Storax balsam is an ancient incense, here done in the modern form of a joss stick. Joss sticks in this format - a paste of charcoal powder, binders, and fragrance ingredients rolled onto a bamboo splint - were first created around 1900 in Mysore, and have become popular because of their convenience. They have popularised and increased the use of incense, especially in the West, though are often misunderstood. The use of charcoal for example. Charcoal has been used to burn incense since at least the time of the Ancient Egyptians, because it burns hot without producing smoke or odour; yet some folks dislike the idea of using charcoal in joss sticks, and may need to be assured that charcoal is relatively pure compared to non-charcoal flammables, such as wood.
I like the concept of combining ancient incenses with a more convenient modern form of burning. Yes, there is the part of me that loves the link with tradition and culture that comes with burning ancient resins on a brass censer with glowing charcoal embers - and without any binders or bamboo (which has a faint burning paper aroma when burned), but I'm also attracted to how culture (and humanity) evolves and adapts; and the most popular incense burning method in our society today is the joss stick (or incense stick or agarbathi, call it what you will). We are today a busy people; as such we are willing to forsake some purity and some ritual for convenience and saved time. And, in fairness, my observation is that if the incense formula is decent quality it will easily overcome any olfactory negatives in the use of bamboo splints - it tends to be the poor quality formulations, mostly used in scented ("dipped") incense, especially those which rely on delicate top note florals (which may be natural) rather than heavier, more muscular base notes such as musk and amber (which may be synthetic), as the heavier base notes stay longer, and resist being quickly consumed by the heat of the burn.
I want to emphasise here that in my experience it is not the use of synthetics that is the problem, but the nature of the scent formulation, and the amount of fragrance used in comparison with carriers and fixatives, and the quality (and nature) of those fixatives. Acclaimed fixatives are halmaddi, benzoin, and vanilla - though these can be intrusive on the scent formulation; decried fixatives are ones based on chemicals, such as DEP. A good fixative is the workaday and often ignored gum Arabic - it tends to do its job (and do it well) without drawing attention to itself. In my opinion an incense house which is using gum Arabic, rather than DEP, or halmaddi, or vanilla, is one which is more concerned with creating a good scent rather than with either the cost implication or image/marketing. A house using DEP is trying to save money (and usually succeeding because most folks don't notice or don't care), while a house using halmaddi will tend to mention it in marketing in the hope of gaining a clientele who have been attracted by the mystery and romance of halmaddi. Anyway....
Storax is an interesting resin. It is also known as styrax, and is sometimes confused with benzoin, a wonderful but equally confusing resin, which is extracted from the styrax (or storax) tree. No wonder it gets confused! But while benzoin comes from the storax tree, storax is extracted from the sweetgum (or liquidambar) tree. But, and here it gets even more confusing, there is a belief in some quarters that ancient storax was benzoin. So, what we get in our "storax" or "benzoin" incense is rather dependant on what the incense maker decides is storax or benzoin. As the sweetgum tree (also known as American storax) is more likely to be found in California than the styrax tree, which prefers Asia and South America, I'm inclined to the notion that this New Age Storax Balm comes from the sweetgum tree, and so, at least, is a modern storax, and also likely to be the ancient storax mentioned by Pliny and other. I have no opinion as to if this is the same storax that was offered to Hecate (at least in popular tradition, as I'm unclear if this traditional belief has been academically researched - the links of storax with Hecate appear to be relatively modern, and come from non-academic sources), though we know from sources such as Dioscorides, who wrote about it in his De Materia Medica, that storax was used an an incense (and perfume and medicine) in ancient times.
And now the stick....
The stick is nearly 11 inches long, just over 7 inches of which is the incense. The incense is composed of a lumpy, fairly thick and robust, black paste hand applied to a machine-cut splint. The scent on the stick is gentle and very pleasant with an attractive array of mostly heart notes - coconut, vanilla, sweet almonds, with light, playful florals which lift the heart. Some creamy sandalwood at the base, finishes the display. It feels surprisingly modern and uplifting and joyful.
I like the concept of combining ancient incenses with a more convenient modern form of burning. Yes, there is the part of me that loves the link with tradition and culture that comes with burning ancient resins on a brass censer with glowing charcoal embers - and without any binders or bamboo (which has a faint burning paper aroma when burned), but I'm also attracted to how culture (and humanity) evolves and adapts; and the most popular incense burning method in our society today is the joss stick (or incense stick or agarbathi, call it what you will). We are today a busy people; as such we are willing to forsake some purity and some ritual for convenience and saved time. And, in fairness, my observation is that if the incense formula is decent quality it will easily overcome any olfactory negatives in the use of bamboo splints - it tends to be the poor quality formulations, mostly used in scented ("dipped") incense, especially those which rely on delicate top note florals (which may be natural) rather than heavier, more muscular base notes such as musk and amber (which may be synthetic), as the heavier base notes stay longer, and resist being quickly consumed by the heat of the burn.
I want to emphasise here that in my experience it is not the use of synthetics that is the problem, but the nature of the scent formulation, and the amount of fragrance used in comparison with carriers and fixatives, and the quality (and nature) of those fixatives. Acclaimed fixatives are halmaddi, benzoin, and vanilla - though these can be intrusive on the scent formulation; decried fixatives are ones based on chemicals, such as DEP. A good fixative is the workaday and often ignored gum Arabic - it tends to do its job (and do it well) without drawing attention to itself. In my opinion an incense house which is using gum Arabic, rather than DEP, or halmaddi, or vanilla, is one which is more concerned with creating a good scent rather than with either the cost implication or image/marketing. A house using DEP is trying to save money (and usually succeeding because most folks don't notice or don't care), while a house using halmaddi will tend to mention it in marketing in the hope of gaining a clientele who have been attracted by the mystery and romance of halmaddi. Anyway....
Storax is an interesting resin. It is also known as styrax, and is sometimes confused with benzoin, a wonderful but equally confusing resin, which is extracted from the styrax (or storax) tree. No wonder it gets confused! But while benzoin comes from the storax tree, storax is extracted from the sweetgum (or liquidambar) tree. But, and here it gets even more confusing, there is a belief in some quarters that ancient storax was benzoin. So, what we get in our "storax" or "benzoin" incense is rather dependant on what the incense maker decides is storax or benzoin. As the sweetgum tree (also known as American storax) is more likely to be found in California than the styrax tree, which prefers Asia and South America, I'm inclined to the notion that this New Age Storax Balm comes from the sweetgum tree, and so, at least, is a modern storax, and also likely to be the ancient storax mentioned by Pliny and other. I have no opinion as to if this is the same storax that was offered to Hecate (at least in popular tradition, as I'm unclear if this traditional belief has been academically researched - the links of storax with Hecate appear to be relatively modern, and come from non-academic sources), though we know from sources such as Dioscorides, who wrote about it in his De Materia Medica, that storax was used an an incense (and perfume and medicine) in ancient times.
And now the stick....
The stick is nearly 11 inches long, just over 7 inches of which is the incense. The incense is composed of a lumpy, fairly thick and robust, black paste hand applied to a machine-cut splint. The scent on the stick is gentle and very pleasant with an attractive array of mostly heart notes - coconut, vanilla, sweet almonds, with light, playful florals which lift the heart. Some creamy sandalwood at the base, finishes the display. It feels surprisingly modern and uplifting and joyful.
There is no visible smoke when lit - indeed the flame struggles to stay alight and catch hold, and I have to relight a number of times to make sure it is going. And each time it is alight, I see no smoke, but each time the flame goes, some smoke arises from where the stick is glowing. The scent is fairly gentle, and takes a while to inform the room. It has echoes of the scent on the stick, though less sweet and much more herbal, much warmer and Mediterranean. It feels very natural and harmonious. It is woody, sage like, nips of citrus - not lemon but more lavender. Though harmonious, it doesn't feel balanced or designed. This isn't like a great perfume with a classic accord (though if it were to have an accord, it would be closest to fougère), but feels more like a bonfire onto which various fragrant ingredients are thrown now and again. The ingredients do work together as they are close to each other in scent, but they are not forming a construction - they are too loose, and too natural. There is an appeal in that. Though, for me, such an appeal is limited. I find this to be very likeable, but not profound or elegant. While I like rough and earthy, I like the rough and earthy to be more passionate and have more energy and sex. This is just a tad too mild. And it lacks passion or focus. For me at least.
There is about this something like Tibetan incense and/or ritual/spiritual incense where the focus is on the spiritual nature of the fragrance ingredients rather than their scent, and how that scent works with the other fragrance ingredients. I kind of prefer my incense to smell great first, and to have the romance, mysticism, and spirituality second. I want the romance, etc, but first it has to smell good.
On the whole this is a very likeable incense. It feels cleansing and natural, and evokes nature and spirituality. But it doesn't come together enough on the olfactory front to make this a winner for me.
This is made for New Age Incense of California who commission incense products from indigenous tribes in California. I got my sticks from Exotic Incense, who sell a pack of 6 for $5. They do ship internationally. I have found them to be very reliable and good value.
And thanks to SamsaSpoon of Rauchfahne for sending me information on storax.
There is about this something like Tibetan incense and/or ritual/spiritual incense where the focus is on the spiritual nature of the fragrance ingredients rather than their scent, and how that scent works with the other fragrance ingredients. I kind of prefer my incense to smell great first, and to have the romance, mysticism, and spirituality second. I want the romance, etc, but first it has to smell good.
On the whole this is a very likeable incense. It feels cleansing and natural, and evokes nature and spirituality. But it doesn't come together enough on the olfactory front to make this a winner for me.
This is made for New Age Incense of California who commission incense products from indigenous tribes in California. I got my sticks from Exotic Incense, who sell a pack of 6 for $5. They do ship internationally. I have found them to be very reliable and good value.
And thanks to SamsaSpoon of Rauchfahne for sending me information on storax.
Date: May 2024 Score: 35
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