Earlier in the year Arjun from BIC Panchavati got in touch to send some samples. Since 2013, I have been burning their famous Bic Panchavati Dhoop Sticks, and loving them, so was pleased to get some samples from across their range, especially as the only other BIC incense I have burned has been Bic Shivam Dhoop Sticks, which I also like.
This Gajra caught my attention as being a good starting point. I like the name, which I understand is a garland of jasmine flowers which women in India wear around their hair when they are getting married, which is a wonderful image; I like the packaging - the water drops are like little pearls which shimmer and catch the light; and I like the jasmine scent straight out of the box. There are 10 sticks in the box, which has a RRP of 170 Rupees (approx £1.70), which is top end pricing for India. They burn for around 65 minutes.
The sticks are 9 inches long with 7 inches of charcoal paste hand-rolled onto a green dyed bamboo splint, and then finished with a fine wood powder. The paste is reasonably thick like a flora or fluxo incense, though the paste is dry, and a little crumbly. Arjun tells me that because it is dry, the company don't class it as a flora or fluxo - for them the paste would need to be softer. The company have used loban powder (and/or crushed frankincense), which does supply the base notes, and essential oil, but heavily diluted (between 0.5 and 1 percent) due to the cost. The essential oil gives depth and character to the incense, while the perfumes carry the main scent notes.
There is a sharp, icy menthol volatility on the stick, informed by synthetic jasmine scents. When the stick is lit, the flame is sharp and hungry, and gives off black smoke, then settles to an attractive grey when the flame is blown out. The burn is reasonably rapid for such a thick stick, and some top notes are lost, so when wafted it can be a little smoky and vague, though the burn did slow after a while. When allowed to disperse at its own pace and inform the room it does produce an attractive soft, warm jasmine scent, though not as clearly defined as I would wish. There are other scents playing around - which normally I enjoy, though there is a lack of clarity, so instead of introducing interesting contrasts, there is the sense of an olfactory fog of too many unclear scents - rubber, chalk, licorice, among others. I like that there's some riffing around the centre jasmine scent, but I'd like the intention to be clearer. I'd also like there to be a little less of the icy menthol from the stick finding its way into the burn.
On the whole I enjoy this incense, and have gone through half the pack, though it's not on the same level as the Panchavati Dhoop Sticks.
Date: Oct 2023 Score: 33
This Gajra caught my attention as being a good starting point. I like the name, which I understand is a garland of jasmine flowers which women in India wear around their hair when they are getting married, which is a wonderful image; I like the packaging - the water drops are like little pearls which shimmer and catch the light; and I like the jasmine scent straight out of the box. There are 10 sticks in the box, which has a RRP of 170 Rupees (approx £1.70), which is top end pricing for India. They burn for around 65 minutes.
The sticks are 9 inches long with 7 inches of charcoal paste hand-rolled onto a green dyed bamboo splint, and then finished with a fine wood powder. The paste is reasonably thick like a flora or fluxo incense, though the paste is dry, and a little crumbly. Arjun tells me that because it is dry, the company don't class it as a flora or fluxo - for them the paste would need to be softer. The company have used loban powder (and/or crushed frankincense), which does supply the base notes, and essential oil, but heavily diluted (between 0.5 and 1 percent) due to the cost. The essential oil gives depth and character to the incense, while the perfumes carry the main scent notes.
There is a sharp, icy menthol volatility on the stick, informed by synthetic jasmine scents. When the stick is lit, the flame is sharp and hungry, and gives off black smoke, then settles to an attractive grey when the flame is blown out. The burn is reasonably rapid for such a thick stick, and some top notes are lost, so when wafted it can be a little smoky and vague, though the burn did slow after a while. When allowed to disperse at its own pace and inform the room it does produce an attractive soft, warm jasmine scent, though not as clearly defined as I would wish. There are other scents playing around - which normally I enjoy, though there is a lack of clarity, so instead of introducing interesting contrasts, there is the sense of an olfactory fog of too many unclear scents - rubber, chalk, licorice, among others. I like that there's some riffing around the centre jasmine scent, but I'd like the intention to be clearer. I'd also like there to be a little less of the icy menthol from the stick finding its way into the burn.
On the whole I enjoy this incense, and have gone through half the pack, though it's not on the same level as the Panchavati Dhoop Sticks.
Date: Oct 2023 Score: 33
***
I love BIC Gajra. It’s a nice jasmine incense I ever tried. I also lived BIC Shivam Dhoop agarbatti.
ReplyDeleteDo you think BIC Gajra is expensive or good value for money?
Delete