I wrote and published this back in June 2018, but then withdrew it - information is missing, so perhaps I accidently deleted some text, and that's why I withdrew it. I'm doing a rummage of my incense stack for some incense exchanges I'm doing, and find the three Mantra packs. I will review them again, but bear in mind that they are no longer available for sale, this is just for historical interest.
Previous text:
I got three packs of Mantra branded incense from "Britain's Oldest Headshop", Head In The Clouds in Norwich. As soon as I lit the first one I felt that this incense was by one of Happy Hari's suppliers. When I burned the Vrindavan Flower I was convinced. I was pleased that someone else was selling Happy Hari quality incense, so I looked up the company Mantra-Life, which was formed in 2014 by an Indian couple in Leicester. Sadly they folded in May of 2018.
This is made by the same producer as made Vrindavan Flower for Happy Hari/Eden Culture and makes for Gokula. This batch or formulation is slightly different though. This is softer and simpler. It has some essential orange oil, which is common to the others, and a soapy quality. But it doesn't have the sharp edge nor the bite that I associate with halmaddi.
This has a glorious sandalwood aroma.
New text:
Vrindavan Flower - a thin charcoal paste has been crudely hand-rolled on a plain hand-cut bamboo splint, and then coated in a wood powder. There is still the sense of an essential oil on the stick. The sub-name is "In Touch with Nature". I dug out a pack of Paul Eagle's Vrindavan Flowers and there are similarities, though I'm not certain they are made by the same source, or, if they are, it's not the same batch. The scent on the burn is quite dry and woody and spicy with a possible suggestion of halmaddi in the mix. The halmaddi would have been put in to hold and amplify the scent of the other fragrant ingredients, though it does have a warm wool scent of its own. It's an OK scent - somewhat vague, but warm, woody, and spicy. It gently informs the room with a calming, relaxing, slightly sensual scent that has a benign authority to encourage a feeling of security. It started slow, but I grew to like it. A decent everyday masala. Score: 32
Golden Meditation - "Free Your Mind", is a healthy looking masala stick and certainly does smell gorgeous with a fragrant, rich, sweet, creamy woody scent. There's sandalwood, tea, bergamot, tobacco, nips of spice, warm wool. Oh, it's nice. As with most proper masala it retains a beautiful scent on the burn. Oooh, this is lovely. Shame it's no longer made. Well, it will be - it's just a question of finding out who sells it, and under what name. This is top end. Love it. Score: 41
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| Vrindavan Flower |
This is made by the same producer as made Vrindavan Flower for Happy Hari/Eden Culture and makes for Gokula. This batch or formulation is slightly different though. This is softer and simpler. It has some essential orange oil, which is common to the others, and a soapy quality. But it doesn't have the sharp edge nor the bite that I associate with halmaddi.
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| Golden Meditation |
This has a glorious sandalwood aroma.
New text:
Vrindavan Flower - a thin charcoal paste has been crudely hand-rolled on a plain hand-cut bamboo splint, and then coated in a wood powder. There is still the sense of an essential oil on the stick. The sub-name is "In Touch with Nature". I dug out a pack of Paul Eagle's Vrindavan Flowers and there are similarities, though I'm not certain they are made by the same source, or, if they are, it's not the same batch. The scent on the burn is quite dry and woody and spicy with a possible suggestion of halmaddi in the mix. The halmaddi would have been put in to hold and amplify the scent of the other fragrant ingredients, though it does have a warm wool scent of its own. It's an OK scent - somewhat vague, but warm, woody, and spicy. It gently informs the room with a calming, relaxing, slightly sensual scent that has a benign authority to encourage a feeling of security. It started slow, but I grew to like it. A decent everyday masala. Score: 32
Golden Meditation - "Free Your Mind", is a healthy looking masala stick and certainly does smell gorgeous with a fragrant, rich, sweet, creamy woody scent. There's sandalwood, tea, bergamot, tobacco, nips of spice, warm wool. Oh, it's nice. As with most proper masala it retains a beautiful scent on the burn. Oooh, this is lovely. Shame it's no longer made. Well, it will be - it's just a question of finding out who sells it, and under what name. This is top end. Love it. Score: 41
Saffron Honey - "Journey of Self Discovery" is even more gorgeous on the stick than the Golden Meditation. There's some great incenses out there to be discovered. Somebody is no doubt selling this under a new name. Saffron, honey, lotus, vanilla, Belgian waffles with cream. Heavenly scents on the stick. This is real proper job masala. Attractive boxes. Shame that the business folded. I have found details of the guy who ran the business, and have reached out to him. I doubt he'll get back to me, but you never know....
It burns a little hot, but the aroma is divine and follows what was promised on the stick. I've been burning a few average to mediocre incenses recently, and it's great to get familiar with a beautiful incense that is touching on World Class. Score: 45
If anyone knows who the maker of these incenses was, and who sells it now, please get in touch. Even if it's only a guess.
I'm giving an overall score for Mantra:
Date: Feb 2023 Score: 42
It burns a little hot, but the aroma is divine and follows what was promised on the stick. I've been burning a few average to mediocre incenses recently, and it's great to get familiar with a beautiful incense that is touching on World Class. Score: 45
If anyone knows who the maker of these incenses was, and who sells it now, please get in touch. Even if it's only a guess.
I'm giving an overall score for Mantra:
Date: Feb 2023 Score: 42
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