I got three boxes of samples from ToI back in 2021, and so far have only reviewed two of them (Rose Absolute and Indian Rose - neither of which truly delighted me). I do intend to catch up this year, though at the moment I'm engaged on working through my samples from Gokula, which I got way back in 2013, and have only grabbed this stick today to compare it with some other agarwoods I've just been burning - Damodaras Bhagwandas Sugandhi Agarwood and Milo's Temple Agar Wood. I've not finished the burn, but it's already clear that this is sweeter and more interesting and attractive than the Milo's, though not as potent and fascinating as the Damodaras.
The stick is a standard 6 inches of hand-rolled masala paste on an 8 inch machine-cut plain bamboo splint. The masala paste is soft and still moist, and has a covering of soft brown melnoorva powder (ground tree bark, used to prevent the sticks gluing together as the masala paste dries). There is some moist volatility in the scent on the stick, which is quite pleasantly floral with a background of oily agarwood and faintly prickly raw lamb's wool, which I tend to associate with halmaddi. It's candy sweet, though the woody notes keep it balanced and not too cloying. This is a good blend of essential oils, such as sandalwood, vetivert, and cedarwood, to suggest agarwood, with a leaning toward the sweet and the floral and the citric, perhaps from a touch of bergamot.
The burn is fairly well behaved, though can tend to be dry and prickly - something I associate with sticks that contain halmaddi. This is an incense that I find is better appreciated at a remove - not one to sit too close to, and not one to waft into your nose. It's very good at perfuming a room with sweetness and guile. I have burned this in several sessions over a few hours, and each time it seduces me.
Considered by Temple of Incense to be "The jewel in our crown and by far our favourite." There is a belief that sisters Simi and Sam Aydee source this Oudh from the same incense house that Paul Eagle used for his Oudh Masala, the details of which he passed to Corey Topel who sold it as Absolute Bliss Oudh Masala, and which is currently sold by Padma Store as Happy Hari Kings of Incense Oudh Masala at 6.45 Euros for 10g. I love the Happy Hari Oudh Masala, and I love the Absolute Bliss Oudh Masala. I'm not entirely certain this is exactly the same incense, but my stocks of both the Happy Hari and the Absolute Bliss are very old. I have the Padma Store Oudh Masala somewhere, and it might be fun one day to compare all four Oudhs to see the similarities and differences. Meanwhile, this - like the Damodaras Bhagwandas Sugandhi Agarwood - is going into my Purgatory category as I like it a lot at the moment, and I want to test it again in a month or more to see if I am still as enthusiastic.
The stick is a standard 6 inches of hand-rolled masala paste on an 8 inch machine-cut plain bamboo splint. The masala paste is soft and still moist, and has a covering of soft brown melnoorva powder (ground tree bark, used to prevent the sticks gluing together as the masala paste dries). There is some moist volatility in the scent on the stick, which is quite pleasantly floral with a background of oily agarwood and faintly prickly raw lamb's wool, which I tend to associate with halmaddi. It's candy sweet, though the woody notes keep it balanced and not too cloying. This is a good blend of essential oils, such as sandalwood, vetivert, and cedarwood, to suggest agarwood, with a leaning toward the sweet and the floral and the citric, perhaps from a touch of bergamot.
The burn is fairly well behaved, though can tend to be dry and prickly - something I associate with sticks that contain halmaddi. This is an incense that I find is better appreciated at a remove - not one to sit too close to, and not one to waft into your nose. It's very good at perfuming a room with sweetness and guile. I have burned this in several sessions over a few hours, and each time it seduces me.
Considered by Temple of Incense to be "The jewel in our crown and by far our favourite." There is a belief that sisters Simi and Sam Aydee source this Oudh from the same incense house that Paul Eagle used for his Oudh Masala, the details of which he passed to Corey Topel who sold it as Absolute Bliss Oudh Masala, and which is currently sold by Padma Store as Happy Hari Kings of Incense Oudh Masala at 6.45 Euros for 10g. I love the Happy Hari Oudh Masala, and I love the Absolute Bliss Oudh Masala. I'm not entirely certain this is exactly the same incense, but my stocks of both the Happy Hari and the Absolute Bliss are very old. I have the Padma Store Oudh Masala somewhere, and it might be fun one day to compare all four Oudhs to see the similarities and differences. Meanwhile, this - like the Damodaras Bhagwandas Sugandhi Agarwood - is going into my Purgatory category as I like it a lot at the moment, and I want to test it again in a month or more to see if I am still as enthusiastic.
Available from ToI at £16 for 20 sticks.
Date: Feb 2024 Score: 47
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