Soul Sticks Aztec Aromas Copal

 

I recently reviewed some Inca related incense from Brazil - Inca Aromas. I liked these, and curious to experience similar products, when I saw some similar looking Aztec related incense on German site Devananda, I ordered four of them. I was a little disappointed when they arrived to discover that the Aztec sticks were made in India, and were commissioned by Soulsticks.com (a website was formed in 2004, but doesn't appear to have been active), and distributed by DivineSupplies based on California, USA. Ho hum. Not exactly what I was looking for. But, fair play, this is a good imitation of the Inca Aromas sticks. They are decent incense. Just not authentic. And I don't actually know who made them, other than they were made by an incense house in Bangalore. I always prefer to know where my food and drink and incense comes from, so the organics of this set up hasn't warmed my heart. 

As with the Inca incense, the sticks are short and fat. They are essentially dry dhoops on a bamboo stick. They are not bone dry - there is some minor pliability about them. There is some volatility to the scent on the stick, so liquid scents have been used in addition (or instead of) any dry fragrant ingredients.  The Inca sticks also used oils, though relied for the main scent on the white breu resin.  The scent on the stick is herby, a little sharp, woody, musky, sweet, green. A good woodland melange - my sort of scent. 

Lighting a thick dhoop can be problematic. I tend to light one edge, then blow the dhoop; then alternate between applying more flame around the top and blowing, turning the dhoop as I do so - eventually the whole top of the dhoop will be glowing. For such a large dhoop, the smoke and scent is not too heavy. The scent is not assertive, but it is generous, and it does fill the room with a warm, resinous fragrance that does linger pleasantly for hours. It's a good cleansing incense, and a warming incense, and a calming incense.  

The central fragrance here is intended to be copal.  Copal is similar to frankincense and amber - it is a resin extracted from certain trees, such as the copal tree, when they are cut or damaged. Copal has been used as ceremonial incense in the central and northern parts of South America (Mesoamerica) going back to the Pre-Columbian era. The scent is oily, rich, resinous, dark, a little smoky, a little wild, and - despite some faint lemony notes from the copal - it perhaps remains too much in the darkness to really excite me, but I do love its rough charm. It is so clearly a copy of Inca Aromas. My assumption is that whoever is behind Soulsticks sent a batch of Inca Aromas to an experienced incense house in Bangalore, and asked them to make the same thing. I still have the Inca Aromas around somewhere in one of my incense boxes. I'd be interested to do a side by side comparison. I shall put that on my ever growing bucket list of things I want to do.... 

Meanwhile. Yes, I like this. It's a little rough and crude in a Tibetan stylee, which is suggestive that there are herbs and resins in the paste; and the fragrance accord is not well designed - it is fairly locked into the deep end of resinous, woody, patchouli scents, and doesn't move much around or out of that. Though a few bright sparks of lemony copal appear now and then, it's by and large too little too late. More lighter balance would increase its appeal to me. However, for all the quibbles, it's an attractive scent. For me it doesn't advance on the Inca Aromas incense, and as it is a poor copy, my suggestion would be to seek out the Inca stuff instead of this. Unless you already know the Inca stuff, and are curious as to how this compares. Or, you find this Aztec stuff cheaper and easier to obtain. Whatever - consider this a Woolworth's copy of a pair of Levi's. 

Date: Dec 2024    Score: 34 

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