Khmer Kinam Extrait de Parfum
Agar Aura (2021)

Love this one from Taha. Khmer Kinam. The aroma of burning Agarwood Chips. So vividly captured.

In my opinion, the few Oud Extraits that Taha released over the past several years are just as close as one could get to capturing the aroma of Agarwood in sprayable form, without adultering it with other auxiliary materials. Pure oud, no distractors.
Khmer Kinam is all about capturing the red kinam flavor, and of course, what better way to do it than using some high-grade Cambodian oud oils? If I'm not mistaken, Koh Kong 4K is in here. And anyone who was fortunate enough to experience it knows what to expect with this one.
This one is quite smoky, but think of none of the smoke accords you might have experienced so far. To me, the smokiness really brings to mind a few smoky Merauke oils I have tried over the years. It opens up like that. Very smoky. A somehow mentholated, slightly camphoric smoke warmed up by a honey-like aroma and a lot of cinnamon. A fiery, red opening. Soon, just underneath, the woody aroma reveals itself already. No funk, no barn here. The most beautiful, antique wood flavor. Imagine an old wooden chest or ancient furniture, but not polished. The red Cambodian facets Taha sought to capture start to reveal as well. Soft milky qualities, rich honey, hot spices, and red berries. All of these flavors embellish the wood. In the later stages, the smoke starts to die down and it settles much like an oud oil, on a bed of sweet oleoresins and ancient-smelling wood.

I only wear this one by myself. I tried wearing it out and it just feels like it's being wasted. Some flavors are not meant to be shared or enjoyed on the go. Much like my oud oils, this one is a selfish little pleasure.

IG:@memory.of.scents

This is my absolute favorite oud. It's the way I think a main Oud base should be. Slightly spicy, but a bit sweet, and a vibrant woodiness. Just these few aspects, but they all fit together so perfectly.