Temple of Incense Rose Absolute

The Indian Rose by Temple of Incense (TOI) is a machine-extruded perfumed incense with a pleasant modern fruity scent, though quite modest. I wondered if the scent had faded over time, though reading comments and reviews I note that others have felt that the incense is a bit faint. This Rose Absolute is a more traditional incense, bolder, and more in line with what one would expect from a commissioner with the sort of reputation that TOI have been gaining. It falls more in line with the standard masala style incense that is available from stores such as Padma, Popat, Aavyaa, ExoticIncense, and even eBay. [I recommend all five of those sources for excellent incense at reasonable prices.] 

The stick is 8 inches long with 7 inches of hand-rolled paste, now very hard, on a pink coloured bamboo splint. There is a delicious and bold scent on the stick, somewhat volatile, but not aggressive or unpleasant. It's a sweet scent, rose tinted, somewhat like Turkish delight - and certainly more candy than fresh rose. Single scent incense doesn't excite me as much as interesting and unique blends, and florals, especially rose, are not among my favourites. However, this is an attractive scent, bolder and more exciting than the Indian Rose, and I'm looking forward to the burn. 

This is a slow and steady burner releasing a warm and attractive scent. The scent on the burn is not as sweet as on the stick, and is fairly neutral. It's warm and attractive, but not doing much for me. There is some sense of rose, also of sandalwood, and of biscuit, and of vanilla. It's an OK scent, and over time it settles and grows on me, though on the whole I think I prefer the burn scent on the Indian Rose, as being more modern and playful with its fruit notes. 

Date:  Oct 2023   Score: 28 

Best rose incense