Aroha Kyaku

Aroha makes almost any other oud, especially Oud Yusuf, smell timid and tame. The sheer potency of the wild vintage Marokean oud smoke that hits your nose makes you black out for a second, makes your nose go blind, makes your head reel with the puzzle, “OMG, what is this!?”

It’s actually very difficult to capture oud smoke in spray format. I can bottle pure oud smoke for you, but when you take a spritz you’d be let down. Have you tinctured pure oud hoping to let it cast a resinous cloud of oud incense all around only to find all those hardcore smoke notes evaporate before you’ve even smelled them?

So when you compose a perfume around an oud that’s pure “incense, incense, incense!”, an oud that’s “intense” and captures that “smokey goodness, bold and dark, suitable for the colder nights with a black leather jacket and riding a Harley Davidson with your girl behind you” then you don’t want that resinous kernel to go anywhere.

When an oud smells “so brawny, burly, and inordinately macho that the only thing which came to mind was Ernest Hemingway” you want that mojo to fill the air and flirt with everyone around you.

You want that aroma that brings to mind that “bare chest gleaming in the sun as he went fishing or shooting, every inch of him reeking with confident swagger and bravado” to engulf you. Not to have it watered down to a weak sauce with only a macho label.

So, if you’re looking to re-energize your perfume collection or if, for a change, you don’t want just another bottle of one-note pyramids, then Aroha Kyaku will blast them all out of their underwear, left naked under dark clouds of thunderous oud resin raining down hard.

From beeswax to black tea to blackcurrant and coffee, the noir oud incense core is decked out with layers of intrigue and intense flavor. A dash of cinnamon which you won’t actually smell, laced with pepper and oakwood, which you won’t smell, either, infused with oakmoss and mate and spikenard for an olfactory embellishment you won’t be able to pick apart either – all drenched in tobacco smoothed out with sandalwood – for a scent that screams “take cover!” as waves of Aroha come at you and leave you craving the oud at the center, just like oud neat keeps its lovers wanting more.

TOP
Clove
Pink Pepper
Nagarmortha
Aroha Oud Incense

HEART
Mate
Rose
Plumeria
Pink Lotus
Aroha Oud Incense

BASE
Wild Maroke Oud
Wild Cambodian Oud
Wild Sumatran Oud
Black Ambergris
Sandalwood
Spikenard
Castoreum
Vetiver

The breakdown doesn’t just list all the oud as a covert sales-pitch. Almost 35% is made up of those ouds! All carried by a hefty dose of vintage black ambergris.

You could experience different kinds of oud perfumes, from Oud Yusuf’s fruitiness to EO1’s leather or Oud Sultani’s purple bliss…

But if you were to ask someone about oud, if you asked someone who knows something about agarwood, who has burned raw oud chips, those who have fumigated their clothes and their homes with the Scent of Heaven; if you were to pin down the quintessential OUD profile, then I think this brew gets straight to the point. Right down to the agar-incense heart of that fearless aroma.

“Would I say it is a unisex scent? Probably not, unless you are like me and enjoy heavier, darker, masculine leaning offerings. But if you are a guy, this should be an absolute no brainer.”

Featured Testimonials…

Smokey – Sweet – Oud Rich – Incense Dense – High Sillage – Lovely!

—Travis H / USA

Aroha Kyaku oud oil is my favourite smoky oud ever. When I saw this monster named ‘Aroha Kyaku’ getting launched, cannot stand any longer to get my bottle. Looking at the juice, it is so deep and dark, even darker than Tigerwood PP and Qi Nan.

The opening is definitely a smoky bomb, blended with some dry medicinal powder and a slight touch of sour sweet fruit juice, drunk in a thick layer of ambergris which has a vibe of tobacco and ocean feel, salty and humid. The scent to me at this time is like burning fine incense stick.

Later on, some powdery yet buttery florals could be detected. Rose used in this composition is not bright at all. It is also dark, presenting a velvet vibe. Frangipani and beeswax bring some brights and proper sweetness to the dark scent profile, which made this more balanced, wearable and enjoyable.

At the drydown, a solid foundation of woodiness coming with the consistently heavy smokiness was presented. It is so resinous, oudy, mossy and savoury. Smokiness from tobacco and Oakwood, earthiness from vetiver and oak moss, and that prominent, fine ambergris are well interacted with each other here. A huge amount of oud has been added to this perfume.

Earthy smoky Maroke oud is very prominent, same to Sumantra oud. They are also showing off that watery cooling note with a greenish colour. However, it is a bit hard to detect that sparkling juicy characters of Cambodi in such a heavy profile.

The whole journey with Aroha Kyaku parfume does remind me of experience of applying a fat dab of Aroha Kyaku oud oil on skin. It is least fruity with max smoky incense, a bit spicy and earthy but coming with a very light touch of sweetness at the end.

To me, this is probably the best smokiness themed perfume of this year.

—Yisean Z / Australia

Don’t sleep on this one, boys. This little gem broke a 6 month no-buy policy. If Tigerlust and Tigerwood comes from the darkest realms of the jungle, this beast comes crawling straight out of Hell. Smoke, smoke and more smoke, No BBQ, just incense, embers, and ash. Rugged, but elegantly so. The first Ensar that screams “don’t f**k with me”. Easily my favorite release this year and most of last. Hell Bent for Leather indeed. Thanks Ensar Oud

—Jeremy L / USA

Aroha Kyaku: one impatient spritz and I’m hooked! Spritz at your own risk. The glowing reviews are sure to be forthcoming.

I took one spritz yesterday evening. It is very dark like Oud SQ and Tigerwood PPs, has all the resinous incense of Oud Sultani, but stops short of the burnt metal in the black hole of Black Changho.

I would not describe Aroha Kyaku PP as sweet. It is decidedly masculine and not leaning unisex. It dispenses with the purple of Purple Haze and Oud Sultani Brunei Kynam. It is straight to the point and very bold.

However, I would not consider this animalic, regardless of how unbridled it may be. This is all about the three ouds in this incense bomb. Yes, there is castoreum, but it is relegated to a supporting role with all the Oud, black ambergris and incense above, with a slight nod to some florals. It’s a beast, but I would not call it animalic.

The caveat is I have only taken one spritz on my wrist yesterday. I’m giving it a rest, but I keep smelling the cap and atomizer. It is one of the most addictive of all the PPs from EO and there are plenty of folks in the community who will review and describe Aroha Kyaku PP with great sophistication. It will become a fan favorite and will take its place in the top five for many people.

UPDATE:

Tonight, a rainy night in NYC, I brought out Aroha Kyaku for a proper wearing and experience. If you want to cut to the chase, this is an easy blind buy for those who like a deep resinous incense profile that makes no compromises or apologies. If you got swagga, you can step out with Aroha Kyaku. This is not for those who lack boldness. This is for the confident man who knows his place, which is anyplace. This juice has attitude.

Many asked me if this wears like a lot of smoke or sweet barbecue after my initial spritz over a week ago. I could not reply in all surety with one spritz, but now I can state there is more apparent smoke, which may be attributed to everything settling down after shipment. I still maintain the smoke, distinctive as it now is, remains blended and aligned with the resinous incense, which incense remains the ever dominant attribute, like its decided masculinity.

I must call out to Brother Ensar Oud (and I suspect Adam Coburn )for making 2024 Oud focused. Three things are apparent. The blending of the three wild ouds in this composition is on a new plane. There is no argument among the three. They work in synergy to put some real muscle in this composition. I have Black Changho, from I believe four years ago, and that composition is even darker, a Black Hole if you ask me. However, Black Changho is no more muscular. It has this burnt metallic edge that has not aged and rolled off with time and, in contrast to the equally muscular Aroha Kyaku, has not the balance Ensar is currently demonstrating. Not only are the three wild ouds of varying provenance working well together, they are blended with the other elements to produce the most resinous incense forward fragrance I have from EO and the EO Team, beyond the Oud Sultani and its flankers, as deep as Tigerwood, and almost as dark as Black Changho.

Second, there may be a few Hindi oriented spicy fragrances I don’t have to compare and compete with Aroha Kyaku, but Aroha Kyaku is currently the bottle, pound for pound, the one fragrance from the EO House that fights over its weight the highest. I know that’s quite a claim and only invites pointed commentary, but please, step into the ring. The Chypre and Santal Sultans are worthy contenders. So is Mongolian Musk for value oriented contender, but if I’m putting money on a corner, it’s the corner with Aroha Kyaku.

I could tell this composition has projection wafting around me in the night air and becoming pronounced in the subway. I imagine I left a wake in my trail for those behind me. Any hint of sweetness is only dashing in and out at the opening. In the drydown, the ouds step out from behind the incense and show themselves, leaving any trace of sweet barbecue in the distant past. Interestingly, I also believe I detect the Black Ambergris beginning to assert itself on its own instead of being a team player solely in support of the whole composition.

I mentioned earlier there is more smoke apparent with a full wearing. However, that smoke is well aligned with the incense and resins. Ensar, whether or not this was your intention and design, it thirdly marks quite a refinement of a composition that otherwise rewards anyone looking for an EO composition that takes its gloves off. This Aroha Kyaku fights barenuckled, round after round, taking you waaay back. Yet, this is a disciplined and sophisticated fighter whose smoke doesn’t step out of line with the resinous incense.

If all this sounds like you, buy with confidence!

—Edmond C / USA

Featured Testimonials…

Related to Aroha Kyaku...