I have reviewed three Saffron Sandal incenses: Om Sai Brand Vedamrut Saffron Sandal; Gamta It Smells Like Saffron Sandal; and Heera Saffron Sandal Incense Cones. The results have been variable, with the better quality makers producing the more pleasurable incense. Natch. As Anand have struck me as a pretty good quality incense house, I am expecting this to be one of the most pleasurable of the Saffron Sandals I have burned, though also rather more in line with a) other masala style incenses, and b) other Anand incense than with other Saffron Sandal incense - such has been the nature of Anand incense.
I find the retro-style packaging to be pleasing and attractive. It looks good, it's easy to use, and it protects the incense. The scent on the stick is attractive. There is some of the men's cologne fragrance that I have noted in other Anand incense, along with a general "masala incense" aroma (woody/earthy/natural), and some prickly spice notes I associate with the fixative halmaddi which tends to be used in traditional masala incense. I could be persuaded that there is also a sense of saffron in the fragrance.
I burned the stick at an angle (as in the picture above) on the other side of a well ventilated room, which as experience is telling me, is generally the most rewarding way of burning incense I wish to enjoy and learn about. As the masala paste is machine extruded onto the bamboo splints, the burn is steady and consistent (sticks hand-rolled by skilled workers will also burn in a steady and consistent manner). The scent is more assertive than the other Anand incenses I've burned. It is fairly dry and prickly, though also quite sweet and attractive. The scent is probably the most attractive of the recent Anand incenses I've burned, though is also the most off-puttingly assertive and intrusive. This is a scent I enjoy most after the burn, though at that point it more closely resembles an old-fashioned men's cologne, and so becomes less interesting.
I find the retro-style packaging to be pleasing and attractive. It looks good, it's easy to use, and it protects the incense. The scent on the stick is attractive. There is some of the men's cologne fragrance that I have noted in other Anand incense, along with a general "masala incense" aroma (woody/earthy/natural), and some prickly spice notes I associate with the fixative halmaddi which tends to be used in traditional masala incense. I could be persuaded that there is also a sense of saffron in the fragrance.
I burned the stick at an angle (as in the picture above) on the other side of a well ventilated room, which as experience is telling me, is generally the most rewarding way of burning incense I wish to enjoy and learn about. As the masala paste is machine extruded onto the bamboo splints, the burn is steady and consistent (sticks hand-rolled by skilled workers will also burn in a steady and consistent manner). The scent is more assertive than the other Anand incenses I've burned. It is fairly dry and prickly, though also quite sweet and attractive. The scent is probably the most attractive of the recent Anand incenses I've burned, though is also the most off-puttingly assertive and intrusive. This is a scent I enjoy most after the burn, though at that point it more closely resembles an old-fashioned men's cologne, and so becomes less interesting.
I have a review on this in my queue atm. It is very similar to the Nandita - Saffron Sandal.
ReplyDeleteHere's a picture: https://blog.rauchfahne.de/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Nandita_vs._Anand-Saffron_Sandal_72-1024x231.jpg
I like them. Saffron aka. Kesar incense takes quite a bit of getting used to in my experience, but it seems to grow on me the more I explore the genre.
Those sticks are remarkably similar. I am sometimes told by people - Chris and Eugene I can recall, though others as well, that so-and-so incense house is making such-and-such incense for this-and-that incense house. I think it's possible. It is always cheaper to make something in bulk, so I can see, say, Nandita and Anand, coming to an agreement that Nandita will give Anand X amount of Saffron Sandal in return for X amount of Jasmine.
DeleteAnother possibility is that Nandita copies Anand (or vice versa). Another possibility is that they are using the same extruding machine (after all, a company will not make just one machine) which uses the same machine-cut sticks, and that if you're making a Saffron Sandal paste for an extruding machine, that will be the colour and consistency of the finished product. Many incense sticks look remarkably similar. And at the same time, it is quite common for the same product from one house to differ in appearance (and scent) from one batch to another (and in the case of an "artisan" - or sloppy, depending on your angle of view - incense house like HMS, the same batch may vary).
Whatever. Those sticks do look like they came from the same incense house. What they have in common is not so much that they are both based in Mumbai, but that they are both distributed globally by Wonder Incense (run by the Shah family from UK and Oz). Navin Shah got in touch with me a while back, and told me they have their own production premises in India, though without giving details. Their own brand product is New Moon. This is very much in the style of the incense from Nandita and Anand. Attractive and simple packaging. And modern machine made perfumed-masala incense. Sold at a decent price (usually less than £2 for 15g).
I am unclear on the statement "We have our own manufacturing premises in India." as I can't find a New Moon or Wonder Incense address in Mumbai, or elsewhere in India. And there is no Indian address shown in the accounts of the Shah family in the UK or Oz. My speculation is that the Shah family have come to an agreement with one or more Indian producers to make incense for them.
There is a fair deal of similarity between New Moon / Wonder Incense products and Fair Trade Incense who make Nitiraj and Om incense as well as plenty of own brand incenses. Fair Trade have what appears to be a decent sized factory in Vasai-Virar, just up the road from Mumbai, and their products look very much like New Moon, etc.
I don't know. It's kinda interesting the inter-relationships between Indian incense houses and distributors. It's also interesting how opaque it all is - as through trying to view it through the morning smog in Delhi.
I came across New Moon and it got me curious, but I have not tried anything yet. Nitiraj is getting a lot of praise on Reddit but it's hard to find in Germany.
DeleteDid you know that there is a Coffee roaster in the UK that roasts for over 1000 different brands?
Here's a fun little interview if you are interested: https://youtu.be/yG8vp_UkCVg?si=wGVHcWhtgh1a2m44&t=555
I wonder in how war it might be the same with those white labelling incense manufacturers.
I have another blog, which has had several names, but is now called Beverage upon beverage upon beverage. It started out as a blog on coffee, until I had to stop drinking coffee because of the caffeine. The largest coffee roaster in the UK is Finlays - they do most of the main supermarket own brands. Supermarket tea own brands as well.
DeleteA good few years ago I had a column in the What's Brewing publication (beer, not coffee). The editor asked me to do a visit and interview with Muntons, a leading maltster. If folks in the UK (and indeed many countries around the world) wanted to brew from a home-brew kit, then regardless of the name on the kit, it would be Muntons who made the kit.
Saffron Sandal or Kesar Chandan is becoming popular scent of incense in India, along with Pineapple. I liked this one from Anand, as SamsaSpoon said, it is similar to Nandita’s Sandal Saffron, it’s also similar to Flourish Fragrance Kesar Chandan.
ReplyDelete