Borneo Kinam. With the bottle in my hands, I am at first impressed with a bold woodiness emanating from the bottle. I think, Borneos are supposed to be sweet. But I was pleasantly surprised to encounter this fresh woody character from the outset. I could smell that the accord of woody notes was in the lower anatomy of the oil, the body, the surrounding aura of the scent profile. I am immediately intrigued.

I unscrew the cap, enjoying the elegant vision of the gold rim slowly twist. The fragrance moves out in a rush of excitement. I remove the applicator stick, bathed in the gold of Borneo Kinam. Swipe. I take in the sight and feeling of the oil on my wrist, before gently rubbing my wrists together. Vanilla ascends from the body of the oil, soft and beautiful. I can almost taste the smoothness of freshly-ground Madagascan vanilla beans. The oil’s fragrance is deeply sensual, moving in the seductive curves of a woman’s body. A camphorous note mingles in the mid-range before rising to vanillin heights. The camphorous note is reminiscent of the fresh, wet, and green heavenly note of Oud Royale. As it unfolds, it reveals its Kyara-like profile–that beautiful airiness, that unusual indescribable aromatic essence that I know in every Kyara and Kinam oil.

The Kyara note is one of the greatest and most unique olfactory experiences. Unique to the rarest and most resinated agarwood, it is impossible to come by. And yet, here are the likes of Kyara in a Borneo oil. Absolutely magical. It is the feeling of a dream I never imagined suddenly coming true. A romantic vision, realized.

The anatomy of the oil quickly becomes a cohesion of form–with the camphorous notes broadcasting from the middle, accented with the high vanilla notes, all surrounded by a cedary-woodiness. The result: A pristine sweetness. Borneo Kinam is a painting in progress that achieves artistic vision and profundity before your eyes. Just as complex as it is sweet, the sweetness of Borneo Kinam is nothing like the sweetness of a Cambodi, or the rare sweetness of an Indian Oud. It is that passionate sweetness that everyone is desirous of and drawn to when they acquire a bottle of Borneo Oud. It is a sweetness that would be erotic, except that it folds into an equanimity of sensual sophistication and depth.

Borneo Kinam is not a “light” fragrance. One of its most impressing characteristics is its unusual depth and seriousness. Possessing a bold femininity, and a depth that is nearly dramatic in play with its sweetness, Borneo Kinam is far from your everyday Borneo Oud.  As the oil drys down, its floral notes come alive–slightly rosy with the fading fragrance of plumerias. The floral notes are subtle, as if caught in fragrant gusts of wind–just enough vanish your mind in exaltation.

Borneo Kinam is the most beautiful and uplifting Oud oil I have ever smelled. If there is an Oud oil that epitomizes the effect of enhancing one’s mood, then Borneo Kinam is it. However, I must say that the sensual ecstasy and sense of joyousness that Borneo Kinam gives feel to be its deepest gifts.

Jungle: Borneo
Crafted: 2007
Yield: 50 tolas