When I started buying incense I got a couple of American Sage Spirit incenses to try them out. I really liked them. They are perfume dipped, so the scent comes from essential oils rather than a dried masala mix. Some folks look down upon incense that comes from essential oils or volatile scents, believing that only dried masala incense can smell nice. The belief comes from the success of Satya's Nag Champa, possibly the world's most popular and famous incense. As that incense uses dried masala ingredients, some feel that all nice smelling incense should do the same. Meanwhile, some interesting incense makers have been working with essential oils to produce some fascinating modern scents - such as Cha Cha Dum Dum who commission Mystic Incense Pink Sugar and Tree of Life Shalimar, and Aromatika Ace of Scents who make Dragon's Blood and Opium. Added to that group are the Apache Indian tribe on a reservation in New Mexico who make Sage Spirit incenses which are a little different, and are more modern than most manufacturers in India.
The scent on this Wolf Teaching is gentle, and that is my main issue with all Sage Spirit products - the scent is not strong enough to make much of an impression. The scent on the stick is the volatiles, which are reminiscent of toilet cleaner, and a little off-putting, but there's also some pine and cedar along with some deeper notes. The scent is not making much of an impression, even though I have three fired up together to great more of a mood in the room, and I'm disappointed. The main impression if of the base sandalwood - whatever additional scents they've put on have been lost. This is a new pack just opened, so I'm not impressed. I have a few more Sage Spirit to burn, and I'm still favourably disposed toward them, but this incense is not doing anything for me.
Score: 20
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| Incense Around the World |
I just had some disappointments too Steve. My duds for the evening were both from Fred Soll... the lavender and New Mexico sandalwood. Thought I would love them but I didn't. Oh well!
ReplyDeleteGreat blog and I look forward to reading more of your reviews.
Hi Lesley. I just checked out your blog. I like your opinions - individual and honest and helpful. Welcome to the incense blogging world! I've been doing this for two years now, with no promotion of my site, and I'm amazed at how many people have found me out and have become regulars.
ReplyDeleteSteve I'm blushing-- thank you so much for your kind words.
ReplyDeleteOK Steve, I'm giving you a poke-- do you have any reviews on tap? Feeling curious and wondering what you're burning for 2016 :)
ReplyDeleteI have some samples of Happy Hari incense that I've been sent (scent?). And a large box of Goloka that I've been burning a lot of. But I am a bit of a butterfly. So even if I sit down with a joss stick with the intention of reviewing it, I may end up doing something else instead! The internet is such a temptation isn't it?
ReplyDeleteLOL isn't that the truth!
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