Lam’ah

What once began as a far-flung theoretical example has today flourished into a reality that can now be experienced in the form of a real and splendid Oudh oil. When a group of friends questioned ‘What would it cost to craft an oil from Kynam/Kyara?’ I laughed responding almost immediately ‘the cost would be huge. ‘ The discussion continued throughout the night and when it eventually came to an end the parting message was  crystal clear – many people would be interested in such a venture.

At that point the seeds of creating a Kynam oil were planted in my mind. As time progressed I realised such an innovative project would benefit a lot of people. Here was an opportunity to experience a true and complete feel of a Kynam oil as opposed to one that merely shares a trait with Kynam.

The big question was how to make this idea a viable reality?

We began by gathering Kynam from as many sources as we could, small batches from different suppliers and regions. Cue lots of negotiating, sampling, testing, sorting, distilling, extracting, testing and more testing and then finally we cracked it. We found the best combination that would remain true to the Kynam woods we had collated but at the same time remain affordable to more people than not.

We found that the truest scent to Kynam wood was when extraction was employed. Further testing revealed that when we employed two different types of extractions together – a solvent extraction and heat and pressure extraction and thereafter we mixed the two resulting oils together the result was equivalent to a fragrant piece of Kynam. Then came the next step to allow the Kynam oil to shine brightly. We needed a carrier that we could infuse with the Kynam oil yet it would remain true to the Kynam. The answer came in the form of high grade old Vietnamese wood. We cooked ourselves the most Kynamic Vietnamese oil we could find-  pieces that best supplemented the Kynam notes. We then distilled the Kynam oil into the Vietnamese oil and here you have it – Kynam oil.

An oil that contains ~22% Kynam. LAM’AH is a thick viscous velvety oil that can really be felt on the skin. My first impression of it is that it makes the top of your head tickle, once you manage to get your mind off the tickling sensation, you realise the beautiful dark powdery resinous top note, with a touch of the kynamic Sweet darkness and bitter brightness. Some dark rum, dark sweet plums, balsam with a touch of medicinal vibe at the heart, followed by slow heated Kynam flirting with the bubbling caldron of Vietnamese resin.

The experience LAM’AH provides is one that also physically moves the mind, it is indeed The Radiant Scent.

What is included in the package?

For every full 2.5ml bottle that is purchased you will receive a sample pack of Super Grade Vietnamese wood that was utilised as the carrier (top left hand corner), a bottle of the soaked wood, LAM’AH and sample pack of the Spent Kynam wood (bottom right hand corner).