The 1882 in the title refers to the date that Shroff was founded. I'm not sure what 505 means, other than it signifies a different incense to Shroff's 707 Amber, which I didn't get on with. The amber would refer to a formulation, possibly with a labdanum or cistus oil made from the rock rose plant, or perhaps a blend of heart note oils, such as vanilla and benzoin, with some floral oils and some sandalwood, to approximate the elusive and mysterious scent of amber.
I like the scent of this 505 Amber on the stick - it is light and floral, with notes of vanilla and benzoin, underscored by soft creamy sandalwood which grows in strength as the light top notes wear off. There are gentle volatile notes which indicate that liquid fragrances (oils, attars, perfumes...) have been used in the formulation. It is warm, pleasant, and inviting.
I have two samples. One thin one, and one fat one. Learning from my experiences, and informed by the knowledge passed on by SamsaSpoon/Irene and her excellent blog Rauchfahne, that space and air is important in developing the scent of an incense, I now burn my incense on the table in the middle of my room rather than on the desk in front of me when doing reviews. This does mean I have to be patient as it takes longer for the scent to reach me, but when it does it is cleaner and lighter. The thin stick I stopped after a while as it was burning too much like scorched wood, and switched to the thicker one which initially displayed the sweeter, lighter scents I had picked up on the stick. While there is a charm to the variability of hand-rolled incense - that scents may be sweeter, woodier, stronger, etc, depending on how the stick was made, and there is a delight in that variety, and a pleasure in encountering the unexpected (which I know Adi-Guru of Pure Incense also likes), it can mean that reviews will be inconsistent, depending on the nature of the stick that one has - especially when working from small samples, such as here where I only have two. Having settled with the thick stick, I burned it at both a 22 degree angle on a flat wooden holder, and upside down on an upside down incense holder. It burned sweeter and cleaner to my mind when held at the 22 degree angle.
It's an attractive burn, though even at its sweetest, its rather more woody than amber. There's a lack of sexuality, indulgence, and delight here - those experiences which I tend to associate with the sort of amber fragrances which really get me off. It has a woody spice which is attractive, with a rasp that reminds me of herbs or dried plants being burned, so this has something in common with Tibetan incense, and also something in common with the traditional/heritage Cottage scents such as their No 16 Amber. So this is in good company if you tend to like your incense fairly traditional, and a bit dry and raspy, with a sense of burning green leaves and twigs on an outside bonfire. But would be liked less by those, to which I incline, who like their scents sexier, wider-ranging, moister, more joyful, and more "clever" or modern. There is something of sambrini about this, which I find to be more chalky, woody, and mineral than the vanilla associated with benzoin. Even though benzoin and sambrini are linked, such that most sources feel they are two different words for the same resin, there seems, to my mind, to be a continuity scent spectrum in which benzoin is sweet vanilla at one end, and sambrini is chalky woody mineral at the other.
Anyway, I love the sweet, vanilla (benzoin) scent on the stick. And I respect the rustic, earthy, woody (sambrini) scent on the burn, though overall the 505 Amber hasn't won my heart.
I like the scent of this 505 Amber on the stick - it is light and floral, with notes of vanilla and benzoin, underscored by soft creamy sandalwood which grows in strength as the light top notes wear off. There are gentle volatile notes which indicate that liquid fragrances (oils, attars, perfumes...) have been used in the formulation. It is warm, pleasant, and inviting.
I have two samples. One thin one, and one fat one. Learning from my experiences, and informed by the knowledge passed on by SamsaSpoon/Irene and her excellent blog Rauchfahne, that space and air is important in developing the scent of an incense, I now burn my incense on the table in the middle of my room rather than on the desk in front of me when doing reviews. This does mean I have to be patient as it takes longer for the scent to reach me, but when it does it is cleaner and lighter. The thin stick I stopped after a while as it was burning too much like scorched wood, and switched to the thicker one which initially displayed the sweeter, lighter scents I had picked up on the stick. While there is a charm to the variability of hand-rolled incense - that scents may be sweeter, woodier, stronger, etc, depending on how the stick was made, and there is a delight in that variety, and a pleasure in encountering the unexpected (which I know Adi-Guru of Pure Incense also likes), it can mean that reviews will be inconsistent, depending on the nature of the stick that one has - especially when working from small samples, such as here where I only have two. Having settled with the thick stick, I burned it at both a 22 degree angle on a flat wooden holder, and upside down on an upside down incense holder. It burned sweeter and cleaner to my mind when held at the 22 degree angle.
It's an attractive burn, though even at its sweetest, its rather more woody than amber. There's a lack of sexuality, indulgence, and delight here - those experiences which I tend to associate with the sort of amber fragrances which really get me off. It has a woody spice which is attractive, with a rasp that reminds me of herbs or dried plants being burned, so this has something in common with Tibetan incense, and also something in common with the traditional/heritage Cottage scents such as their No 16 Amber. So this is in good company if you tend to like your incense fairly traditional, and a bit dry and raspy, with a sense of burning green leaves and twigs on an outside bonfire. But would be liked less by those, to which I incline, who like their scents sexier, wider-ranging, moister, more joyful, and more "clever" or modern. There is something of sambrini about this, which I find to be more chalky, woody, and mineral than the vanilla associated with benzoin. Even though benzoin and sambrini are linked, such that most sources feel they are two different words for the same resin, there seems, to my mind, to be a continuity scent spectrum in which benzoin is sweet vanilla at one end, and sambrini is chalky woody mineral at the other.
Anyway, I love the sweet, vanilla (benzoin) scent on the stick. And I respect the rustic, earthy, woody (sambrini) scent on the burn, though overall the 505 Amber hasn't won my heart.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Please leave a comment: