Incense In The Wind

Radiating Incense In The Wind - a painting by Hai Linh Le

Monday 24 April 2023

Padmini Cinnamon Incense

 


Basic perfume-dipped incense from Padmini, who tend to make borderline bargain basement perfumed incense - though they also make some rather pleasant Dhoop Sticks . For the first few years of this blog I tended to like their perfumed incense, and then each time I re-reviewed them, the score went down. I don't think this was anything to do with Padmini products getting worse - I think it was more to do with my increased experience and knowledge of other and better quality incense. 

These sticks are rather scrappily hand rolled charcoal paste on hand cut undyed bamboo splints which vary in thickness - some being quite thin and floppy. A small amount of tree bark powder had been sprinkled on the charcoal paste to stop the sticks from gluing together as they dry. The finished product looks rather unattractive and cheap. 

There is a modest scent on the stick - vaguely cedar wood, pencil shavings, dried onion, and what I could be convinced is cinnamon. It is what it is. The scent on the burn is not quite offensive, but is ambling in that direction.  It smells of burning, of onion, of garden smoke, and possibly faint cinnamon. 

Not impressed. I'm not seeing much use for this other than to keep the flies out of the outhouse during the summer. 


Date: April 2023   Score: 18 


 


So, I was done with this incense and ready to move it to the outhouse, but lazily left the packet on my desk, and casually burned a few sticks as I was doing other things, merely because I wanted the warmth and comfort of some incense, and this pack was the nearest thing that had already been reviewed and so could be lit up and ignored. 

You know, sometimes incense is best just ignored, or left in a separate room, or in a far corner. Sometimes incense works its magic best when it just drifts softly on the wind with no thought or expectation. It's just there like a familiar friend who doesn't need to talk - just being there is enough. Like the breathing of a lover at night; the warmth of another body; someone's hand holding yours. 

This is not a great incense - I've not had a sudden revelation that this incense is heavenly, but it is better than the dismissive 18 I gave it yesterday. It holds more of a pleasant scent than mere wood burning (or onions!). It's an OK lower end average everyday incense. It's acceptable to burn casually. It's not an incense to study or think about or to burn before guests come round. But to add some warmth to a room, or to do some of the other functional non high level things that incense can do (cover up bad smells, deter flies, add character to a place), then this is OK at a reasonable price. Packs are sold in various countries, usually at less than 10p per stick. Mine came from a German shop - Aqasha.com - priced at €1.89 for 20 sticks. 


Date: April 2023   Score: 23 
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