Khmer Khlem Chan.
Or in English, simply 'Cambodian Agarwood', because the
name says it all.
Generally speaking, Agar Aura's philosophy is to not get
bogged down by 'traditional' old-fashioned distillation
methods, which often have many drawbacks when compared to
modern distillation technologies and improved methods. Its
not about reinventing the wheel, but rather making
improvements which bring about positive results.
However, given the situation (or lack thereof!) of genuinely
wild vintage Cambodian oud in the modern day market, I
felt it necessary to re-introduce to the world one of the
two old-school Cambodian oud genres.
The first vintage genre entailed fermenting the wood prior
to distillation, and this is where the 'barnyard' note
comes from, which is typically associated with most Indian
and Cambodian ouds, both currently as well as
historically.
The second genre was less common, and very few of the old
masters produced ouds of this style. This, the 'sweet
Cambodian oud' aroma (now made famous by the abundantly
available cultivated Thai 'Cambodian' ouds), is the
category that our Khmer Khlem Chan falls under.
(For those of you familiar with it, think Thaqeel â the
original batch â by Abdul Samad Al Qurashi)
That's not to say we didn't make some modifications to the
old style of cooking.
From stripping the inside of the cooking pots to getting
rid of contaminants from prior distillation runs, the
cooking temperature (even the cooking method), the
collection method... in short, everything was in fact
improved upon. But everything was maintained within the
confines of what would be considered a 'classic' Cambodian
oud distillation. All this in our high-tech modern
distillation factory right here in Malaysia.
The result:
Bold rugged wood, toffee, nutmeg, honey and prune. A rich
body of tobacco, liquorice and agarwood smoke. A smooth
base of chewy resin and raw unburned Cambodian agarwood.
Khmer Khlem Chan, in my humble opinion, is the finest
representation of the sweet classic Cambodian oud profile.
This is your opportunity to get a 100% genuine, wild
Cambodian oud, of one of the two (the rarer of the two)
classic styles.
Enjoy. Cherish.
Khmer Khlem Chan is wonderful. I've been wearing it the last 2 days. The ripe fruitiness / caramel sweetness, is perfectly contrasted by the slightly minty, almost Kinamic top note. The body has that luscious mature Cambodi fruitiness, but drys down to a clean, sparkling & refined profile. I love it!
L.N. (Australia)
The Khmer Khlem Chan is a
beautiful expression, and a delight to wear.
I never lined up in the queue for Thaqueel, but I am
sure this KKC will hold its own with any Cambodian oud
before or since!
S.T. (USA)
KKC is all what I like in a cambodi oil. I'm glad I had
the opportunity to experience what a true old fashioned
cambodi oil smells like. That is a strong benchmark
againt which other cambodi oild shuld compare and tend
to.
A.K. (France)
Well the Cambodian Khan completes the hat trick. The dry
down takes turns that are as distinct and compelling as
the Berkilau and the Chen Xiang.
K.P. (Hawai)
Gee, Ta! I canât believe how close this oil smells to
Thaqeel 1!!! It is uncanny how many notes they have in
common- dried fruits, tobacco, plum jam, cinnamon,
vanilla, coniferous smoke and green almonds, to name a
few. They both are opulent and lush, and their succulent
richness is apparent from the opening notes all the way
through their warm, woody drydowns. In fact, KKCâs
drydown is slightly more robust and brilliant than
Thaqeelâs! KKC boasts a zesty bitter orange note that I
donât smell in itâs sibling and Thaqeel has a hint of
animalic sass that isnât present in KKC . However both
oils are truly radiant, and I am thrilled to add KKC to
my collection. Now if you can only find a way to
replicate it so I never have to worry about running out
:-)
But, it seems this oil is already so popular, you
probably donât need my 1/2 cent :-)
M.W. (USA)
The Khmer Khlem Chan doesn't scream in the beginning but
the strength is subtle and displays it's incense grade
quality, first time I experienced oud of that caliber
:-)
C.C. (USA)
I am very much enjoying Royal Chen Xiang and Berkilau.
As well as Khmer Khlem Chan. I think they are all the
best in their class and probably the best oils I've ever
sampled or purchased from you.
Customer (USA)
Honestly, this is the FIRST time I've tried a fresh/new
Cambodi oil which smells like my OLD Cambodis! Of course
the age difference is evident, but not because of any
olfactory serration, but rather the brightness is the
dividing factor. Other than that, it possesses same
delectable richness and jammy woodiness, with syrupy
balsamic current tying it all together. YUM. This oil
actually has distinct flavors of very old, and extremely
thick balsamic vinegar from Modena, with powerful
chocolate aftertaste and hints of ripe blackberries.
There's a mouthwatering bread-y note which comes though
after about an hour, like biting into freshly baked
slice of sweet pretzel bread! I can't tell you how
thrilled I am to have all my expectations met and
exceeded with this oud:) Finally, a Cambodi oil that is
not just a doppelganger of Thai! Having been so
uninspired by the modern Cambodis I've tried, I'm
officially a convert.
C.G. (USA)
Well, Khmer Khlem Chan is officially my favorite oil
right now! Just incredible. Right now, I'm wearing two
other (very costly and quite aged) contenders on one
arm, and KKC on other -- there's just no comparison!
Customer (USA)
I think I've mentioned this before, but while I LOVE
Thaqeel, I've always felt it was a bit.. I dunno,
suppressed in profile. Your Cambodi is so vibrant and
alive, it shimmers and vibrates as it morphs through all
its many evolutions. At the end of the day, after
several hours of it on my skin, it still boasted of rich
balsamic woods with fresh mossy trunks, maintaining its
voice even after a shower! Yeah, I'm a happy camper
today :)
C.G. (USA)
To a lover of Cambodian oils your distillation of Khmer
Khlem Chan is a dream come true :-) It is replete
with voluptuous notes of moist Mission figs, plump
monukka raisins, sticky dates and plum jam. The ripe
golden-ness of sun-drenched tobacco is fused with the
sweetness of Madagascan vanilla. As the scent
progresses warm, rubbed wood notes unfold beneath
fleeting traces of the delicate green almonds and sassy
cinnamon. The wood note becomes more pronounced as the
oil dries down, and a talcum powderyness surrounds
it in a haze of softness and goose down. After the 4th
hour, I smell an unexpected twist of bitter orange- a
very minor but pleasant nuance.
The oil smells opulent- its sweetness is lush, dense and
syrupy, unlike the Bazooka, berry sweetness of some
plantation Thais. Khmer Khlem Chan is laced with breaths
of coniferous smoke and wisps of green freshness that
balance its resinous sweetness in the same way that a
hint of bitterness enhances a cup of tea.
I could stretch my description to mention far-flung
notes that can be smelled in flowers (heliotrope!), in
the depths of exotic fruits (cherimoya) or the recesses
of antique furnishings (myall?), but it would be more an
exercise to stretch my olfactory receptors
(imagination?) than to present the salient aspects of
the oilâ¦
The oil is moderately viscous and silky smooth, and when
held to the light, itâs a clear, bright, yellow/orange,
almost a sunset orange.
Khmer Khlem Chan is a luscious celebration of natureâs
bounty. Although it might not appeal to people who
prefer pungent, animalic ouds, itâs hard to imagine
anyone not being charmed by this cornucopia of succulent
fruits, gentle spices and mellow woods.
M.W. (USA)
It's nice and potent and is reminiscent of your past
greats like Royal Kampuchea. It has a lot of plum and
purple florals in it. Which I enjoy.
M.J. (USA)