Match Incense Vanilla cones

Oooh, this is nice. I do like vanilla incense, and this works well. Yes, there is a little bit of the core material mixed in, but there's enough of the vanilla to lift this. I'd be quite happy to buy this again if the cones were regular sized. But as it is, because of the presence of the core material, and the small size, this is a modest everyday incense.


Date: Feb 2020   Score:  23

***

Match incense

Vanilla

Match Incense Cinnamon cones

There's a pleasant waft of cinnamon on opening the box, but when burned the cinnamon scent is dwarfed by the core sawdust. Shame. I like the idea of these matchbox incenses. I first came upon them about seven years ago, and when I found them again recently (some time last year - 2019), I bought a bunch.  The cones are very small, and are gone very quickly. 


Date: Feb 2020    Score: 20

***

Match Incense

Wild Berry Dragon's Blood cones

It's a faint smell which has an element of fruit but is predominantly petrol and burning rubber. The cones smell a little of floor polish. Not an offensive incense, but on the way there. Can't be used for anything other than keeping flies away, and covering up nasty smells. Not to be used in the living areas of the house. The pack says: "Fresh, Hand-Dipped Superior Grade Incense". What a load of tosh. If they class this as "Superior Grade" what the hell do they regard as lower grade?


Date: Feb 2020   Score: 15

***

Wild Berry

Dragon's blood

Gokula Incense Cones Mogra

I like and trust Gokula, so it's very disappointing to experience these poor quality incense cones. There is little jasmine (mogra) fragrance - the scent is light, poor, and mostly of the core sawdust material. All the Gokula incense sticks I've had have been masala, and good quality. This is the first perfume-dipped incense I've had from them.

Date: Feb 2020    Score: 19

***

Gokula-incense

Best jasmine incense

Hari Darshan Tribal Soul Myrrh

Over-packaged and somewhat crude masala incense by Hari Darshan of Delhi who are marketing in the West under the brand name of Tribal Soul. This is a case of style over substance. The box is packaged to look like American Indian smudge incense, with dream catcher images, and the words "Smudge Sticks" instead of agarbatti or incense sticks. Now I do like good packaging, but this is just a little bit excessive, the packet inside the box is sealed with a hand tied piece of string. There's even an orange coloured feather to match the orange tips of the incense sticks. Kinda nice, but really, that is just a bit over the top. Also, I dislike that it is presenting itself as being part of a different culture. Be honest and direct - say you're an Indian incense, not an American one. Also, at the end of the day, what really matters is the incense and how it smells. This is myrrh, which is one of my favourite incenses, and it smells sweet and delicious on the stick, with a gentle musky warmth, but on burning it's too hot and thin and while it starts off OK, soon degenerates into burning sawdust.  There's some pleasant prickly balsamic notes which balance the sawdust, so it's not completely bad, but this is an incense which deserves to be so much better.


Date: Feb 2020   Score:  28


 

I'm giving this another go. I think I was a bit harsh, and a bit petty as regards the packaging. I actually quite like attractive, decent quality packaging which is what this is. Though I still have some doubts about the use of spiritual ethnic American culture to sell Indian incense. 

The fragrance on the stick is sherbet sweet and very attractive, if a little peppery and sharp. The scent on the burn is pleasant, though doesn't excite me. It's a little prickly, but is otherwise OK, without really drawing me in. It exists in the room as a masala incense, but I am not a part of it. I don't feel involved or touched by this incense. There's nothing offensive here, but nothing particularly delightful either. The scent is woody. There is no sense of myrrh, or any resin. I'm not getting much movement away from wood. 


Date: Jan 2022    Score: 28 

***

Hari Darshan

Myrrh

Ranga Rao Cycle Brand Dasara Pure Mysuru Agarbathi

This is gorgeous. A masala incense dipped in essential oil. The aroma is delicate and subtle, combining the sensual warmth of sandalwood and the zing of exotic fruit with the uplifting floral freshness of rose petals. The sticks are generous packed, burning for a long time (around an hour), and leaving the room uplifted with a lingering masala scent. I like that it is long burning without being heavy. And I like the subtleness of the scent so that it informs and delights rather than overwhelms. This is a really good incense. I have been using it around the house, particularly in the mornings, to create a positive and welcoming vibe. I'd be very happy to get more of these. Very nice.

Date: Feb 2020   Score: 39

 

A mature and well rounded masala incense by N. Ranga Rao & Sons of Mysore, who have been selling incense since 1948, and are regarded as one of the largest and most respected Indian incense makers, although they are not as well known in the West as manufacturers like HEM and Satya. The Cycle Brand is Ranga Rao's most well known and respected brand. 

The subtitle of "Pure Mysuru Agarbathi" is worth noting, as Mysuru (Mysore) has been given regional protection by the Indian Government in 2004 for incense made in the region (Mysore Agarbathi) due to the significant history of quality incense making in the area. 

Date: Jan 2022    Score: 39 

***

Ranga Rao