I bought a bundle of Aromatika Ace Scent sticks off Amazon, and am re-reviewing some scents that I rated quite highly in the early days of this blog, such as Dragon Blood, plus scents new to me, such as this Nag Champa. Fuller details can be found on my post on White Sage.
All of the sticks in the Ace Scents range are machine extruded and left bare, but this Nag Champa is one of the few that are machine extruded and then coated in a melnoorva. Melnoorva is a powder composed of finely ground tree bark. It is used to finish off sticks which have been rolled in a masala paste which will still be sticky, so this dry powder will help prevent the sticks being glued together as they dry. Sometimes the melnoorva will be scented and/or coloured. While not strictly necessary on an extruded stick as the extruded paste is not sticky, it sometimes added for the appearance - which is attractive, and also for the association with traditional masala, so underlining that the stick is better quality than an everyday perfumed stick.
The scent on the stick is pleasant, and somewhat less "perfumed" than some of the other Ace Scents I've tried, though there is some vinegary volatility. There's some warm sandalwood and/or beech wood, a moist, sandy, earthy, light wood scent, plus a light floral which hovers around jasmine, along with hints of honey, and light citric. It's a pleasant, though not engaging scent. I like it, and keep returning to it, but I'm not compelled or transported. However, it is quite attractive.
When lit the stick has a low, slow flame, and there's no evidence of black smoke. The fragrance does not make itself known, and wafting only produces a burning cardboard aroma. Leaving the stick to burn alone in the room, and then re-entering does not reveal anything new. Burning cardboard remaining the key fragrance, which manages to creep around the house. Toward the end some faint musky notes are noted, but it's really too little too late. Shame, as the scent on the stick was quite promising.
All of the sticks in the Ace Scents range are machine extruded and left bare, but this Nag Champa is one of the few that are machine extruded and then coated in a melnoorva. Melnoorva is a powder composed of finely ground tree bark. It is used to finish off sticks which have been rolled in a masala paste which will still be sticky, so this dry powder will help prevent the sticks being glued together as they dry. Sometimes the melnoorva will be scented and/or coloured. While not strictly necessary on an extruded stick as the extruded paste is not sticky, it sometimes added for the appearance - which is attractive, and also for the association with traditional masala, so underlining that the stick is better quality than an everyday perfumed stick.
The scent on the stick is pleasant, and somewhat less "perfumed" than some of the other Ace Scents I've tried, though there is some vinegary volatility. There's some warm sandalwood and/or beech wood, a moist, sandy, earthy, light wood scent, plus a light floral which hovers around jasmine, along with hints of honey, and light citric. It's a pleasant, though not engaging scent. I like it, and keep returning to it, but I'm not compelled or transported. However, it is quite attractive.
When lit the stick has a low, slow flame, and there's no evidence of black smoke. The fragrance does not make itself known, and wafting only produces a burning cardboard aroma. Leaving the stick to burn alone in the room, and then re-entering does not reveal anything new. Burning cardboard remaining the key fragrance, which manages to creep around the house. Toward the end some faint musky notes are noted, but it's really too little too late. Shame, as the scent on the stick was quite promising.
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