTW, does anyone here feel that Papuan's oil and the Gyrinops species of tree is neither well represented or experimented with and subjected to artisnal treatment of say Thai or Cambodian woods? All sellers carry or have carried one version or another of Merauk or Irian Jay but the effort always seemed more perfunctory rather deliberate or inspirational. The wood alone looks different, white and un-resinated and the smell seems at times IMO like an acquired taste but I think it still holds a lot to be discovered hidden in its dark green jungles.
Today I had the chance to try Kyara Ko-Twe; a soon to be released new Agarwood Oil from Ensar Oils and i wrote down some first impressions. It is a Dark Amber/Burnt Sienna color, extremely heavy body (Thaqeel like in consistency). You can almost scoop it up with the applicator. It leaves a slightly shinny waxy sheen on the skin when spread. When you inhale in, it feels similar to slowly suckling on a teaspoon of the best unfiltered dark Royal Sidr honey from Yemen while having rubbed the tiniest amount of Tiger balm cream on your chest and neck. A crude picture but I hope you get the idea. As the high notes of menthol-y camphor arise from your chest it is tempered by the sweet honey notes that get accented with a hint of lemon grass and white peppers. A suggestion of cinnamon and a hint of nutmeg all wrapped up in a powder dusted amulet of Amber. The spices though are not the main players here rather the yellowish fruity notes such as dried Apricot and Peaches oozing with bitter sweet nectar. I would hazer a guess that this is a steam distilled Borneo chips. It has that bitter sweet smell. The dry down is wet cigar smoke with some bitter fruit all sprinkled with white soft talc powder. It has a mid-range projection of about 3 to 4 feet (1m.). Its intensity does not increase with the amount you apply but rather remain level. On my skin its longevity is limited to 3 hrs. Before it diminishes considerably. In terms of comparison to other ouds from Ensar Ouds I would say it has an uncanny resemblance to Encens Khmer but maybe Encens Khmer is a bit more buttery and to a lesser degree to Kyara Koutan. It could also be the older more luxurious cousin of Encens D’Angkor. What follows is strictly MHO that this is a grown ups Oud that is complex and sophisticated with a character of the likes as Ences khmer and Kyara Koutan. So if you had tried those oils before and liked them then I think you’ll enjoy this one as well, otherwise it won’t be your “cup of tea” as they say
@ abdullah, don't worry about your description being poor. Sometimes it is the economy of words to describe a subject that I find eluding me. For example a lot of you remember buemoon from BN; Bluemoon shared some of her impressions of the oils I have recently described here. I always admired her economy of words to provide a painterly picture of how Oud Oils have smelled. I am quoting here some of her impressions from intitial trial:
" Borneo 50K left upper wrist- 50K’s shrill opening is the olfactory equivalent of walking on pins. Fortunately a powdery cushion soon floats down and extinguishes its surly shrillness. The mid and bottom range are very agreeable- cinnamon-infused woods are interlaced with tickling pepper that enlivens the tufted smoothness of the talc-dusted base. More than a hint of vanilla makes me wonder if someone snuck a drop of egg-based custard into the still J. My favorite aspect of the oil is the clean, very slightly green scent of a newly-peeled willow branch – as fresh as the stripped, moist flesh of the supple shoot, yet as creamy and soft as the nectar-filled catkins that adorn the tree even before the leaves begin to open. The drydown is pure, unblemished, clean woods- soft, smooth and not too dry. Many Borneo oils are quite one-dimensional and are happy to hang out in constricted scent radius. Borneo 50K is true to type in that it doesn’t go through major metamorphoses, but each subtle shift leads emphasizes a very different aspect of its heterogeneous character.
Borneo 5000- Wow! This oil isn’t shy! I usually think of Borneos as being wispy, airy, ethereal, floaty, etc. Borneo 5000 took me totally by surprise- it’s done some serious weight training! Everything about this oil seems magnified- in fact it’s kind of amazing that it’s so powerful and strong, yet manages to maintain the vapor-y loftiness of its more delicate brethren. It feels hearty- vibrant and highly energized, almost swashbuckling in its valor. The scent begins clear, animated and energized, but underneath this keen layer is a sweet, herbal thickness reminiscent of aged patchouli. A drop of bitterness appears so briefly I wonder if I imagined it. This savory layer adds substance and groundedness to the flashier opening. The drydown is woody but the wood is more like dust rather than the clean slice of the woods in the 50K.
Kalbar 3000- Oh my goodness! This is the first oud I ever sampled that, at first sniff, smelled like sweet honeydew! It is green, for sure- not in the chlorphyl-ly way of grass, but like the sweet greenness of Persian galbanum, or the delicate soapiness of a snapped twig. It is as fresh as a young birch, displaying the gentle grace of a stand of swaying alders. As beguiling as it is refreshing, Kalbar 3000 brings to mind images of nimble youth- supple, graceful and unaware of their own budding elegance. There aren’t many oils in my collection that I have duplicates of, but the Kalbar gift set just might be irresistible."
That last description is so fitting. I had kept mum about it till I hear others impressions of it because I figured whatever I say would sound like chilling because no matter how hard I try to find fault with it I couldn't. I think the current deal while might seem like a substantial investment I think the oil is so under prized that I won't be surprised if it's value rises exponentially. When I receive my package I promise a full descriptive report back.
" Borneo 50K left upper wrist- 50K’s shrill opening is the olfactory equivalent of walking on pins. Fortunately a powdery cushion soon floats down and extinguishes its surly shrillness. The mid and bottom range are very agreeable- cinnamon-infused woods are interlaced with tickling pepper that enlivens the tufted smoothness of the talc-dusted base. More than a hint of vanilla makes me wonder if someone snuck a drop of egg-based custard into the still J. My favorite aspect of the oil is the clean, very slightly green scent of a newly-peeled willow branch – as fresh as the stripped, moist flesh of the supple shoot, yet as creamy and soft as the nectar-filled catkins that adorn the tree even before the leaves begin to open. The drydown is pure, unblemished, clean woods- soft, smooth and not too dry. Many Borneo oils are quite one-dimensional and are happy to hang out in constricted scent radius. Borneo 50K is true to type in that it doesn’t go through major metamorphoses, but each subtle shift leads emphasizes a very different aspect of its heterogeneous character.
Borneo 5000- Wow! This oil isn’t shy! I usually think of Borneos as being wispy, airy, ethereal, floaty, etc. Borneo 5000 took me totally by surprise- it’s done some serious weight training! Everything about this oil seems magnified- in fact it’s kind of amazing that it’s so powerful and strong, yet manages to maintain the vapor-y loftiness of its more delicate brethren. It feels hearty- vibrant and highly energized, almost swashbuckling in its valor. The scent begins clear, animated and energized, but underneath this keen layer is a sweet, herbal thickness reminiscent of aged patchouli. A drop of bitterness appears so briefly I wonder if I imagined it. This savory layer adds substance and groundedness to the flashier opening. The drydown is woody but the wood is more like dust rather than the clean slice of the woods in the 50K.
Kalbar 3000- Oh my goodness! This is the first oud I ever sampled that, at first sniff, smelled like sweet honeydew! It is green, for sure- not in the chlorphyl-ly way of grass, but like the sweet greenness of Persian galbanum, or the delicate soapiness of a snapped twig. It is as fresh as a young birch, displaying the gentle grace of a stand of swaying alders. As beguiling as it is refreshing, Kalbar 3000 brings to mind images of nimble youth- supple, graceful and unaware of their own budding elegance. There aren’t many oils in my collection that I have duplicates of, but the Kalbar gift set just might be irresistible."
That last description is so fitting. I had kept mum about it till I hear others impressions of it because I figured whatever I say would sound like chilling because no matter how hard I try to find fault with it I couldn't. I think the current deal while might seem like a substantial investment I think the oil is so under prized that I won't be surprised if it's value rises exponentially. When I receive my package I promise a full descriptive report back.
Kalbar 3000, Dark amber color oil with a light body and minimal sheen.
Sun light and sweet honey notes greet your nose as it gets it's first inale and the brain snsors awaken to discern the melody enfolding. Not much of the familiar high Borneoan notes here with it's vanilic character rather the notes have been through the morphology of aging and tempering into a deep amberet of the sweetest Bee Honey and Mellon fruits and honeydew notes all garnished with roasted sesame seeds. There is a constant minty vapor that provides a fresh ride to the sweet notes and the lack of barnyard notes or any fecal notes further emphasis the character of this oil being more of an Old World Perfume in all it's glory and complexities. It quickly became obvious to me that one salient aspect of this oil is it's sweetness; if you ever been to a North African market and have seen the sweets store this oil will taste like this
http://i1135.photobucket.com/albums/m622/masstika1/Sweets/chebakia-moroccan-sweet-dish.jpg.
This Oil is a good example of why a properly aged Oud is always more than a young one. While the young oils might be full of energy but many times they seem to be missing parts of the scent profiles or unusually flat. With proper aging this oil seems to have the confidence in it's own character yet remains vital and sweet with beauty that shimmers. The oi has a soft butter-y and pear fruit like smell with those roasted sesame seeds. The Scent is neither masculine more feminine but is happy to occupy a higher level than mere psychological associations. It would suit Day time use because of it's sunny disposition as well as night time use due to it's sensuality and softness like Honeysuckle. IMHO, I would place this oil on bar with Kyara LTD and the likes. My personal likability scale: 9.75 out of 10.
O.K. so I have been hard pressed to find faults with this oil after repeated use but maybe and this just maybe it could have been better in the Longevity sector. It currently holds between 3 to 4 hours on my skin with up to 5 hours of nice Incense smoke smell. The other thing that could be better is the accompanying Oud chip. I burned it on the Charcoal couple of times while wearing the Oil and it simply does not do it justice. The Chip smoke is hard dry and spicy and in stark contrast to the sweetness of the oil that they simply clashed mercilessly. Instead I burned some of the 60 year old chip that Ensar had on offer few months ago and that was a much better company. It was sweet and resinous just like the oil.
I hope this brief description helps others to give them an idea of what this oil is like but of course it's all subjective and I would love to hear others impressions of it.
Sun light and sweet honey notes greet your nose as it gets it's first inale and the brain snsors awaken to discern the melody enfolding. Not much of the familiar high Borneoan notes here with it's vanilic character rather the notes have been through the morphology of aging and tempering into a deep amberet of the sweetest Bee Honey and Mellon fruits and honeydew notes all garnished with roasted sesame seeds. There is a constant minty vapor that provides a fresh ride to the sweet notes and the lack of barnyard notes or any fecal notes further emphasis the character of this oil being more of an Old World Perfume in all it's glory and complexities. It quickly became obvious to me that one salient aspect of this oil is it's sweetness; if you ever been to a North African market and have seen the sweets store this oil will taste like thishttp://i1135.photobucket.com/albums/m622/masstika1/Sweets/chebakia-moroccan-sweet-dish.jpg.
This Oil is a good example of why a properly aged Oud is always more than a young one. While the young oils might be full of energy but many times they seem to be missing parts of the scent profiles or unusually flat. With proper aging this oil seems to have the confidence in it's own character yet remains vital and sweet with beauty that shimmers. The oi has a soft butter-y and pear fruit like smell with those roasted sesame seeds. The Scent is neither masculine more feminine but is happy to occupy a higher level than mere psychological associations. It would suit Day time use because of it's sunny disposition as well as night time use due to it's sensuality and softness like Honeysuckle. IMHO, I would place this oil on bar with Kyara LTD and the likes. My personal likability scale: 9.75 out of 10.
O.K. so I have been hard pressed to find faults with this oil after repeated use but maybe and this just maybe it could have been better in the Longevity sector. It currently holds between 3 to 4 hours on my skin with up to 5 hours of nice Incense smoke smell. The other thing that could be better is the accompanying Oud chip. I burned it on the Charcoal couple of times while wearing the Oil and it simply does not do it justice. The Chip smoke is hard dry and spicy and in stark contrast to the sweetness of the oil that they simply clashed mercilessly. Instead I burned some of the 60 year old chip that Ensar had on offer few months ago and that was a much better company. It was sweet and resinous just like the oil.
I hope this brief description helps others to give them an idea of what this oil is like but of course it's all subjective and I would love to hear others impressions of it.
Masstika and others who tried the Kalbar 3000 - do you guys ever get the "paint thinner" association from some Borneo ouds and if yes, is there even a hint of that note in K3000? This note was most prominent in Borneo 4000 and to some degree is present in Oud Royale (the new, not the 2004 one) and Borneo Kinam. If you've ever had to use oil-based paint and the thinner, you'll probably know what I am talking about.
Hello Igor: Few thousand brain cells less later from sniffing on Paint Thinner and I can tell you there is no traces here of it in Kalbar 3000. I am serious, I pulled out my paint thinner that I use for Oil paint, the Borneo Kinam and Kalbar oils and sniffed back and forth, back and forth and so on. At first glace you might mistakenly think that the light turpentine notes in the paint thinner is similar to the high camphoric notes in the opening moments of Borneo Kinam but after repeated trails and deep analysis you'll find that the two scents hit different areas in the "sky" of the mouth. Where as the Paint thinner hits the frontal area near the nose as if it's the body inherent self defense mechanisms against poisonous fumes Kinam hits the back of the mouth near the throat with no resistance or gag reaction. Actually "hit" is the wrong word to use, it is more of seductive and slipping nature. Kalbar is so muted and tuned to sweetness that it has no resemblance to this high of the paint thinner. Like I said I think on the face of it many will make connections between those opening notes but I assure you if you were to compare them side by side like I did the difference becomes so apparent like day and night.
Masstika, thanks for risking your brain cells for science and please accept my sincere apologies for my post that prompted you to conduct this dangerous experiment. Of course you are right and the primitive, one-dimensional chemical aggression of turpentine is nothing like the aroma of a Borneo oud. I was simply using it as a reference or an allusion since oud habitually defies description and calls for a descriptive comparison as one struggles to find the correct words for a direct description.
Even though I'd never say that Borneo 4000 smells like oil paint (that's just nonsense, of course) I still get a note in it that in my mind is associated with archetypal "turpentine" smell and this somehow ruins the enjoyment of 4000 (and some other Borneos) for me. I am glad the Kalbar 300 doesn't seem to have that particular note.
Another question, Masstika - how do Thaqeel and the new Kyara Ko-Twe compare with each other?
Even though I'd never say that Borneo 4000 smells like oil paint (that's just nonsense, of course) I still get a note in it that in my mind is associated with archetypal "turpentine" smell and this somehow ruins the enjoyment of 4000 (and some other Borneos) for me. I am glad the Kalbar 300 doesn't seem to have that particular note.
Another question, Masstika - how do Thaqeel and the new Kyara Ko-Twe compare with each other?
Igor, unfortunately the sample of Thaqeel that I used to have is no more so I can't really make a knowledgeable comparison between them. I have to say from memory the only similarity would be the thickness of both oils but they have different color and different memory scent. Think of kyara Ko-Twe along the lines of Kyara Koutan. so there is no intensified oxidization or tweaking like you would encounter with the Thaqeel. IMHO I feel that the Ko-Twe is more natural, less manufactured and less intent where as the Thaqeel feels more tailored and to a certain degree manufactured to meet a certain profile. It's like wearing a loose linen jacket vs. a bespoke wool tailored one if that makes sense? 
What is the relation between the quality of resin and the quality of oil in agarwood? Does sink grade wood containing high amount of resin guarantees good quality oil? I know the more resin the less the oil yield but what about quality? The reason I ask is if they are not related then why insist on sink grade or high content resin to make luxury oils?