I first encountered a Balaji incense back in 2017 - the Red, which is available in various places in the West - and I loved it. Balaji are a well established Indian incense maker who are quite strong in the domestic market, but less known in the West. They do masala, dhoop, and perfumed incense, with a tendency to be quite heady, suitable for the Indian market with its heat, open windows, and strong mixed aromas, though less suitable for the cooler, more neutral West. I tend to like strong, heady incense with its tendency to be passionate and overwhelm; though, either consistency is an issue, or I have to be in the right receptive mood, because my response to Balaji can be variable.
This is a pack of 4 inch long dry dhoop sticks. These have been extruded with ridge patterns. 22 sticks in a pack, which sell in India for 45 rupees, which is about 44p or 54cents, and comes with a free clay holder. Each stick burns for around 45 minutes. The scent rises from the stick quite freely, and is a perfumed sandalwood with some crisp cool volatile notes. It is difficult to get at any contrasting scents as the menthol volatility acts as a barrier. As with much Balaji, this incense is best experienced at a distance.
Due to the thickness the dhoop takes a while to catch, meanwhile the flame burns hungrily with noticeable black smoke. Blowing out too early can result in having to light again. When set it burns in a steady fashion with a solid column of attractive grey smoke. Most dhoops tend to be smoky and assertive, and while this is a typical heady Balaji, it is not unduly excessive for a standard dry dhoop. The scent is glorious. A creamy, soapy, buttery, delicious sandalwood and honey. It's the sort of scent I want to wrap around me. It is common for Indian women to put incense smoke in their hair to carry the scent with them, and I can certainly imagine this would be popular for that.
I like sandalwood, and I like heady incense, so this is my huckleberry. This is a single scent incense, though, and I tend to prefer when the aroma has more than one scent, or goes through some kind of scent journey; however, the soapy, buttery quality adds an interest, as does the honey notes. I suspect these aspects, which I find attractive, are not the result of using 100% quality sandalwood oil, but of mixing the oil with lesser quality fragrance oils; however, the end result, however achieved, lifts this incense out of the ordinary.
Balaji products are available in the UK from Popat Stores, and some products can be found on eBay, Amazon and other locations. They ship worldwide direct from Balaji for trade customers only - they "do not ship B2C internationally due to the varying import and custom formalities for incense in different countries."
This is a pack of 4 inch long dry dhoop sticks. These have been extruded with ridge patterns. 22 sticks in a pack, which sell in India for 45 rupees, which is about 44p or 54cents, and comes with a free clay holder. Each stick burns for around 45 minutes. The scent rises from the stick quite freely, and is a perfumed sandalwood with some crisp cool volatile notes. It is difficult to get at any contrasting scents as the menthol volatility acts as a barrier. As with much Balaji, this incense is best experienced at a distance.
Due to the thickness the dhoop takes a while to catch, meanwhile the flame burns hungrily with noticeable black smoke. Blowing out too early can result in having to light again. When set it burns in a steady fashion with a solid column of attractive grey smoke. Most dhoops tend to be smoky and assertive, and while this is a typical heady Balaji, it is not unduly excessive for a standard dry dhoop. The scent is glorious. A creamy, soapy, buttery, delicious sandalwood and honey. It's the sort of scent I want to wrap around me. It is common for Indian women to put incense smoke in their hair to carry the scent with them, and I can certainly imagine this would be popular for that.
I like sandalwood, and I like heady incense, so this is my huckleberry. This is a single scent incense, though, and I tend to prefer when the aroma has more than one scent, or goes through some kind of scent journey; however, the soapy, buttery quality adds an interest, as does the honey notes. I suspect these aspects, which I find attractive, are not the result of using 100% quality sandalwood oil, but of mixing the oil with lesser quality fragrance oils; however, the end result, however achieved, lifts this incense out of the ordinary.
Balaji products are available in the UK from Popat Stores, and some products can be found on eBay, Amazon and other locations. They ship worldwide direct from Balaji for trade customers only - they "do not ship B2C internationally due to the varying import and custom formalities for incense in different countries."
No comments:
Post a Comment
Please leave a comment: