Royal Kinam Oud

Addictive woody aromatic scent showcasing a very nice camphorous Kinam agarwood. In the beginning this central Oud note is surrounded by some pepper, oak and labdanum. As the perfume dries down, one can also detect notes of licorice, styrax and amber with a huge dollop of synthetic fragrance enhancers. The masculine leaning scent has moderate to strong sillage and good longevity. This scent unfortunately is not going to find a lot of love because of its limitation and big price tag. But if you can get your nose on this, it is one of the most contemplative and interesting scents to be ever put out by this house. Enjoy!

After hearing about this, I went into the D.S. & Durga boutique in Manhattan and asked to sample it. I tried in vain to procure a sample vial but, considering the pricetag and availability (only 7pcs made), I understood why they couldn't. Upon spraying this on a blotter card, I fanned it about, pulled my mask down and smelled it. My initial reaction was I must have sprayed the other side as I couldn't smell anything. I flipped it and smelled: nothing. I went into the light to see if I can see the spray mark. Ah, there it is. Sniffed: nothing. Sniffed again. Now I get it, but it's faint. In it's defense, I was wearing 3 sprays of Nefs by Nishane and that was at full blast. Even that late in the day. So it had competition and it may have been distorting my sense of smell. But what I did smell, I liked. A lot. So I put it in my wallet and waited until I got home where I can smell it again. Upon smelling it again, it was more distinctive but yet still very mild. But it still confirmed my strong like for the scent profile. In fact, I can't associate it with any oud or scent I've smelled before. It has a slightly animalic, but smooth profile. Also something mildly leathery, which could perhaps be attributed to the licorice and styrax. I wish I could offer an approximation of what this smells like but I can't think of one thing. I can say, however, this smells high-end niche. I would love to try on skin to see if it brings out other facets with the interplay of my chemistry. Perhaps even better longevity. What I can say is, considering the pricetag and overall quantities made, this is definitely targeted towards collectors and rich people who love exclusivity. Anywho, take my assessment with a grain of salt and try for yourself. If it's still available, that is.

Too much of everything else and not enough oud; I find those other rather abrasive notes more distracting than complimentary...only the dry-down is worth the title but not by much. I find it funny that people basically looked up all the other fragrances with the word "kinam" and suggested them all without actual comparisons

This is not a mellow woody scent. Royal Kinam-Oud has that distinct DS & Durga DNA but amped up to the max. Eye opening potent woods focusing on some extremely expensive real oud. The late dry down is a little inside of a wooden cabinet-like, but this is truly something that needs to be experienced if you are interested.