A sample of Mysore Woodys by the New Oriental Agarbatti Co. I've previously only had one incense from Oriental, and I really wasn't impressed with it - in fact I hated it: Oriental A1 Special Bathi. For years it has been my lowest ranked incense with a score of -3. I've just decided that a minus score is a bit OTT, so I've adjusted that to a zero. Anyway, when Julian of The Incense Atelier sent me a bunch of Oriental samples, he also sent a brochure in which the Oriental company give their history, and I realised that this Oriental is the incense company founded by Attar Syed Rahman Hussain, or Attar Khasim Saheb, the name I know from government documents, and which I mention in my (need to update) post on the history of masala incense. The name variation doesn't concern me - it is not uncommon for there to be spelling variations, especially when names are being translated from one language into another. Anyway, Attar Syed/Sahed is the businessman, along with Mr. T. L. Upadycya, who created the bamboo-core agarbatti. So a fairly significant figure in incense culture. By using a bamboo splint it became quicker and easier to make incense sticks. Dhoop, which was the previous style of Indian incense stick, has a slower production process because it needs to be extruded rather than rolled.
These are hand-rolled sticks using a charcoal paste, a light scattering of red-brown masala/melnoorva powder, and a healthy splash of liquid fragrance. There's a huge volatile cloud of aroma projected off the stick. There's sandalwood in the aroma - a musky mainstream sandalwood aroma which presents as corporate and commercial, and is clearly based on an aroma chemical. I'm cool with synthetic sandalwood. And I think most people are. Synthetic aromas have been used in Indian incense since the 1920s, and synthetics are the main sandalwood fragrance in Indian incense. But though I am cool with synthetic sandalwood, this particular sandalwood aroma projects itself off the stick with such bullish enthusiasm that it screeches harshly and unpleasantly like some kind of chemically induced banshee.
Thankfully the scent on the burn is more relaxed and gentle. It is fairly mainstream sandalwood. A little dark and musky (which I like), but essentially it follows the middle ground to gain the widest appeal. And it appeals to me. Just that it doesn't excite me as much as a sandalwood essential oil excites me. Over time a mild soapy element emerges. It's a minor note, and is not in itself unpleasant, but it doesn't add to the pleasure, and in a way distracts.
On the whole I like this Mysore Woodys. It's fairly mainstream, nothing exciting, but it is a pleasant, warm, everyday sandalwood. There are light touches of old fruit and a mild hint of vanilla which tends to spark the interest.
On the whole I like this Mysore Woodys. It's fairly mainstream, nothing exciting, but it is a pleasant, warm, everyday sandalwood. There are light touches of old fruit and a mild hint of vanilla which tends to spark the interest.
Date: Oct 2025 Score: 31
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Ohh, so your least favorite incense is from this company.
ReplyDeleteI have few of my favorites from this brand- Golden Petals, Amber Gold and Dhanel Oudh. They’re flagship product however is their Mogra incense and this is incnese which made them popular.
Julian sent me the Golden Petals and the Amber Gold as well, so I'll be reviewing them as well. Possibly this week.
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