Saffron and sandalwood is a reasonably popular combination in Indian incense, and I find it works well - I have liked pretty much every incense stick that I have tried which is made with this fragrance combination. And I love the aroma on the sticks as I take them out of the pack. Fresh, attractive, with that particular "masala" scent of powdery sandalwood. This also has cedarwood and beech notes, and a good spray of florals and fruits. It is a genuinely delightful scent.
The fragrance on the burn is beautiful. Certainly woody, and the woods swirl around sandalwood, cedar and beech. There is a sharp touch in the woods, which comes from the cedarwood aspect. I don't think there is cedarwood in the fragrance mix, but that is the scent I perceive. Indeed, for me it has always been about the perception of the fragrance rather than what was intended, or what fragrances were used. And I think that is particularly relevant when it comes to incense sticks where the scent blends are composed in house (rather than sticks composed directly from fragrance ingredients or resins such as Pure Yemen do). Yes, there is some friction that occurs when a stick is presented as containing certain scents, such as here with the Saffron Sandalwood name, and those scents are not perceived when the incense is burned. But I have learned over the years that by and large what an incense is named is not important - it is the scent we perceive that is important. As such it is usually better if non-scent names are given, so that there is less likelihood of friction between expectation and perception. Also, non-scent names can be fun!
I love this Saffron Sandalwood. I have burned it several times over the past three days, and the more I burn it the more I enjoy it. The incense fragrance is noticeable though not assertive - it is a soft, gentle, subtle, intriguing scent that unfolds in various ways, all of them playing around with creamy woods, soft florals - jasmine, and playful and refreshing fruits. Golly, this is good!
The fragrance on the burn is beautiful. Certainly woody, and the woods swirl around sandalwood, cedar and beech. There is a sharp touch in the woods, which comes from the cedarwood aspect. I don't think there is cedarwood in the fragrance mix, but that is the scent I perceive. Indeed, for me it has always been about the perception of the fragrance rather than what was intended, or what fragrances were used. And I think that is particularly relevant when it comes to incense sticks where the scent blends are composed in house (rather than sticks composed directly from fragrance ingredients or resins such as Pure Yemen do). Yes, there is some friction that occurs when a stick is presented as containing certain scents, such as here with the Saffron Sandalwood name, and those scents are not perceived when the incense is burned. But I have learned over the years that by and large what an incense is named is not important - it is the scent we perceive that is important. As such it is usually better if non-scent names are given, so that there is less likelihood of friction between expectation and perception. Also, non-scent names can be fun!
I love this Saffron Sandalwood. I have burned it several times over the past three days, and the more I burn it the more I enjoy it. The incense fragrance is noticeable though not assertive - it is a soft, gentle, subtle, intriguing scent that unfolds in various ways, all of them playing around with creamy woods, soft florals - jasmine, and playful and refreshing fruits. Golly, this is good!
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