Described by Nippon Kodo as "Spicy Sandalwood" with "various materials utilized in Chinese medicine for centuries" giving the keynotes of sandalwood and cinnamon. Eiju, which translates as "long life", is one of Nippon Kodo's popular everyday incenses. Meiko in this context translates as "excellent" or "special", so Meiko Eiju translates as something rather prosaic like "Special Long Lasting Incense". I've seen some shops describe the scent keynotes as "Cinnamon & Amber", and Irene of Rauchfahne has reviewed a packet subtitled "Spicy Amber".
There is a bright, pleasant scent on the stick which presents to me as rather like the fantasy scent amber, along with some powdery perfume notes, suggesting modern aroma chemicals, and some vague wood notes. Scent on the burn is a little rough from the sandalwood and binder wood paste. I'm not really getting much spice, though there is a general sweet warmth - quite modest, but present. Caramel notes wisp in and out, which would likely come from the cinnamon; and the cinnamon could also give an impression of amber. Given the sweetness, the general perfume quality of some of the fragrance, and the relative low cost of this Japanese incense, I suspect that the powdered cassia bark has been assisted by something like cassia oil and/or cinnamaldehyde. On the whole a modest but pleasant everyday room freshener incense.
Available from eBay, and from Nippon Kodo. A trial pack of five sticks is available from eBay for £1.69 plus postage.
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