The beautiful Samrosa is the first of the two wild-crafted Cambodian ouds we produced for royals of the Arabian Gulf. Whereas her concurrent distillation King Koh Kong (to be released later) got a lot of exposure, only a handful of people knew about this second distillation.
It was never going to be released on the website (the entire batch was supposed to be for the GCC royals), but one whiff of this oil was enough to make me change my mind.
King Koh Kong was distilled from large chips and chunks of incense-grade agarwood. Samrosa, on the other hand, was extracted from smaller oleoresin formations in the tree. Yes, incense-grade as well, but as practitioners of Monkoh know very well there are some differences in the scent of larger vs smaller oleoresin patches.
Both incense grade, both from Koh Kong, and even the distilltation techniques were exactly identical.
So what's the difference between the two oils?
Aside from the obvious difference in cost (larger agarwood chips and chunks are significantly more expensive, and therefore so are oils extracted from them), the two oils are unmistakably related to each other.
Just as the oleoresin formations in the tree were of different sizes, the difference between the two oils can also be analogized the same way.
Whereas King Koh Kong is like a stately dignified king, Samrosa is like his sprightly queen - more flamboyant and lively, always the attention-grabber at royal functions, but still unmistakably regal.
The top notes are more vibrant and diffusive. The fruity notes are ever so slightly amplified and fleshier (and the figs are replaced by dried cherries), the tobacco and spicy notes are softer, and there's an extra dose of burnt toffee.
For all intensive purposes, this is Royal Pursat's Koh Kong cousin.
Samrosa. 100% wild Koh Kong Cambodian oud. 100% awesome.
Man,
so glad I bought a bottle of samrosa. It is EXACTLY what
I was
craving. A cambodian oud that creates a perfect
balance between
earthy and fruity. And the smoky, leathery oud dry down
the next day on
clothes is so good. Love it. Totally my favorite
in the
collection right now.
M.N. (Canada)
Many thanks for making this almost indescribably
beautiful oil available.
J.H. (UK)
I'm
really digging the Samrosa, dried fruits, pipe tobacco
and spices, the
overall aroma reminded me so much of a lapsang souchong
tea my
grandfather used to drink, gorgeous stuff.
D.H. (Canada)
I
put it for friday prayer and 3 days later (today) while
I was walking
by my room I smell the scent of burning chips and I was
thinking I
didn't burn any, and realised that it was the scent of
Samrosa
lingering in my jacket.
Y.B. (France)
Have
you ever seen a "padparadscha sapphire"? In Singhalese,
it's the name
of an acquatic lotus blossom with a coloration somewhere
between pink
and flame orange.
The combination is a incredible salmon color!
Well, your Samrosa IS that color! It's the silken
glimmer of a dancer
in an ancient royal court...with graceful, stylized
movements and regal
bearing...at just the moment when...the dancer BECOMES
the dance.
The scent starts oudhy...an almost resinous
moistness...then it turns
into a shallow pond with still fragrant flowers massed
together after a
tropical rain storm. The breeze wafts.
The floral returns to woody. The woody gradually fades
away after a long long time.
Lovely.
L.K. (USA)
SAMROSA scent
profile should be
categorize for a different league. Top note is pungent
& musky.
Smells like an Old Oud , but the olfactory is talking
from the tree.
The floral notes are not fruity as typical Koh Kong. But
the fruit
notes are more like plums and not over powering the top
note. Middle
note gave me memories from Sokh Khemer but bolder. The
dry down has the
classic spice note for the legendary oils from Koh Kong
from the past.
It gives me memories when I was a kid at the masjid in
the 80's when an
old Arab guy is giving Attar from a bottle to everybody
, the whole
masjid smelled like the Samorsa. This Oud should be in
the museum of
olfactory wonders.
I.R. (Canada)
Both Cambodian oils are very rich so I will not go
into the
details as your descriptions are right on. What I
want to add
is: King Koh Kong and Samrosa are like Yin and
Yang of your Koh
Kong oil. They are similar and yet
different. I like
to wear them at the same time to complete the olfactory
experience.
K.T. (USA)
A drop of Kam Bo Di... As soon as I applied ... nothing
came to my mind except ...I said: I love you mannnn!!!
M.O. (Dubai)
Swiped Samrosa yesterday afternoon. It was a very
different
Cambodian oil, for me. I often have trouble with
these
oils. They seem to hit my taste buds exactly where
bitter
resides. Not this one. Although the "flavor"
was evident,
it was not bitter. And it was a more floral (not
so fruity to
me), dancing around a smooth wood, kind of
fragrance. Also with
great longevity. I am very surprised how much I
liked this one,
frankly.
L.M. (USA)
Samrosa is a basket of candied red fruit afforested,
very sweet oil,
20% oil, 80% perfume, I find him a certain resemblance
to Al Molouk of
ASAQ I understand now where these houses perfumeries
derive their
inspirations...
F.Y. (France)
Wore Samrosa today and what more can I say other than
truly majestic. Such depth and richness to this one.
E.Z. (Ireland)