Incense In The Wind

Burner Burner - Carhartt jacket incense burner

Saturday, 6 January 2018

Balarama Zam Zam Black Love

 
Third review - scroll down for earlier


I've had this for over six years, and the foil has ripped, yet there is still a fresh and reasonably strong aroma on the stick. Clean, floral, soapy, well behaved, decent. More a room or product fragrance than a proper incense scent, this is nevertheless an attractive smell. 

The aroma on the burn is more balanced, warmer and woody than the scent on the stick.  As it develops, warm, soft, sweet floral notes emerge - lily, jasmine, and rose. Very attractive. 


Date: Nov 2024   Score: 35 
Average of three reviews: 35


Second review

We did a little scent comparison with several top quality masala incense, and I threw in a perfume dipped as a wild card, and then during the comparison added this foil wrapped incense to see how it fared. It did well, offering a scent as pleasing as most of the masalas, and did not stand out as inferior.  We all noted that it was sweet, with some feeling that perhaps it was a little too sweet for them. Rose petals or rose water was mentioned, and it drew a comparison with Turkish delight. I found it quite sultry, and the rose perfume for me was quite sexy and indulgent. I noted honey and garden flowers, and at some point it offered nostalgic memories of  a summery garden when I was a child. Very satisfying. 

I'm trying it again now, and I love the scent on the stick - it is quite complex and modern, with some of the allure of  a feminine perfume - vanilla, rose, sweet sandalwood, coconut, faint notes of Chanel 5. It's really nice. This pack is a few years old now, so when burning the perfume struggles a little to make itself felt over the base material, the bamboo stick and the combustible, which is wood dust rather than charcoal. Mostly it manages to do that, but sometimes the base material intrudes a little too much for purity, and holds this back from achieving a higher score.  Stocks are available in various places, including Amazon (£3.29, including delivery), or Zam Zam Direct for £1.35 (plus delivery of £3.20 - which makes it worthwhile for orders of two or more). I have ordered some more, as that is good value. 

[Added 2024]: These sticks are made by Balarama of Thailand, who are quite possibly also the source for Kuumba incense.


Date: Jan 2022    Score: 37 
Average of three reviews: 35


First review

This is so similar to the other foil wrapped incense I have tried. It has a pleasant modern perfumed scent. A candy sweet scent with some sensual quality, a bit like musk. It isn't a childish scent, it is quite sexy. Like the other Zam Zam incense, there is some dry smoke notes from the base material which interferes somewhat with the pleasant scent. The base is quite earthy and herbal, like Tibetan incense. I like these foil wrapped incenses. They don't quite transport me, but they are something a bit different from most everyday incense - more modern and more fun really. I shall get some more, and look more into them.


Date: Jan 2018   Score: 32 
Average of three reviews: 35

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