I love learning more and more about incense and incense cultures. The culture and history of German cones fascinates me. Some of the better known German incense companies are the longest established incense companies in the world, outside of Japan. The cones are strongly associated with Christmas and with beautifully crafted German Smokers, such as these cuties as well as the more traditional.
Sascha of Indiaroma has directed me to several small German incense makers I'd not been aware of. And Carl Jager is the company he rates highest, so I ordered a bunch of cones, and even some sticks. This is the first I am trying. Echte Weihrauchkerzen Rot roughly translates as Genuine Incense (or Frankincense) Cone Red. The direct translation is "Incense Candle" as cones are often referred to as candles in Germany. The incense is named "original" as it was one of the original recipes devised by the founder, Carl Jager, over 125 years ago in 1897. Though correspondence with the company, both emails and letters, are signed Carl Jager, the current owner appears to be Ilona Jäger-Schimpf, the great-granddaughter of the founder. She took over in 2014, after the death of her father. So this is a fourth generation incense house.
Sascha of Indiaroma has directed me to several small German incense makers I'd not been aware of. And Carl Jager is the company he rates highest, so I ordered a bunch of cones, and even some sticks. This is the first I am trying. Echte Weihrauchkerzen Rot roughly translates as Genuine Incense (or Frankincense) Cone Red. The direct translation is "Incense Candle" as cones are often referred to as candles in Germany. The incense is named "original" as it was one of the original recipes devised by the founder, Carl Jager, over 125 years ago in 1897. Though correspondence with the company, both emails and letters, are signed Carl Jager, the current owner appears to be Ilona Jäger-Schimpf, the great-granddaughter of the founder. She took over in 2014, after the death of her father. So this is a fourth generation incense house.
The packaging feels wonderfully artisan - a waxed paper pouch with a crude and charming drawing of a German smoker. The wording under the name translates as "Gives a subtly spicy fragrance". There are six small cones, coloured red. There is a sweet, gently spicy scent on the cone. The red colour is from a dusting of powder on the cone, rather similar to the melnoorva/masala powder used on Indian masala incense.
There is a charming "Christmas scent" when the cone is first lit - a smell of Christmas trees in the frost. Gradually a smell of a coal fire develops, and there's an engaging olfactory picture of a Christmas tree and a roaring coal fire. For such a small cone it packs quite a punch, the fragrance quickly and firmly diffusing around the room. It's a clean and non-aggressive scent, though some of the coal fire elements can catch at the back of my throat. This is not a profound scent. There's no design to it. No perfumer has been near this. But its simplicity and directness is a large part of its charm, and I am beguiled by it. Some flaws emerge toward the end - some scorch notes as the heat gets to the wider part of the cone near the base. I find this common in cones. I find that sticks release a more consistent and smoother fragrance. The shape of the cone appears to me to work against it, as tars build up, and drop down into the wide base as the cone burns, so by the end there is too much of the base notes, few top notes, and some flaws emerge. This is common to cones in general, but seems to be particularly noticeable here. That said, I have thoroughly enjoyed this.
There is a charming "Christmas scent" when the cone is first lit - a smell of Christmas trees in the frost. Gradually a smell of a coal fire develops, and there's an engaging olfactory picture of a Christmas tree and a roaring coal fire. For such a small cone it packs quite a punch, the fragrance quickly and firmly diffusing around the room. It's a clean and non-aggressive scent, though some of the coal fire elements can catch at the back of my throat. This is not a profound scent. There's no design to it. No perfumer has been near this. But its simplicity and directness is a large part of its charm, and I am beguiled by it. Some flaws emerge toward the end - some scorch notes as the heat gets to the wider part of the cone near the base. I find this common in cones. I find that sticks release a more consistent and smoother fragrance. The shape of the cone appears to me to work against it, as tars build up, and drop down into the wide base as the cone burns, so by the end there is too much of the base notes, few top notes, and some flaws emerge. This is common to cones in general, but seems to be particularly noticeable here. That said, I have thoroughly enjoyed this.
Available for 1.70 Euros from Carl Jager, and at various German online stores. There are no automatic means to buy online from Carl Jager, but if you make up a list of what you want, and email mail@jaegers-raeucherkerzen.de, they will calculate shipping costs and invoice you.
Date: Nov 2025 Score: 33
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