Incense In The Wind

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

Saturday 21 October 2023

Ekom Patchouli

 


This is the last of four attractively packaged samples from Ekom,  a new incense company founded in 2022 in the young city of Chandigarh with its bold modern architecture by Corbusier.  This year (2023) Ekom have won an award for being the "Sustainable Incense Brand of The Year". Their products are organic, with no charcoal, or potassium nitrate, or chemicals. The aim is to produce a modern, natural, gentle and subtle incense. 





The sticks are 8 inches long, with approx. 6 inches of  machine extruded sandy brown paste applied to a machine-cut undyed bamboo splint. There is a soft fine powder on the stick. There is a gentle soapy perfume on the stick, only a hint of menthol, which is more sandalwood and a traditional coal-tar soap, than patchouli. The burn produces the same slim, ghostly smoke trail as the other Ekom - the scent on the burn is very subtle, rather too laid back so that the main (at times only scent) is that of smoke and faint burning plant material. Kind of like burning herbs in a frying pan. This has been the least successful of the Ekom scents I've sampled. 

I really like the aim of the company, I like the packaging and presentation, and for what they are doing the prices are good - RRP is 150 Rupees for a pack of 42 sticks. However, they are not for me. The scents lack the depth and richness I enjoy. I find them a little dry, simple, and modest. However, they may well suit those who like The Mother's incense, Japanese incense, or Tibetan incense. 

Available from Aavyaa at 300 Rupees (£3) for a pack of 42 sticks (postage included). 

Date: Oct 2023   Score:  23 
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The Ekom samples


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