Sky Aromatherapy Variety Pack No. 1

 

Companion to Sky Aromatherapy Variety Pack No. 2 which I reviewed in March 2017. It appears I have had this pack since then, and it's time to dust it off and give it a review. I know that Sky incense products are still for sale, I see them now and again, and my review of the No 2 Variety Pack still gets readers. The sticks are made in Thailand for the Salco Group (who may have just gone out of business). There are four different fragrances - Sandalwood, Opium, Patchouli, and White Musk, each in their own packet, and the four packets are kept in another packet, which is tightly sealed, and has to be cut open. There is an April 2011 date inside the packet. 

The sticks are gaily coloured - very bright and cheerful. There is a light, delicate, fresh perfume on each of the sticks, but the scents are not distinctive. They smell pretty much the same, and I'm not interested enough to work at it to note any differences. 

The orange stick is White Musk. A synthetic scent created by Albert Baur in 1888, and much used since for its clean, inoffensive lines, which are very popular. The scent is clean and light, with an awareness of fresh linen, though also some scorched paper notes from the cheap wood paste used. I am more tolerant these days of such incense as I have burned a lot of Chinese and Japanese incense since 2017 when I reviewed Variety Pack No. 2. However, while I don't find the scent offensive, I don't find it especially pleasant or interesting. 

The green stick is Sandalwood. There's little if any sandalwood scent here. Some white wood, yes, but not fragrant. It's mainly a scorched paper smell. 

Red is Patchouli. Some volatility on the stick - cool, crisp, though more like vinegar than diamonds or frost. Perhaps something floral or linen-like. The scent on the burn is mild smoke.

The purple stick is Opium. Mild plum and musk notes, but mostly burning wood. 

While I am more tolerant of wood based Asian incenses these days, this is still a poor lot. Granted the sticks are old, but I can't imagine that even when fresh that this was a delightful product. Anyway, that's another packet removed from the current clutter on my desk. Given that we have plenty of room freshener type incense for the outhouse where we feed the cats, and much of that is actually quite pleasant, I think I'll skip the outhouse and put these straight in the bin. 

Date: Feb 2026   Score: 19/50

***

Variety Packs (3-in-1, etc)

Incense Around The World
(Thailand)

Om Sai Om Brand Trishala Chandan Dhoop Sticks

 

These dhoop sticks are companions to the Trishala Chandan joss sticks, which I reviewed in Feb 2024. They are decent low cost everyday synthetic sandalwood which are effective and pleasant room fresheners. 

Scent on the burn is soapy, floral, soft, enveloping, creamy sandalwood, and overall very beautiful. It doesn't smell "natural" - there's no earthiness, this is clean, cool, with linen room-freshener tones. There is likely to be sandalwood powder from Santalum album (usually known as white sandalwood or Indian sandalwood), along with oils - possibly a blend of sandalwood oil and less expensive synthetic oils, which would give the linen notes, and a touch of benzoin to smooth it out and add sweetness - there is a vanilla touch in the accord. It is a very pleasing experience - clean, smooth, and attractive with soft, creamy sandalwood notes.  Though soft, they are a tad smoky, and that can accumulate in a small space, even with ventilation. 

On the whole quite likeable as a room freshener, and good value for money if an everyday sandalwood room freshener is what you are after. 

Available for 55 Rupees (India only) direct from Om Sai Om Brand. 

Date: Feb 2026   Score:  28/50

***

Best of Om Sai (Om Brand)

Dhoop

Sandalwood

Pushkar / Vrindavan Ruhe Oud

 

Ruhe or Ruh is traditionally used in incense to signify the essence or purity of the fragrance - it would be used in a similar way to "Pure". So the idea is that this is a pure, natural oud scent. It's not frequently used, though Misbah's Fragrance is one that does, as in Ruh Kasturi, and GP is another, as in Ruh Amber. 

This Ruhe Oud is sold in Pushkar and in Vrindavan by an incense maker somewhere in India. A number of the incense houses in Pune make incense for others, and some do make incense for spiritual cities in India. Other incense houses elsewhere in India also sell incense to Pushkar and Vrindavan, so there are a number of incense houses who could be responsible for this Ruhe Oud. 

Brief Chemistry got in touch with me a few months back to say that he had four sticks, each from a different source, yet all looked and smelled the same. 

Different names and/or shops
but they all look and smell the same

One of the sticks is Sai Handicrafts Oudh, another is Vrindavan Bazaar Blue Lotus? (the question mark is because we are unsure if this is genuinely the incense they sell as Blue Lotus, or if they made a mistake in the packaging), and the other two are this Ruhe Oud. 

I feel that the appearance and scent accord is the same in all the incenses, though the Sai Oudh is slightly different, perhaps due to a different batch. The Sai sample that Brief Chemistry sent me is the same as the pack I have, so the sticks appear to have come from the same batch. I prefer the Sai Oudh - it has a freshness and beauty and interesting details that the Blue Lotus and this Ruhe Oud do not. Plus, there are vanilla notes in this and the Blue Lotus that I didn't pick up in the Sai (perhaps due to the Sai having a stronger dose of oils that subdue the vanilla in the paste base. 

The scent on the stick is aged, mouldy, damp wood with some florals (a slight hint of violets), and faint vanilla. It is lovely, and very engaging. The scent on the burn is softer, and more rounded than the cold throw scent on the stick, which is how the others also behaved. It is a delightful scent. It's a beautiful scent. 

Date: Feb 2026   Score:  40 

***

Pushkar incense

Vrindavan Bazaar

Reviewed on ORS

Vrindavan Bazaar Blue Lotus?

 

Vrindavan Bazaar is a shop in the holy city of Vrindavan selling a variety of Krishna related souvenirs including divine incense.  The shop doesn't make the items they sell. They present the incense as being made by local artisans. Clearly their customers would prefer the incense to be made locally in the vicinity of where Krishna played as a child. That would make the incense more auspicious. However, there is no strong evidence of a notable incense maker in Vrindavan (though Julian of The Incense Atelier has found a maker in Vrindavan he's named True Vrindavan). Much of the incense is made elsewhere, with Pune being a likely source for at least some of it. 

Blue Lotus is a scent strongly associated with HMS in Pune.  HMS have their own branded Blue Lotus, and a number of traders who are known to source from HMS also sell a Blue Lotus, such as Primo Blue Lotus. It is not a traditional Indian incense name, and though there may be other Indian incense makers who produce a Blue Lotus, I've not yet come upon one in my searches. The Blue Lotus incenses I've experienced have a blue paste, and a light and delicate scent informed by vanilla and violets. 

  

This Vrindavan Bazaar Blue Lotus was sent to me by Brief Chemistry, along with some other incense he had bought which he noticed were pretty much the same. I agree with him - the sticks look and smell the same, and are pretty much indistinguishable. His Sai Handicrafts Oudh is a little fatter and stronger/fresher than the others, but when I compare the samples with my pack of Sai Handicrafts Oudh, I find them identical in every respect, including the glittery sprinkles (turn the sticks under a light source and the sprinkles can be seen).  While we can agree that the Vrindavan Bazaar Blue Lotus is the same as Sai Handicrafts Oudh and Pushkar/Vrindavan Bazaar Ruhe Oud (one of the Ruhe Oud packs came direct from Vrindavan Bazaar, the other came from Pilgrims Fair Trade as a Pushkar incense), we are less certain that the Blue Lotus they sent him is the regular Vrindavan Bazaar Blue Lotus, as the sticks on the website are shown as coloured blue, the same as all other Blue Lotus incenses. All theories are possible as to what happened - the VB shop ran out of the regular Blue Lotus, so they randomly sent some other sticks and labelled them Blue Lotus; the shop changed its contract from HMS to some other supplier in Pune who sent a different incense they called Blue Lotus, meanwhile the VB shop continues to use the original picture; or this is just a mix up by the packer. Anyone who has bought from VB will be aware of the charmingly sloppy nature of the shop, such that what you get will rarely be 100% of what you ordered, and you tend to get more stuff than you expected, as they'll throw in an extra packet or two. 

Anyway, what is clear is that Sai Handicrafts, Vrindavan Bazaar, and Pilgrims Fair Trade Pushkar Incense are all selling incense made by the same incense house. And that incense house is in Pune. Though there is some uncertainty if this is the regular Vrindavan Bazaar Blue Lotus, I'll take it as it is until indicated otherwise. 

The scent on the stick is similar to Sai Handicrafts Oudh - rich, oily, resinous, with aged wood and florals, it is slightly softer, with a violets tinge rather than the waxy jasmine I get from the Sai. Also, this has some awareness of vanilla which is not so apparent on the Sai. Essentially the same accord, with minor scent note differences which could happen with batch variation. 

As with the Sai Oudh, the scent on the burn is softer than the cold throw scent on the stick. Quite rounded. Some sense of vanilla, which I didn't get on the Sai, but essentially the same accord. Just a little softer and less present. Woods and florals combine to create a pleasing whole, though the longer it burns the more vanilla I notice. I find this lovely, but, while it seems to me to be essentially the same accord, it is lacking the freshness and clarity of the Sai, such that I'm not picking up some of the delightful details that excited me about the Sai. 

Available at £1.03 for 20gm from Vrindavan Bazaar. They ship internationally at reasonable rates. 

Date: Feb 2026   Score: 40

***

   

Vrindavan Bazaar

Vinason's (VNS) Ratrani

 

I do like the warm soft retro styling on some of the older Vinason's incenses, like this one and the Dhanashri. These older styles also tend to have a more retro approach to the fragrance - soft, heady, enveloping, and highly perfumed, with a bold accent on the floral. These retro big-perfume florals don't tend to be exported to the West much these days, though they were common in the early Seventies.  Mysore Sugandhi Three Roses and Gateway of India are classic survivors, along with this VNS Ratrani. I love that some importers, such as The Incense Atelier, Padma Store, and Everest Trader, are investing in bringing over these classic Indian incenses - they make a vibrant change from the usual soft vanilla of Pune or soft sandalwood of Bangalore.

Ratrani is a night fragrance flower (Cestrum nocturnum)  in the potato family - commonly referred to as lady of the night, night-blooming jasmine, and - mostly in India - as night queen. It is not a native Indian plant, but was brought in during the British Raj as a fragrant ornamental plant, and quickly became popular. 

The cold throw scent on the stick is sweet, perfumed, floral, some icy brilliant aldehydes , a spray of  TCP antiseptic, some ripe plums, and a good dollop of fermentation. It is rich, beautiful, perhaps a tad sharp in places, and quite engaging. I love the scent - my main issue would be that the accord gathers a little too much in the same area - though this tends to be the case for older style Indian incenses. Modern accords, especially since the global success of Satya Nag Champa in the 1980s, have tended to have more balance and contrast because of Nag Champa's engaging contrast of soft creamy sandalwood with sweet yet bright waxy florals in which neither the top nor the base notes dominate, creating a harmonious whole in which base, middle, and top notes are all present at the same time. However, it's refreshing to have an incense that is so intensely focused on one aspect - the floral. My personal preference has always been for more complex and multi-faceted scents rather than single-notes, so this is not a scent that is likely to fly away in my scoring; but, phew, it is brilliantly compelling nonetheless. 

The scent on the burn is less sharp, more rounded, and has a touch of wood. It is, despite being quite heady, a gentle non-invasive scent, though it is a tad smoky. Very likable, with purple notes of violets playing around the fringes. A little too linear for my taste, and the smoky aspect I find off-putting, but all in all an incense I'm happy to burn at any time to fragrance the home. 

Vinason's is available in the UK from TheIncenseAtelier; in Europe from Padma Store (which also has useful samplers); in USA from Everest Trader; and from VNS themselves in India - if you live outside India, contact Shreyas Sugandhi at vns@vnsons.com to place your order and  arrange payment. 

Date: Feb 2026   Score: 32

***

Vithaldas Narayandas & Sons
Vinason's (VNS)

Night Queen

Reviewed in USA

Vinason's (VNS) Dhanashri Agarbatti

 

There's a cool Fifties vibe about the packet design of this Vinason's incense. I like it. And I like the name, which is very Indian. This isn't a name like "Indian Temple Incense" or "Hot Mumbai Nights", it's a feminine name suggesting divine prosperity, and it's a term in classical Indian music for melodic ragas - Ravi Shankar famously played the Puriya Dhanashri raga (I saw him play it at the Albert Hall in 1978). In incense, because of its associations with the divine and harmony, it would summon a beautiful, sweet, floaty, heavenly scent, perhaps using rich yet gentle florals supported by a creamy and comforting sandalwood base.  

And that's what I get: sandalwood with tiny crystals of vanilla topped with huge rose blossoms, very old fashioned, held back from being too cloying by sharper notes like parma violets. Hugely sweet. It reminds me of real old fashioned perfumed rose incenses such as Mysore Sugandhi Three Roses and Gateway of India, but more rounded and oily. 

The scent on the burn is less sweet, softer, more woody, and more charming. Less obvious. Though still somewhat old fashioned or traditional. Well, more than somewhat. This is proper old school incense. I've got such a weakness for incense like this. Camp fires, cannabis, Indian beads, progressive folk music, a spirit of kinship and eternal youth. Oooh, I love it. It's a gorgeous scent, and it evokes such memories for me, so I'm probably going to love it more than most. It even has a touch of patchouli to really take me home.....

Vinason's is available in the UK from TheIncenseAtelier; in Europe from Padma Store (which also has useful samplers); in USA from Everest Trader; and from VNS themselves in India - if you live outside India, contact Shreyas Sugandhi at vns@vnsons.com to place your order and  arrange payment. 

Date: Jan 2026   Score: 43

***

Vithaldas Narayandas & Sons
Vinason's (VNS)

Manohar Sugandhi

 

Manohar Sugandhi was founded in Pune in the 1930s, and is a third-generation family-run incense house. I've been sent five samples by Julian of The Incense Atelier who also sells on eBay under the same name. There are three known and respected incense houses in Pune, and from my quick exploration of the samples Julian has sent me, I suspect that Manohar Sugandhi will join that group as an incense house to be sought out by knowledgeable and curious incense hunters.  

 Reviews

Manohar Amber Mahal (M)
Feb 2026 - Score: 50

Manohar Gurukrupa (M)
Dec 2025 - Score: 50

   

Manohar Manohar Gold (PM)
Dec 2025 - Score: 28

Reviews: 3
High score: 50

Low score: 28

Average: 42

Conclusion: 

***

Incense Houses of Pune

The Best Incense Makers

Manohar Amber Mahal

 

Manohar Sugandhi was founded in Pune in the 1930s, and is a third-generation family-run incense house. This is the third of five samples sent by Julian of The Incense Atelier. I loved Gurukrupa - I was less keen on Manohar Gold. 

There is a rich oily scent on the stick, somewhat spicy and peppery, and tangy with tobacco, rotting wood and roses, oud, and aged leather. A little sprinkling of brown sugar. This feels slightly more Arabian than Indian, leaning into Bakhoor tradition. Though Manohar's intention from  the incense name "Mahal", which means palace (as in Taj Mahal), and their website description that Amber Mahal "embodies the essence of timelessness, inviting you to embark on a  sensory journey that connects you to the spiritual and cultural heritage of India's ancient lands. Deeply rooted in ancient traditions, this exotic fragrance has adorned temples, homes,& palaces throughout the subcontinent for centuries", suggests that Manohar wish to evoke a sense of a traditional Indian incense - something ancient, revered, and luxurious - an incense that drifted through the great palaces of India's past. And I get that as well. Though the rose and rich woods put me in mind of Persian perfumes. And I guess that just points up the rich cultural history of India. 

  

Manohar Amber Mahal in luxury box

The burn is sublime. I love it. This is my sort of incense. Bang on. Soft rich tangy woods support a wonderful interplay of heady rose and more subtle waxy florals. This is a rich palace style attar which gives a Mughal feel of luxury and opulence. It is silky and heady in a fresh gentle manner. There are sumptuous and somewhat resinous earthy tones, very grounding, very comforting, then a range of subtle spices and flecks of peppercorn which stimulate and excite, and then there's the glory of the heady rose, the waxy jasmine, and some faint, almost sparkling citrus, to bring the whole thing to life in a peacock display of olfactory beauty. This is a humdinger of an incense. I love it to bits!!!!!!!!!

Manohar incense is available in India from Manohar Sugandhi at 280 Rupees for 50gm. Outside India from The Incense Atelier at prices from £1.75 to £2.75 for 10g plus shipping. There's also a very useful sample pack of 10 different fragrances (2 sticks each) for £3.95 plus postage.  

Date: Feb 2026    Score: 50/50

***

Manohar Sugandhi

A.S. Agarbathi Works Ayurvedic Yoga

 

I've always rather liked A.S. sticks. It's just the Ayurvedic range I've had, though they produce a number of incense products - cones, dhoops, perfumed, etc. I think the Ayurvedic range is mainly aimed at the Western market - the packaging as well as the incense style is comparable with Satya and Goloka; and they are also based in Bangalore. I suspect most wouldn't notice a difference between random sticks from the three incense houses on a blind taste test. There is a familiar warm, soft sandalwood and florals scent, with attractive notes of vanilla, caramel and gentle sweet citric fruits. 

The scent on the burn is gentle, pleasant, and comfortably in the Satya Nag Champa field. It's certainly likeable, comforting, and familiar, though there's little that is distinctive about it. 

Date: Feb 2026  Score: 35/50

***

AS Agarbathi Works of Bangalore

Tulasi Poison

 

It's been a while since I reviewed Tulasi. They are a well established Bangalore incense house rather similar to HEM. They export globally, and have mainly focused on perfumed-incense, though in recent years have sold decent masala incense, such as Vidwan, as well as a popular range of Nag Champa styled perfumed-masala, such as Nag Champa & Rose. 

Poison is a popular Dior perfume created in 1985. It is not uncommon for Indian incense houses to copy the name (and the scent) of popular and glamorous perfumes, such as Opium and Shalimar. Poison is a dark, fruity, mysterious perfume with warm plum and cherry along with woods, spices, and romantic florals. The cold throw scent on the stick is sweet, quite light, with cherries and faint powdery florals. 

The scent on the burn echoes that of the scent on the stick, though is a little faded. It provides a pleasant sweet dark flowery background room fragrance. 

Date: Feb 2026  Score: 28/50

***

More Tulasi reviews

BIC Little Angels

 

BIC (Bharat Industrial Corporation) is an incense house based in Bangalore, which was established in 1965. They are popular and successful, with good exports - mainly as a mass-market room-freshener incense house, along similar lines to HEM (though they also do decent perfumed-masala, such as Devasthanam). Their main product is the delightful Panchavati Dhoop Stick. They no longer make or design their own incense - since 2020, a separate company, owned by Balaji, and sharing the same initials,  Bindu Incense Craft, was set up to make and distribute incense for BIC. Ashish Shah, the nose behind many of Balaji's best scents, is now in charge of Bindu Incense Craft, and has been developing new scents for BIC. 

Little Angels is part of a big bundle of samples that was sent to me a year or two back, which until now I hadn't got around to reviewing. It's a hex box of perfumed sticks, much in the manner of HEM. The blurb on the packet says "To please and strengthen your guardian angel!". The cold throw scent on the stick is mild but sharp and brilliant florals inclining toward violets, with a touch of powdery aldehydes. It's pleasant, familiar, and as expected.  

The scent on the burn is gentle and sweetly floral. It's a pleasant everyday room freshener. I'd like it to be doing a bit more, but it is quite acceptable as it is - perhaps suitable for a feminine bedroom on a sunny Sunday morning. 

Date: Feb 2026   Score: 27/50

***

BIC / Panchavati

Monsoon (Good Incense/Bhagwan) Floral Bouquet

 

One of a large collection of samples that Eugene of Bhagwan Incense sent me a couple of years ago. Eugene splits his incense shop into two brands  - Bhagwan Incense, and Monsoon Incense (previously called Good Incense). The incense sold via the Monsoon brand is a lower cost than the regular Bhagwan brand, though at least one incense has been moved from the budget brand to the main brand. I'll be getting down to finishing off my reviews of both the Monsoon/Good incense and the Bhagwan branded incense this year, though it may be a while before I get to it. In the meantime, I'm lighting up this random packet from the collection. 

This is a perfumed-masala stick in the flora style.  It consists of what appears to be a charcoal paste, machine-extruded onto a plain, machine-cut, bamboo splint which has a red tip. The paste would likely have a variety of ingredients other than just binders and combustibles - it may have some of the stick's fragrances and fixatives. However, the bulk of the scent appear to come from fragrances added after the stick was extruded. The cold throw scent on the stick is ripe with fragrance oils, rich with diamond sharp aldehydes, and heavy with damp old leather, possibly from benzoin and/or patchouli. There is a coating of brown powder which was traditionally called melnoorva - mainly used to prevent sticks from gluing together while drying, though these days is mainly known as "masala powder" - which is generally perfumed, and is often used to give the stick a masala appearance. Rose, vanilla, aldehyde, and damp leather are the prominent notes, and it is compelling and attractive fragrance. 

The scent on the burn is softer than I expected after the weight of the oils on the stick. And is quite clean - moderately smoky, but that's because I have it a little close to me - around 2-3 foot away - because the fragrance has a gentle start, and I'm impatient to get going. The accord is similar to that on the stick, which is common with incense sticks where much of the fragrance has been applied externally, so is readily available. There is a great balance between the heavier, somewhat darker tones - vanilla, leather, soft, old tobacco, and musk; with the bright florals and dazzling  aldehydes - it's like beauty and the beast dancing together, spinning away, throwing off young, girly, and scintillating rays of diamond sharp jasmines and rose, with the musky, authoritative tones of aged and mouldy leather.  A great combination. I love this. 

The description on the website says: "A unique mix of Rose, Vanilla Tonka beans and Patchouli on a generous halmaddi base. Full of delicate citrusy flowers and honey", and that pretty well matches what I've experienced - though I didn't pick up any halmaddi. Which is fine for me, as I'm not a fan of the substance. I prefer frankincense as a fixative. Yeah, nice one. 

Available direct from Monsoon at 2.50 Euros for 15g, plus shipping. 

Date: Feb 2026   Score: 43/50 

***

Bhagwan Incense

Best floral incense

Flora, Fluxo, and Supreme

Om Sai Om Brand White Musk Dhoop Sticks

 

As is often the case with dhoop sticks, the box comes with a useful small clay holder, this one has a cute triangle shape.  The description on the Om Sai Om Brand website is that the sticks have a "sweet and musky aroma with a hint of resinous notes, perfect for rejuvenating the mind & body". And that seems fair enough, though my experience of the scent on both the stick and the burn is that it is powdery, soapy, and floral, with some sparkling and cool aldehydes supported by a general sandalwood aroma. Soft sweetness and a vague sense of musk are present - more on the burn, and the general impression on the burn is that this is a calming and relaxing aroma.  

There is a reluctance to catch and some black smoke when lighting. Black smoke is caused by incomplete combustion, and DEP can cause this as it slow to ignite, and while it doesn't produce black smoke itself, it will inhibit the fragrance oils from fully burning; but black smoke is also caused by thicker sticks, as it takes longer to achieve smouldering heat, and until that smouldering heat is reached, the oils won't burn completely.  Black smoke on lighting is not necessarily due to poor ingredients - it can be due to inappropriate formulation where the ingredients are not balanced, or where it hasn't been dried completely. This stick is well dry, the scent is not harsh and is well balanced, with a pleasant after-burn scent that lasts well into the next day, so I'm assuming the black smoke is due to thickness and use of DEP.

This is a decent everyday room freshener. The scent is familiar, and is not the most refined musk scent, but for a modern synthetic musk scent (which is what the name "White Musk" implies - it was developed by Albert Baur in 1888, is considered the first fully synthetic scent, and is widely used in perfumery) it is pleasantly clean, powdery, and fresh with a scent like freshly washed bed sheets.  The smoke is a beautifully shimmering silvery grey - it is soft, and swirls around the room most attractively.  Yeah, not bad. 

Available for 55 Rupees (India only) direct from Om Sai Om Brand. 

Date: Feb 2026   Score:  28/50

***

Best of Om Sai (Om Brand)

Musk

Dhoop

Gonesh No. 10 Perfumes of Herbs & Flowers

 

Short and  simple. Highly perfumed sticks. Decent quality - no off-notes either on the stick or the burn (which have similar scents), though there is a fair degree of volatility, possibly from aldehydes, which can be quite icy in the nose and cause headaches.  The scent is sweet, fruity, soapy, perfumed. There may be herbs and flowers in the mix, but the accord assaults me more with the fruits. Lagging slightly behind are faint, delicate florals. It's an OK accord, but does feel more like a "fruity fresh" bubble bath than what most would associate with incense. I like incense makers who are modern and bold and come up with new and lively scent accords, such as this No. 10; however, pleasant though it is, it doesn't touch my soul or my intellect. This is too familiar as an everyday scent associated with room fresheners, and various bathroom lotions and potions, to tickle my interest.

Essentially this is well made, decent quality incense with a pleasant and attractive scent, though too familiar as an everyday home fragrance to spark much interest.  But it is likeable, and I'm quite happy to burn these sticks around the house. They are well behaved, and, though the scent (as most perfumed incense does) fades rather than lingers, it does sweetly inform the room with an acceptable and inoffensive fragrance. 

This was part of a Variety pack, commonly available in America, though also available on UK Amazon for just under £12 including delivery.

Date: Feb 2026    Score: 30/50

***

Gonesh

Gonesh No. 2 Perfumed with Oils & Spices

 

What is perfumed-incense?

Some folks like masala style incense (fragrant ingredients wrapped in the paste), some like perfumed incense (fragrance applied to the paste externally by spraying, dipping, or coating in powder), some like perfumed-masala incense (fragrance is wrapped in the paste and also added externally), some just like incense. I just like incense. What, for me, matters most is the fragrance that is released when the incense is lit up and the smoke starts to waft around the room. 

Does perfumed-incense sometimes smell false or chemical? Yes. 

Does perfumed-masala style incense sometimes smell false or chemical? Yes.

Does masala style incense sometimes smell false or chemical? Yes, but less frequently. 

Does perfumed-incense have a wide range of fragrances? Yes.

Does perfumed-masala style incense have a wide range of fragrances? Yes, but somewhat less than straight perfumed-incense. 

Does masala style incense have a wide range of fragrances? Certainly a decent range, though the masala incense customer base prefers more traditional scents, so there will be more wood, floral, and wood-floral scents than the often more sophisticated or modern and fun scents that are commonly offered in perfumed-incense, especially the perfumed-incense that is sold to the Western market, such as by Wild Berry, Juicy Jay, Hem, and Gonesh.   

Who are Gonesh?

I have found Gonesh to be a decent perfumed-incense company. I like and enjoy their scents. They are an American company who have been making incense since at least 1923 when they took over The Hindu Incense Company based in Chicago, and made incense cones and burners. It was in the Sixties that they introduced incense sticks, and changed their name from the Hindu Incense Company to Gonesh. They have decent sales in the home fragrance and lifestyle market, and are generally regarded as accessible and vibrant, though not as an authentic or traditional incense maker. 

Description

Gonesh say: "A mysterious blend of perfume oils and spices to create a soothing aromatic experience. A light floral fragrance wafting over deep woodsy notes spiced throughout with the scents of the orient."

Scent on the Stick (Cold Throw)

Perfumed-incense is always upfront with the scent as the fragrance was applied externally, even though - as with these charcoal sticks - the fragrance gets absorbed by the charcoal, there is generally plenty of scent on the outside to evaporate into the atmosphere around you. Really ripe sticks don't even need to be sniffed - the smell just comes out, blam!, and makes contact. There's an amber musky warmth on the stick - which is similar to an oriental scent (or "scents of the orient"). Not much in the way of spices, but there is a smoky hint of wood, along with an icy and potentially headache inducing volatility. 

What is Volatility?

Volatility is fragrance notes that evaporate quickly. It is not necessarily a sign of synthetic perfume or chemicals, it is mainly the type and strength of the fragrance. Very light top notes, citrics and pines for example, are quick evaporators which can sparkle like grains of ice in your nose, and may overload your senses, giving you a headache. I am sensitive to this - particularly terpenes.  While natural fragrances can have sharp volatility, it is generally synthetics, like aldehydes, which are the main culprits, though frankincense resin also has icy volatiles. 

Scent on the Burn (Hot Throw)

The scent on the burn echoes the cold throw scent on the stick. I like when an incense does that. And it tends to happen more often with perfumed-incense than either perfumed-masala or masala-style incense. This is not a sign of quality - traditional, high quality masala incense has the fragrant ingredients folded into the paste, so they are not fully revealed until the stick is lit and burned; but it is useful as what I am expecting from the cold throw is delivered in the hot throw. It is not uncommon that stuff I like is not a qualifier for "high-end", but is simply useful, fun, attractive, or likeable. I don't think I am someone for whom the term "high-end" draws me like a acolyte moth to a golden diamond encrusted flame. Terms like "character", "interesting", "authentic", "original", "fun", "unique" are what attract my attention. 

Anyhow. Yes. Smoky amber and muted, obscure herbs are what I find in the burn. It is generally a soft, well-behaved burn - calmer, quieter, and warmer than the scent on the stick, albeit the scent profile is the same. It is a little drier and narrow than I prefer, but is moderately interesting and quite acceptable. 

This was part of a Variety pack, commonly available in America, though also available on UK Amazon for just under £12 including delivery.

Date: Feb 2026    Score: 29

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Gonesh