Incense of the Day

[Mr.P]

I can't stand the perfumed sticks. The Portland Japanese garden would sometimes stock some of the perfumed mid-high grade sticks from Nippon Kodo and I regret the times I purchased them. It's like licking soap somehow to me.

I'm guessing there are some great perfumed sticks out there and am sure this is kind of an absurd statement as written, unless it's understood only apply to the particular sticks that I've smelled which for the most part have have had a strong synthetic and somewhat soapy character. That kept me from trying more and so my knowledge is actually limited to the ones I didn't like. A pretty unfair assessment. I end up sticking to the really rustic stuff from baieido and shoyeido I should probably broaden my horizons a little

 

[Mousse de Chene]

I enjoy mid range Japanese incense as a functional product to create a pleasing aroma inside my house. Shoyeido’s ‘River Path’ is my favourite, a simple spicy vanillic amber in the French style, an aroma I’ve always had a soft spot for, well before the Oud days.
Due to the language barrier & the often vague descriptions, the high grade, more natural / pure sticks are quite difficult to procure with confidence about what they contain.

 

[Alamande]

Last night at the Salalah luban souq and I think this shop takes the prize - he must have had between a quarter and half a metric ton of frankincense on sale here.

Also the air was so thick with smoke, it was like walking into a pub in the 1990s, except much better-smelling.

 

[Olfactory Nomad]

Tennendo - Frankincense Oman. Really simple stick here but man is it good. Nothing complex, nothing fake. Not trying to be anything but what it is and letting the material do the talking. Just what I was after. These are going into the "must have forever after" pile.

 

[Olfactory Nomad]

Kumoi (雲井) Yamadamatsu. Still with the perfume. This one however is actually pretty nice in a soft musky kind of way. Definitely does not smell like agarwood however.

 

[Alamande]

Here’s something different for incense of the day - this was a frankincense-infused bloody mary I had in Muscat.

Clarified tomato juice and vodka underneath, spices and luban in the mousse on top; give it a stir and sip through a straw. Really strong frankincense flavour.

Apparently it’s very common to drink infusions made out of resins over there (minus the vodka!). Myrrh soaked overnight in water and drunk first thing is apparently good for the gut.

 

[Oud_Dude]

Here’s something different for incense of the day - this was a frankincense-infused bloody mary I had in Muscat.

Clarified tomato juice and vodka underneath, spices and luban in the mousse on top; give it a stir and sip through a straw. Really strong frankincense flavour.

Apparently it’s very common to drink infusions made out of resins over there (minus the vodka!). Myrrh soaked overnight in water and drunk first thing is apparently good for the gut.

View attachment 52457

Whoa! I wonder if there’s a book that highlights some of those lesser known resin uses. I’m intrigued!

I haven’t drank alcohol in years, but if I ever come back, THIS is the drink I’d start with. Would you buy another, or was it not quite what you were expecting?

 

[Alamande]

Whoa! I wonder if there’s a book that highlights some of those lesser known resin uses. I’m intrigued!

I haven’t drank alcohol in years, but if I ever come back, THIS is the drink I’d start with. Would you buy another, or was it not quite what you were expecting?

Yeah I thought it was good but the taste of frank was *very* pronounced and apparently it isn’t a universal hit.

 

[Oudamberlove]

Yamadamatsu - Oju (鷹樹). Man, I don't know? Why do so many of these luxury brand incense sticks always smell like perfume? Is this really what premium Kalimantan agarwood smells like? Somehow I doubt it. It smells kind of generic to me. This is why sample sets are so valuable because if I went on the description alone, I'd be disappointed if I threw cash down on a whole box. Am I missing something?

I like Oju, but the benzoin in it is the max I can tolerate, any more I’d pass on it.

 

[Oudamberlove]

This one mostly aroma-chemicals, not how kalimantan smells at all.

Basically my estimation is that this is the base they use in the Hojo sticks, just with more spices added on. You can smell the cloying maple syrup chemically smell thru all 4 of these sticks, to varying degrees.

I said this all awhile back in this thread too 😅

Yes, part of Oju is used in Hojo Red, thank goodness not much of the benzoin. I’m still quite a fan of Hojo Red, but there are some perfumed sticks that I don’t care for much. It depends.

 

[TheOudDood]

Yeah Hojo red is still kinda nice for what it is and I agree, not all perfumed sticks are bad, they can have their time and place. For me, it's just not even remotely close to worth the cost, especially considering what it is. But in reality, that's just a personal preference, etc.

 

[Simla House]

Kyara Zen- Zen Moon

Was thinking about older batch KZ incenses today and decided to reach for this one.
Beautiful display of golden ambergris here amongst 2 types of agarwood and Siberian musk.
I love ambergris incenses in general, but this release really delivers.

 

[Olfactory Nomad]

@TheOudDood with your explanation in mind, I now read these descriptions completely differently. A fantastic insight. Thank you. Now I wonder how I missed it?

Oju (鷹樹):
A profound and ethereal fragrance luxuriously crafted with the finest Kalimantan agarwood.

Kumoi (雲井):
A deep, traditional fragrance expressing the true character of top-grade agarwood.

Hyofu (縹風):
Features Vietnamese agarwood, emphasizing its distinctive cool, green-blue note.

Saiun (彩雲):
A calm and composed fragrance based on agarwood blended with natural aromatic materials.

Shikun (紫薫):
A refreshing fragrance that highlights the sharp spiciness inherent in agarwood.

Suifu Gokuhin (翠風 極品):
A clear and pure fragrance retaining the sweetness of Suifu.

Suifu (翠風):
A gentle fragrance that draws out the soft sweetness within agarwood.

Kayo (華陽):
A deep and elegant fragrance that brings out the noble character of Rozan Sandalwood (Old Mountain Sandalwood).

Kagetsu (華月):
A cool and soothing fragrance blending Rozan Sandalwood.

Oubai (鴬梅):
A distinctive fragrance composed of various natural aromatic ingredients.

 

[TheOudDood]

@TheOudDood with your explanation in mind, I now read these descriptions completely differently. A fantastic insight. Thank you. Now I wonder how I missed it?

Oju (鷹樹):
A profound and ethereal fragrance luxuriously crafted with the finest Kalimantan agarwood.

Kumoi (雲井):
A deep, traditional fragrance expressing the true character of top-grade agarwood.

Hyofu (縹風):
Features Vietnamese agarwood, emphasizing its distinctive cool, green-blue note.

Saiun (彩雲):
A calm and composed fragrance based on agarwood blended with natural aromatic materials.

Shikun (紫薫):
A refreshing fragrance that highlights the sharp spiciness inherent in agarwood.

Suifu Gokuhin (翠風 極品):
A clear and pure fragrance retaining the sweetness of Suifu.

Suifu (翠風):
A gentle fragrance that draws out the soft sweetness within agarwood.

Kayo (華陽):
A deep and elegant fragrance that brings out the noble character of Rozan Sandalwood (Old Mountain Sandalwood).

Kagetsu (華月):
A cool and soothing fragrance blending Rozan Sandalwood.

Oubai (鴬梅):
A distinctive fragrance composed of various natural aromatic ingredients.

Oju (鷹樹):
A profound and ethereal fragrance luxuriously crafted with the finest Kalimantan agarwood.

Kumoi (雲井):
A deep, traditional fragrance expressing the true character of top-grade agarwood.

Hyofu (縹風):
Features Vietnamese agarwood, emphasizing its distinctive cool, green-blue note.

Ive tried these.

Smelling them and then reading these descriptions makes we wonder what drugs the writer is on, or perhaps what reality they live in? Because Im not so sure it is this one.

 

[Olfactory Nomad]

Oju (鷹樹):
A profound and ethereal fragrance luxuriously crafted with the finest Kalimantan agarwood.

Kumoi (雲井):
A deep, traditional fragrance expressing the true character of top-grade agarwood.

Hyofu (縹風):
Features Vietnamese agarwood, emphasizing its distinctive cool, green-blue note.

Ive tried these.

Smelling them and then reading these descriptions makes we wonder what drugs the writer is on, or perhaps what reality they live in? Because Im not so sure it is this one.

Crazy hey?

 

[Ahmaoud]

Myrrh soaked overnight in water and drunk first thing is apparently good for the gut

Those are folks with some tough constitutions, normal myrrh is notoriously bitter, I think the word in Arabic literally means bitter, yeah I've tried it as part of a mouthwash recipe and it was not enjoyable Frankincense on the other hand, stuff's great, chew on it, infusion overnight in water, no issues! Citrus-y with a touch of sweetness, very refreshing!

 

[PerfumeAl]

Baieido - Koh En - some hot spicy wood for this cold, cold weather. 🙂

 

[Olfactory Nomad]

Prof Incense - Soil Ambon.

 

[SophMarie]

Kousaido Rozen Byakudan

Airy, gentle sandalwood. Creamy and slightly sweet. Perfect.

Tennedo Omani Frankincense

Delicate, citrus-y. Beautiful. (Although my dog was quite puzzled by the scent.)

 

[SophMarie]

I can't stand the perfumed sticks. The Portland Japanese garden would sometimes stock some of the perfumed mid-high grade sticks from Nippon Kodo and I regret the times I purchased them. It's like licking soap somehow to me.

Some sites give more detailed descriptions than others, and I'm always surprised to read that an "aloeswood" stick has 10 other ingredients in it. I don't want the perfumed sticks either.