Ambica Fine Aroma Green Incense: Gold & Nice Touch

These incense sticks are made by Fine Aromas of the Ambica Group. They challenge the notion of what is an incense stick. They are highly processed - the idea being to reduce the inconvenience of the ash remains of the burned incense. The sticks are made from a material that remains firm when burned, so they are easier to dispose of, and no ash has to be collected. The sticks look like strips of felt - they are neat and tidy, and have an attractive pattern printed on them. They almost look too good to be burned - and perhaps that's the way they should be kept - as display items, because, unfortunately, on burning the smell is not that attractive. It smells like burning - plastic, wool, something vague and worrying: "what's burning?" 

The man responsible for the Green Incense

sticks, with a Nice Touch stick

The Ambica Group was formed as an incense company  in 1945, and has since expanded into hotels, wind power and other areas. The company and its incense factory are based in Eluru.

The Nice Touch sticks are red, and the perfume on the stick is floral and fruity - underlined with leather, and smells like a chemical room or car freshener. On burning I suppose the predominant note is burning hair mingled with cheap, stale old ladies rose perfume and red berry fruit. It doesn't work.

The Gold sticks are brown. The aroma on the stick is licorice and clove and lemon and toilet cleaner. There are citric notes on burning, though an ashy note soon comes in and predominates. It's a highly chemical and corrosive aroma - rather unpleasant and off-putting.

The idea behind this is good, and the appearance is very attractive, but sadly the scents do not work for me. The scents are not completely offensive, but they are unpleasant enough for me not to want to use them.


Date: Oct 2013   Score: 10

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