Cambodi Pa-em

I have finally had the chance to try Oudimentary’s line of Oud oils–and I must say that I am quite pleased with the quality of their oils. In this review, I want to focus on their three Cambodian offerings: Cambodi Tuk-Kmum, Cambodi Special, and Cambodi Pa-em.

Cambodi Tuk-Kmum is a very sticky orange colored oil. It possesses a light and syrupy-sweet aroma that is strong in the mid-range. Characteristic notes of fruit mingle in the background without becoming too prominent or sharp. While it is not very diffuse, it does have a nice tenacity, maintaining its aroma quite well throughout the day. The oil has a wonderful sweetness, a clear sparkling aroma of honey mixed with maple syrup, all rounded together in a smooth and almost balsamic aroma. Cambodi Tuk-Kmum smells great, wears nicely, and feels good on a nice summer day. It reminds me a lot of Agar Aura’s Sylvan Nectar, for those who have tried that oil. On their website, Oudimentary notes that “Tuk-Kmum” is Khmer for “honey”. A most appropriate name for this oil! $200/3ml.

Cambodi Special has much more of a characteristic Thai profile. Zesty mineral notes beneath a light airiness with a subtle fruity aroma meandering in the background. Those who are familiar with the recent organic Thai releases will find much to enjoy in Cambodi Special. Bolder and woodier than Tuk-Kmum, lovers of Thai Oud will definitely enjoy this oil for only $99/3ml.

Cambodi Pa-em is my favorite of Oudimentary’s Cambodian offerings. It is, in my opinion, their highest quality Cambodian oil. Pa-em is another sticky and amber colored oil. It greets me with the smell of fresh fruits. After a few minutes, the fruity notes become riper and darker, resembling the grapey and almost wine-like aroma that I find in Cambodi Caramel. The dry-down is a beautiful woodiness that is punctuated with the classic Cambodian top note that almost smells Marokean. Pa-em is sweet but also spicy, with notes of dry tobacco, nutmeg, and chocolate. There is even a vetiver-esque grassiness lurking in this oil. Most of all, Pa-em is aromatically complex, deep, and lively. It has a complexity I rarely encounter in oils of this price range, which makes it really stand out to me. For $200/3ml, I highly recommend this oil.

I have really enjoyed wearing these oils and getting to know their wonderful aromas. Much gratitude to the Oudimentary team for the samples. I have to congratulate them on producing pure and quality Oud oils at a seriously affordable price. These days everyone is searching for “affordable Oud”, a phrase and endeavor that is essentially an anomaly. While I usually discourage this search, I have to say that I believe that Oudimentary is producing “affordable Oud”. These oils are cheaper than the usual oils on the market, but unlike other affordable Oud oils, there is not a significant drop in quality accompanying the drop in price.

The Oudimentary team is comprised of old-fashioned Oud lovers. If you haven’t checked out their oils yet, do yourself a favor and get some samples.

Coming soon are reviews of Oudimentary’s Thai Super, Thai Old, Tarakan, and Super Assam.