Nikhil's Sugandha Natural Incense Sticks

 

This is a decent quality natural or masala incense from Nikhil which appears to only be available from Popat Stores (currently 75p for 15 sticks) in the UK, though there are a number of outlets in the US, including Walmart and IncenseOnTheWay. I was sent these in 2017, and am only now getting round to reviewing them. Out of the packet they smell fresh and wonderful. One of the distinct advantages of masala incense is that the resins and dried ingredients retain their scent for longer than incenses which use oils or perfumes (be they "natural" or "perfumed", as some natural or masala incense also use fragrant liquids, usually some form of essential oil). 

I like these. There's a certain amount of halmaddi in here, but not so much as it bothers me, just enough to add a woolly warmth. It's a delicious sweet incense with distinct spicy wood notes hinting at cedarwood and dark pine, with some white sandalwood underneath, and then - higher up, some florals, some lavender and some sharper, fresher pine. This is so good it approaches the more heavenly incenses, though is perhaps more of a top end everyday incense, for when you fancy the richer, warmer, more comforting notes of a masala incense. 

It is cleansing with some mineral awareness and a bit of ozone, yet warm and almost seductive. Not a morning or evening scent, but something in between - something to liven up an afternoon, and give a gentle warmth and sparkle to the house. 

I wondered what Sugandha could refer to, and speculated that it might refer to Queen Sugandha who was briefly a ruler of Kashmir in the 10th century, or that it might be an alternative spelling  of sugandhi - the Indian sarsaparilla.  However, it turns out that sugandh simply means fragrance. 

Date: Oct 2021   Score: 39

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Nikhil's Products of Bangalore