Amritha Jasmine

This is kinda similar to Amritha Green - the paste is coloured green (slightly lighter green than the Green), and the scent has some acidic cucumber, and a general background floral wash - same as the Green, though this has a more distinct jasmine quality, and less of the Damask rose. 

I'm not enthusiastic regarding jasmine incense. My reviews show an average score of 27 over 36 different brands - which indicates top end of everyday incense (nothing special). And when placed against other scents in my list of Best Scents, it comes near the bottom. There are only three or four scents I am am even less fond of.  Those jasmine scents which I rate highly, such as Shroff Incense Mogra and Goloka Nature's Parijatha, tend to be exceptional or not quite focus on the jasmine, or have a more natural feel than the run of the mill synthetic jasmine. 

This falls in the run of the mill synthetic jasmine group, though there is a pleasant floral warmth in the background, and interesting cucumber nips. I am OK with this, though it's nothing special. I'm OK burning this casually as a room freshener.  

Date: Aug 2024   Score: 26 

***

Best jasmine incense

Amritha

Amritha Green

 

Notes of cucumber and jasmine lift this. There's a general heady background of floral which mainly revolves around Damask rose, with a slightly acidic cucumber cutting through it. 

On the burn this is the most restrained of the Amritha that I have tried - it's a little more smoky than fragrant. It does gently inform the room with those light cucumber notes supported by hazy though delightful  florals. 

Date: Aug 2024    Score: 24 

***

Amritha

Amritha Floral

 

Floral scents are very popular - they are happy, bright, colourful, and uplifting. This "floral" scent is surprisingly spicy with notes of cinnamon and clove. It's made by  E B Creasy, a well established and significant Sri Lanka company who sell a wide range of goods and services. It's possible that Creasy don't make the incense themselves but commission it from one of a number of dedicated incense companies on the island country, including Cycle Suwanda, a branch of Ranga Rao.  Whatever, it's a decently made machine-extruded incense which uses synthetic scents. 

Date: Aug 2024  Score: 28

***

Amritha

Best floral incense

Amritha Lavender

 

Second of the bunch of Amritha incenses I got from Ceylon Supermarket - though should instead have bought from UK Pola who sell the same packs for 99p (£1.44 cheaper) - indeed, looking further, I find that 99p is the standard price: Alli Bhavan, Arokiya, Desicart, etc. Based on the price, and the ineptness of the company in not meeting my simple order, I would advise folks in the UK to not use Ceylon Supermarket, and to instead keep looking: you'll find cheaper and better. 

Most of the Amritha scents are standard single scent, focused on the popular single scents such as, here, lavender. And all the scents are synthetic, bold, bright, and heady. These sticks are not the Velvet Underground of the incense world, they are the Queen or Status Quo - loud, basic, popular, and joyous in their fragrant simplicity. 

There is a lavender scent here - possibly derived from the plant based aroma compound citral. It is modestly pleasant. Nothing offensive here. It's quite warm and attractive. Though it lacks the aura of true lavender oil. It is close in style to the other Amritha incenses. Indeed, closer to the others than it is to lavender itself. It's perfectly acceptable as a general room freshener. Though fairly heady, it is not distinctive or attention getting, so serves well as a warm, fresh, lavender accented background room freshener. Not as impressive as the Original. But no harm, no foul. 

Date: Aug 2024    Score:  28 

***

Best of Lavender

Amritha

Amritha Original

 

I read about Amritha Original on Ratnagandh - I was taken by Vid's enthusiasm for the product, and that it was a Sri Lanka incense. I've only reviewed one other Sri Lanka incense -
D'Las Aura Jasmine, back in 2017.  I bought a bunch from Ceylon Supermarket - prices are a little higher than average for perfumed incense, and the company replaced two boxes with substitutes without consulting me, so I have two Floral and two Gia when I only wanted one of each. I have written to them asking them to either complete my order, or to refund me the £2.43 per packet. 

I have burned a stick from each of the six packs I have received. The general impression is of fairly heady perfumed incense - quite floral with touches of fruit. Nothing stood out as being of special interest, but the overall impression was acceptable for those, like me, who have a soft spot for decent quality everyday perfumed incense. They remind me of Moksh - bright, bold, highly fragrant synthetic room fresheners. 

Amritha is the incense brand of E B Creasy, a long standing large Sri Lanka company (founded in 1878) which sells a range of products and services. Creasy took  over another long standing Sri Lanka company, Darley Butler, in 1967, and both names appear on the packaging. The incense is very much in the Indian tradition; which is appropriate as Sri Lanka (formally Ceylon) is an island country very close to India, and was at one time joined by a natural land bridge, Adam's Bridge - believed by some to be crossed by Adam after he was expelled from Eden.

The sticks are machine extruded onto machine cut bamboo splints. There is a highly fragrant synthetic scent of citric fruits and heady florals - quite bright, high notes, some alcohol chemicals, some interesting earthy herbs and woods to ground the flying top notes. It is quite attention catching, quite brash and bold, and will be hated by anyone who likes masala or natural incense. It reminds me of Lady Esquire shoe conditioner, which contained Tetrachloroethylene - a substance with a narcotic effect when inhaled. The volatility of the fragrance is such that it can inform a small room quite easily without even being lit. 

The burn is steady and even - typical of machine extruded incense, though also indicating that the recipe composition is appropriate.  These are well made, professional sticks. The scent quickly fills the room and spreads around the house. A sweet though sharp scent - a reasonably refreshing, uplifting scent. Clearly synthetic, everyday, low cost; though quite pleasing. A good room freshener. 

Sri Lanka has, by one report, something like 92 incense suppliers, including Cycle Suwanda, a branch of Ranga Rao. E B Creasy are listed as being fourth, with exports to Australia and the UK. Amritha is imported into the UK by Universal Suppliers Ltd, who have a specialised Sri Lanka unit - UK Pola, who I now discover sell Amritha packs for 99p instead of Ceylon Supermarket's £2.43. Grrr. 

Anyway - Amritha Original is a bright, bold, and attractive everyday synthetic room freshener. I like it. 

Date: Aug 2024   Score: 36 

***

Amritha