probably a sign to take a few day's break man, these are strong! Before I owned any, I was under the impression that Japanese incense was pretty subtle but none of the ones I've tried have been (Baiedo/Shoyeido)
Incense of the Day
- Thread starter Ouddict
- Start date
-Renton-
True Ouddict
Yeah, I have noticed with a lot of Japanese incense that if I dont put them on as often (like now, I use them much, much less than like, even a month or 2 ago), I can smell them might clearer.
Simla House
True Ouddict
I’m hoping Doc re-issues the Pear/Agarwood version of the sleeping incense. I imagine how good that could be.
Zazu
True Ouddict
Ah I have seen that one! It sounded nice, let’s hope so!
Olfactory Nomad
Smells so Oud
Royal Nave- KUNJUDO KARIN KIFUNE
Oudamberlove
Member
Shunkohdo Kyara Houzan
It didn’t wow me a couple of years ago,
but now I relish it.
It didn’t wow me a couple of years ago,
but now I relish it.
sabahan
True Ouddict
This is always a tough question to answer sometimes, my philosophy is scent is often a personal experience, and one relies on their own unique frames of reference to describe.
I find it fascinating how some folks find certain notes in Oud for example, and others find something else completely different. Some see pistachios and ginger, others see apricots and yet others detect mangosteen (a frame of reference probably very few would be familiar with).
Perhaps another way to identify is by comparing to similar reference points, for example do you detect any resemblance to any of Shoyeido’s kyara incense sticks, and if so which would be closest you feel?
sabahan
True Ouddict
I learned that the best way to study is to have some airflow, for example close to an open window, rather than a closed room. In my experience this actually helps to better appreciate and listen to the scent. The silence between notes are as important as the notes some might say (quoting Debussy). KyaraZen also had a similar conclusion in his theory.
sabahan
True Ouddict
This is perhaps why in Islam, using perfume is considered to be charity for others. After you wear them, you quickly acclimate to the scent you are wearing, and no longer sense, while others you come across will notice.
Reminds me of a phrase by the Portuguese author Saramago - “One looks but doesn’t see, and one sees, but doesn’t notice”. Placing one’s perception also on a spectrum.
Reminds me of a phrase by the Portuguese author Saramago - “One looks but doesn’t see, and one sees, but doesn’t notice”. Placing one’s perception also on a spectrum.
-Renton-
True Ouddict
First incense was 1 small, but very loud, Prof. Incense - Soil Ambon (Indonesia agarwood) stick. Nice, smooth like velvet and creamy, with that distinctive sweet, relaxed, dark resin note of the pure agarwood. With that nice beautiful earthiness of soil, but not in anyway distasteful.
These Prof. Incense sticks, from the Mysore Sandalwood to Nha Trang, use some of the best materials listed to make the particular incense. Lovely. Next one to try is Prof. Incense Nha Trang, that uses old school 80s Nha Trang, or atleast gives that vibe, and if it is as good quality as the agarwood in this stick, then I am very excited to try them!!!
These Prof. Incense sticks, from the Mysore Sandalwood to Nha Trang, use some of the best materials listed to make the particular incense. Lovely. Next one to try is Prof. Incense Nha Trang, that uses old school 80s Nha Trang, or atleast gives that vibe, and if it is as good quality as the agarwood in this stick, then I am very excited to try them!!!
-Renton-
True Ouddict
Yes, I agree. I learned this, especially about sticks with fragrant wood (every Japanese stick pretty much), over on the incense reddit before I was a member here (now this is my main forum for everything aromatic). I always try and have my door open to a certain degree, or my windows in my room open with the air coming in to my living room with the veranda doors next to me (and the incense) open ever so slightly that it brings in air.
Olfactory Nomad
Smells so Oud
Seikado Scented Grove. This could be my new favourite. Very very nice.
Mr.P
oud<3er
Can you tell me a little about the Wara monastery incense? Or is there no sense to ask in this day of ubiquitous information? i will have googled this by the times you reply in all likelihood.
Maunamoku
True Ouddict
The Wara has a strong smell of clove at room temperature. They are large diameter sticks, of a dark sage/brown color.
Upon ignition, the large and rapidly expanding aroma is briefly acrid; full of burning medicinals and a campfire note. Dense complexity. Moments later, the nostrils feel a sensation of numbing/pressure/vibration.
After this point, a dreamy mindstate begins to manifest. If you can imagine purple fruits on green foliage hanging in a void of complete blackness, this is what I sensed. This is accompanied by an increasing presence of tawny and brawny, salty musky notes. From here, an expansive feeling of mountain meadows, both the aroma and the sensation of being there, while the flowers are in full bloom, full of buzzing life.
The first time I tried it, the opening was too harsh for me. Subsequent uses have found it more and more appealing.
Holy land. I have only tried 5 Tibetan incenses but this one has an absolutely gorgeous aroma. AND LOOK AT THAT PRICE!
Their grade 2 is out of stock but that is also very delectable.
I've read great things about this one too.
This sample pack has 2 of the above plus a few others for you to try.
Consider trying this sample pack or simply get grade 1 and the soothing versions from this monastery if you want to try some more. There are some more sample packs on that website. Very cheap compared to what we pay for agarwood and agarwood based incenses.
If you wanted my top personal recommendation from the 5 I have tried: go for Holy Land. Get the grade 2 when it is back in stock as well.
Oudamberlove
Member
Today at work, a strong memory of an aroma entered my head, I asked myself, what is that smell memory, it’s pretty good, then I figured out that it was Holy Land❤️
-Renton-
True Ouddict
I haven't wrote about Tensei much, because it is such a complex stick, to me anyway. It is subtle most of the time, but can be really powerful if you get the airflow right, as is the case with Kaden Kobunboku (Baieido) too. I like Tensei a lot, it is really high up there in my top 5 sticks, it mimics Kinamic notes quite well, especially the semi-sweet sourness with woody-florals and golden resin notes.
Firstly you get a blast of earthiness that I can definitely pick out (I needed the help of a few reviews, especially Kikoh blog, to work this one out a while ago when I first got them, sometimes I refer back to that blog about incenses that I have had box after box of lol, I just like the blog very much, but I bought a 450 stick box last year and still have atleast 100 or more in them or around that, 80-120, maybe?), then the sweetness, and then sweet and sourness ("semi-sweetness") of the aloeswood, quickly you get notes of woodiness, soft tartness, soft powdery florals mixed with the incense, all these notes dancing around each other, you also get this golden resin type hue as a note, maybe that's why the box is gold in colour? I feel with a lot of Japanese incense that the notes that, once revealed, dont exactly "go away" like some oud oils, instead they have some sort of performance dance with each other. I also get notes of a nice creaminess, with chocolate.
I had a misunderstanding with someone on the forum @Simla House (I think it was you, sorry if I am wrong, but it is correct that they use a select blend of different aloeswoods in Tensei, I done more research into that, it is true, its a mixture of different aloeswoods as well as other secretive things to give it a "Kyara-like" note), saying that I didn't think this had an amber accord type oil mixed with it, now looking up a lot of different amber accords and what they are made from and the notes you get from very light, basic ones, now I can smell the, light, but definitely amber accord, especially the vanillic note, that adds more "gourmet-ness" to the creamy and chocolate and creamy chocolate notes, so yes, I think you are correct, possibly, that Tensei has a basic amber accord oil or something mixed with them. I think after I finish this 450 stick box, I will move onto the sticks I snapped, yes, I snapped 5.5 inch thin sticks in order to practice the profile of them, that I have soon to really get done, but I also have some unsnapped ones in a box in my room that I leave to "casual" listening, were I listen to the stick but not in a very serious manner, just put a stick on close to me and lie down and try and pick notes out, with the snapped sticks, however, I would put 1 in the holder, sit in my bed crossed legged and waft the smoke in my face every so often, then potentially do this with 2 snapped sticks per session. I may also do this before I run out of the rest of the box I have since I do have quite a lot left. Although, I think I have grasped the profile quite well, but I am not a very confident person in my abilities to pick out notes, even though I may be 100% "correct" (what does that even mean in a subjective art form/hobby, lol?), I always feel like I am somehow "wrong" or not picking the notes out properly.
I think once I am done with this box, and whether I start really listening to the sticks in a studying kind of way, either once the box is done or nearly done, doesnt really matter. I will then wait 3-6 months and buy another Tensei box, I am also going to buy a Renzan box of sticks by Tennendo next, which is their blend of aloeswood and sandalwood and other stuff, their "lowest grade" aloeswood in this premium range, just to try (as they are described as a cherry-like scent, and I do like aloeswood/sandalwood blends, but I enjoy aloeswood sticks on their own too) as they are only £36 for 450 sticks, then a month or two after buying them I will buy Kukai as that is their highest quality aloeswood stick, but I would say that Tensei and Kukai are both similar in quality of the aloeswoods as the price difference for 450sticks is only £12, so the difference would be minor, and Kukai only uses 1 premium select aloeswood, so it probably is slightly higher quality of aloes or it has the same quality aloeswood as Tensei but instead of having multiple smaller amounts of aloeswood that adds up to a (somewhat) large amount, it has just 1 plentiful amount of decently high end aloeswood.
I don't actually know if anyone reads posts this long, but if you do, thank you for reading my post lol. It was rather long.
Firstly you get a blast of earthiness that I can definitely pick out (I needed the help of a few reviews, especially Kikoh blog, to work this one out a while ago when I first got them, sometimes I refer back to that blog about incenses that I have had box after box of lol, I just like the blog very much, but I bought a 450 stick box last year and still have atleast 100 or more in them or around that, 80-120, maybe?), then the sweetness, and then sweet and sourness ("semi-sweetness") of the aloeswood, quickly you get notes of woodiness, soft tartness, soft powdery florals mixed with the incense, all these notes dancing around each other, you also get this golden resin type hue as a note, maybe that's why the box is gold in colour? I feel with a lot of Japanese incense that the notes that, once revealed, dont exactly "go away" like some oud oils, instead they have some sort of performance dance with each other. I also get notes of a nice creaminess, with chocolate.
I had a misunderstanding with someone on the forum @Simla House (I think it was you, sorry if I am wrong, but it is correct that they use a select blend of different aloeswoods in Tensei, I done more research into that, it is true, its a mixture of different aloeswoods as well as other secretive things to give it a "Kyara-like" note), saying that I didn't think this had an amber accord type oil mixed with it, now looking up a lot of different amber accords and what they are made from and the notes you get from very light, basic ones, now I can smell the, light, but definitely amber accord, especially the vanillic note, that adds more "gourmet-ness" to the creamy and chocolate and creamy chocolate notes, so yes, I think you are correct, possibly, that Tensei has a basic amber accord oil or something mixed with them. I think after I finish this 450 stick box, I will move onto the sticks I snapped, yes, I snapped 5.5 inch thin sticks in order to practice the profile of them, that I have soon to really get done, but I also have some unsnapped ones in a box in my room that I leave to "casual" listening, were I listen to the stick but not in a very serious manner, just put a stick on close to me and lie down and try and pick notes out, with the snapped sticks, however, I would put 1 in the holder, sit in my bed crossed legged and waft the smoke in my face every so often, then potentially do this with 2 snapped sticks per session. I may also do this before I run out of the rest of the box I have since I do have quite a lot left. Although, I think I have grasped the profile quite well, but I am not a very confident person in my abilities to pick out notes, even though I may be 100% "correct" (what does that even mean in a subjective art form/hobby, lol?), I always feel like I am somehow "wrong" or not picking the notes out properly.
I think once I am done with this box, and whether I start really listening to the sticks in a studying kind of way, either once the box is done or nearly done, doesnt really matter. I will then wait 3-6 months and buy another Tensei box, I am also going to buy a Renzan box of sticks by Tennendo next, which is their blend of aloeswood and sandalwood and other stuff, their "lowest grade" aloeswood in this premium range, just to try (as they are described as a cherry-like scent, and I do like aloeswood/sandalwood blends, but I enjoy aloeswood sticks on their own too) as they are only £36 for 450 sticks, then a month or two after buying them I will buy Kukai as that is their highest quality aloeswood stick, but I would say that Tensei and Kukai are both similar in quality of the aloeswoods as the price difference for 450sticks is only £12, so the difference would be minor, and Kukai only uses 1 premium select aloeswood, so it probably is slightly higher quality of aloes or it has the same quality aloeswood as Tensei but instead of having multiple smaller amounts of aloeswood that adds up to a (somewhat) large amount, it has just 1 plentiful amount of decently high end aloeswood.
I don't actually know if anyone reads posts this long, but if you do, thank you for reading my post lol. It was rather long.
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