Indian Incense - a new company for me. I noticed them when visiting the Ephra World online incense shop based in Germany - €1.95 for 15g. A decent price, and a new company, so I got four different scents. The company started in 1956, the year I was born, as Sri Srinivasa Agarbathi Company. They changed name to Orkay Incense in 1986, and are currently calling themselves Indian Incense, though still use the Orkay name. They appear to have two main lines, this Namaste India brand which is all masala, plus Indian Soul which is perfumed. I was wondering yesterday if I had ever seen a masala incense in a hex box - and there are some masala hex packs in the range.
The sticks are 8 inches with 6 inches of hand rolled crumbly paste on a pink dyed bamboo splint. The paste has been coated in an attractive, traditional, soft, fluffy brown powder. The scent on the stick is creamy sandalwood, some prickly wool - which I associate with halmaddi, sweetness, possibly vanilla, a little cool menthol from the volatility, floral notes, greenery - a general sense of old fashioned masala incense. It's a lovely scent, though perhaps a bit powdery, and a little too traditional.
It lights with a modest flame with no obvious black smoke. That's consistent across three sticks. The sticks burn for around 30 - 40 minutes producing a steady and even amount of grey smoke so that the scent is felt and noticed, but doesn't intrude. It's a classic masala scent. Woody, bright, sharp, warm, woolly, beach sand in summer, honey, vanilla, malted biscuits. Very yummy. This seems to fall in line with other masala myrrh sticks I've had. It's a solid, attractive, engaging, warm and wonderful scent. My hesitation is that it doesn't go anywhere or do anything new or different, which will hold back on the high scores for me. But that is a complaint I think I have with most single scent sticks. I think I may do a Myrrh v Myrrh burn off.
It lights with a modest flame with no obvious black smoke. That's consistent across three sticks. The sticks burn for around 30 - 40 minutes producing a steady and even amount of grey smoke so that the scent is felt and noticed, but doesn't intrude. It's a classic masala scent. Woody, bright, sharp, warm, woolly, beach sand in summer, honey, vanilla, malted biscuits. Very yummy. This seems to fall in line with other masala myrrh sticks I've had. It's a solid, attractive, engaging, warm and wonderful scent. My hesitation is that it doesn't go anywhere or do anything new or different, which will hold back on the high scores for me. But that is a complaint I think I have with most single scent sticks. I think I may do a Myrrh v Myrrh burn off.
Date: Oct 2023 Score: 39
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Very interesting Steve. I noticed a while ago that Orkay/Snake Brand seem to be repositioning/rebranding their lines, with the Orkay name now being reserved for premium products. When you get around to the Nag Champa It'll be interesting to see if the sticks are the same as the older Orkay branded ones I have in my stash. thehippieboat are also selling some of this Namaste India line at £1.50 a pop.
ReplyDeleteI think I may have come upon The Hippy Boat but not bookmarked them. I think they popped up when I was doing a search for info on Eyes of the Lord Buddha. I have book marked them now.
DeleteThe Orkay name is still on the boxes - it's on the side rather than in the headlines.
So they've been around in the UK for a while then?
Chris, is your Orkay like these: Orkay Vedika or these: Orkay Vedika Amber
DeleteThe first one Steve, Orkay Vedika Nag Champa.
ReplyDelete