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| Second review - scroll down for earlier |
A hard, dry, crumbly brown paste thinly hand-rolled onto hand-cut bamboo splints. Mild perfume scent on the stick. Vague, though it's sweet, softly floral - quite attractive. Mostly mid to notes, nothing really musky, which I associate with amber. Hmm, yes, there is a sweet musk base.
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| Back label blurb |
The burn is not positive. Mostly smoky with a vague burning wood smell. It's not assertive, but I wouldn't want it to be. This is a scent best left in the background. Well, best left in the wood shed to cover up that odd, worrying scent. OK, it's not that bad, but it's too dry, serious, boring, simple, and unadventurous for my taste.
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| Classic Heritage Amber top Festive Deluxe Amber bottom |
This is part of Cottage Industries' Festive Range in Deluxe Packet, which is approximately the same price as their Classic Heritage Range Amber. The scent on the Heritage Amber, is, however, way more delightful. It is possible that the sticks are the same (there isn't much difference in appearance, though the Heritage has a darker, fresher appearance compared to the dried out pale appearance of the Deluxe. This may, though, be the result of the Deluxe being older stock....
Date: March 2023 Score: 23
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| First review |
Cottage Industries are part of the Pondicherry Ashram. The incense and the packaging are similar to Auroshika, and One Aromatics, and Meadows, and The Mother's, who appear to operate from the same Ashram and be part of the same community in Auroville, which was founded by The Mother, Mirra Alfassa. As an ex-hippy (or am I simply an aging hippy?) I am fascinated by the community. I have, however, been less struck by the several variations of their incense. I tend to find it too sharp and prickly for my taste, perhaps due to strong use of halmaddi, and that is the case here.
I'm not getting much in the way of amber. The scent on the stick is lightly perfumed, reminiscent of shoe polish, pine, jam, soap, and quite pleasant without being exciting or heavenly. The scent on the burn is a little hot and prickly for my taste, and inclines toward smoky. It has the warm woolly notes of halmaddi. On the whole a little too dry and sharp for my taste. But not unpleasant. The consensus in the house is that it is woody, woolly, dry, prickly, pleasant, manly, serious. An OK incense.
This packet, 15gm, 63 rupees in India, comes from ExoticIncense in America who sell it for $2, which seems very reasonable considering the cost of transportation across the world.
Date: Jan 2022 Score: 28
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| Cottage Industries |
Amber incense from this brand I also diddnt like it. I love their Matipal and Sandalwood.
ReplyDeleteI reviewed that back in 2014. I liked the aroma on the stick, but felt that too much of the combustible was present in the burn, and that though the fragrance was pleasant, it wasn't strong enough by itself to make much of an impression. I don't think I have got close enough to the Auroville incenses to fully get to grips with them, but what I have had so far hasn't really been to my taste. I like richer, sweeter scents. The Auroville incenses that I've had have tended to be a little dry, serious, sharp, and unexciting for me. Also, I'm not quite sure where the Auroshikha brands stands in relation to the others, but I'd assume it was lower than The Mother's. Here's the 2014 review: Auroshika Sandalwood
ReplyDeleteThanks for the review Steve. Just one correction though - it's not Rs. 63 in India. It's priced at Rs. 33.60.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the website currently has the price at 33.60. My pack, though, is marked on the back as 63 Rupees. Perhaps that is the export price? It is printed on the packet, not stuck on.
DeleteI see. It could also be the M.R.P for retailing in India.
DeleteI've put a photo of the price in the review now. My pack came from America, where it sells for $2. I think that is a reasonable price considering it has travelled across the world and has been subjected to various taxes!
DeleteYes they're quite reasonably priced on their own website too. Here, you'll usually only find cheap perfumed or dipped incense at that price range. I believe Cottage Industries' incense is not meant for connoisseurs. Their target audience might be meditators (since that's what the Matrimandir is known for) who want something simple and natural but not too fancy or expensive.
DeleteThe modern scents, which are blends, are informed more by aesthetics and commercial appeal. I find their modern scents to be more interesting, though not (yet) accomplished.
DeleteOn the whole I find Cottage to be, as you say, rather simple. Not really my kind of incense. However, I love the story behind Cottage, and I love that there is this long history going back to 1949.
The intention from the start was to make low cost incense for the ashram, and it was only the excess that was sold. The ashram started exporting in 1972, though as the ashram is a charity, the commercial side of things is now handled by a trust, as the charity is not allowed to make a profit.
I just checked itokri dot com. Their prices are indeed much higher than what's listed on Cottage Industries' own website. They wouldn't have been able to sell at a price higher than the printed M.R.P.
ReplyDelete