As part of my purchase of Japanese samples from eBay seller Shi, I was sent several free samples, including this "Special" (Tokusen) version of Karin, which I have just reviewed and enjoyed. Shi sells a pack of 90 sticks of Tokusen Karin for £14.23, including postage. Kogen, in Japan, sell a box of 220 sticks for 1,320 yen (approx £7.00), plus international shipping.
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| Tokusen Karin |
The scent on the stick is soapy, perfumed, pleasant. It's like an elegantly fragranced bar of soap. Some lotus touches. Quite creamy. The scent on the burn is gentle, pleasant, fragrant, perfumed. There's a smudge of sandalwood. Not oily, sexy sandalwood. A clean, woody sandalwood. Better than the wood powder used in Chinese incense, though inclining in that direction. I like it as a wood content, though it's not the sort of sandalwood scent that I adore. This, despite the soapy lotus type fragrance on the stick, is not really a floral scent. It hasn't attracted me the way the regular Karin did. There are some faint herbal notes - kinda vague. An awareness of sweet musk, which grows once the mind catches that note. And overall it is nice, but not as elegant and beautiful as the regular Karin.
Looking on the Kunjudo website, the contents are listed as "Oak bark powder, sandalwood, fragrances", which is vague - the bark powder would be the binder and part combustible, the sandalwood is part combustible and part fragrances, and the "fragrances" are unspecified fragrance oils. Kohgen says this Special is Karin with added "natural incense ingredients such as Patchouli and Cassia (Cinnamon)", which is more helpful. Though, I sometimes find that knowing the ingredients can lock me into finding those scents, rather than allowing me the freedom to explore and experience my own personal journey with the incense. However, yeah, in retrospect I can see the presence of patchouli and cinnamon.
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