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| Third review - scroll down for earlier reviews |
I love this instantly - heady, woody, musky, sexy with feminine floral notes weaving through, which cool and balance the masculine base notes, and add sophistication and interest to what could otherwise be a somewhat overbearing scent. There's awareness of candy sweetness and rose, like Turkish delight, and honey, which really lifts this. This is not a scent for everyone - this really is a big, overbearing beast of strong wood notes. And while it does centre on and revolve around the concept of bakhoor (wood chips soaked in aromatic oils), it's not - for me - completely on target. It's a little dry and lacking in the richness I get from bakhoor.
I had pushed the score up to 46 on my previous review, which would normally put in straight into my Top Drawer World Class Incense listing, but my current rule is that incense which gets such a score is first put into the Purgatory listing until I have done another review after at least a month has passed. So now is the time to confirm if this is moved into the Top Drawer or into a lesser listing. I am giving this a score of 41, which puts it into my Heavenly Incense listing. There is a degree of inconsistency between sticks, and during the burn itself. This can be fun, and there is a delight when the stick gets to a positive point in the formulation and some gorgeous scents are released, but less fun when it gets to a harsh point, and it just smells of burning. On the whole I love this, but the inconsistency, that it presents as a bakhoor, but misses that target (better if named something vague but pointing in the right direction like Arabian Forest), and that it can be a little dry holds it back from me placing on my Top Drawer list.
I had pushed the score up to 46 on my previous review, which would normally put in straight into my Top Drawer World Class Incense listing, but my current rule is that incense which gets such a score is first put into the Purgatory listing until I have done another review after at least a month has passed. So now is the time to confirm if this is moved into the Top Drawer or into a lesser listing. I am giving this a score of 41, which puts it into my Heavenly Incense listing. There is a degree of inconsistency between sticks, and during the burn itself. This can be fun, and there is a delight when the stick gets to a positive point in the formulation and some gorgeous scents are released, but less fun when it gets to a harsh point, and it just smells of burning. On the whole I love this, but the inconsistency, that it presents as a bakhoor, but misses that target (better if named something vague but pointing in the right direction like Arabian Forest), and that it can be a little dry holds it back from me placing on my Top Drawer list.
Date: Oct 2023 Score: 41↓
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| Second review |
This is a stunning incense. Very heady and smoky, so be aware. This is designed for India with its heat, open windows, and various competing aromas, not for enclosed, cool, neutral Western homes. As they say with fireworks, light and stand well back!
Stick is 9 inches, with 7 inches of hard black paste very neatly and expertly hand-rolled onto a plain bamboo splint, and very sparsely coated in a fine reddish brown wood powder. The scent on the stick is propelled by intensely cool menthol, searing through the nostrils. The scent is woody, masculine, cologne, sexy, compelling - just slightly spoiled by the menthol volatility. The impression is that a reasonably decent agarwood oil has been used, but then cut a little too much with DEP. When lit the stick burns greedily and fierce, producing a lot of black smoke until the flame is blown out.
The scent on the burn is warm, welcoming, sexy, musky, woody, divine, confident, protective, reassuring, seductive. This would create an appropriate atmosphere for seduction, or just for feeling warm and protected. It also produces an awesomely attractive scent. I really like this. I think I was somewhat mean when I burned this in April, but reading my notes it seems that these sticks are variable/inconsistent. On this visit, it is mainly the agarwood that is coming through on the burn, and I am at this moment very receptive to its charm. Yes. Nice one.
I'm marking this up and putting it in Purgatory to see what happens on the next burn....
Stick is 9 inches, with 7 inches of hard black paste very neatly and expertly hand-rolled onto a plain bamboo splint, and very sparsely coated in a fine reddish brown wood powder. The scent on the stick is propelled by intensely cool menthol, searing through the nostrils. The scent is woody, masculine, cologne, sexy, compelling - just slightly spoiled by the menthol volatility. The impression is that a reasonably decent agarwood oil has been used, but then cut a little too much with DEP. When lit the stick burns greedily and fierce, producing a lot of black smoke until the flame is blown out.
The scent on the burn is warm, welcoming, sexy, musky, woody, divine, confident, protective, reassuring, seductive. This would create an appropriate atmosphere for seduction, or just for feeling warm and protected. It also produces an awesomely attractive scent. I really like this. I think I was somewhat mean when I burned this in April, but reading my notes it seems that these sticks are variable/inconsistent. On this visit, it is mainly the agarwood that is coming through on the burn, and I am at this moment very receptive to its charm. Yes. Nice one.
I'm marking this up and putting it in Purgatory to see what happens on the next burn....
Date: Sept 2023 Score: 46↑
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| First review |
Impressive looking packet - sells for 95 rupees in the domestic market, which is around £1 here in the UK, though is actually more like £3 or £4 in equivalent terms (I paid just over £2 from the excellent Aavyaa.com, with just £3 shipping charge for around 30 assorted packets - and, even though they understandably have put up their international shipping costs since my purchase in Feb, they still provide a great value service to those not living in India). [Oct 2023: Vishesh, owner of Aavyaa, has adjusted the shipping costs, so the more you buy the less he charges, and purchases over £50 are shipped free).
I have an interest in Balaji because some of their scents are on point for my taste for rich and indulgent incense (though some are a little dry, so the company can be variable). I particularly liked their Balaji Red Premium Flora Sticks, and have been hunting for something similar from them. This appeared to promise the same experience, though hasn't hugely impressed me (yet).
The sticks are semi-dry charcoal paste with binders and fragrant ingredients hand rolled around a plain machine-cut bamboo splint. The paste has been thinly covered in powdered tree bark (jiggat or nurva) to stop the sticks from gluing together as they dry. A liquid fragrance has been applied to the stick at some point (either as a dip at the end, or poured into the charcoal paste during the blending). the scent is volatile, alcoholic, with sharp notes of pine disinfectant whilst also having a warm sandalwood aroma. On the whole it's not appealing to me, and tickles my nose.
The sticks are semi-dry charcoal paste with binders and fragrant ingredients hand rolled around a plain machine-cut bamboo splint. The paste has been thinly covered in powdered tree bark (jiggat or nurva) to stop the sticks from gluing together as they dry. A liquid fragrance has been applied to the stick at some point (either as a dip at the end, or poured into the charcoal paste during the blending). the scent is volatile, alcoholic, with sharp notes of pine disinfectant whilst also having a warm sandalwood aroma. On the whole it's not appealing to me, and tickles my nose.
The scent during the burn is pleasant with a warm woodiness. There is, though little sense of the rich, sweet, sexy, indulgent, musky agarwood or oodh that is the basis for bakhoor. There is plenty of smoke, and plenty of presence, but little in the way of bakhoor - a scent I adore. There is an inconsistency in the burn so I have had sticks going out, and sticks burning hot and fast. I love the smoke it produces - great swirls of light grey patterns, but I am put off by the smokiness in the scent. It's not all bad, as overall there is a velvet warmth with hints of the exotic and the orient. I think there is oodh in the blend, but it may have been been cut with a cheaper scent to keep costs down.
Hmm. The more I burn this the more I like it.
Hmm. The more I burn this the more I like it.
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