Ansaam Incenses Galaxy Sticks Scents of Alandalos

  

These incense sticks by Ansaam Incenses of Egypt are over a foot long, and half an inch thick. They burn for up to 5 hours. While in Cairo visiting one of my daughters who taught there, I bought some Ansaam incenses from a stall in Khan el-Khalili. I didn't buy the long ones, as I thought they might be difficult to transport back, and also I was unsure if I'd like the incenses. As it turned out, I loved them. In looking on the internet for more information about the Ansaam incense house (it appears to have been formed in 2019, but I have very little other information, and they have not responded to my emails), I found someone on Etsy who was selling the long sticks for £8 each - which is a very reasonable price for the size and quality of the incense, and the difficulty of buying them in this country. I have noted that since my initial review in April last year (2024), a number of other sellers have popped up on Etsy, Amazon, and eBay at varying prices. They are sold for more reasonable prices from most UK sellers than some American, so it's worth shopping round.  Of course the cheapest is in Cairo, but first you have to fly out there!  

I bought mine from the Etsy seller, Kim of PsychicsNStuff - the name has now changed to IncenseLounge, though the price remains the same - £8.00. Good value. There is a load of useful information on the pack. It tells me the production date (Jan 2023), and the shelf life (five years - this is low compared to traditional masala incense where the fragrance is folded into the paste; I assume it is because the scent has been applied after the paste has been extruded onto the stick). It also tells me the ingredients: Agarwood, Fragrance, and Natural Fixatives.  The fragrance is made by Maomen, based in Port Said. Both companies formed at the same time, and are based in the same place, so it looks like Ansaam Incenses is the incense brand of Maomen.  

There is an Arabian oudh quality to the scent on the stick - warm, friendly, sweet, musky. Woods and florals - mostly rose. A little volatile, but quite acceptable. The scent on the burn is surprisingly mild. It generates, as expected, a generous amount of smoke, but it's not as dense or obtrusive as I expected. I started in the outhouse, and each time I went out there I was impressed by how pleasant it smelled, without being overwhelmed by a too heady scent or too much smoke. I brought the huge stick indoors, and smudged the house for a bit. And that has been very effective - the scent remaining in the rooms for hours afterwards.  Then I settled down with the stick in our middle room which is my office. It is a delightfully mild incense for such a monster. I burned it for around an hour (a roughly average time for a decent quality Indian stick), and found it informed the room rather than dominated. The fragrance on the burn largely matched that on the stick - mostly a pleasant oudh and rose and lemon scent. It is a bit perfumed - I would have liked some earthy touches and perhaps some resin, but nevertheless, it is a highly attractive accord. 

   

There is a useful scent pyramid on the box for those who like some guidance on what to look out for. I find such information interesting to look at after I've reviewed an incense. Same as I like to read other reviews after I have done my review. I tend to prefer not to look at such things first because I like to have my own personal experience, and not to be too directed. Looking at the pyramid I feel that it by and large matches my own experience.  

I really liked this. I like the fragrance, I like the vibe, I like that it is made in Egypt where our oldest knowledge about incense comes from, and I like the information on the box. My quibble is that the full size Galaxy sticks are rather too large for convenience. Storing the box is awkward, and the sticks may get damaged. I prefer to stick with the normal sized sticks. 

Date: April 2025    Score: 39

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Ansaam Incenses of Egypt