Balaji Passon Natural Incense Sticks Rose

Pungent scent on the stick of a fragrant oil - quite volatile. A mix of floral and fruit, slightly acidic, definitely citric - tinges of oranges. A hint of the whiff of pee or ammonia. Some stone mineral and sea shore. Faint shoe polish. The whole is mildly interesting and attractive, but not necessarily wonderful, though it does hold a promise. It's kind of like meeting a potentially seductive older woman wearing a lot of cheap perfume to overpower the smell of her pee stained knickers in a Mediterranean  orange grove. 

The scent from the burning stick is far from the confusing allure of the scent on the stick. The oil/perfume burns off too quickly so the main scent is of the core material - the scent is more of damp sawdust and old garden waste, dry leaves and mouldy grass. There is some wafts of spice, some woody cedar, but mostly it smells like any old cheap perfumed incense stick. Smokey and inferior.  It is disappointing, not just because it doesn't live up to the promise of the stick, but also because my previous experiences of Balaji incense had been more positive. I'll dig out some other Balaji I have and revisit.

I assume the name Passon is a misspelling of passion - the description is of "a force of emotions and feelings", which is passion. There is a word passon, but it's in the Frulian language, and means pasture, so I don't think it's that. 

Balaji's Passon is a small range including Sandal, Rose , Firdaus, and Heenal scents. This one is the Rose, though, apart from the hint of old ladies knickers and some floral notes, there is no smell of rose in this that I can detect.  Available for 80p for 14 rather thin machine made sticks from Popat Stores, or in a Combo Pack of the whole range with twelve packs for £12, postage included from Indian Bazaar on Amazon. This is more perfumed than natural, so that is how I shall classify it. And is more suited to the outhouse or toilet than the house. 

 

Date: Oct 2021   Score: 19

Balaji Agarbatti Company