Incense of the Day

[Olfactory Nomad]

Nice one. It is a nice sandalwood, definitely.

I recently got two others from their daily range and they're both quite terrible. Golden Pavillion smells like perfume and Eternal Treasure just smells like a sharp burning wood. Not nice at all. I've noticed no one on here ever really makes a comment on scents that they don't like? Maybe we should start a thread for that? Or would that be too controversial? I mean we can't all like everything yeah?

 

[-Renton-]

Put on some Jinkoh Hoen by Gyokushodo. Very nice stick, very floral, has a nice sandalwood base that isn't overpowering at all, and the Vietnamese Aloeswood used is very pronounced in this incense. Lovely 🙂

 

[-Renton-]

1 Stick of Pride of Kyoto by Shoyeido's Premium Range, aloeswood stick. It is a lovely stick, I just put one on in my living room next to me when I would usually use 2 and 1 in my bedroom, but I thought, lets try one in the main room pointing towards me, and I must say its a strong aloeswood stick. I wonder though, does anyone know why if you just let an aloeswood stick from Shoyeido burn while you do other things, you can't quite pick out that it is actually agarwood, it smells like agarwood, but in a different way? But then when you concentrate on the smaller sticks (and I would imagine if you concentrated hard on Pride of Kyoto) like Misho (Gentle Smile) and meditate on the scent, you can pick up various notes? What is that all about? Does anyone else have experience with that, with mainly Shoyeido. Tennendo not so much, I can pick up Tensei's notes when just sitting on my PC as the scent hits my nose, same for a lot of other Japanese brands, but Shoyeido premium and horin lines, when you just let them burn they dont reveal complex notes, just a nice smelling stick, that you know is an aloeswood. I just concentrated on that stick there for under 30 seconds and wafted smoke in my face and I got, a slightly spicy, sweet, chocolate like scent, but before doing that it was just a "nice" aloeswood scented stick, but doesn't really smell like normal agarwood until you concentrate on them lol.

Anyways that was a rant, if anyone has similar experiences with that with Shoyeido, please tell me what it is, and what region of aloeswood do they use in their premiums sticks? Vietnam? Malaysia? etc?

Funny thing is, the normal non concentrated smell, is also sublime lol. I am actually not concentrating on it rn as I write this but it is nearly out and I am getting a leather agarwood note lol. I think they may use crassna and malaccensis in their premium sticks.

 

[Maunamoku]

Shoyeido, “Misho”. A pleasant way to start a morning. Mellow and easy going.

 

[-Renton-]

Shoyeido, “Misho”. A pleasant way to start a morning. Mellow and easy going.

I love Misho. I have the little 4.33inch sticks, do you have bigger ones? I also love Pride of Kyoto, 7inch. I think Pride of Kyoto is my fave out the two, but each have their own little personalities, great incense.

 

[-Renton-]

I recently got two others from their daily range and they're both quite terrible. Golden Pavillion smells like perfume and Eternal Treasure just smells like a sharp burning wood. Not nice at all. I've noticed no one on here ever really makes a comment on scents that they don't like? Maybe we should start a thread for that? Or would that be too controversial? I mean we can't all like everything yeah?

We could make a thread for that, why dont you start it? I however, enjoy most of the daily range except for Great Origin. You should try White Cloud, it is £14.99 on www.lotuszenincense.co.uk and has aloeswood in it. Also, I know people like different things, but Shoyeido don't use any perfumes in their sticks btw, they may use some mid to high end oils, but even I doubt that. Five Hills is made with Mysore Sandalwood and is a dry, woody, somewhat MILKY (not creamy) and heavy on the rich butteriness with a strong wood component, sandalwood component.

 

[Olfactory Nomad]

We could make a thread for that, why dont you start it? I however, enjoy most of the daily range except for Great Origin. You should try White Cloud, it is £14.99 on www.lotuszenincense.co.uk and has aloeswood in it. Also, I know people like different things, but Shoyeido don't use any perfumes in their sticks btw, they may use some mid to high end oils, but even I doubt that. Five Hills is made with Mysore Sandalwood and is a dry, woody, somewhat MILKY (not creamy) and heavy on the rich butteriness with a strong wood component, sandalwood component.

Yep, I do have some White Cloud already. It's ok..very subtle. Like your description above you can put it on and get busy doing something and the next time you look it's finished and you didn't notice any scent. Alright, I'll get onto a "don't like" thread.

 

[Mr.P]

I recently got two others from their daily range and they're both quite terrible. Golden Pavillion smells like perfume and Eternal Treasure just smells like a sharp burning wood. Not nice at all. I've noticed no one on here ever really makes a comment on scents that they don't like? Maybe we should start a thread for that? Or would that be too controversial? I mean we can't all like everything yeah?

I’m not particularly crazy about their daily collection myself. As far as negative reviews go, I do think a lot of people take the tactic of “if you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say it“

I think the fact that this is a vendor sponsored website contributes to that, you definitely have to read between the lines or ask people directly if you are trying to figure out what to avoid. The focus on the positive does avoid some of the discord that plagued some of the older forums.

I share your concern about it though and for myself what I do is:

1) if I think it is fake, I will notify the vendor and generally toss the oil into the trash and that’s the end of it. Vendors to handle it however they think is right.

2) if it seems authentic, but it’s not outstanding I will usually just write a descriptive review without any words suggesting it is wonderful, outstanding, or unique. Sometimes I will tell the vendor sometimes not depending on the individual and the situation.

3) if I like it or if I think it is one of a kind or is an exemplar of some particular scent, I will always say that and probably repeat it not as a rhetorical technique, but out of actual enthusiasm.

4) if I’ve heard from multiple people I trust that a particular source has knowingly sold them fake materials I just steer clear altogether so i won’t have anything to review (definitely do not want to imply that just because I don’t write about the oils from some source means i have some reason not to….

5) no bull: a lot of what I have received is after communication with vendors and after someone I trust has vouched for them, and so honestly the majority of what I get is quality stuff.

In the “old days” when folks were buying stuff from eBay Singapore it was very hit and miss and discussing on a forum with no connection to those vendors at all it was much easier to say “don’t buy xxxx hindi double super oud it smells like an ashtray”.

 

[Olfactory Nomad]

I’m not particularly crazy about their daily collection myself. As far as negative reviews go, I do think a lot of people take the tactic of “if you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say it“

I think the fact that this is a vendor sponsored website contributes to that, you definitely have to read between the lines or ask people directly if you are trying to figure out what to avoid. The focus on the positive does avoid some of the discord that plagued some of the older forums.

I share your concern about it though and for myself what I do is:

1) if I think it is fake, I will notify the vendor and generally toss the oil into the trash and that’s the end of it. Vendors to handle it however they think is right.

2) if it seems authentic, but it’s not outstanding I will usually just write a descriptive review without any words suggesting it is wonderful, outstanding, or unique. Sometimes I will tell the vendor sometimes not depending on the individual and the situation.

3) if I like it or if I think it is one of a kind or is an exemplar of some particular scent, I will always say that and probably repeat it not as a rhetorical technique, but out of actual enthusiasm.

4) if I’ve heard from multiple people I trust that a particular source has knowingly sold them fake materials I just steer clear altogether.

Well said and yeah..I wasn't really planning on a "negative" thread of any such product. You make lot's of very good points. Last thing I want to do is upset anyone because I don't like something. I've already admitted a bunch of times that I'm a newbie..well, to more upmarket scents anyway so what little reputation I have would probably go out the window with people thinking I just didn't know what I'm talking about. And maybe I don't? Generally I guess my argument would be that currently we're all in an echo chamber of positive reviews which don't reflect reality by not introducing criticism but then on the other hand as with the points you raised above it's really not necessary. I don't want to sound defensive of my original comment and I certainly don't want to piss off any vendors especially as they have all been so generous. I really was just making an observation that there isn't an " I don't like this" thread. But as you say, if i'm a bit more creative with my words I can say that anyway.

 

[Oudamberlove]

Nippon Kodo Tokusen Kyara Kayou

Was busy doing a bunch of stuff, but now, time to relax with a lit stick of goodness.

Ohhhhhh yessssss😊

 

[Mr.P]

Well said and yeah..I wasn't really planning on a "negative" thread of any such product. You make lot's of very good points. Last thing I want to do is upset anyone because I don't like something. I've already admitted a bunch of times that I'm a newbie..well, to more upmarket scents anyway so what little reputation I have would probably go out the window with people thinking I just didn't know what I'm talking about. And maybe I don't? Generally I guess my argument would be that currently we're all in an echo chamber of positive reviews which don't reflect reality by not introducing criticism but then on the other hand as with the points you raised above it's really not necessary. I don't want to sound defensive of my original comment and I certainly don't want to piss off any vendors especially as they have all been so generous. I really was just making an observation that there isn't an " I don't like this" thread. But as you say, if i'm a bit more creative with my words I can say that anyway.

It’s a dilemma (and definitely worth bringing up every once in a while) to remind ourselves what we are doing here.

 

[Mousse de Chene]

I’m not usually a burner of incense sticks, I prefer chips or Bakhoor but tonight I’ve lit Huian Senkoh - Rising Phoenix.
Old wild Chinese, apparently high grade wood. Although the aroma is quite austere & serious I’m also experiencing a nice honeyed sweetness of Sinensis resin, spring blossoms, orchid tea note, peach, dry woods. Very lovely.

 

[Olfactory Nomad]

Shoyeido Friends of Pine. Last stick from a sample set I bought from Grandawood. Medicinal? Kind of the best description for it.

 

[-Renton-]

Yep, I do have some White Cloud already. It's ok..very subtle. Like your description above you can put it on and get busy doing something and the next time you look it's finished and you didn't notice any scent. Alright, I'll get onto a "don't like" thread.

Are you new to specifically Japanese sticks? If so, then yes, they are subtle, even when you get used to them they are still somewhat subtle, but when I put 2 daily ranges on, they are just as powerful and of higher quality than Indian sticks. If I burn shorter sticks like i have on right now, Tensei by Tennendo (4), I can get away with 2 sometimes and other times 3-4, when I first got into Japanese incense I had to find a way for them to work with my nose, and for me, what I found was, just to have 2-4 on at the same time. I do it like this:

https://imgur.com/EPUf2Th

The Hamza hand is for Indian Sticks only btw lol.

 

[-Renton-]

BTW that ashtray isn't for cigarettes. I dont smoke anymore, just vape. It is for woods or powders I have burnt on the cheap ZhengLong electric heater/burner.

 

[-Renton-]

Burning some Tokusen by Baieido in their Kobunboku range, it it is 1 out of the 2 only sticks with aloeswood in this range, Tokusen being the first and Kaden being the second. It is a really nice, woody, dry-sweet stick, plentiful amounts of good Indonesian aloeswood that is a tad spicy, a nice sweetness, with a dry woodiness to it. This is my second box of these sticks ever, and now I am starting to find notes like camphor in the undertones of the stick, very light but there. The sticks is phenomenal for the price. Recommended!!!

 

[The Scent Guru]

Sunday morning, it's wet and cold outside but warm and cozy inside with processed sinking Brunei 🇧🇳

 

[Olfactory Nomad]

Burning some Tokusen by Baieido in their Kobunboku range, it it is 1 out of the 2 only sticks with aloeswood in this range, Tokusen being the first and Kaden being the second. It is a really nice, woody, dry-sweet stick, plentiful amounts of good Indonesian aloeswood that is a tad spicy, a nice sweetness, with a dry woodiness to it. This is my second box of these sticks ever, and now I am starting to find notes like camphor in the undertones of the stick, very light but there. The sticks is phenomenal for the price. Recommended!!!

Link?

 

[-Renton-]

Link?

www.lotuszenincense.co.uk

 

[-Renton-]

3 sticks (lucky number) of Tensei by Tennendo currently on the go, funny thing is the air coming into the room makes the smoke go under my legs then up and down and up and down lol, then side ways lol. Beautiful mildly moderately potent scent. I have only ever bought one box of these, the box I currently have and for £90 they give you 450 5.5 or so inch sticks, I got them a couple months before December and there is still hundreds left. I am starting to smell notes that weren't noticeable to my nose before, but this happens with Japanese incense a lot, the first time I lit them it was hard to make out notes I have been able to detect now for a while, now I am starting to smell the nice warm, gentle, aloeswood-woody note, a real strong note of florals and a tad of creaminess, somewhat like a chocolate cake as well, or fountain. You have to realise that Tensei by Tennendo doesn't just use 1 high end premium aloeswood in their collection, they use multiple and plenty of it. I am also picking up notes of gentle sweetness, soft florals, and soft bubbling resin coming from an aloeswood chip. I dont know if it is just me being crazy, but at the very, very undertone of the sticks I get a smell of some sort of mint as well, maybe camphor, or menthol? Not sure. But it FEELS cooling, more than the actual scent, which I could be perceiving as feeling and its actually the scent. Also, I get some sort of vanilla note in the distance.

Complex, complex sticks. Lovely. And definitely not for a beginner in Japanese sticks.