Kinam Rouge Ensar Oud Oud Oil

I regret not picking up more of this oil while it was available. Over time, I came to enjoy it tremendously, and for the value back then, I’d say it was a banger. I can’t find any weaknesses to point out.

It showcases a “pretty” and easy-to-love olfactory profile that starts red and sweet, like cherries dipped in bitter-sugary honey. Slowly, more serious notes reveal themselves, such as tobacco leaves, earthy nuances, wood, and rich oleoresinous facets. This oil steers more into the resinous than the woody direction. It feels like smelling a chunk of wood that has softened and become mushy after being saturated with sweet resin. This piece just got dug out of the earth, and you are still dusting off some of the dirt. In the heart and base of the oil, there are subtle green-minty bursts that tingle the nose, and perhaps the reason for partly naming the oil “Kinam.” While I don’t think those facets are relevant enough to warrant the moniker, I completely agree on the “Rouge” part. This oil smells vividly red. A sweet red mingling among shades of brown, and subtle hints of yellow and green. When I first started exploring Vietnamese oud oils, the purist (and the less experienced) in me saw to collect only Sinensis oils, from Nha Trang if possible. Later, I came not only to see and appreciate the beauty and importance of the Vietnamese Crassna but also to prefer it over the Sinensis Species. Bear in mind, this is not your typical fruity Crassna that many would rush to think of. The fruity nuances are more vague, carrying a rather suggestive, less tangible meaning. While with many Cambodian, Thai, and even Burmese oils I can identify the fruity facets, I am less able to pinpoint them in these Crassna Vietnames oils. Also, they are more bitter, albeit with just the right amount of sweetness to balance it out.

And although I never talk or care about performance with anything olfactory-related, since I value the transient beauty of the moment, as brief as it may be, this oil is a stellar performer. A less encountered trait among pure oud oils, and which only deems Kinam Rouge ever more desirable, making this an excellent oil to indulge in privately, but also to wear as a perfume.

IG:@memory.of.scents

Kinam, also known as Kyara in Japan, is the rarest and most valuable oud that exists. Only very few trees produce it, and its formation is still not scientifically understood. It is suspected that only the Aquilaria species Sinensis, Crassna, and Malaccensis can produce Kinam or Kyara. However, it has not yet been possible to genetically identify the species. In short: Kinam is a great mystery.

According to its rarity, Kinam or Kyara oils are also extremely expensive. Among other reasons, due to the price and other indications, it is suspected that Ensar Oud's "Kinam Rouge," which is a pure oud oil, is not a true Kinam, but rather Ensar wanted to express a certain scent with the name.

Nevertheless, it is a very beautiful oil with interesting notes that is also well wearable for beginners. Because "Kinam Rouge" is in no way animalic. In contrast to many other oud oils, it completely lacks this aspect.

The two prominent notes are rather tobacco and cherry. "Kinam Rouge" starts with a rough tobacco aroma. After a few minutes, a lovely cherry scent emerges alongside, giving the whole a wonderful freshness. Ensar also mentions iris as another note. However, I can only faintly detect it.

If it weren't so expensive, I would recommend every oud-interested beginner to get a sample of this wonderful scent.