Corey Topel of Absolute Bliss incense in the US, sent me a bunch of incense to sample and review a long time ago, and I kept losing them, and then - for several reasons, some of which was to do with the link with Paul Eagle and Happy Hari, I found it difficult to sit down and review them. I've been playing with this Bengali Jungle for a few weeks now. When I first lit it, I was struck by the intensity of the aroma, and dug out Sai Flora as comparison, because it reminded me of that classic. I am in a period when I am somewhat interested in the terminology of "flora", "fluxo", "durbar" and "supreme". I am still unsure as to what they mean, but they all seem to mean a masala that is stronger, or richer, or heavier, or fatter than the standard masala, and generally (but not always, because I have had a number of dry examples) they are still moist with an essential oil or two. So the terms sort of means "premium", but a bit more than that. And in my experience most makers will give the name "fluxo" to an incense that is heavier than one they term "flora", in the same way that a brewer may term their dark beers "stout" or "porter", with "stout" being the stronger one, but these terms not being consistent as some brewers will make a porter stronger than their stout, and one brewer's stout may be weaker than another brewer's porter. I am aware, however, that there are some definite and decided views on what a fluxo is, and what a flora is - it's just that, in my limited experience, the makers of incense don't always follow these views - they just do their own thing! ;-)
There is a range of scents with this Bengali Jungle - it is sweet, it is spicy, it is juicy, it is fruity, it is quite yummy. And though it is a strong incense (in line with my experience of other fluxo termed incense), it is not aggressive - it is an enveloping scent, one that embraces seductively and gently, wrapping you in a comforting, albeit also somewhat sensual, manner. There is halmaddi in the mix, but not too much - it is more of an Indian blend than a Western blend, and that's perhaps why I am drawn toward it so much. The bulk of the scent initially appears to come from the essential oils - it is a moist, fruity scent, slightly citric, then comes some softer milky notes, touches of vanilla, before we come to the woody base notes, and where the woolly halmaddi tones are also most present. Though this is a traditional Indian masala, and the base notes in particular are reminiscent of older styles of incense from the Seventies, there is something quite vivid, breezy and modern about the top notes. This is a great incense. In our home on a comparison with several other incenses - Satya's Karma, Elif's Sunflora and Capture, the classic Sai Flora, and Koya's Nirvana, it was consistently at the top and matched Koya's Nirvana, which I feel is a world class incense, and is in my Top Drawer, which is where I shall also place this.
Date: Oct 2021 Score: 46
***
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| Flora, Fluxo, and Supreme |
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| Absolute Bliss (closed) |
Bengali Jungle Flora seems to me a real flora and is very halmaddi rich, as expected. It also displays its Champa-like characteristics that make floras what they are. This is a prime example and one of the best of them, I feel. It never overwhelms you with its fragrance but captivates, elevates, and informs the room with its lovely scent. I think one of the reasons is the thinner handmade stick. Elif's Sunflora is a monster compared to this. If Elif slimmed down their stick, I think it would compete very well with this one. This may be the thinnest flora stick I've tried. It's a must try!
ReplyDelete"It never overwhelms you with its fragrance but captivates, elevates, and informs the room with its lovely scent." Yes, I agree.
ReplyDeleteI really like this scent.