Kyara and Kinam

O

Oudiferous

New Member
#1
#1
A question in particular for Ensar, but everyone's comments and knowledge is welcome!

As we all know, the terms "Kyara" and "Kinam" are synonymous terms for the highest grade, rarest, and most precious Oud wood available. In the description for "Kyara LTD", you dispel the common belief that "Kyara" originates from Vietnam, by stating that "Aquilaria Sinensis translates to Chinese Aquilaria", thus making China the true origin of "Kyara".

Does this mean that the wood that can be accurately referred to as "Kyara/Kinam" is a particular species of Aquilaria that is in China? How does one then understand the usage of "Kinam" in relationship to an oil such as "Borneo Kinam" and "Assam Kinam"? In those cases, is "Kinam" being used to express the quality of the agarwood, rather than as a pointer to the specific wood of Aquilaria Sinensis?
 
Ensar Oud

Ensar Oud

Well-Known Member
#2
#2
Rather than dispel the notion completely that Kyara comes from Vietnam, I tried to argue the possibility of it originating from elsewhere as well. After all, the scientific name (aquilaria sinensis) indicates "China" as the original source. There are as many opinions about where kyara originates from and what constitutes true kyara as there are oud producers. Baieido maintains that it only comes from Vietnam, and this is something Dave Oller, their US representative, will assure you of. This is the school that holds it is a particular species of oud wood with a certain classification, and so forth.

Yet I've met artisans and collectors who maintain it can come from as far as Borneo. And they deem any unusually resinated wood with a scent unique enough from the rest of the wood originating from that location to be "Kinam" or kyara.

In naming the Assam Kinam and Borneo Kinam, I sided with the latter group. Any strikingly unusual fragrance from a given locale in the oud producing world would be worthy of the name Kinam, to set it apart from the standard olfactory profile coming from that area. Yet more than arguing these oils to be distilled from proper kyara agarwood, what I was trying to indicate is that these oils are as rare among oud oils as kinam is among other types of agarwood.

When I named an oil "Kyara" on the other hand; such as Kyara LTD and Kyara Koutan; what I was trying to indicate is that the profile of these ouds was redolent of the smoke of burning kyara chips, in the Baieido sense of the term.....
 
O

Oudiferous

New Member
#3
#3
Thank you, Ensar. I totally understand what you are getting at now. I recently gave my fiancé a bottle of your Borneo Kinam (part of the reason why I asked this question). I asked her to close her eyes, and then I swiped her wrist, and her first thought was that I had put Kyara Koutan on her wrist. I was puzzled as to why she thought this, because I was unable to initially see the similarity in the fragrance. The bold woodiness of Borneo Kinam was standing out to me more than anything else. But yesterday she was wearing the Borneo Kinam and I suddenly picked up on that incredible Kyara-like fragrance. Then it finally hit me, Borneo Kinam. Of course!
 
A

AbuAyoob

New Member
#4
#4
She has to be one happy Lady :cool:

Sounds like a gift that keeps on giving when mixed with the fresh air of Hawaii and it's surroundings! Pretty cool.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.