KinamFest 2017: London

Nikhil S

Well-Known Member
#3
Like a scene from 1900s. Brother what did we not do to have you here in India. I get all the more envious when I see you and brotger Kuger in the videos talking about Oud at functions. Please have a conf here too. We d be overjoyed brother.
 

kooolaid79

Well-Known Member
#7
I spent a lovely couple of hours with @Ensar and @Kruger today and left with my forearms, hands and fingers covered in some truly fantastic smelling oils and the taste of kinam in my mouth. Many thanks to you both, it was great to meet you, a pleasure :)
Wow that’s awesome @JohnH. Many congratulations to you sincerely. You truly are lucky to sit down with Giants in the oudh world. Your arms must be thanking you!!
 

Shabby

Well-Known Member
#8
@JohnH You are one lucky man sir. And I say that with certainty because I was there the day before! Unfortunately I've been running about since then so haven't had a chance to do a write up yet.

If anyone is thinking about going to OudFest and is on the fence, I can honestly say it was one of the most humbling sensory experiences of my life. To taste kinam, to drink kinam, to have various kinamic oils on my hands...and then the Nha Trang. Oh my goodness. I have never smelled a beauty as haunting as Nha Trang; it is like the deepest twang of mahogany sadness, or the mellow beauty of a cello being played by a master cellist...echoes and reverberations of a thousand years of the life of a tree from a sacred jungle. It smells like kinam, undoubtedly, just like the Borneo Diesel (piercing white kinam) and Port Moresby (kinam smoke) which I also tried, but the Nha Trang takes the kinam note and buries it in the heart of the most excruciatingly beautiful Vietnamese woodiness.

All of today I have been thinking about that oil and about kinam. I keep smelling what remains of the sweet drydown of the kinam oils, and my other highlight which was the Sultan Ahmet. They are in the very highest league of sensory experience for me. I feel truly humbled.

I also smelled so many other oils, including my favourite Hindi Assamugo Senkoh. I had Oud Musa, Hud and Shuayb on at the same time and for me the Assamugo Senkoh was easily my favourite. Oud Musa was perhaps the deepest whilst Oud Hud was strikingly unique, with a similar cannabis note to Aku Akira, but a completely different dry down - the dry down is something like caramelised hay. Assamugo Senkoh however had a very striking rose note for me (something Ensar said he did not get at all however), and was pristine and clear - it reminded me very much of the Agar Aura Hindis and everything I adore about them, but the Assamugo was a pitched at an octave higher than Chamkeila and Kalyani (the two Hindis I have from Taha).

Speaking of Taha, I took a few Agar Aura samples including Khmer Special K, Syed's Ascent and Ayu which were received very positively indeed. In fact Ensar told me more than once that I should think about getting a bottle of Ayu. I also had the privilege of speaking to Taha earlier in the day and quite honestly that was a true personal highlight for me, because although I have never met the man I consider him a great friend and someone whom I look up to in many ways. I've had long email conversations about how he envisages his oils and it was wonderful to see them being appreciated by Ensar. I had absolutely no doubt they would be, as for me they are extraordinarily fine works of art which are severely under-appreciated. I am planning on posting some reviews of these masterpieces soon.

Sidi @Ensar and Sidi @Kruger I don't think I will ever forget that experience and I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Everything I said to you at the time was magnified today as the magnitude of what I had experienced really set in. And again, deepest apologies for causing you to miss your meal...
 

kooolaid79

Well-Known Member
#9
@JohnH You are one lucky man sir. And I say that with certainty because I was there the day before! Unfortunately I've been running about since then so haven't had a chance to do a write up yet.

If anyone is thinking about going to OudFest and is on the fence, I can honestly say it was one of the most humbling sensory experiences of my life. To taste kinam, to drink kinam, to have various kinamic oils on my hands...and then the Nha Trang. Oh my goodness. I have never smelled a beauty as haunting as Nha Trang; it is like the deepest twang of mahogany sadness, or the mellow beauty of a cello being played by a master cellist...echoes and reverberations of a thousand years of the life of a tree from a sacred jungle. It smells like kinam, undoubtedly, just like the Borneo Diesel (piercing white kinam) and Port Moresby (kinam smoke) which I also tried, but the Nha Trang takes the kinam note and buries it in the heart of the most excruciatingly beautiful Vietnamese woodiness.

All of today I have been thinking about that oil and about kinam. I keep smelling what remains of the sweet drydown of the kinam oils, and my other highlight which was the Sultan Ahmet. They are in the very highest league of sensory experience for me. I feel truly humbled.

I also smelled so many other oils, including my favourite Hindi Assamugo Senkoh. I had Oud Musa, Hud and Shuayb on at the same time and for me the Assamugo Senkoh was easily my favourite. Oud Musa was perhaps the deepest whilst Oud Hud was strikingly unique, with a similar cannabis note to Aku Akira, but a completely different dry down - the dry down is something like caramelised hay. Assamugo Senkoh however had a very striking rose note for me (something Ensar said he did not get at all however), and was pristine and clear - it reminded me very much of the Agar Aura Hindis and everything I adore about them, but the Assamugo was a pitched at an octave higher than Chamkeila and Kalyani (the two Hindis I have from Taha).

Speaking of Taha, I took a few Agar Aura samples including Khmer Special K, Syed's Ascent and Ayu which were received very positively indeed. In fact Ensar told me more than once that I should think about getting a bottle of Ayu. I also had the privilege of speaking to Taha earlier in the day and quite honestly that was a true personal highlight for me, because although I have never met the man I consider him a great friend and someone whom I look up to in many ways. I've had long email conversations about how he envisages his oils and it was wonderful to see them being appreciated by Ensar. I had absolutely no doubt they would be, as for me they are extraordinarily fine works of art which are severely under-appreciated. I am planning on posting some reviews of these masterpieces soon.

Sidi @Ensar and Sidi @Kruger I don't think I will ever forget that experience and I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Everything I said to you at the time was magnified today as the magnitude of what I had experienced really set in. And again, deepest apologies for causing you to miss your meal...
Wow congratulations @Shabby!! Must have been beautiful again seeing all those magnificent and precious oils. Thank you again for sharing your beautiful experience with us. Now to time to go and sit in the corner again after hearing of all those beautiful Ouds especially the Nha Trang!!
 

JohnH

Moderator
Staff member
#11
@JohnH You are one lucky man sir. And I say that with certainty because I was there the day before! Unfortunately I've been running about since then so haven't had a chance to do a write up yet.

If anyone is thinking about going to OudFest and is on the fence, I can honestly say it was one of the most humbling sensory experiences of my life. To taste kinam, to drink kinam, to have various kinamic oils on my hands...and then the Nha Trang. Oh my goodness. I have never smelled a beauty as haunting as Nha Trang; it is like the deepest twang of mahogany sadness, or the mellow beauty of a cello being played by a master cellist...echoes and reverberations of a thousand years of the life of a tree from a sacred jungle. It smells like kinam, undoubtedly, just like the Borneo Diesel (piercing white kinam) and Port Moresby (kinam smoke) which I also tried, but the Nha Trang takes the kinam note and buries it in the heart of the most excruciatingly beautiful Vietnamese woodiness.

All of today I have been thinking about that oil and about kinam. I keep smelling what remains of the sweet drydown of the kinam oils, and my other highlight which was the Sultan Ahmet. They are in the very highest league of sensory experience for me. I feel truly humbled.

I also smelled so many other oils, including my favourite Hindi Assamugo Senkoh. I had Oud Musa, Hud and Shuayb on at the same time and for me the Assamugo Senkoh was easily my favourite. Oud Musa was perhaps the deepest whilst Oud Hud was strikingly unique, with a similar cannabis note to Aku Akira, but a completely different dry down - the dry down is something like caramelised hay. Assamugo Senkoh however had a very striking rose note for me (something Ensar said he did not get at all however), and was pristine and clear - it reminded me very much of the Agar Aura Hindis and everything I adore about them, but the Assamugo was a pitched at an octave higher than Chamkeila and Kalyani (the two Hindis I have from Taha).

Speaking of Taha, I took a few Agar Aura samples including Khmer Special K, Syed's Ascent and Ayu which were received very positively indeed. In fact Ensar told me more than once that I should think about getting a bottle of Ayu. I also had the privilege of speaking to Taha earlier in the day and quite honestly that was a true personal highlight for me, because although I have never met the man I consider him a great friend and someone whom I look up to in many ways. I've had long email conversations about how he envisages his oils and it was wonderful to see them being appreciated by Ensar. I had absolutely no doubt they would be, as for me they are extraordinarily fine works of art which are severely under-appreciated. I am planning on posting some reviews of these masterpieces soon.

Sidi @Ensar and Sidi @Kruger I don't think I will ever forget that experience and I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Everything I said to you at the time was magnified today as the magnitude of what I had experienced really set in. And again, deepest apologies for causing you to miss your meal...
Wonderful write up @Shabby. I do feel very lucky to have had the experience and agree, Nha Trang LTD is out of this world and an oil which is surely at the pinnacle of artisanal oud, as things currently stand.
 

Simla House

Well-Known Member
#12
@JohnH You are one lucky man sir. And I say that with certainty because I was there the day before! Unfortunately I've been running about since then so haven't had a chance to do a write up yet.

If anyone is thinking about going to OudFest and is on the fence, I can honestly say it was one of the most humbling sensory experiences of my life. To taste kinam, to drink kinam, to have various kinamic oils on my hands...and then the Nha Trang. Oh my goodness. I have never smelled a beauty as haunting as Nha Trang; it is like the deepest twang of mahogany sadness, or the mellow beauty of a cello being played by a master cellist...echoes and reverberations of a thousand years of the life of a tree from a sacred jungle. It smells like kinam, undoubtedly, just like the Borneo Diesel (piercing white kinam) and Port Moresby (kinam smoke) which I also tried, but the Nha Trang takes the kinam note and buries it in the heart of the most excruciatingly beautiful Vietnamese woodiness.

All of today I have been thinking about that oil and about kinam. I keep smelling what remains of the sweet drydown of the kinam oils, and my other highlight which was the Sultan Ahmet. They are in the very highest league of sensory experience for me. I feel truly humbled.

I also smelled so many other oils, including my favourite Hindi Assamugo Senkoh. I had Oud Musa, Hud and Shuayb on at the same time and for me the Assamugo Senkoh was easily my favourite. Oud Musa was perhaps the deepest whilst Oud Hud was strikingly unique, with a similar cannabis note to Aku Akira, but a completely different dry down - the dry down is something like caramelised hay. Assamugo Senkoh however had a very striking rose note for me (something Ensar said he did not get at all however), and was pristine and clear - it reminded me very much of the Agar Aura Hindis and everything I adore about them, but the Assamugo was a pitched at an octave higher than Chamkeila and Kalyani (the two Hindis I have from Taha).

Speaking of Taha, I took a few Agar Aura samples including Khmer Special K, Syed's Ascent and Ayu which were received very positively indeed. In fact Ensar told me more than once that I should think about getting a bottle of Ayu. I also had the privilege of speaking to Taha earlier in the day and quite honestly that was a true personal highlight for me, because although I have never met the man I consider him a great friend and someone whom I look up to in many ways. I've had long email conversations about how he envisages his oils and it was wonderful to see them being appreciated by Ensar. I had absolutely no doubt they would be, as for me they are extraordinarily fine works of art which are severely under-appreciated. I am planning on posting some reviews of these masterpieces soon.

Sidi @Ensar and Sidi @Kruger I don't think I will ever forget that experience and I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Everything I said to you at the time was magnified today as the magnitude of what I had experienced really set in. And again, deepest apologies for causing you to miss your meal...
Thanks for that detailed recollection, I really wanted to attend this year, but found out about it too late.
Insha'Allah, next year a group field trip!
 

Kruger

Well-Known Member
#14
A big Thank You to all who attended the UK OudFest this year! We were thrilled to catch up with a couple of familiar forum voices in person, so I just had to sneak in a few shots with them…

Here we've got @JohnH, who really digs the Hindis (the barnier the better!) ;)

OudFest-G-JohnH.jpg

@Shabby (in the middle) who is still recovering from Nha Trang LTD :)

OudFest-G-Shabby.jpg

… and old-time Basenoter Nick, who many will remember for the comprehensive scent chart he complied some years ago.

OudFest-G-Nick.jpg

It was a true pleasure meeting all of you, and to see the genuine appreciation and love you have for oud.
 

Shabby

Well-Known Member
#15
Thank you Sidi @Kruger! One of the things that was confirmed this OudFest was how much behind the scenes work Sidi Kruger is involved with. He is clearly a huge and indispensable part of the Ensar Oud experience and it was a true honour to meet him again.

I have the fondest memories of that glorious session. Thank you both!
 

Ensar Oud

Well-Known Member
#17
Haadr Sidi! :)

Oud Musa (Nagaland)
Oud Hud (Karbi Anglong)
Oud Shuayb (Imphal)
Assamugo Senkoh (North Assam/China border)

Royal Guallam (Vietnam)
Nha Trang LTD (Vietnam)
Kinam Rouge (Vietnam)
Red Kinam wood (Vietnam)

Kambodi 1976 (Pursat)
Nhek 1976 (Pursat/Koh Kong)

Sultan Beyazıt (New Guinea)
Sultan Ahmet (NG/Brunei)
Sultan Abdüs Selam (NG/Sumba)

Borneo Diesel (Malinau)
Borneo 50K (Malinau)

Suriranka Senkoh (Ceylon)

And numerous others! ;)
 

kooolaid79

Well-Known Member
#18
Haadr Sidi! :)

Oud Musa (Nagaland)
Oud Hud (Karbi Anglong)
Oud Shuayb (Imphal)
Assamugo Senkoh (North Assam/China border)

Royal Guallam (Vietnam)
Nha Trang LTD (Vietnam)
Kinam Rouge (Vietnam)
Red Kinam wood (Vietnam)

Kambodi 1976 (Pursat)
Nhek 1976 (Pursat/Koh Kong)

Sultan Beyazıt (New Guinea)
Sultan Ahmet (NG/Brunei)
Sultan Abdüs Selam (NG/Sumba)

Borneo Diesel (Malinau)
Borneo 50K (Malinau)

Suriranka Senkoh (Ceylon)

And numerous others! ;)
MashaAllah! Subhanullah! La Howla Wa La Quwata Illa Billah! Please excuse me while I go pick up my jaw which rolled over into the living room!
Wah Wah what a lineup region and country wise!! Those Indians Wow just wow! Many many congratulations on your tour!
 

kesiro

Well-Known Member
#19
Haadr Sidi! :)

Oud Musa (Nagaland)
Oud Hud (Karbi Anglong)
Oud Shuayb (Imphal)
Assamugo Senkoh (North Assam/China border)

Royal Guallam (Vietnam)
Nha Trang LTD (Vietnam)
Kinam Rouge (Vietnam)
Red Kinam wood (Vietnam)

Kambodi 1976 (Pursat)
Nhek 1976 (Pursat/Koh Kong)

Sultan Beyazıt (New Guinea)
Sultan Ahmet (NG/Brunei)
Sultan Abdüs Selam (NG/Sumba)

Borneo Diesel (Malinau)
Borneo 50K (Malinau)

Suriranka Senkoh (Ceylon)

And numerous others! ;)
Mind. Blown.
 

RobertOne

Well-Known Member
#20
It must have been wonderful for all who attended, congratulations and deep envy to all. ;)

Now, despite the fact that I am certainly happy living away from home I would certainly relish a trip back for an OudFest. Perhaps as soon as the next date is planned it could be posted on the forums somewhere?

I intend to be booking a flight and lodgings to the next one.