Temple of Incense (ToI) sell two "amber" incenses - Amber, which has a similar scent profile to the Happy Hari King of Amber (an updated version of which is Padma Store Happy Hari King of Amber, which is identical to the ToI stick), and this stick. It's not publicly revealed who makes the sticks for ToI, but the vanilla content would suggest Pune, and in particular HMS. As such, because HMS, and other incense houses in Pune, do "white label" incense for the majority of Western traders who sell their own brand incense, it is possible you've bought the same incense from a few Western own label traders such as Pure, Blue Pearl, Gokula, Berk, etc. Though sometimes there are "tweaks" in the recipe to make the sticks a little individual.
Amber is a constructed scent. The general public impression is that it comes from the fossilised tree resin, and while it is possible to do this, it is an expensive process which produces a weak result. So, the amber scent found in perfume and incense is almost always a constructed scent. Each incense house will have their own blend of oils used to create the amber scent - benzoin and patchouli are common ingredients.
The stick is hand rolled from a reasonably generous amount of charcoal paste which has been thinly coated with the brown powder known traditionally as melnoorva and more recently and now commonly as masala powder. The powder was traditionally used to prevent the sticks from gluing together as they dried, and at some point the powder was fragranced, which was appealing to customers. These days the powder is mainly used as a cold throw scent, and to give the signal that the incense is a masala stick. The scent on the stick, the cold throw, is, as expected, sweet with vanilla and softly musky and warm with patchouli. There's baked cookies and delicate florals in the mix, and the whole accord is very commercial and inviting. It has instant and broad appeal. It is, also, a somewhat familiar and predictable scent. Burn a few Indian incenses, and this accord will be recognised - especially if buying incenses made in Pune. However, I still find it attractive. I would wish it to be a bit bolder and to do something more interesting with the scent profile, but I think we all like a doughnut or Krispy Kreme now and again.
The scent on the burn is attractive and familiar. Sandalwood, vanilla, soft florals, very gentle musk, lambs wool, caramel. The description on the ToI website is "The scent is smooth and rich, with a soft, comforting warmth that can feel both sensual and grounding. Amber Supreme’s aroma is complex and multifaceted, sometimes tinged with light, vanilla-like sweetness." And that seems fair enough, though complex and multifaceted are not words I would use to describe something as ordinary and familiar and vague as vanilla ice-cream. If you threw some coriander, sage, raspberry, and Persian Rose into the mix then it would be complex, multifaceted, and somewhat less boring, but also it wouldn't be quite so comforting and commercial. £18 for 20 sticks.
Amber is a constructed scent. The general public impression is that it comes from the fossilised tree resin, and while it is possible to do this, it is an expensive process which produces a weak result. So, the amber scent found in perfume and incense is almost always a constructed scent. Each incense house will have their own blend of oils used to create the amber scent - benzoin and patchouli are common ingredients.
The stick is hand rolled from a reasonably generous amount of charcoal paste which has been thinly coated with the brown powder known traditionally as melnoorva and more recently and now commonly as masala powder. The powder was traditionally used to prevent the sticks from gluing together as they dried, and at some point the powder was fragranced, which was appealing to customers. These days the powder is mainly used as a cold throw scent, and to give the signal that the incense is a masala stick. The scent on the stick, the cold throw, is, as expected, sweet with vanilla and softly musky and warm with patchouli. There's baked cookies and delicate florals in the mix, and the whole accord is very commercial and inviting. It has instant and broad appeal. It is, also, a somewhat familiar and predictable scent. Burn a few Indian incenses, and this accord will be recognised - especially if buying incenses made in Pune. However, I still find it attractive. I would wish it to be a bit bolder and to do something more interesting with the scent profile, but I think we all like a doughnut or Krispy Kreme now and again.
The scent on the burn is attractive and familiar. Sandalwood, vanilla, soft florals, very gentle musk, lambs wool, caramel. The description on the ToI website is "The scent is smooth and rich, with a soft, comforting warmth that can feel both sensual and grounding. Amber Supreme’s aroma is complex and multifaceted, sometimes tinged with light, vanilla-like sweetness." And that seems fair enough, though complex and multifaceted are not words I would use to describe something as ordinary and familiar and vague as vanilla ice-cream. If you threw some coriander, sage, raspberry, and Persian Rose into the mix then it would be complex, multifaceted, and somewhat less boring, but also it wouldn't be quite so comforting and commercial. £18 for 20 sticks.
Note: It is not revealed where Temple of Incense source the incense for their brand; however, a number of the incenses are similar to those made by HMS of Pune.
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