This Vishuddha Chakra is part of Bangalore Incense Store's Chakra series. The Vishuddha Chakra is located in the throat, and controls communication and truth; balancing heart and mind, giving "expression & insight" as the packet says. It is linked with the colour blue which itself is associated with trust, stability, and knowledge. There are many scents associated with truth and communication, such as chamomile and lavender to promote calmness; peppermint and bergamot to promote clarity; along with sandalwood and frankincense to promote calmness and confidence. Jaygee, the owner of the Bangalore Incense Store, uses amber and patchouli to invoke the Vishuddha Chakra; which, like the other Chakras in this series, appears to be an interesting twist. Amber is not a true scent, and is generally composed of a blend of fragrant materials to give the idea of "amber"; however, it has a musky warmth not unlike sandalwood and frankincense (which are commonly used in blends to create the "amber" scent), so would provide a stable and confident base. Patchouli is a flexible scent, and can be used to support several Chakra; it is a stimulating scent so can aid insight. Added to which, they are two of my favourite scents.
The sticks are hand rolled from a soft crumbly charcoal paste onto a plain bamboo splint which is lightly tipped with a red dye. The scent on the stick is quite delightful - somewhat perfumed, a blend of floral (rose?) and patchouli, with a creamy sandalwood base warmed and flecked with lamb's wool. It's quite comfortingly old-fashioned, and that may, for some, provide a calm base, though for others that may obscure intelligent insight, falling back instead on accepted beliefs or old saws.
When lit there is no black smoke (which tends to occur when DEP (or agarbatti oil) is used, as DEP has a slow burn point, so when there is a flame quickly burning the combustible material, a lot of DEP remains unburned, and so produces black smoke); this is a possible positive indicator of the unadulterated nature of the incense. As with others in this Chakra range, I find the fragrance a little dry and twiggy for my taste. That's not to say I think it's a bad fragrance, just that it's not to my taste. Beer and whiskey are both made from fermented barley malt; and, while I love beer, I'm not a fan of whiskey. This dry wood focused incense is, to me, like whiskey - it's not to my taste. I know some people have misunderstood this personal aspect of my reviews in the past, and sometimes got upset, but I can only report on what I experience, and score hedonistically according to the pleasure I receive - I cannot score for how I think you may enjoy it. That being said, there is much about this Vishuddha Chakra that I do like and enjoy. I like the traditional blend of floral and wood notes, and that it is in general a soft and fragrant incense. My quibbles are that the scents tend to merge together in a vague middle ground, when I personally prefer the scents to counterpoint and perform. Anyway, I find it an acceptable incense to create a fragrant atmosphere in the home.
The sticks are hand rolled from a soft crumbly charcoal paste onto a plain bamboo splint which is lightly tipped with a red dye. The scent on the stick is quite delightful - somewhat perfumed, a blend of floral (rose?) and patchouli, with a creamy sandalwood base warmed and flecked with lamb's wool. It's quite comfortingly old-fashioned, and that may, for some, provide a calm base, though for others that may obscure intelligent insight, falling back instead on accepted beliefs or old saws.
When lit there is no black smoke (which tends to occur when DEP (or agarbatti oil) is used, as DEP has a slow burn point, so when there is a flame quickly burning the combustible material, a lot of DEP remains unburned, and so produces black smoke); this is a possible positive indicator of the unadulterated nature of the incense. As with others in this Chakra range, I find the fragrance a little dry and twiggy for my taste. That's not to say I think it's a bad fragrance, just that it's not to my taste. Beer and whiskey are both made from fermented barley malt; and, while I love beer, I'm not a fan of whiskey. This dry wood focused incense is, to me, like whiskey - it's not to my taste. I know some people have misunderstood this personal aspect of my reviews in the past, and sometimes got upset, but I can only report on what I experience, and score hedonistically according to the pleasure I receive - I cannot score for how I think you may enjoy it. That being said, there is much about this Vishuddha Chakra that I do like and enjoy. I like the traditional blend of floral and wood notes, and that it is in general a soft and fragrant incense. My quibbles are that the scents tend to merge together in a vague middle ground, when I personally prefer the scents to counterpoint and perform. Anyway, I find it an acceptable incense to create a fragrant atmosphere in the home.
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