Sagun Shiv Flora Bathi

   

Fourth review - scroll down for earlier

Machine made masala style incense from Sagun Incense in Bangalore. Domestic product sold at 20 Rupee for 15 sticks (approx 20p for 15g).  This is my fourth attempt at getting into this incense, but it's not working. There's some mildly pleasant sweet florals on the stick, but the scent on the burn is a little too dry, too prickly, and too faint for me. I like bolder, richer, sweeter, more passionate incense. Or at least something interesting. This simply doesn't go anywhere or do anything for me.  It's not offensive, it's nicely packed and presented, and it's a decent quality product, but it's not for me. I'm now putting it into the outhouse. 

Date: Oct 2024    Score: 25 

Third review

I'm back again. No closer to appreciating this. It's too sombre, too prickly, too boring for me. There's no joy here. It's a dry, crumbly charcoal-paste, machine-extruded onto a machine-rounded bamboo splint dyed pink. It's been coated in a finishing powder or melnoorva. The scent on the stick is gentle, floral, a little bit sweet, and quite pleasant. It's not a strong aroma, and there's not a lot going on, but it is pleasant enough. The scent on the burn is fairly assertive without being overpowering. The visible smoke is modest, though the room feels kinda smoky - there's the smell of burned coal, and the sense of smoke in the nostrils and in the eyes. The scent is prickly, sombre, mono-dimensional, dull, with notes of wood, garden waste, warmth, pepper, spice, with softer notes of honey, and perhaps a hint of flower petals. It's not engaging or enthralling. It certainly feels organic, but when faced with burning something as dull, ugly, and irritating as this, or burning a bright and cheerful perfumed incense, albeit with petrol tones, and the sense of it being artificial like a fabric conditioner, then I'm going to choose the bright and cheerful. 

Score moved back down.

Date: March 2022   Score: 22 

 

Second review

Revisiting. I'm not sure I'm that much closer to liking this one than I was a few months a go. I'm not one for the dry, herbal incense, such as they make in Tibet and Nepal; however, this is starting to win me round. I don't think these dry mainly plant based masalas are ever really going to be my favourite sort of incense, but this does have a mildly beguiling blend of pepper and floral, with underlying aromas of interest (rose, jasmine, dried cow dung,  straw, cannabis smoke, wood fire, fried chicken), such that it's not turning me away. I think now that I am aware that the term "flora" does not signify a particular incense so much as being another term such as "natural" or "masala" to indicate that the incense was made from plants, I can approach these floras with a more neutral and open mind, instead of with a certain expectation. Maybe if I return again three months I might like it a little more....

Date: Jan 2022    Score: 27 

First review

A new incense company for me. Sagun Incense are based in Bangalore, and assert they are "the Leading Manufacturer of Incense Sticks .... around the world". They were founded in 2014 and make both masala and perfumed sticks. 

This is a machine extruded charcoal stick with a thin layer of finishing powder or melnoorva coating the stick. The stick burns evenly with moderate smoke, but the fragrance is thin, dry and sombre. There is an awareness of halmaddi in it, but little joy. It's a mix of woody and floral scents, but it's not speaking to me. I think if I work at it I can get a sense of a woodland, and the close furry warmth of an animal. But, on the whole I'm not impressed; and this doesn't get me closer to understanding what a "flora" incense is, other than a term that some incense companies use, such as "premium", which may mean little. Umraz Ahmed of ELIF has been describing to me how they feel that many incense companies do not make proper "flora" incense these days, and that ELIF are attempting to recreate the sorts of "flora" incense that the founder of ILIF, their father who died recently, used to make. When I encounter a "flora" like this, I do wish ELIF great success in bringing better quality incense to the market.

Date: Oct 2021   Score: 21 

***

Flora, Fluxo, and Supreme

Sagun Incense

Koya's Pineapple Premium Incense Sticks

 

Second review - scroll down for earlier

Popped one of these in the kitchen this morning while making breakfast, and it really lit up the room with a fresh, bright fragrance of pineapple. Nice one. Enjoyed it.  Moved up a few points. 

Date: March 2022    Score: 27 

First review

This is an everyday perfumed incense from Koya - it is very bright and zesty with an affirmative scent of pineapple. It is a well made machine extruded incense, burning at a consistent rate, and with most of the pineapple scent being reasonably clean, though there are some smoky elements, and a synthetic edge to the whole. 

I like it as a bold bright scent to cleanse and wake up the house. It's nothing special, but is well made, and it reminds me of Moksh.  

Date: Oct 2021   Score: 25 

***

Top Ten 
Perfume-Dipped Incense

Fruit Fragrances

Koya's Agarbathi

Parimal Yatra Natural Incense Cones

Fourth review - scroll down for earlier

One of my favourite online incense shops, Popat Stores, was recently hit by a virus which put them out of action, and are currently [Oct 2024] low on stocks of incense. I hope that this is not permanent, as they are an efficient and low cost supplier of quality and interesting incense in the UK - indeed, for some years now they have probably been the best supplier of decent incense. Looking to replenish our bowl of incense cones, and being particularly interested in getting more of this excellent Yatra, I did an internet search, and Popat were the only store to offer a full box of a dozen packs. I grabbed the last box, though they still have a limited supply of single packs for 95p each. 

Though these are "natural" hand-made cones, the bulk of the scent comes from essential oils (or "pure natural fragrance oils" as described on the pack). There is some volatility on the cone, and a slight but noticeable assertiveness in the burn - good ventilation is recommended if the cones are fresh (as these are); my eyes smarted a bit, though I can be a bit sensitive to certain incense ingredients, such as halmaddi. The scent is very woody - hints of pine, shoe polish (a bit like turpentine - which is rich and oily with elements of benzoin), caramel, coal tar soap, and creamy sandalwood. On the burn lighter notes emerge - patchouli and something floral. It really is a lovely scent. 

Yatra is a pilgrimage, which is reflected in the use of footprints on the pack to illustrate the journey. The difficulty of the journey is part of the devotion of the pilgrimage. The text reads: "In a country that is the abode of many Gods, often we embark on a journey to their doorsteps. We travel across lands, our hearts filled with faith and souls brimming with devotion. We endure difficult Yatras to catch one beautiful glimpse of the almighty, to bow before Him and seed his blessings."  

There is more text on the other side of the packet: "Begin your spiritual Pilgrimage with Yatra agarbattis. They are made with rich natural ingredients that are hand-picked from rare Indian forests. Then they are mixed and blended with pure natural fragrance oils which will calm the impetuous mind, relieve the fatigued body and stir the soul. Hand-rolled, just like how the sadhus did in the ancient times. Invoke the supreme forces with its stirring fragrance. Appease the Lord. Make every wish come true." 

Date: Oct 2024   Score: 45 

Third review

We've been burning these a fair bit recently, and I love them even more.  Pushing up the score (again!). Sadly, they are becoming hard to get hold of. I have had to order sticks instead of cones - I hope the sticks are as nice. 

Date: Oct 2022   Score: 47 

Second review

This is good stuff. It's natural and woody and beautiful and seductive and sexy and warm and wholesome and divine. The woody, musky threads weave together, entangled in herbs and patchouli and sandalwood. This is simply gorgeous. We particularly like the way the scent lingers beautifully for two days afterwards, even surviving through other incenses being burned. 

Date: Dec 2021   Score: 44  

First review

Most incense cones I have come across have been perfumed, and if it is to be a natural (or masala) non-stick Indian incense, then it is generally a dhoop, few of which are perfumed. But now and again I do come upon a natural/masala cone, and they are usually very nice. This one is particularly yummy. It is very woodsy and musky, with a strong lean toward patchouli (which is always going to claim my heart), with a scattering of silky summer flowers along the top. It all feels very natural, and it creates an uplifting experience. There is some sensuality from the musk and patchouli, an organic strength from the wood, and a joy from the flowers. The blend of all these scents works harmoniously to create that uplifting experience.

This is a quality incense that can be burned at any time of the day - the floral notes make it suitable to wake up the house in the morning, and prepare positively for the day, the woods give strength in the afternoon when the spirit might be flagging, and the musk/patchouli gives a sensuality to the evening. Only 75p for a box, from Poppat Stores (also from other shops, but at a higher price), these are great value for money. Widely available in the West: New Zealand, America, Slovakia, etc.  

Parimal are an incense company I'd like to explore further. 

Date: Oct 2021    Score:  38 

***

Parimal Mandir

Top Ten incense cones

EL Incenses and Fragrances Sunflora (discontinued)

 

Returning to Sunflora. I last burned this when doing A little Scent Comparison. We liked it then, scoring it around 35, noting that it was flowery and like sweet dark orange chocolate.  The stick is very generous - a hand rolled crumbly charcoal paste onto a machine cut bamboo splint, then liberally coated with a melnoorva or wood based finishing powder. The sticks tend to be fatter in the middle than the ends. The scent on the stick is like orange water -  a pleasing essential oil, quite light and joyful, with some mild sandalwood underneath. 

The burn is not aggressive - it is quite light and pleasing with floral and mildly fruity notes rather than woods or spices. The burn is OK, albeit occasionally ragged and untidy, releasing a consistently pleasant aroma which gently fills the room - never overpowering, but certainly making an impression. The longer it burns the more pleasing it becomes, so it never over stays its welcome, indeed, it becomes more intimate and rewarding. 

I like it. Certainly more than I did during the scent comparison, when my appreciation sort of dipped - perhaps because I wasn't giving it the space and time it needs to create its own mood, and I think I like it a tad more than I did during the first review. 

[Note: Oct 2023 - I've not seen these available for over a year, the website is down, and there's no response to emails, so I'm moving this company to Vintage] 

Date: March 2022    Score: 41 

The second of the luxury brand Indian incense sent to me by Umraz Ahmed of ELIF (EL Incenses and Fragrances). The company is very good at marketing - the website is very professional with good English, and the boxes are solid and well designed. The company are aiming for and could do well at the top end of the market, particularly in the West among consumers of "connoisseur" incense where people feel reassured by well designed packaging and a price tag to match their aspirations. These are big boxes, 50g with around 20 - 25 sticks in each. The sticks are, as is usual with incenses termed "flora", quite fat and heavy, which is why there are fewer sticks than would normally be the case in a 50g box. The domestic price is 200 Rupees, around £2 (or $2.75). Given transport costs, tax, and normal mark up (where a 12 Rupee box is sold for around £2 in the UK), this could end up at around £25 - £30 in the UK. That would make it around the same price (or perhaps a tad more) than Temple of Incense and Pure Connoisseur, which is no doubt the market ELIF are aiming for.

We liked this in our house. Liked it a lot. We compared it with Satya Karma, the classic Sai Flora, ELIF's own Capture, a world class incense from Koya - Nirvana, and the brilliant Bengali Jungle, sold by Absolute Bliss in America, and made by an undisclosed factory in India.  It felt comfortable in the presence of those incenses, and was liked more than the Satya, and more than the Sai Flora.  We felt it to be lighter, more flowery, more edible and sweet than Capture, so liked it a little more. It did sometimes burn a little ragged and uneven, and at times perhaps a little slower than it could, which held back some of the intensity normally found in these fat masalas, but that isn't really a bad thing in our book - we tend to like the quality of a scent more than the intensity, and sometimes need to draw back from a strong incense. 

There is a fruity lusciousness about Sunflora which is very appealing. It's not a divine scent, or very complex, but it is hugely pleasant and bright and uplifting. It is sweet, flowery, and fruity, with some suggestions of dark orange chocolate. I'd be happy to have a pack in the house - it's not an incense we'd be likely burn on a regular basis, but rather when we wanted something with a little more oomph than normal, but didn't want something too complicated or spiritual; at that time, a bright boost of Sunflora would do the job. I'm not sure on price though. If this were to be pitched at the price of  Temple or Pure incense then that would put me off. But then, I'm probably not the target audience. We like it, we enjoyed it, and for £3 to £4 a pack we'd buy it. More than that, then we'd hesitate. 

Date: Oct 2021   Score: 40   

***

Flora, Fluxo, and Supreme

Vintage Incense
(Incense not available from
this brand for over a year)

India luxury box incense

Reviewed on ORS

Parimal Shubh Labh Vedanta incense Sticks

 

Parimal Mandir are a well established Indian incense company, founded in 1942 in Bangalore by Sunku Gundaiah Setty as the “Gandhi Flour Mills & Perfumery Works”. The company is domestically  successful with some exports to Europe, South America, the Middle East, and Africa, and there is at least one family member still on the executive board.  They have a useful video detailing both their history and their production methods: Documentary Release (2014).  They mainly use the "Parimal" brand name, but also have this "Shubh Labh" brand name for use on at least this one incense. 

Vedanta is an everyday masala incense - it would be sold for around 12 Rupees (12p) in India for around 15 sticks. There is a delightful and evocative aroma of sweet soft sandalwood, honey, and flowers, loads of sweet summery flowers, and sweet breads, Nestles milk, and musk. It is divine. For an  everyday cheap masala, this is gorgeous. It burns slowly and evenly, with a healthy aroma that never grows too strong or too aggressive, but keeps its presence in the room. There is some spice, and the warm woolly suggestion of halmaddi - not too much, just enough to spike the sweetness and create interest and warmth. Very beautiful indeed. Just nipping into my Heavenly category. I'll be ordering some more of these. Available from Poppat Stores at £1 for one pack, or £10 for 12, or from eBay for £4 for one pack.  

Date: Oct 2021   Score: 40 

***

Parimal Mandir

EL Incenses and Fragrances Capture Luxury Flora Incense (discontinued)

  

Fifth review (scroll down for older reviews)

These sticks are fairly inconsistent. On this burn we got little. Not much strength, and mostly just a smoky wood aroma. Came across as a poor quality faded perfume incense rather than a proper masala. 

[Note: Oct 2023 - I've not seen these available for over a year, the website is down, and there's no response to emails, so I'm moving this company to discontinued] 

Date: Nov 2022   Score: 22 

Average of five reviews: 32

Fourth review

I've come back here to ELIF's Capture as I've been burning some modern masala incenses which appear to me to be using perfume rather than essential oils, and I wanted to get back to something more natural, which I know is what ELIF claims it is about. I've been a bit up and down in my responses to Capture, though some of that I feel is either due to inconsistencies in the incense formulation, or simply the intensity of the experience which can be a sensory overload. I've spoken to a couple of  online retailers recommending ELIF as a modern brand worth looking into, but both had already been sent samples, and said they were not interested. One was quite scathing about the quality, feeling it resembled sawdust swept up from the floor. 

This burn has been way more rapid than the others, and the result is rather a lot of incense smoke in the room quite quickly, which certainly does lead to a sensory overload and a bit of a headache. This is a highly fragranced stick, best experienced, I think, at something of a distance, rather like Sai Flora. There are certainly charms here. And those charms are best discovered slowly from the stick itself, where at my own pace I can explore the super fresh orange zest and the blast of summer flowers. The burns have always been a bit, well, dangerous! This is an incense that on the burn has a wilful mind of its own. It can stutter almost to a stop, or it can burn so rapidly that mere mortals faint from the intensity. This is an incense that only the Gods can truly appreciate! 

I like Capture, but I have a love/hate relationship with it. It fascinates me. It seduces me. And it also irritates and frustrates me. I think this is an incense I will be retuning to for review more often than most. Usually I get to know an incense, and there is no need to re-review. But Capture is a little more complex and fascinating than most. 


Date: Jan 2022   Score: 37 

Average of five reviews: 32

Third review

A reappraisal. The scent on the stick is quite dense and sombre, floral for sure, with some wood supporting it, and a little sharp volatility. Pleasant; and, while not mighty or spiritual, is inviting. When lit it burns awkwardly with some fibre strands, which makes me assume it is a coconut charcoal, and that the company have not yet perfected the combustible elements. Satya have had recent problems with that as well. Different burns bring out different scent aspects (the "varied" or "inconsistent" notes from the earlier scent comparison) - currently it is mostly sandalwood. I'm getting little of the fruit or flowers. This particular burn is not impressing me, and I'm lowering the score again. When it is good, this is a decent floral incense that can stand with top end masala, but there are inconsistency issues which means that sometimes, as now, the better fragrant elements have not made it satisfactorily enough into the mix. I suspect they have the right ingredients, but not yet the right production or manufacturing to ensure those ingredients are combined well. This is now becoming simply smoky and a tad unpleasant. I'm lowering the score, but keeping it in my Decent Stuff category, because when it's good it is good. And it has mostly been good.


Date: Nov 2021 Score: 30

Average of five reviews: 32

Second review

I put Capture into a little scent comparison with other decent masala incense (plus a few perfumed ones). It didn't stand up as well as I thought it might. Though pleasant, it was felt to be a little too "smoky" or intense in relation to the fragrance, and that some elements of the scent felt a little artificial. Initially it impressed as quite "churchy" with a floral and fruit scent, a little more floral than fruit, and that it was sweet and pleasant, though not profound. There was a sense, separately noted by myself and a couple of others, that some fragrance elements were not natural, for example that it had a washing up liquid "pink grapefruit" scent, or that there was a sense of fruit juice, but a cordial rather than fresh fruit. It has variety (or inconsistency, as the variety is not part of an understood scent journey, and the scents emerge sort of randomly rather than in an integrated or natural manner) and is rather pleasant, though there is something missing. And the burn continues to be problematic.


Date: Nov 2021 Score: 32

Average of five reviews: 32

First review

A beautiful box of flora incense sent to me by Umraz Ahmed of El Incenses and Fragrances (ELIF). ELIF was founded in 1970 by Umraz's father, and the company at the time were competing at the same quality level as Satya and Sai Flora (if you can call Sai Flora quality, rather than simply rich and intense), though did not have the international reach. Then, for a variety of reasons, the company closed. Umraz has reopened it this year, with an intention to compete again at a high quality level, citing Satya and Balaji as companies they hope to match. I had queried with Umraz the price of the incense, as it is marketed at 200 Rupees for 50g, which is among the most expensive Indian incense I have seen (excluding Indian incense resold under Western brand names in the UK and US, which can fetch much higher prices than in the domestic market), and the response is that the company are aiming at the premier end of the market, and Umraz feels that the halmaddi they use is of such quality that it gives them a unique selling point. 

ELIF make "flora" incense, which is something I have been looking into recently, particularly in the sense of the difference between a "flora" incense and a "fluxo" - both terms were used on Sai Flora, which is the oldest flora/fluxo I am aware of, and which seems to serve as the template or inspiration for most others I have encountered. I am still not quite sure what a "flora" is, or how it differs from a "fluxo", partly because makers seem to use those terms quite loosely. However, what most floras and fluxos I have experienced seem to have in common is that they are visibly fatter than standard masala incense, and moister. There is an obvious use of oils in them (fragrance or essential or both). This Capture has beautiful oils, quite juicy and fruity, slightly citric - kind of tangerine. And there is some creamy white wood, not spicy or masculine like cedar, but soft, feminine, and gentle like a white or Indian sandalwood. I like this a lot. When I first burned it, it was after I had been burning some Satya, particularly Karma, and it felt to me to match the Satya, but not exceed it. But after spending more time with Capture, it is seducing me with it's gentle and beautiful charm. It is not quite on the same heavenly level as something like Bengali Jungle, which I have been playing with for some weeks now, nor some of the world class masala incense of Koya's which I have been burning a lot of this past week, such as their Nirvana, but it is certainly competitive with Satya on quality (though not on price), and Sai Flora, though I find it way more refined than Sai Flora, so it's not a direct comparison.

Sai Flora is an assertive and unusual incense - it can be somewhat overpowering, but much of the appeal is on its sheer intensity, which can be matched by Bengali Jungle, and then surpassed in terms of beauty.

The main experience with masala is often the overall impression, and it can be hard to pin down individual scents or precise moments, though some of the moments we noted when burning these sticks were warmth, wood, raw flesh, sweetness, intensity, and a sense of difference. A curious set of experiences when listed like that, but somehow it gelled together. I liked it the most of the three of us, but all in all, we were all impressed, and I feel it is certainly a player in the field of top end masala incense.

Date: Oct 2021 Score: 39

Average of five reviews: 32

***

Flora, Fluxo, and Supreme

A little scent comparison

Vintage Incense
(Incense not available from
this brand for over a year)

India luxury box incense

Reviewed on ORS

Koya's Vishnu Leela Herbal Incense Sticks

 

I have received a range of samples from Junaid, export manager at Koya's Incense of Bangalore.  

Koya's was founded in Bangalore in 1970 by Ahamed Kutti, who came from Kerala in Southwest India. The three best selling brands are Vishnu Leela, Maya Supreme and Intimate.  They are a well established Indian incense company with a wide range of products including perfumed and natural/masala incense sticks, and currently export to several Asian countries. They don't yet have an export deal with the West, though some incense was available in America through Amazon, and received a positive response. 

I have been exploring the range of incenses Junaid has sent me, and the perfumed incenses are decent quality - long lasting, no off-notes, and with attractive perfumes. They are decent everyday perfumed incenses. But it is the masala range that has impressed me. The everyday masalas are damn good, and excellent value for money based on their domestic prices, while some of the premium masalas, such as their Nirvana, are world class, and are either in my Heavenly collection or my Top Drawer. 

This Vishnu Leela is not one of the premium masalas, it is an every day masala, retailing domestically at 12 rupees for 18g, about 12 sticks. That's around 1p per stick. There is an interesting bubblegum aroma on the stick - a sort of blend of banana, cherry and strawberry with a hint of clove, and then peppermint and warm milk, and eventually the herbs come through more strongly. It's kind of interesting that the scents from the stick can appear in the same order as when being burned - that is the lighter, higher notes, the fruits, the citric, come though first, and the denser, woody notes come through last. I kind of thought they would just jump out at the same time. When burned there is a more sombre feel to the scent combination, and it is less breezy - the fruits don't stand out so bright. Overall it's a damn fine incense, but to make it stand out more and to become world class I think there would need to be more fragrant ingredients in the mix. I think they are struggling a little against the base material (which is dark and crumbly like charcoal) so that at times there is a slightly acrid note, and just a little too much woodiness for the fruits and herbs to really fly.  But this is not pitched at premium level - this is an everyday masala, and a damn fine one - excellent value for money. 

Date: Oct 2021    Score: 36 

 

Just revisiting this as it came to hand as I was clearing my desk. I do like this. I'm moving it up slightly. It's a solid everyday masala with touches of heavenly. Just on the cusp. Very nice. Warm, soothing, gentle scent. 


Date: Dec 2022   Score: 38

Koya's Agarbathi

Absolute Bliss Bengali Jungle Fluxo Durbar

 

Corey Topel of Absolute Bliss incense in the US, sent me a bunch of incense to sample and review a long time ago, and I kept losing them, and then - for several reasons, some of which was to do with the link with Paul Eagle and Happy Hari, I found it difficult to sit down and review them. I've been playing with this Bengali Jungle for a few weeks now. When I first lit it, I was struck by the intensity of the aroma, and dug out Sai Flora as comparison, because it reminded me of that classic. I am in a period when I am somewhat interested in the terminology of "flora", "fluxo", "durbar" and "supreme". I am still unsure as to what they mean, but they all seem to mean a masala that is stronger, or richer, or heavier, or fatter than the standard masala, and generally (but not always, because I have had a number of dry examples) they are still moist with an essential oil or two. So the terms sort of means "premium", but a bit more than that. And in my experience most makers will give the name "fluxo" to an incense that is heavier than one they term "flora", in the same way that a brewer may term their dark beers "stout" or "porter", with "stout" being the stronger one, but these terms not being consistent as some brewers will make a porter stronger than their stout, and one brewer's stout may be weaker than another brewer's porter. I am aware, however, that there are some definite and decided views on what a fluxo is, and what a flora is - it's just that, in my limited experience, the makers of incense don't always follow these views - they just do their own thing! ;-)  

There is a range of scents with this Bengali Jungle - it is sweet, it is spicy, it is juicy, it is fruity, it is quite yummy. And though it is a strong incense (in line with my experience of other fluxo termed incense), it is not aggressive - it is an enveloping scent, one that embraces seductively and gently, wrapping you in a comforting, albeit also somewhat sensual, manner. There is halmaddi in the mix, but not too much - it is more of an Indian blend than a Western blend, and that's perhaps why I am drawn toward it so much. The bulk of the scent initially appears to come from the essential oils - it is a moist, fruity scent, slightly citric, then comes some softer milky notes, touches of vanilla, before we come to the woody base notes, and where the woolly halmaddi tones are also most present. Though this is a traditional Indian masala, and the base notes in particular are reminiscent of older styles of incense from the Seventies, there is something quite vivid, breezy and modern about the top notes. This is a great incense. In our home on a comparison with several other incenses - Satya's Karma, Elif's Sunflora and Capture, the classic Sai Flora, and Koya's Nirvana, it was consistently at the top and matched Koya's Nirvana, which I feel is a world class incense, and is in my Top Drawer, which is where I shall also place this. 

Date: Oct 2021   Score: 46 

***

Flora, Fluxo, and Supreme

Absolute Bliss (closed)

RIP Corey

Satya (BNG) Karma

 

It's easy to become complacent about Satya incense because they have been around for so long, are available everywhere, and  can be bought  cheaply. Yet they are a very good incense maker, and this is a good example of why. It's a gorgeous aroma on the stick - quite sweet, quite yummy. There's fine quality sandalwood, honey, warm wool, little moments of spice and white chocolate, the skin of new born babies and kittens, a melange of attractive scents which blend together to create something wholesome and pleasing. As is often the case (for me anyway), the scent when burned is somewhat less than the scent on the stick, and is somewhat variable. At times I catch a little too much prickly halmaddi, and it can burn my eyes. At other times, like now, it is gentle and soothing, and is actually very close to the scent on the stick. 

This is, however, not a top heavenly incense. It stops just short. Only just though. It is up there with the best, and is an incense I would happily buy again. 

Date: Oct 2021   Score: 38

Satya (Shrinivas Sugandhalaya)

Hari Om Ganesh Arti Dhoop Bathi

 

Hari Om sent me some samples a while ago for review, and this was one that I missed. It is a crude masala-powder-on-charcoal incense stick. Names for different incenses in India do sometimes puzzle and amuse me. "Dhoop" I understand to be incense sticks or cones without a bamboo core made from natural ingredients, yet this has a bamboo core. The "Bathi" part I understand to mean stick. So I assume that "Dhoop Bathi" is, in a sense, another name for "masala" or "natural" incense because it is made from a masala (powdered mix of ingredients) of natural ingredients. I'm not sure if there is actually an official term for what in the West we usually term "masala", while in India it is usually (but not always) termed "natural", and can sometimes - as here - be termed dhoop. It's like the way that brewers use terms like "Premium Lager" or "Lager Beer" or "Export Lager" or "Pilsner" or "Pils" or "Craft Lager" to mean roughly the same thing, and then use "IPA" to mean a variety of things ranging from an everyday low hopped session bitter, to an alpha acid hop heavy strong beer, and to use "Porter", "Strong Mild", "Stout", etc, to mean roughly the same thing, while "Saison" can mean a variety of beers of differing strengths and composition and flavour. Such is life and the world of commerce.

This is a pleasant incense. On the stick there is a gentle, sweet vanilla and sandalwood scent drifting toward flowery, with some butter popcorn and salt. Rather nice, but stopping a few yards short of heavenly. On burning it is again quite gentle, but not wimpy. The incense does inform the room and make itself known, but it is not assertive; though it does have a certain amount of halmaddi which tends to be slightly prickly (for me).  On this occasion the halmaddi approaches prickly, but then eases back so it becomes a warm and almost comforting lambs wool experience - not quite a scent, more of a sort of memory of a closeness to lambs wool. I like this. It's a decent quality masala - above everyday, but not quite heavenly. It burns very well. If there was a known UK brand name to this, like Happy Hari, or Temple of Incense, then it would sell at a decent price and be appreciated. It's a shame that, other than existing well known Indian brands like Satya, most people are cautious about buying Indian brands, preferring Western brands. I suppose it partly comes down to marketing, and partly due to a lack of confidence in knowing what brands will work. In our family we are comfortable with trying out new brands for all sorts of goods, and enjoy doing taste tests. In our experience, we often prefer the supermarket own brands to the market leading brands, or - at least, when there isn't a huge difference in taste and quality - don't see the value in paying extra for the brand name. Other people (and I think this is the majority of people) feel more reassured in buying the known name, and are happy paying the extra for that reassurance. You pays your money and makes your choice - risk it for a biscuit, or play safe pay extra and don't be disappointed.  

Date: Oct 2021   Score: 40 

***

Hari Om Fragrance

R. Expo / Song Of India Sweetness

 

A dry thin dhoop, the sort they make in Japan and Tibet, by R. Expo / Song Of India, an Indian company based in Noida,  a new city just outside of Delhi. They started out in 1932 as an independent business called Mathur Perfumery Works hand-making traditional incense, then branched out in 1972 to create a sales outlet in America. 

The dhoop style of incense is the original style of blended incense made in India, which was then copied by neighbouring Asian countries; India, however, developed the bamboo core incense which proved popular, so few dhoops, especially dry dhoops are still made in India. Those that are still made  tend to be rather good. This one, however, is rather too much like the Tibetan and Japanese incenses, especially Tibetan. It is fairly herbal, and as such a little crude and a bit smoky. Imagine burning some dried herbs, and dried lavender, and that's roughly what you have here. There's some spice, some grass, a little similar to marijuana grass, and at base some woodsy notes, hovering between cedar and sandalwood. It's not unattractive, but doesn't really pull together, and is just a little too earthy for me. It's not a hopeless incense - indeed, I can imagine folks who like Japanese and Tibetan incense liking it, but it's not for me. I prefer my incense to be softer, more refined, more balanced, less harsh, less blunt and earthy. It's fairly sombre. It reminds me of Sifcon's earthy and simple Cinnamon Cedarwood, though that was quite magical, vibrant and sexy, while this is rough and smoky. Like the difference between Sean Connery's Bond, and a pee-stained drunk in  a pub. 

I'll stress that it's not an offensive incense - indeed, it works well on its own terms as a down to earth, honest, natural concoction, but it's simply not what I want when I burn incense.  


Date: Oct 2021    Score: 20 

***

R. Expo / Song Of India

Nikhil's Sugandha

 

Second review - scroll down for earlier

Slight change in packet design (previous packet, though reviewed in 2021, was 2017), and the addition of the word masala in the subtitle: Natural Masala incense Sticks. There is no great consistency in the use of the terms "masala" and "natural" - they appear to refer to the same thing: a decent quality incense which mainly follows the traditional method of folding the fragrance ingredients into the paste rather than adding them externally, and which uses natural ingredients. These days I find that many incenses which say they are masala or natural will be using synthetic scents, and which more often that not will have fragrant oils added externally. I do, albeit casually, note that incense sold domestically (within India) is more likely to use the term "natural", while incense aimed for export will more likely use the term "masala". I think the West is more familiar with the term masala. 

The scent on the stick is fresh and glorious, and falls within what I would personally identify  as a "masala incense". It's floral, fruity, and woody. A classic incense accord.  I think all Indian incenses which use the name "Sugandha" (which means fragrance) are based on the classic Aravinda Sugandha Shringar. They tend to use the same somewhat swirly semi-gothic text, and a similar 1950s packet design.  That Sugandha is claimed to be the first incense blend. Previously incenses had been single scent. It was Sugandha that took that bold step forward in creating a new scent, a new accord. If that is true, then it is likely to be the most influential and important incense sold, as this is such a classic accord. Nag Champa appears to be based on this accord - and Satya's Nag Champa came after Sugandha Shringar.  

The scent on the burn leans heavily on perfume, and presents more as a perfumed incense than a masala. It's more floral on the burn than on the stick. There is the warm wool scent/feel I associate with halmaddi, along with some prickles in my nose and the back of my throat, though I am currently wondering if this is a reaction to terpenes in some essential oils rather than just halmaddi. This is a reasonably heady and assertive incense. The accord is delightful - floral, uplifting, sunny, colourful. Powdery, candy sweet, and lovable, if a tad over-bearing and possibly cloying. However, yes, I like this.  

Regular 15 stick pack available for 75p from Popat in the UK, or $1.95 from Incense Guru in USA.  

Date: March 2025    Score: 39

First review

This is a decent quality natural or masala incense from Nikhil which appears to only be available from Popat Stores (currently 75p for 15 sticks) in the UK, though there are a number of outlets in the US, including Walmart and IncenseOnTheWay. I was sent these in 2017, and am only now getting round to reviewing them. Out of the packet they smell fresh and wonderful. One of the advantages of traditional masala incense is that the resins and oils are folded into the paste, and so retain their scent for longer than incenses which apply oils or perfumes to the outside of the stick - which is quicker, easier, and cheaper to do, but which allows the scents to evaporate.  

I like these. There's a certain amount of halmaddi in here [2025 note - or it may be the presence of terpenes from the oils that I am picking up; I'm not quite sure], but not so much as it bothers me, just enough to add a woolly warmth. It's a delicious sweet incense with distinct spicy wood notes hinting at cedarwood and dark pine, with some white sandalwood underneath, and then - higher up, some lavender and some sharper, fresher pine, and then some florals. This is so good it approaches the more heavenly incenses, though is perhaps more of a top end everyday incense, for when I might fancy the richer, warmer, more comforting notes of a masala style incense. 

It is cleansing with some mineral awareness and a bit of ozone, yet warm and almost seductive. Not a morning or evening scent, but something in between - something to liven up an afternoon, and give a gentle warmth and sparkle to the house. 

I wondered what Sugandha could refer to, and speculated that it might refer to Queen Sugandha who was briefly a ruler of Kashmir in the 10th century, or that it might be an alternative spelling  of sugandhi - the Indian sarsaparilla.  However, it turns out that sugandh simply means fragrance.

Date: Oct 2021   Score: 39

***

Nikhil's Products of Bangalore