Mount Athos Sandalwood

 

Frankincense resin from Mount Athos in Greece. Mount Athos is a collection of monasteries which specialise in blending pellets of frankincense with fragrant white powders, which they create themselves to their own recipes. This blend is named Sandalwood - the pellets of frankincense resin are coated with the white powder which has been scented with sandalwood oils. 

Oooh. This has a lovely scent - lots of warm Mediterranean pine, blended with cool ozone (the fresh breeze from the sea). Nips of fresh orange peel, a hint of petrol, a sun-warmed wooden door, and a wisp of church incense. I have been somewhat transported to walking out of a pine wood on a cliff above the Mediterranean sea where I come upon an old sun-bleached church, and I'm standing by the door, where a faint scent of frankincense comes from the church inside.  There's a sense of lavender and thyme, which grow around the church. 

This is not an actual church, and this isn't an actual memory. This is an image my senses are giving me as this resin warms in my burner, and they are coalescing into a narrative like a dream. Images constructed from the olfactory notes of the resin and fragrant powder. I know that some people see fragrance as colour, and others have memories and moments recalled, as Proust did with his madeleines. Scent has subtle yet compelling powers over us. Scent can seduce us, overpower us, or give us courage. I love the ability to sense odours, and would hate to lose my sense of smell. 

I love the freshness of this fragrance, and the images it is giving me of being outdoors in the sunshine and drenched in beautiful scents. This is a very welcome incense in our home. 

Date: Sept 2025    Score: 40

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Mount  Athos Incense

Resins

Frankincense