Julian of Incense Atelier has found an outlet in Vrindavan who have a heritage of incense making, and are today trading incense made by themselves in Vrindavan, which Julian is selling as "True Vrindavan". I've asked Julian not to tell me the source as I don't want to accidently reveal it, so there is no point in writing to me privately asking for the source. I genuinely haven't been told.
The lotus is an auspicious flower, so is a popular scent especially in sacred spiritual centres like Vrindavan where Krishna played as a child. The aim of the incense maker would likely be to create something soft and divine - something sweet, floral, and relaxing.
The sticks are a wood and charcoal paste hand rolled onto dyed red bamboo splints, and the paste then covered in a melnoorva/masala finishing powder. There's an average of 7 inches of paste on a 9 inch stick. The sticks present more like the Bangalore style than the Pune or Pondicherry styles. The scent is floral and waxy, and while there is some sweetness, there is also some mild spice and a marine freshness I was not expecting. There is a curious gourmand character with some interesting sour milk and citrus notes. And there's some light touches of stone fruit - cherry, apricot, faint plum, and even a hint of olives. Interesting and attractive.
The scent on the burn is delightful - a powdery, gentle waxy floral - clean linen, fresh but mild strawberry, touches of rose and jasmine, and then the sandalwood joins in. A wonderful match up. This is a delicate and beautiful fragrance - somewhat feminine, but without being girly. The soft, sweet sandalwood grounds the florals to prevent the accord from becoming fey. It does lean a little too much into sweet, floral jam for my taste, but the gentle sandalwood notes do add a balance.
Available from The Incense Atelier at £2.60 for 10gms (plus shipping) in Incense Atelier packaging.
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