Oudamberlove
Member
I can’t be certain, but if I were to guess, any oils would be among the aromatics, not the woods.
Incense of the Day
- Thread starter Ouddict
- Start date
Received my Kangiiten order today which contained a pack of KZ Hakusui Vietnamese incense sticks. I burned one as soon as I got home.
It will take a few sticks to really understand them but the general character was spicy woody with texture on the dry side. It gained some sweetness halfway through and left the room smelling sweet and oudy musky after it burned out. Happy with them and looking forward to burning another tomorrow.
It will take a few sticks to really understand them but the general character was spicy woody with texture on the dry side. It gained some sweetness halfway through and left the room smelling sweet and oudy musky after it burned out. Happy with them and looking forward to burning another tomorrow.
TheOudDood
Not that Brandon
maroke incense sticks, these were described as high alpine material, whatever that actually means lol. The aroma is certainly potent and carries a noticeable effect, yet the profile is a bit cleaner and less abrasive than other maroke ive tried. Maybe that’s due to being high alpine vs low swamp material.
As much as I enjoy Japanese style blends, sometimes I really enjoy singular regions such as this. Plus when it $5-$25 for a 20gram tube of sticks, I really can’t complain.
As much as I enjoy Japanese style blends, sometimes I really enjoy singular regions such as this. Plus when it $5-$25 for a 20gram tube of sticks, I really can’t complain.
TheOudDood
Not that Brandon
Tensei - Tennendo
Genuinely one of the worst sticks I have ever burned. Nauseating chemical perfume smell which potently lingers. I bought this a year ago and had this impression so I thought Id try it again today to see if maybe I was wrong.
I wasn’t.
Going straight to the 🗑️.
Sticks like this receiving rave reviews or at least reviews that don’t mention the aggressive fake chemical quality to it are what give me pause from genuinely trusting or taking any reviews seriously 😂
Genuinely one of the worst sticks I have ever burned. Nauseating chemical perfume smell which potently lingers. I bought this a year ago and had this impression so I thought Id try it again today to see if maybe I was wrong.
I wasn’t.
Going straight to the 🗑️.
Sticks like this receiving rave reviews or at least reviews that don’t mention the aggressive fake chemical quality to it are what give me pause from genuinely trusting or taking any reviews seriously 😂
A closer study of hakusui by kyara zen with a cup of ginger turmeric tea.
A definite spicy woody opening and very subtle freshness that all together gives a forest impression. Texture starts off a bit dry and rough. Not much sweetness to be found. As the stick burns the scents blend together into a single woody-oudy scent with individual scents less discernible.
Roughly halfway through it gains sweetness and the texture becomes silky and smooth. There’s still a bit of the fresh forest impression to be found but you really need to look for it. I also catch subtle fleeting hints of sweeter spices like cinnamon and nutmeg. By the end the scent has become more sweet and smooth with a nice woody oud core.
I am surprised how much the scent changes from start to finish, it makes for a very enjoyable experience. Very happy with this choice and it certainly won’t be my last KZ incense.
A definite spicy woody opening and very subtle freshness that all together gives a forest impression. Texture starts off a bit dry and rough. Not much sweetness to be found. As the stick burns the scents blend together into a single woody-oudy scent with individual scents less discernible.
Roughly halfway through it gains sweetness and the texture becomes silky and smooth. There’s still a bit of the fresh forest impression to be found but you really need to look for it. I also catch subtle fleeting hints of sweeter spices like cinnamon and nutmeg. By the end the scent has become more sweet and smooth with a nice woody oud core.
I am surprised how much the scent changes from start to finish, it makes for a very enjoyable experience. Very happy with this choice and it certainly won’t be my last KZ incense.
Olfactory Nomad
Smells so Oud
I totally get it. I guess if this is all you're used to you might be inclined to enjoy them. I also can't stand fake perfume oil soaked sticks. They're toxic.
TheOudDood
Not that Brandon
ya it really makes me wonder the state of some peoples olfactory system that this gross of a smell would register as positive, but hey that's the diversity of human experience 🙂
Castingshadows
@scentofsamadhi
Sometimes those sticks smell really good when lit in a large enough space that it’s not over powering. I’ve smelled people light up cheap Nippon Kodo sticks that I know smell like garbage (when I’ve lit them at home) and they were surprisingly pleasant when it filled up a large building and was only a gentle aroma.
TheOudDood
Not that Brandon
that does makes sense, the extra space for diffusion and dilution could make it more palatable.
Olfactory Nomad
Smells so Oud
In other words smelled from as far away as possible.
Oudamberlove
Member
Shunkohdo Kyara Houzan
My agarwood craving is satisfied with this stick, almost as satisfying as heating oudh,
but aside from that, the aromatic blend is much too my liking🥰
My agarwood craving is satisfied with this stick, almost as satisfying as heating oudh,
but aside from that, the aromatic blend is much too my liking🥰
TheOudDood
Not that Brandon
I threw the sticks in the trash which will make their way to the landfill. Hopefully that will be enough distance 😂😅🤣
Oudamberlove
Member
My incense box often has small pieces at the bottom, but I don’t know which incense it is, so I challenge myself to identify it. Today’s stray piece was black, and when I lit it, it was very obvious that it was Seikado’s Gokujo Kyara Koh, nice mellow stick.
Then I lit some Shoyeido Ga-ho,
I’m always impressed by the blends in the premium line.
Then I lit some Shoyeido Ga-ho,
I’m always impressed by the blends in the premium line.
Oudamberlove
Member
Craft Incense (Ken) Ambon
First formulation.
Powerful!!
That’s some good oudh he used.
First formulation.
Powerful!!
That’s some good oudh he used.
Castingshadows
@scentofsamadhi
Doc’s Processed Merauke
Something happened to this blend over the years either that or my nose has gotten better.
Rich, warm, spicy Agarwood. Soft gourmand notes, an earthy petrichor hiding beneath it all.
How some folks can say merauke isn’t agarwood/Oud blows my mind. It smells incredible when lit.
Something happened to this blend over the years either that or my nose has gotten better.
Rich, warm, spicy Agarwood. Soft gourmand notes, an earthy petrichor hiding beneath it all.
How some folks can say merauke isn’t agarwood/Oud blows my mind. It smells incredible when lit.
Mr.P
oud<3er
It's hard to sort out sometimes whether the change is happening internally or externally!
Castingshadows
@scentofsamadhi
It’s definitely both. I know that the process used for Doc’s “processed” blends involves honey and orange peels which over time will help bind to the Agarwood. But also my nose as well. It takes time and experience to be able to discern between the various regions of Agarwood and now that I’ve been collecting since 2019 it’s taken 5 years to get a base level education to know what I’m smelling.
I think alot of folks feel like these changes are almost entirely external especially with perfumery. But when it comes to artisanal incense I feel like it’s 50/50. People put way too much stock in “maceration” not realizing the majority of what they’re smelling in a fragrance is already macerated. Then they think the internal process of acclimating to a scent is the result of the perfume changing and not their brain’s processing function.
For example I’ve talked with so many people who will say “I spray this fragrance and it’s literally so quiet for the first 4 hours and then all of a sudden it becomes this massive projecting monster” not realize that the fragrance is a massive performer from the start but it blows their nose out. Anyways I’m rambling at this point but I feel very passionate about this subject.
Mr.P
oud<3er
I agree on all points here, and I think approaching things with the thought in the back of one's mind that about half of it is change in perception and half of it is actual change in chemistry is the right way to go.
A related thought: it really drives me a little bit nuts when trying to assess whether a fragrance is ready to go or not after finalizing a blend. You mix it up, you smell it repeatedly while giving it time to combine… Of course it smells a little bit different every time you smell it because that's just the way it works. You will begin to perceive changes in how it smells whether it's changing internally or not, because once you're no longer formulating it you're exposed to it less often so your sensitivity changes over the course of the days that follow. Additionally you are now probably working on another fragrance so are becoming desensitized to different mixtures of molecules, which will in turn influence the way the last blend smells when you evaluate it. It's almost impossible to get a clear picture in any short time frame. It is a self limiting activity in that the more you do it the less clearly you can perceive what you're doing.
Makes me wish I had a team of test subjects on hand to evaluate things for me
PersonelHigh
True Ouddict
I got a wonderful package from Yusa. The quality of his woods are always dependably high quality. A standout in my haul are the Goose Pear sticks!! Not my first rodeo with Goose Pear hence I feel almost qualified to remark on the quality of these glorious sticks, balanced with just the right amount of spice. But I have no idea if they are just sandalwood or agarwood too. Still listening...
Last edited:
PersonelHigh
True Ouddict
LOL, I'm here for you Mr. P. 🙂
Similar threads
