Iris Ghalia: Borneo Kynam
$3,099
Today, three of the most recognizable names in EO history come together to create a scent that’s OFF THE HOOK!
In addition to the incredible ouds already in this composition, this edition contains one of the finest ouds ever distilled. A full three grams of it.
Borneo Kynam was distilled at the helm of my own kyara Sifu using a fabulous wild Borneo harvest we personally flew to my Sifu specifically to concoct this peerless brew. Forget blue lotus and orange blossom, no perfume (‘oud’ perfume or otherwise), uses such a precious aromatic. Not even close.
And it’s hard to believe, but BK’s 10-year-anniversary is upon us, so this isn’t just one of the finest ouds on the planet, but one that’s been finely aged to perfection.
This oud lets you smell for yourself why the Chinese have a strong case for saying kynam isn’t limited to Vietnam alone. But if you insist on Vietnamese kynam being the only kynam out there, you’ll still be left in awe at how this Borneo smells so out of this world compared to your typical varieties – and its scent will be tattooed into your olfactory memory for life.
Diehard skeptics who criticize the Chinese school and insist that it’s a marketing trick miss one crucial point: It’s MUCH easier to find Vietnamese kynam than Brunei or Borneo kynam!
Smell the crème de la crème of Borneo oud and discover an olfactory journey like no other. When it comes to the highest-grade Borneo oud oil, you might get different or varied, but not better.
But I didn’t just add Borneo Kynam to Iris Ghalia. This edition is a tweaked composition with additional iris from half a century ago, along with a special dark yellow toned Ta’ifi that I’ve only used in a bespoke once before.
So, imagine when people “salute the mighty Ghalia” like this:
“I CAN UNDERSTAND NOW WHEN PEOPLE SAY IRIS GHALIA IS THE EPITOME OF PERFUMERY.”
“A LEGENDARY SCENT, IT DOESN’T NEED A LOT OF WORDS, EVERYONE KNOWS HOW AMAZING THIS PERFUME IS!”
“THIS IS PERFUMERY!! AH MAN, I CAN’T SAY ENOUGH ABOUT THIS ONE.”
And then you couple it with the most precious oud on the planet to create a Borneojestic brew no other perfume can match.
With the addition of three grams of Borneo Kynam in 30ml, the concentration is pushed to over 41% – about half of which is OUD!
‘Ghalia’ traditionally denotes Royalty. Perfume made for kings and caliphs, where no expense is spared. Although I’ve added an Oud Man’s iris-inspired, blue lotus-heavy, drunk-on-too-much-musk twist to this revered tradition, Iris Ghalia lives up to this royal legacy ten times over.
The savory sweetness of blackcurrant lavished with violet and peach is tempered by desert spices, vintage bakul attar, carnation, and Himalayan costus root – with Borneo Kynam seeping through them all.
Generous doses of orris butter and creamy olde Mysore punctuate each chord that went into the composition, each one uniquely supported by the cast of deer musk and ambergris. Each chord was designed like a movement in a grand symphony, with rare flowers & animalics supporting the irises.
The buttery scent of iris wouldn’t be complete – nor the ghalia concept fully realized – without that rare potion olfactory mavens fight over every year come harvest time: blue water lily (aka blue lotus). Including this age-old narcotic works on so many levels, I’m surprised it’s never been done before. Hook up ancient Egypt’s favorite aphrodisiac with the pheromonal oomph of deer musk with those kynamic wafts from Borneo, and you know what to expect!
If this is going to be your first spritz of Iris Ghalia, take a spritz and smell why the scent of iris has been the end of many a perfumer – why they’re willing to go mad trying to bottle its secret.
Borneo kynamic iris purple bliss, bottled – plus there slivers of actual Borneo Kynam agarwood wood inside your bottle!
LIMITED EDITION.
*Features the original Habib Dingle purple leather pouch with an accompanying terracotta stone cap.
*Borneo Kynam is available neat here. Notice that, for this perfume, we’ve calculated it at the old price from years ago (which is why coupons don’t apply). This is exclusive to this edition and will not be repeated. Not only do you score this insane cash discount – there’s more…
Reviews of the non-bespoke edition…
One of the easier fragrances to introduce yourself with in the house of Ensar Oud. Beginning with an entry level Oud, the fragrance settles into this beautiful Iris note that beams off of the skin. Awakening, yet comforting. Warm to the touch, kissed with the cool wind cascading the scent towards a beautiful bubble. Iris has been a note I always favoured in fragrances, but this inspire, Ghalia, the purest of forms. Lovely to wear, and drying down to this beautiful powdery Iris Oud that is less vibrant, but more warm and gentle. Truly a great intro.
Iris Ghalia Trifecta, creamy, musky, oudy. It’s a masterpiece from Ensar.
Peachy orris butter wearing an animalic lotus-hyraceum-castoreum-muskrat suit. Everything polished in duo-triple-musky-oudy melange. Dipped into sandalwood-ambergris madness.
I have IG V2 and tried IG V4. Well I liked both the versions, but this one is without a doubt is more bold and animalic of them all while keeping it’s impeccable balance intact!
Blast of animalics from the get-go! Thick orris butter combined with trifecta of animalics (castoreum, hyreceum and muskrat) created a truly amazing leathery facet. Then the Musk (Tibetan, Tonkin & Mongolian) and Oud (India, Vietnam & Cambodi) trifecta, made it so dark and addictive, probably the best animalic base I’ve experienced! What an experience wearing this!
Highly evocative and intriguing with exceptional strength and performance!!
A spray on the chest is enough for a long exciting journey.
I am not one of the most vocal in the community, but there are times when an initial impression strikes me as significant and worthy of commentary for posting. This Iris
Ghalia Trifecta motivates me to post.
If you have a mature nose with experienced olfactory history, you will absolutely love this. Ensar Oud, I see you held nothing back and you clearly composed this with no restraint. One spritz tells me this and more. This is one of the most beastly florals I have experienced. It’s really an animalic beast unleashed with some florals riding on a very restrained top. It’s turned all the way up!
The animalic part of this trifecta hits your first and hard. It’s so heavy with hyraceum, castoreum and muskrat, along with the Tibetan, Tonkin and Mongolian Musk we found in Private Blend, that the florals take time to escape that dense animalic fixative part of this composition.
Even the Oud part of this Trifecta , with bold Indian, Vietnamese, and Cambodian Aroha Mysaku ouds have difficulty asserting themselves. The Orris butter, Iris, black and grey ambergris, and whatever vintage bakul is are all challenged to escape the grip of the animalic fixatives. This promises to be a very long performer with a very long silage trail, but correspondingly I would not expect distant projection. The volatiles are kept under tight rein, but the mature nose is promising with a rewarding and among the most extensive dry downs and journeys of any EO release to be told and unfold.
(This Trifecta will likely illicit comments from those who have Purple Kinam PP and perhaps Purple Haze.)
This is one for the ages folks. It is not a Summer frag. It is Fall, early Spring, and perhaps Winter. Iris Ghalia Trifecta is well worth the wait and will rise to the top of the list among those in the community. However, that EO list is becoming very crowded and I expect there will be some who believe it is at or near the top, despite the crowded field.
Iris Ghalia: Trifecta begins with an intense floral scent with animalic powerhouse, perfectly balanced with complex oud and salty, dark ambergris.
Truly a next level IG. Bold, savory, and heavy animalics. One big difference from the previous iterations are the ouds! Not only does it add gorgeous hindi funk notes to the perfume but I think a lot more oud went into this composition compared to the previous 3 (never tried the OG). At least from what I’m picking up.
Can’t get enough with this one.. a masterpiece!!
Yes, its animalic, but in the good way.
10/10.
…I don’t have much to talk about, we already have amazing reviews here, just to say, this is the most rich, earthy and animalic fragrance that I’ve ever tasted, even Private Blend HK wasn’t that animalic.
Just don’t sleep on this one, it’s amazing!
Nose-Tickling – Nose Piercing – Sensual – Purple – Floral – Phenomenal Preformance
Man, I love these Iris Ghalias!
There are five versions of Iris Ghalia, each with its own unique character. But for me, nothing compares to the sheer perfection of Iris Ghalia V3. It’s the only true masterpiece in the collection.
The way this fragrance combines the animalic notes with florals and the strong iris is simply unmatched. The blending is flawless, creating a complex yet harmonious composition that feels both daring and elegant. The animalic facets bring a raw, sensual edge, while the floral notes soften it with grace, creating a fragrance that feels both untamed and beautifully refined.
The balance is so perfect that it feels almost otherworldly—like a scent that captures the essence of wild nature and high luxury in one bottle. I’m so glad I have a few backups of this gem because nothing else comes close…
The order was delivered today in my office, and I didn’t have the patience to wait till I reach home.
Without wasting any time, I sprayed 5 sprays of Iris Ghalia and I was blown away.
I can understand now when people say Iris Ghalia is the epitome of perfumery.
What a magnificent juice it is!
This beauty is an absolute Masterpiece.
This new Iris Ghalia is breathtaking, quite possibly the best perfume I’ve ever tried.
A smooth, floral spice (completely intoxicating), masculine and dark; musk is intense. I can not wait for my second sitting with this masterpiece as there is so much more to discover. As far as aesthetics go, the leather pouch wins hands down.
“1 spray on the left arm, and 1 spray of the OG on the right arm. Let me just say this out loud now….Ensar has succeeded in bringing back the OG!! WOW. Same tenacity, same beautiful Iris in the opening, the alluring animalic punch, the spices, vivacious, with a bit of that cola-like undertone, same hint of fruitiness in the background, even the Tibetan musk here has the same bite as the Siberian from the OG, all the meat and potatoes are all here. OMG…….
The animalic note is identical, neither one of them is overpowering at all, they are being used as fixatives to lift the composition and to fill in the gaps, it’s very well behaved and balanced. I hope Ensar would use more of these animalic notes in future/new compositions, they are so well done here and they’re inoffensive. With that said, I’m comparing a fresh juice to something released back in 2018, the OG has more age to it, even then, i’m VERY surprised of the similarity here.
I’m really having a hard time telling them apart, the new one is just as potent, projection is just as beastly, the same muskiness, and it is just as pretty, as the OG. This may be a perception thing, but if I really focus really really hard, the OG seems to be half a shade darker, but when i keep sniffing back and forth between the two, they equalized and smell the same, the perception is most likely due to the age of the juice along with the difference between the musks, but they smell 99.99% identical to me.
As of now, there’s zero chance of me knowing which one is which if I were to do a blind test. Ensar Oud, thank you so much for reviving the OG glory, this is absolutely a stunner, through and through!! note:I only have 9ml left of the OG, and have been reluctant to use it because for over a year I couldn’t find a full bottle of the OG anywhere, the reintroduction of 3.0 is a dream come true to me personally, the hunt is officially over.
Edit #1:
5hr later: This is when 3.0 pulling away from the OG.
OG: still great, creamy orris butter, the musk, florals and fruits, and animalics are still doing great. Though leaning a bit on the darker side in comparison to the 3.0, I think it’s the Siberian Musk having this effect.
3.0: still going strong, overall more intense than the OG, with more pronounced Orris butter upfront, and the floral and fruity note is very much still loud and clear, especially the blue lotus, slightly more powdery, all these accords are keeping the muskiness and animalic notes in check. Ensar said he has the volume cranked up on this new version, yes indeed, this new one definitely has improved projection and strength, up a notch he did, over the OG!!
It’s pretty safe to sum this up. If you love the OG, or the 2.0, you would love this just as much, if not more. If you didn’t like either of the previous two versions, you ain’t going to like this one either, because it smells almost identical to the OG, with enhanced endurance and tenacity. Like the Tonkin Musk PP, I don’t think anybody would need more than 2 sprays with this IG3. It’s a nuclear concoction. 1 spray and I’m good to go, and it would project for hours!
Edit #2:
A lot of other perfumes would start tapering off if not losing steam at around 5 to 6hr mark, this new IG3 is still singing pretty dang loud and clear. Ensar wasn’t kidding when he said he got the volume cranked up on this new version. Those of you who have the OG, you know how potent that stuff was, now take that….and crank it up another notch, at 5hr mark!! You have to be an Iris fan to love this, and man, is this gorgeous, none of that lipstick vibe type BS, just a slight powderiness (or dusty) quality to it, this is good stuff!!”
Ben W. • USA
This also happens to be one of my wife’s favourites on me so … it should be backed up.
A true Masterpiece, just love it.
I absolutely love the new Iris Ghalia! the original was great, but this one works even better for me personally. It does turn too dark and masculine mid-stage. But regardless of gender, the composition itself is just special. That blackcurrant gets me giddy with happiness each time I smell it. I totally understand why Ben got 4 bottles. I would get 10 if I could. No EO collection is complete without IG.
Note from a Customer
I think it was back in June, when I first tried IG from a Sample I got from Lorenz. It was the second Version and I remember it did not really catch me at first sniff. But somehow I always kept smelling even when the little decanter was empty, I could not let go of it. The more I kept smelling the more I started to like it. I was searching for a bottle a long time because even the second one was already sold out as soon as I started loving it.
So as soon as EO released the latest Version I did not even hesitate to order a bottle. Especially because it was based on the OG Formula, containing Castoreum, Hyraceum and Muskrat. Wrapping it up in that beautiful leather-jacket, has only been the cherry on the cake.
I kind of tried to visualize my impressions with a digital Paintbrush I made and used as the Background of the picture.
Unfortunately I can not compare this one to the OG Version but in comparison to the 2nd one this one seems to be a little less floral, powdery but more dark and saturated in it’s purple and blue colors. To my nose it’s also way, way muskier.
It opens up with this floral but also fruity, buttery and at the same time juicy Orris and Blue Lotus Combination which is almost mouthwatering to me. The musky sweetness from the Tibetan Musk is already lurking behind this Curtain of Purple and Blue Flowers.
The Musk is very much comparable to the one in EO3. Slightly powdery but effervescent at the same time. It adds kind of a sparkling effect to the Opening which is also extremely potent in projection. One spray on my forearm and I’m able to smell it all the time even when I don’t put it to my nose. After like 30 Minutes I get this „Peach ice-tea“ Vibe. Unbelievably uplifting and delicious. It COULD go a little bit to sweet for me here if there wasn’t this dark tonality in the Background, probably created by this Trio of animalics (Castoreum, Hyraceum and Muskrat) which put it into a perfect balance again.
It seems to be so rich and buttery but fresh and light at the same time. This is always one of the most fascinating things I explore in most EO creations. This perfect Paradox in the Profile. Nothing overpowers, nothing steals the Show even though you always know what takes the Center-Stage.
The more it drys down, the muskier it gets to me. During the whole lifetime of the fragrance it never gets „animalic“ to me in the traditional meaning. It’s this alluring, attracting animalic undertone, that keep other people guessing and want them to get closer to you. There is also a hint of smoke in the background. Something similar to Smokey Vanilla-tobacco which I also detect somewhere deep, deep down in the base of Homeros. This beautifully contrasts the florals.
Not that I would care but this one is BY FAR the most complimented EO Parfum I own. Even more so than EO3. It’s already my Girlfriends most favorite and I honestly have to say, that EO3, which has been the Queen next to the King EO2: Kashmir, has to back down from the throne to make space for Iris Ghalia.
Another thing, I noticed while testing it: It seems like it adapts itself to the person who wears it. More like to it’s gender. Because on me it seems to be very masculine but when i sprayed it on my GF it kind of underlined her femininity. So I guess it’s PERFECTLY UNISEX.
This one you can wear in any weather and any occasion. I imagine this wearing it all dressed up, you’d leave an impression like no-one else.
Wrapped up in this beautiful leather jacket, it makes it even more of a gem.
There is so much going on in it’s evolution that I won’t even try to go into every detail. All I can say is, that it’s a perfect example of Ying & Yang. The Ultimate Balance.
—Marvin G. / Germany
Replies
This IG3 is a legendary release for sure.… This IG3 is an upgrade to the OG and 2.0 for me… Tonkin Musk and IG are must-have.
So good that you made me buy it. Great fragrance.
When I smell this, I have an olfactive journey to the seventh sky. This is the definition of beauty as far as perfume is the topic of discussion.
The fragrance opens with a burst of candied blackcurrant, juicy and delicious, teasing the senses with its syrupy sweetened-with-musk fruity notes.
The musk is rich and envelops all the notes beautifully. The blackcurrant is a lot more dense and more syrupy-sweet, the iris and frangi become a concoction of floral-creamy-dry-juicy-deliciousness, an accord never smelled before.
When I smell it, it has such a narcotic effect on me, it makes me smile, tingles my brain, raises my hairs, gives me goosebumps.
It’s so difficult to put it in words, this is the best I could do.
THIS IS PERFUMERY!! Ah man, I can’t say enough about this one.
Fruity animalics lead the way. Sweet, delicious, definitely a peach iced tea vibe. But my absolute favourite part comes next.
A compote of warm spices and fruits simmer away in rose water. The combination of syrupy spices and florals is DELECTABLE. Just stunning.
The syrupy feel then gives way to a powderiness. The florals take centre stage, creating an abstract canvas covered in pastels coloured periwinkle, purple, pink, blue, even sage green.
The drydown is sweet oudy, comforting, long lasting.
There’s a qualitative similarity to Private Blend in the overall structure. Private blend is undoubtedly more bombastic and powerful, whereas Iris Ghalia is more delectable, approachable.
But the similarity comes from the seamless relationship between the syrupy spices and florals, reminiscent of some Turkish desserts I’ve tried in the past.
This new version of IG also nothing short of amazingness.. it is also breathtaking buttery iris, sweet n savory mix of blackcurrant and plethora of muskiness components, all blended in this sibirean musk and ambergris solutionThis is my first IG experience and i love it, easily my top 5 ensar for life…
UPDATE:
I’m convinced! No one does musks like Ensar!
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