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| Sixth review - scroll down for earlier |
I have loved these incense cones by GR International since first burning them over ten years ago. I keep buying new packs and still enjoy them. I have experienced many different incense over the years - goo, bad, and awesome, yet still enjoy these cones. I have known that these are perfumed cones for a while - though I kinda thought that the perfume was an essential oil. I have learned more about incense and incense production, and I can today recognise that this is a synthetic sandalwood scent, yet I still love this incense. Knowing it is synthetic diminishes my enthusiasm. I would so much prefer that this was natural. But the scent remains as pleasurable as ever. There are several well known and very effective synthetic sandalwood oils, such as Sandalore, Sandaxol / Sandal Mysore Core, and Bacdanol. Perfume makers discuss which one is best to use on Reddit forums; though it is generally considered best to use a variety of different synthetics along with natural sandalwood oil because people react differently to aroma compounds, and also because combining them gives a more rounded and complex aroma. Of all the synthetic-perfume incenses I tend to get along more with the sandalwoods than I do most others. And whichever synthetic (or blend of synthetics) is used in these cones, it works for me.
Having said all that, and while I still do enjoy these cones and will buy more, this scent doesn't lift and delight me as much as it used to. I don't want to join the camp of the prejudiced who consider synthetic scents to be unworthy of consideration, but I do feel that sufficient joy has been removed from my enjoyment with the acceptance that this is synthetic, that I will be grading this downward a little. Added to which is that the scent is a little monolithic and expected, and doesn't for me have some of the delights of other bolder and more interesting fragrances - both single scent and subtle blends. So, yes, still enjoyable, but not heavenly nor fascinating enough to remain in my special listings. But, phew, it's close!
Having said all that, and while I still do enjoy these cones and will buy more, this scent doesn't lift and delight me as much as it used to. I don't want to join the camp of the prejudiced who consider synthetic scents to be unworthy of consideration, but I do feel that sufficient joy has been removed from my enjoyment with the acceptance that this is synthetic, that I will be grading this downward a little. Added to which is that the scent is a little monolithic and expected, and doesn't for me have some of the delights of other bolder and more interesting fragrances - both single scent and subtle blends. So, yes, still enjoyable, but not heavenly nor fascinating enough to remain in my special listings. But, phew, it's close!
Date: Jan 2024 Score: 38
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| Fifth review |
Sometimes an incense company just gets a scent so right. I love this. I have wavered now and then on exactly how much I love it, but it is a scent that never fails to please. Name has changed from GR International Sandalo to GR Sandal, but it's the same gorgeous stuff.
Date: June 2019 Score: 40
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| Fourth review |
Burning this alongside several other sandal incense cones, and this still stands out for me as a particularly fine and sexy scent. Moving score up.
Date: April 2018 Score: 38
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| Third review |
I'm returning again to Sandalo as last night I reviewed the strongly sandalwood based Tulasi Vidwan; so have been looking into other sandalwood incenses, such as one of my favourites Nandita Wood Spice, and Krishna Priya Chandan by Goloka, and found I still loved them, indeed moved up their scores. I also still like this Sandalo, but I'm moving the score down, and moving this out of my Top Ten. It is a delightful and evocative aroma, but when compared to some other sandalwoods, it is perhaps not doing enough. After just burning the others, this comes over as a little dry, a little flat, and a little bit too simple. I still like it, but I have been discovering that there are better incenses on offer. Such is the journey we make through life. We reach out, we discover more.
Date: Jan 2016 Score: 33
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| Second review |
Burning these again after nearly two years, and the scent is so dreamy. I love this incense, and have just ordered some more from The Aroma Store. Other GR products I've tried have mostly been fairly decent, but nothing works for me quite as this one does. This smells just of sandalwood. This is the essence of what sandalwood is all about.
Date: Feb 2015 Score: 42
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| First review |
This is how I remember sandalwood incense smelling. This is a very evocative aroma taking me way back to open air festivals, evenings round wood fires, and smoking dope and making love under moonlight. This is a warm, seductive, woody aroma - just what sandalwood should smell like - not adulterated by other aromas, not sweetened, just left earthy and natural and aromatic. Pack of ten Sandalo incense cones from GR International of Bangalore, bought from a hippy shop in Faversham for £1.25 - they are available for 99p from The-Aroma-Store - eBay. The cones are dark brown, almost black, with a sticky sheen, like cannabis resin. They are fairly tall, and produce plenty of good smelling, swirling, blue-grey smoke.
Date: May 2013 Score 42
What species of sandalwood is used? I know that there are a variety of sandalwood species with the mysore sandalwood being the best. However i have read that it is really hard to get due to the ban placed by the Indian government. Also there are other varieties of sandalwood for example Australian, African etc. So I was wonderig whether this was mysore or another speicies of sandalwood used in this incense cone.
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