Shroff Channabasappa Holy Incense

 

I got a sample pack of  Shroff "Dry Masala" from the excellent Padma Store last year - time I reviewed them! (The sample packs are currently sold out) Shroff divide their incense into "Wet Masala" and "Dry Masala". The wet masala is more expensive, and I have a preference for the wet as being richer and sweeter, though the dry masala is also attractive. 

25g for €3.95 from Padma Store

The sticks are 6 1/2 inches of brown paste roughly hand-rolled onto an 8 1/2 inch hand-cut bamboo splint dyed pink. The scent on the stick is very alluring. Candy, baby powder, floral, sweet, light, playful, iris (orris root), touch of Parma Violets, some sandalwood. It's lovely. 

The upside down incense stand in the photo was sent to me by Aida of IncenseBurnerHolder.com - I like the look of it, and like the way it neatly catches the ash, but I haven't yet used it to burn a full stick. I am curious, though also a little concerned that the incense will burn too hot. I intend to investigate more fully later. In the meantime, I am only using it for photos. I then do reviews using a conventional flat wooden burner. 

I chose to do the review of this Holy Incense before the rest of the set, as I was impressed by the scent on the burn as I was doing the photo. Now that I have the stick on my conventional flat burner at an approximate angle of 25 degrees, the scent is not quite as impressive. Hmm. Maybe the upside burner is not as bad as some people have been saying. Anyway, while the scent is not quite as impressive as when on the upside down burner (I will transfer the stick to that burner shortly) it is nevertheless attractive. Yes, the wonderful sweet, playful notes on the stick have mostly gone - burned off fairly quickly,  though still present albeit softer. But what we have instead is something quite green and woody. Touches of sweet musk. 

OK, I have transferred the stick to the upside down holder. Now, I have the stick in a different place in my room - it's on the table behind me rather than on the desk in front. On the table it is more open, and I note the smoke rises more readily in a steady upward column, looking very beautiful, then fanning out as it reaches the ceiling. The smoke, and also the scent, then starts to come down. I'm getting a cleaner scent than when burned flat on my desk. It's soft, subtle, musky with touches of milk chocolate. I then put the stick back in my flat wooden holder, put put that holder on the table instead of on the desk. Yes. It's the position in the room that seems to have a greater impact on the scent dispersal rather than if the stick is flat or upside down. There are a  number of ingredients to this scent, and it wanders around pleasantly as it burns. I like it. Woody, herby, occasionally floral, touches of sweetness, but mostly a warm, soft, dryish sandalwood with a dry citric herbal accord like sage or lavender informed by mossy notes and some faint warm patchouli. It's a chypre style accord. Subtle, engaging, and very attractive. I've really got into this! 

Date: June 2024    Score:  41 

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Shroff Incense

Reviewed on Rauchfahne