A second sample of HEM's Champa Flower has turned up. Champa is a flower in the champa group, which includes frangipani as well as magnolia champaca, which is traditionally used in Nag Champa. It seems that HEM are interested in attracting an audience in the West for those who like masala incense - particularly those who like Satya incense and Satya's best selling Nag Champa.
The stick is made from a fragrant charcoal paste hand-rolled onto a machine-cut bamboo splint, and then coated in a nurva (woody powder) to prevent the sticks from gluing together as they dry. The paste is hard, dry, and crumbly. The scent on the stick is very attractive and compelling. It is a balance between creamy sandalwood and frangipane cake (sweet almond, orange water and jasmine). There's also an element of good quality gentleman's cologne. Quite yummy for someone like me who likes both woody scents and sweet scents, and if there is to be fruit, then something citric and sharp like a cologne is ideal. Yes. Lovely. Nobody would think this is by HEM.
The aroma on the burn is warm and compelling, with an emphasis more on the woody than the floral or fruity. It's solid job masala, with no off notes, and informs the room with a welcoming, reassuring, mildly sensual, and decidedly attractive scent. I like it. And I certainly like it way more than I did in 2020. It happens. Sometimes the experience is the same, other times, like this, the experience is markedly different.
Date: Feb 2023 Score: 38
Another sample of masala/natural incense from HEM (I reviewed their Anubhuti earlier this year [2020] in April). It's decent enough, and does contain some halmaddi, but doesn't quite lift off. Nothing wrong with it - it's great as an everyday incense to cleanse and lift a room, but it's not transcendental - it's too ordinary and generic for that. I'm OK with it, but I've actually had some perfumed incense from HEM that I liked more than this masala incense.
Date: Lockdown July 2020 Score: 28
***
 |
 |
| Best of Champa |
