Amber and kasturi (musk) are these days scents created in-house rather than natural. Though amber is best known as the tree resin used for jewellery, and the resin has been and still is used as a scent (though some doubt the provenance of amber essence or oil), scents named "amber" more commonly came from ambergris, digestive waste expelled by the sperm whale. As ambergris is very rare and very expensive, and there are ethical concerns around the harvesting of it, it is not going to be found in any incense, and only very rarely in perfume. A common natural substitute for amber/ambergris in perfume is the plant labdanum, though synthetics and/or blends of essential oils are more commonly used in incense. Musk traditionally came from musk deer; though with a ban on the killing of musk deer in place, legal musk (harvested from naturally dead deer) is rare and generally considered dubious. Musk Mallow (or Ambrette) is a natural substitute used in some perfumes, though musk synthetics have been around since the 19th century, and are more widely used in perfumes and incense. The older musk synthetics are rarely used these days due to health and environment concerns, though modern musk synthetics are seen as safe. So, these perfumed-charcoal sticks by VNS are not going to contain amber or musk, and are likely to contain modern synthetics, though the musk and amber fragrances could be derived from a blend of natural and synthetic scents.
The packaging and the scent on the stick are, for me, very nostalgic. This is old-school style incense. This is the sort of stuff that was commonly sold in the UK in the early Seventies. It wasn't until the late Seventies that Satya started exporting to the West (some may have been brought in by hand from visitors to India, especially the hippy tourists, but even Satya say that it was the late Seventies when Nag Champa became popular in the West). In the early Seventies we had perfumed Indian incense or the American Krishna Movement Spiritual Sky, but we didn't have Nag Champa. That would come later.
The scent on the stick is more floral than musk, and has some jasmine aspects. There's some berry fruits, a touch of citric, a sense of "incense" (generally woody resin), and some paint cleaner. It's attractive enough, but the main appeal is the nostalgia. The scent on the burn is a little deeper than that on the stick, and is closer to the expected scents of amber and musk, though not quite on target. It generally was not much liked in the household, though I found it acceptable, perhaps because of the nostalgic associations.
Vinason's Amber Kasturi sticks are available from VNS at 55 rupees (45p) for 50g. (If you live outside India, to buy from VNS contact Shreyas Sugandhi at vns@vnsons.com). A sample pack of 8 different VNS perfumed-charcoal sticks is available from Padma Store for 12 Euros plus shipping.
Date: Dec 2025 Score: 25
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Hi Steve,
ReplyDeleteYour review aligns very closely with my own impressions when I first sampled this. Interestingly, there are a few traditional incense makers in Maharashtra and northern Karnataka who have been crafting their own versions of Amber Kasturi for generations. In fact, Amber Kasturi is almost a household staple in many Maharashtrian homes.
You also touched on a fascinating subject — ambergris. I absolutely love ambergris and the aroma chemicals that come remarkably close to its natural profile: Ambrinol 95, Ambroxan, Ambrofix, Ambrox Super… and of course Ambrox DL, which almost feels like a complete base on its own.
Regards
Alok
I had a look at other Amber Kasturi I had reviewed, and there wasn't much. One from Pushkar (which might have been made in Pune, as - like Vrindavan incense - there is no identified maker, so is likely to have been made by a white label incense maker like VNS and HMS, both in Pune), and one from GP Industries in Karnataka. Useful to learn there is a tradition of Amber Kasturi in the Pune area, and that it has spread down to Karnataka.
DeleteGiven the size of India, how much are local traditions spread from one region to another? Irene and I are doing a blind testing of a range of incense sticks to see if we can identify regional aspects.
There are actually quite a few producers in Maharashtra and northern Karnataka who make handmade masala-style Amber Kasturi, and many of them are well known in their regions. The gentleman who supplies our Halmaddi also runs an incense house in Kolhapur. I once had the chance to smell his Amber Kasturi, and I can honestly say I’ve never come across anything else of that quality, it had a radiant diffusion, strong yet balanced, with beautiful ambery and musky tones. He even has a distributor in my city. And there are several other such skilled producers across the region.
ReplyDeleteAs for regional preferences in incense, they absolutely exist. Maharashtra has a strong affinity for Amber Kasturi, Champaca, and Jasmine. Eastern India, especially West Bengal and Odisha, gravitates toward Dhuna Chandan, a sandalwood fragrance with a smoky, incensy character. In southern India, people tend to prefer bold aromatic profiles: spicy, leathery, musky, and woody notes.
I’m not entirely sure what the dominant preference is in northern India, even though I’m from the North myself. Perhaps it’s because the region traditionally didn’t have its own incense makers and most products came from Mysore or Bangalore. Vishesh from Aavyaa would probably have much deeper insights on this.