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| Second review - scroll down for earlier |
Alcoholic vapours on the stick propel a heady and complex fragrance rich with woods and Arabian perfume though coalescing in a vibrant potpourri informed by mahogany and cigars. Compelling and beautiful. The scent on the burn is attractive, and largely follows the components on the stick, though with a little less clarity. However, this is a beautiful scent, quite dreamy and romantic with its haze of florals and perfumed woods.
Date: Nov 2025 Score: 39
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| First review |
One of a number of Misbah incenses I got from Aavyaa, the online Indian store. This one cost ₹ 250.00 (approx £2.50) for 50g - that's double the domestic price, but considerably lower than such incense would normally cost in the West, and with free international shipping [2025: Vishesh has stopped the free international shipping; and those outside India have to contact Vishesh on connect@aavyaa.com or via WhatsApp +91 9710009184 to get a shipping cost].
I got this out to review a little while ago, and then had problems with it. I have burned it now and again, and haven't really settled on exactly how I feel about it. I love bakhoor or oud, such as
Al-Afdal Perfumes Swiss Arabian Oud Muattar Sahra and Al Haramain BukhoorAl Watani, and a few years ago I bought a selection of Arabian/Persian bakhoor incense to review, and haven't yet got round to it. This does have some of the qualities of oud (which is another name for agarwood, popular in Japanese incense, though usually used in a dry formulation rather than the rich wet formulation used in Arabia and India, where oils tend to be heavily used, so the experience is less subtle and more overwhelming), though has aspects which are not quite oud, and which I am not sure about. [2025: I am currently of the view that the Arabian use of agarwood, which is generally termed oud or oudh, in which wood chips are soaked in perfume (and then called bakhoor), is distinct from the Asian use of agarwood, in which just the wood or oils from the wood are used. Indian incense makers may use the term oud/h to refer to either of these uses, If the Indian incense maker is Muslim, then their oud/h incense will be in the Arabian style]
I got this out to review a little while ago, and then had problems with it. I have burned it now and again, and haven't really settled on exactly how I feel about it. I love bakhoor or oud, such as
Al-Afdal Perfumes Swiss Arabian Oud Muattar Sahra and Al Haramain BukhoorAl Watani, and a few years ago I bought a selection of Arabian/Persian bakhoor incense to review, and haven't yet got round to it. This does have some of the qualities of oud (which is another name for agarwood, popular in Japanese incense, though usually used in a dry formulation rather than the rich wet formulation used in Arabia and India, where oils tend to be heavily used, so the experience is less subtle and more overwhelming), though has aspects which are not quite oud, and which I am not sure about. [2025: I am currently of the view that the Arabian use of agarwood, which is generally termed oud or oudh, in which wood chips are soaked in perfume (and then called bakhoor), is distinct from the Asian use of agarwood, in which just the wood or oils from the wood are used. Indian incense makers may use the term oud/h to refer to either of these uses, If the Indian incense maker is Muslim, then their oud/h incense will be in the Arabian style]
The stick is 9 inches, consisting of 7 inches incense and two inches of bare bamboo. A dry, crumbly black masala paste has been somewhat crudely hand-rolled onto a machine-cut plain bamboo splint, and then a very fine brown wood powder has been very thinly applied. The stick has a rather powerful volatile scent which is like inhaling menthol - it clears the sinuses a treat! I'd recommend sniffing carefully at a distance. The scent resembles old leather and agarwood, though is not inviting to investigate for long due to the chemical volatility. The box is beautifully designed and well made with textured swirls and raised text - this gives a very good first impression, which tends to linger, so it's easy to overlook the scruffiness of the stick, and the rather too powerful chemical volatility on the stick.
On lighting the stick there is a lot of black smoke, which I associate with perfumed incense and/or agarbatti oil or DEP, and which Fair Trade Incense Works also say is due to the use of DEP. In this case, I have little doubt that rather too much DEP has been used to dilute the oud essential oil. And I think it's the presence of the DEP that has been putting me off this incense, which, otherwise, does have that familiar and attractive oud scent. I like the scent, and I really want it to be a good incense because this has come direct from India and has such a pretty box. I know that kind of sounds trivial, but these things kinda matter to me. It gives me a closer connection to those who make the incense.
Anyway. Now that I have taken the time to review the incense, rather than just casually burn it and be puzzled by it, I understand my confusion. The oils that are the base of the fragrance appear to be quite decent, though it may be that Misbah have cut it with just a bit too much DEP, so that it takes away a certain amount of the pleasure. But this is speculation.
So, not a Top Drawer incense, and ultimately falling just short of being Heavenly. But, by heck, it's close! A little less DEP lads, and this could be a killer!
Anyway. Now that I have taken the time to review the incense, rather than just casually burn it and be puzzled by it, I understand my confusion. The oils that are the base of the fragrance appear to be quite decent, though it may be that Misbah have cut it with just a bit too much DEP, so that it takes away a certain amount of the pleasure. But this is speculation.
So, not a Top Drawer incense, and ultimately falling just short of being Heavenly. But, by heck, it's close! A little less DEP lads, and this could be a killer!
Date: Aug 2023 Score: 38
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