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| Third review - scroll down for earlier reviews |
As of Oct 2023, this is is my Top Drawer World Class Incense listing, and burning it again now, I feel that it absolutely deserves that respect. This is a mighty incense made from a blend of myrrh and patchouli. These are the same sticks I burned in 2013, so they are over ten years old, and remain glorious. It captures my attention by being refined and beautiful - a musky, woody, resinous, moderately sweet, subtly balsamic scent - compelling and alluring. There's no off notes or oddities. The balance is harmonious and dreamy. There's herby patchouli riding along the top, dipping into soft, creamy caramel. The scent is bold yet subtle, and is refreshingly different to most incenses which work around the same ideas, accords, and scents.
This is not sold anymore under the Stamford name (though some stocks may turn up, and the maker may sell it under a different name). The Aargee company split in 2020, with the incense section being rebranded as Stamford London concentrating on Stamford branded perfume-dipped and co-branded Stamford-Satya masala incense. Satya was one of several companies that Aargee worked with - other companies included Goloka and Mysore Sugandhi. One of those companies may have made this, or it could be any number of others. If anyone finds a masala Myrrh & Patchouli incense please let me know!
Heavenly.
Date: Oct 2023 Score: 48
This is not sold anymore under the Stamford name (though some stocks may turn up, and the maker may sell it under a different name). The Aargee company split in 2020, with the incense section being rebranded as Stamford London concentrating on Stamford branded perfume-dipped and co-branded Stamford-Satya masala incense. Satya was one of several companies that Aargee worked with - other companies included Goloka and Mysore Sugandhi. One of those companies may have made this, or it could be any number of others. If anyone finds a masala Myrrh & Patchouli incense please let me know!
Heavenly.
Date: Oct 2023 Score: 48
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| Second review |
Having a rummage in our spare room for some heat plasters, I came upon a few old boxes of incense. This one I bought in 2013, nearly nine years ago. It still smells fresh and delightful. Sadly, Incense-Essentials appears to no longer be operating, and Aargee appear to have discontinued the Chakra range, and it is not available anywhere. Shame, as this is a very fine incense indeed. A proper job masala incense using a blend of myrrh and patchouli. Gorgeous scent - sweet, sexy, fascinating, woody, and musky. Oh yes. This is really my sort of scent, and it is derived from pure resins and herbs, with only a modicum of essential oil, and none of the perfumes or agarbathi oils that a number of incense companies are using these days in their masala incense in order to keep the costs down. [2023 comment: I'm not so sure this sentence is true]
The stick is made from a fragrant and still soft masala charcoal paste hand rolled on a hand cut and undyed bamboo splint, and then rolled in a fragrant melnoorva powder (hints of vanilla and floral notes in the powder) which is mainly used to stop the sticks from gluing together as they are laid out to dry. The scent on the stick is quite juicy and fruity - memories of walking through Mediterranean orange groves in Malta and in Cypress. This is a lovely and profound incense.
I love this.
Date: June 2022 Score: 47
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| First review |
Stamford, the "quality" brand name of the UK based incense distributors Aargee, do tend to have very well made incense sticks and attractive scents. These are hand-rolled sticks - charcoal paste onto undyed good quality bamboo sticks of consistent size, which are then rolled in a masala (ground and dried mix of herbs or spices or incense) of myrrh and patchouli. It's a beautiful aroma - warm, spicy, fragrant, quite dreamy, opulent, and relaxing. I really like it.
Chakra is a series of seven scents from Stamford, which they use for sticks, cones, essential oils, granules and fragrances. Chakra are the areas in the body that are centres of life force or energy. Muladhara is one of the primary seven chakra, and is represented by the colour red, which is the colour of the box. There is a diagram of the seven primary chakra on the box, and a little bit of blurb about keeping your chakra in balance.
Prices for the sticks vary, I bought a pack of 15 for £1.49 from Incense-essentials.co.uk* of Norfolk, which appears to be the cheapest source. * [site no longer available of of 2023]
Date: Aug 2013 Score: 40
Chakra is a series of seven scents from Stamford, which they use for sticks, cones, essential oils, granules and fragrances. Chakra are the areas in the body that are centres of life force or energy. Muladhara is one of the primary seven chakra, and is represented by the colour red, which is the colour of the box. There is a diagram of the seven primary chakra on the box, and a little bit of blurb about keeping your chakra in balance.
Prices for the sticks vary, I bought a pack of 15 for £1.49 from Incense-essentials.co.uk* of Norfolk, which appears to be the cheapest source. * [site no longer available of of 2023]
Date: Aug 2013 Score: 40
***
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| Vintage Incense (Discontinued under this brand name for over a year) |
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| Incense Ratings Top of the Dhoops! |
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