Patchouli

As an old hippy I have a great fondness for patchouli - I wore it as a perfume during my teens, later blending it three parts patchouli, two parts musk, and one part civet (a combination idea I may have got from Aleister Crowley, though altered to my own taste). Its sweet musky scent is very evocative of an interesting period of my life, and though I have not quite found the same sweet intensity in incense as I have in the essential oil, a good patchouli incense will nearly always tend to seduce me....

Patchouli is a plant. It is part of the fragrant mint family - which includes basil, marjoram, oregano, rosemary, thyme, lavender, etc.  The leaves are steam distilled to create the essential (or plant) oil that is used as the basis for the scent in perfumes and incense.  The seeds (and sometimes the plants) can be bought online in the UK, and in the US.  The leaves are an effective insect repellent, and were used to protect silks that travelled to the West along the Silk Road. Cashmere shawls from Kashmir were packed with patchouli leaves when transported to 19th century Europe, so making patchouli a fashionable perfume. It doesn't appear to have been a known incense ingredient until the 1960s when patchouli oil became popular with young Westerners on the hippy trail. As the oil is economical to make, and very effective, I wonder if patchouli incense has always been made with extracted oils rather than the plant itself. 

Patchouli is one of my favourite scents, and is a popular incense fragrance. It is rich, woody, sexy, warm, indulgent, sweet, with herbal, floral notes. Most patchouli incense tends to have those characteristics - it seems to work well. It's a useful incense adding sweet, musky, woody depth to a number of perfumes.  The patchouli plant is part of the mint family and is widely cultivated in Asia with over 12,000 farming families growing it. The active ingredient is Patchoulol, and this is now being developed synthetically with yeast, though I'm not sure how widespread is the use of synthetic patchoulol in incense. 

The scent is often called earthy, musky, sweet, like damp earth, brown, heady. It can be quite compelling and intoxicating. It is a robust, sexual, animalistic, natural, disturbing scent. When an incense replicates the scent successfully, it can be a heavenly experience - filling the room with a throbbing sensuality.

It is quite a common scent in incense - though less so for masala makers. It is found mainly in perfume-dipped incense - either as a natural essential oil, or as a chemical replicant.  Most perfume-dipped producers will have a patchouli in their range; sometimes part of a blend, but mostly just as patchouli. If there's a variety pack of cheap incense, patchouli will often be one of the scents - as with  Ganesha incense cones (score 29),  Emporium Impressions Premiere Incense Gift Pack (27),  Pan Aroma Incense Sticks (23), Stamford Exotic Collection (22), Zodiac Scents (19) - Scorpio is represented by patchouli, 100 Loose Cones eBay Mega-Mix (19), Spiritual Sky (19),  and Divine Spirit (18).

There are blends in the Stamford Aromatherapy Collection (Tulasi) with the Relaxing scent (27) containing a blend of cardamom, cedarwood and patchouli, while the Sensuality scent (22) contains a blend of ylang ylang, patchouli, and spicy nutmeg.

It can work well in perfume-dipped incense, as in SAC Patchouli cones (34),  HEM Patchouli (33) which does smell of patchouli, Mysore Sugandhi/Aargee Patchouli (33) which is crude but gives a likeable musky warmth,  and can make acceptable everyday patchouli incense, as in

SAC Patchouli sticks (29), or Karma Scents Patchouli (25). Though sometimes it's a scent in name only and the product is only useful as a toilet freshener as in Darshan Patchouli cones (15).

It is not common in masala incense, though Goloka do a Patchouli (36) which is more sandalwood than patchouli but is a warm and sensual incense nevertheless,  and Aromatika Ace Scents do a Patchouli (32) which again is more about sandalwood but is pleasant enough. Nandita do Nandita Organic Patchouli (27), which is a thin masala, and uses charcoal which burns quite sharp and hot, so is not successful.

Reviews

  * = Reviews over 5 years old, so may not be reliable

Aargee Imperial Maharaja Patchouli Fragrance
Dec 2023  -  Score: 47

Sai Handicraft UK Hand Rolled Pitcholi 
Dec 2023 - Score: 41

Goloka Patchouli Dhoop Cones 
Aug 2020 - Score: 41 

Satya (BNG - 2016) Patchouli (M)
Dec 2019  -  Score: 40

  

Satya (Mumbai) Patchouli Forest (M)
Aug 2019 - Score: 38

  

Elbenzauber Patchouli 
Jan 2024 - Score: 38

   

(HMS) Bhagwan Incense Patchouli (PM)
March 2024 - Score: 37 

  

Vivasvan Garden Fresh Pure Patchouli (M)
Jan 2024 Score: 37

Om Brand Trishala Patchouli (P)
Feb 2024 - Score: 37

Aargee Patchouli (P)
May 2019  - Score: 37

  

Namaste India Pure Patchouli (M)
Nov 2023 - Score: 36

Goloka Patchouli 
Nov 2015 - Score: 36*

Satya (BNG) Patchouli (M)
Aug 2019 - Score: 35 

   

HEM Patchouli Masala incense (PM)
Oct 2024 - Score: 34

SAC Patchouli (cones)
Aug 2018 - Score: 34*

Tulasi Patchouli Masala Incense (M)
Sept 2021  -  Score: 33

Blue Pearl Patchouli

Dec 2022  -  Score: 33

  

Hari Darshan Patchouli Incense Cones (P)

April 2022 - Score: 33

Aargee Patchouli tube series
March 2015 - Score: 33*

HEM Patchouli
May 2024 - Score: 32↑↓

Aromatika Ace Scents 
Patchouli

Aug 2015 - Score: 32*

Sifcon Patchouli Incense Sticks (P)
Oct 2021 -  Score: 31

 

Gokula / Primo Connoisseur Patchouli /
Gaura Super Patchouli Incense Sticks
Nov 2021 -   Score: 30 

  

Bhagvati Ppure Nagchampa Patchouli
May 2017   Score: 30*

 

Aasha Aromatics Patchouli (P)
Oct 2018  - Score: 30*

SAC Patchouli (sticks)
March 2017  Score: 29* 

 

Goloka Nature's Patchouli (M)

Feb 2022 - Score: 28

Nandita Organic Patchouli (M)
Dec 2019   Score: 27

 

Aromatika Patchouli Incense Cones

Jan 2021 - Score: 27

Mausum Patchouli (P)
Nov 2023 - Score: 27

Sifcon Karma Scents Patchouli (P)
June 2017  Score: 25*

Ekom Patchouli

Oct 2023   Score:  23

 

Phool Patchouli Luxury incense Sticks

Nov 2023  -  Score: 15

 

 Darshan Patchouli cones 

July 2018  - Score: 15*

Scents reviewed: 32

Top five average: 41 
Reviews over 5 years old: 10 
Highest: 47
Lowest: 15
Average: 32

Score: 37

***

 What's The Best Incense In The World?

Different Scents

Mahendra Gulabi Collection Rose

I was burning some Mahendra Gulabi a few weeks ago, and I got curious as to where I bought it. Not that I thought it was a good incense, I was simply curious. I couldn't find the exact box, but I did note that Mahendra had expanded upon the brand, and were now doing a Gulabi Collection range which ReallyRelaxing were selling at a reduced price. So I grabbed the Rose and the Lavender to see what they burned like. Of course, I then got distracted, and they were put aside. I burned some Hari Om Divine Incense Gulab again the other night, and that reminded me of this Mahendra Gulabi.  Gulab is Hindi for rose, so is a common name for rose incense. Most Indian rose incense tends to be highly perfumed and quite heady. It's usually a perfume-dipped incense, but there are some masala versions, such as the very beautiful Goloka Nature's Rose.   This Mahendra Gulabi Collection Rose falls into the usual format for a perfume-dipped rose incense, though is much softer, and a few other things going on, such as little hints of citrus.  Though there are some differences it is very similar to the base Mahendra Gulabi, and may simply be the same incense, just updated a bit.

You get a lot for your money - there's 25g in the packet which would mean an average of 25 sticks. The sticks are a little shorter than average, though I like that, as I generally don't like to have the same incense burning for a long time. Short and sweet suits me. And it gives me the option of burning another one if I want. It's an OK everyday incense. Perfumed. A bit old fashioned. But it works for me as a pleasant room freshener.

Date: July 2018   Score: 23

***

Mahendra Betco - Best of

Best rose incense

Satya (BNG) Reiki

 

Fourth review - scroll down for earlier

I have found a box containing various packets of older incense, much of which I'd not reviewed, such as Satya (Mumbai 2015) Rain Forest and Satya/Stamford (Mumbai 2014) Enlightenment, and in there is this unopened pack of  pre-2017 Reiki. For some odd reason I had got out on my desk the inner sleeve of a pack of Satya Mumbai Californian White Sage, and over the past few days I've been burning that thinking it was the Reika, and feeling somewhat confused because I felt that it was a rather flat incense, and nothing like the pre-2017 Reika I'd previously been raving about. Today I picked up the packet of Reiki and realised that it was unopened, and the sticks were still inside in a sealed inner sleeve.  I've just sniffed the stick, and, ah!, this is more like it! 

The stick is quite perfumed and a little heady - not bad for an incense over seven years old. It is an attractive blend of cologne and honey and vanilla and sandalwood. There's talc and baby powder - soft florals like jasmine, light sweet rose - Turkish delight, and lotus. Some playful light citrus fruits - a touch of sherbet lemon. The scent on the burn is a little flat after the scent on the stick. I think it is more than possible that some of the oils and perfumes have faded over time, albeit the pack was sealed and kept in a cool dark place. But gradually the fragrance settles and unfolds, and bit by bit the scents on the stick emerge in the burn. It is a slow and steady burn - for my personal preference I'd like a bit more oomph: more speed, vigour, energy and power. I like my incense to be noticed without me making an effort. However, bless it's pointed little head, it does build. I just need more patience! Yes, it unfolds attractively, revealing the sweet, light florals floating on a clean, creamy sweet sandalwood. It informs the room, and does linger pleasantly for some hours afterwards.  

I like this incense. I like the light floral sweetness and playfulness. But I'm not liking it as much as I did originally. Now, is that because it has faded over time? Quite likely. Is it because since 2018 I have encountered a lot more incense, some of which has been more interesting and exciting than this? Quite possible. Is it that my tastes have changed? Again, this is plausible.  Indeed, it is probably a mix of reasons. Marking this now, as I have it front of me, I'm giving it a mid to high 30s score (Decent incense) rather than the Heavenly I originally scored it. I'll then do an average of all the scores for both the pre-2017 and the modern incense, given that they all have been made by the same person in the same factory and presumably to the same recipe. The only identifiable difference being age, which - in my experience - deepens and enriches the fragrance, but also makes it less strong or heady. 


Date: Jan 2024   Score:  36 

Overall score (average of the four reviews): 41 

Third review

I now have a freshly purchased new logo Reiki to compare with the pre-2017 Reiki. The packaging is slightly different - there's the logos, but also the inner packaging is markedly different (transparent on the pre-2017, white on the modern), and the text on the white label is slightly larger, with the addition of a "Green Product" stamp, as well as the Reiki name being even more embossed (barely embossed on the pre-2017, visibly embossed on the modern). 

 

Pre-2017 top, modern (2023) bottom

The sticks appear the same. The scent on the stick is slightly different - though this is likely to be more about aging and maturing than any recipe change. The pre-2017 (vintage) is sweet and mellow with vanilla and parma violets being prominent; the modern is sharper and more lively with lavender prominent, and more evidence of oil/perfume being used (a prickly volatility in the nose). I much prefer the more rounded, mellow, complex, and intoxicating scent of the pre-2017. I like them both - but I absolutely love the pre-2017.  

Hmmm. The burn is rather disappointing - the stick burns fairly quickly and quite hot, and the scent is fairly modest. The modern stick burns almost twice as fast as the vintage stick - though that might be because the vintage stick is fatter. I have selected a fatter modern stick and set that on the go to see how it compares. Hmm - still faster. The scent is pleasant, but not divine like the vintage. Overall this has an attractive floral scent with some pleasant sweetness - the colour of the floral scent is purple, so in keeping with lavender and parma violets. Yes - it's a decent, mild, everyday masala incense. Not World Class, but quite decent. 

  

Vintage at the back, two modern
in the front

There is a part of me that is putting the difference down to maturity. But then I look back at my original review and note that I was excited back then when the vintage sticks were still fresh, so I think that the formulation has changed. The vintage is more interesting and more woody. The modern is simply pleasant, though also quite light and more floral. I'm scoring the modern as low to mid 30s - probably 33, while the vintage still retains enough character for me to hold it at 47. And that has prompted me to consider having a Vintage list. Incense that is either no longer made, or which appears to have changed character over the years. And the pre-2017 Reiki is the first incense I'll place in that Vintage list. So I'll list this post twice - once for the modern Satya (BNG) Reiki (which will go in the Decent list), and once for the Satya (BNG - pre-2017) Reiki (which will go in the Vintage list) 

Date: Feb 2023    Score:  33

Second review

This incense has been in my Top Drawer (now World Class) listing since 2018. I am reburning all incenses in my World Class listing which have not been burned in more than a year. My first thought is that this is not just an old review, but is also an old incense, and I should get a recently made one to see if it is still the same. Thankfully, there are two sticks left, so I'm burning one now, and keeping the last one to do a comparison with the fresh pack. My second thought is that as I've been burning a lot of Japanese incense in the past few days, how pleasant it is to get back to some decent Indian masala incense. 

This is a good incense. Warm, woody, sweet - quite delicious. And, unlike with the Japanese incense, there's no work to do - the scent comes to you, enfolds you, and fills you up with sensual warmth and comfort. I am enjoying it. But is it genuinely world class? Well - there's lots going on.  There's not just the warm wood, there's other playful scents weaving in and out. Talcum powder, jasmine, honeysuckle, jasmine. It's hinting at Turkish delight, but not quite getting there. It teases a bit. Vanilla, creamy sweet sandalwood, burnt orange - a sort of caramelised orange.  We've all had a go at it, and find it dreamy and playful, and hard to pin down the scents which remind us of pleasant things and pleasant moments, but don't quite step out from behind the veil to reveal themselves. Oooh - it could be World Class. I'm now getting some masculine notes - some old fashioned cologne and faint tobacco and tweed jackets. Phew, if it's not quite World Class, then it's damned close. I'm inclined to put this at a hesitant borderline World Class, and will wait until I burn a more recent example before moving it out of Purgatory. 

Date: Feb 2023   Score: 47 

First review

Oh gosh this is good. There is so much going on here, it is fascinating. As soon as you open the box, the aromas rush out excitedly - fresh, woody, fruity, sensual, perfumed. The stick is lush with intoxicating scents criss-crossing and weaving their playful sexy spells.  There is jammy fruit and exotic fresh tobacco, spicy moments of baby powder -  the combinations are endless, and each person will find their own. And what is truly joyful is when the incense is lit, the game continues. I love it when the burning incense lives up to - or exceeds - the promise of the stick. And this one does. Stunningly gorgeous.

[Added 2023:] I wandered off a bit here into general Satya comments, and I think most of this is covered in my Satya (Shrinivas Sugandhalaya) post.

 My two favourite incense companies are Goloka and Satya. They are the major masala producers in India, exporting heavily to the West. There are no incense companies to compare to them.  Other major Indian producers such as Hem, Moksh, and Tulasi, focus on perfumed incense, and other well known masala companies such as Happy Hari, The Mother's, Gokula, or Fiore D'Oriente are distributors rather than producers, and don't have the market penetration of the big players. In 2014, the two brothers who owned the Satya company split it up. The brother who had the marketing connections in the West but not the production facilities, Nagraj Setty, was selling poor quality products under the Satya name to the same Western distributors who had made the Satya name famous. During this period the reputation of the company suffered, as Nagraj Setty based in Mumbai was using modern synthetic perfume methods rather than the traditional masala recipes of the original Satya production centre in Bangalore.  After a court case, the Bangalore brother got an agreement that all Satya products would clearly show where they are made, so customers would know if the Satya they are buying is made in Bangalore by the original Satya production team led by Balkrishna Setty, or the new production made in Mumbai by Nagraj Setty. This Reiki I am burning was made in Bangalore between 2014 and 2017 as it uses  Balkrishna Setty's Shrinivas Sugandhalaya (BNG) LLP name, which was introduced in 2014, but still uses the original Satya logo which was replaced in late 2017 / early 2018.

The Reiki name relates to the Japanese reiki healing system, which is a form of faith healing or alternative therapy. The name is also used by Goloka. Anyway. Prior to reviewing this Reika, I burned a Goloka incense - Goloka Divine - and enjoyed it, as I always enjoy Goloka. But when I lit up this Satya Reiki I was blown away.  I love the Goloka company - I love that they run the company as a non-profit company, using the money to help women and children in India, and that they are environmentally friendly, using roasted coconut shells instead of charcoal, for example. And I really want to like Goloka products more than the argumentative, profit-driven, Satya brothers. But when Satya are able to produce an incense as fascinating as this one, I am just blown away.  Awesome. This is going straight into my Top Ten.

Date: July, 2018    Score:   48

***

Satya (Shrinivas Sugandhalaya)

Goloka Divine

Another proper job masala incense from one of my favourite producers. For me Goloka can't do wrong, and this is one of their core scents - it is part of their Premium Series, and is widely available across the world. Igor from Brazil asked if I would review it, and I'm always happy to burn something from Goloka, and I'm on a masala spree at the moment, so off we go...

There is a deep, sharp, vivid scent of cedarwood on the stick - it's quite alive with tantalising peaks of fresh wood shavings on an Alpine mountain crushing the morning heather underfoot. I love the scent on the stick. Oooh - it's like fresh snow and coal dust and pine woods and other wonderful outdoorsy things. I'm less excited by the scent on burning as it's a little heavy and sullen, with a narrower focus than the raw scent - this is more of a burning scent - camp fires at night in damp wood. Though it is a fragrant and interesting scent, I'm not getting the divine element - its OK, but doesn't, for me, have the compelling almost addictive attractive of the raw scent.

Goloka don't use charcoal as the self-burning base in this and other incenses, they use roasted coconut shells which is more ecologically friendly. I just love what Goloka do - they think carefully about every aspect of the manufacture of their incense.

Date: July 2018    Score:  30

***

Goloka

 What's The Best Incense In The World?