Incense of the Day

[Johnnyboy]

Minorien Fu-in Aloeswood just arrived.

Not even close to my old batch,
disappointing, and I only have one stick left from the old batch.
No longer cedar-centric,
and far less resinous power.

So how am I going to enjoy something like the older batch?....this is were making sticks comes in handy. I still have 15 grams of the Minorien Fu-in Granulated incense Kyara Blend, it has a lot of the old batch cedar smell, quite strong too, I’ll add some of that blend to some Indonesian and Thai agarwood to simulate the original, but amped-up with much much more agarwood 🙂

I recently stopped by the Japan Incense shop in SF and picked up a small Minorien Kyara box among a few other things. I am actually really loving it and am thinking of springing for their Ryugen or Chokoh no 5 next time. Have you tried either of these by chance?

 

[Oudamberlove]

I recently stopped by the Japan Incense shop in SF and picked up a small Minorien Kyara box among a few other things. I am actually really loving it and am thinking of springing for their Ryugen or Chokoh no 5 next time. Have you tried either of these by chance?

Yes, I have, and I think they are equally as nice.
But the dollar to value does decrease, so I suggest trying a sample first. I think if you are there at the store, you can probably buy just a stick to sample.

 

[Johnnyboy]

Yes, I have, and I think they are equally as nice.
But the dollar to value does decrease, so I suggest trying a sample first. I think if you are there at the store, you can probably buy just a stick to sample.

Yea I just really wanna have something to cherish and burn on special ocassions.

Also thinking about grabbing:

Nami no sho - Gyokushodo

Sho ran Koh - Kyukyodo

Hyofu - Yamadamatsu

Frankincense - Tennedo

Enkuu - Tennedo

Tokusen Jinsui - Seikado

Hopefully I can get samples of most of these though as costs are high on some...

 

[Oudamberlove]

Nippon Kodo Tokusen Kyara Kayou

Good resin and agarwood content
in harmony with gentle oriental perfume.

 

[Oudamberlove]

Dr. Incense Assam

What can I say....
another “true to region” stick.

 

[Taesik Yun]

Yamadamatsu - Kagetsu

On a subitism heater. herbal facets get more accentuates and sandalwood became sweeter.
interesting. on heather, it's a lot sweeter than when burned. and I get some fenugreek.

 

[Oudamberlove]

Shoyeido Sho-kaku Silk Box

Certainly one to treasure,
a close balance of kyara to aromatics.

 

[Oudamberlove]

Revisited Two Tennendo sticks
Karafune Johin (with Indonesian agarwood)
Karafune Kahin (with Vietnamese agarwood)
Rough impressions:
Johin is oriental woody with blossoms in the distance, while Kahin is less woody with a slightly-bitter-citrus-rind-floral-dragonfruity-mix,
could it be oppoponax?
The agarwood is perceptible in both, but not in a sense to pinpoint the origin.
All-in-all....nice sticks.

 

[Johnnyboy]

Minorien - Kyara

Soft aloeswood/Kyara blend with a touch of spices.

Been enjoying this one so much recently that I am currently attempting to enfleurage it and see if I can capture it's scent in alcohol. If it works out well I may also try it with the Chokoh No 5 I picked up recently.

 

[Oudamberlove]

KZ Tarakan

It’s a real pleasure to enjoy
a nice Tarakan stick.
Wish I had the wood too,
but the only Tarakan oudh wood I tried
was not good.

 

[Himanshu Sharma]

Dr. Incense Blue Lotus followed by Ken's Nha Trang.
I love the earthy, muddy, sweat vibe of this blue lotus recipe.
Nha Trang is Nha Trang. Beautiful profile.

 

[Grega]

I made a really romantic incense mixture today evoking alpine nights, mysterious yet comforting, wild and familiar.
For this mixture I used aged/dried spruce resin foraged from the roots of the tree. Spruce root resin makes for a very different scent to the resin picked from the trunk. Much more mellow. Just a touch of Yemeni Myrrh and Hojari Frankincense to round out the resinous scent. I have also used lichens, picked in winter, aged for a few months protected from the elements in the shade outside, where the cool winds could dry them.
Indonesian oud and mysore sandalwood are the base into which I ground plucked and semi-dried mirabelle plum flowers. These petals have a wonderful honeyish texture to the scent. Very unique and overpowering if you don't add them carefully.
The overall aroma turned out really harmonius and very unique, it leaves a beauuutiful aroma in the room - gorgeous resins, honey nectar flowers and mysterious lichens evoke sitting at a small camp fire somewhere high above the valleys with wild alpine forests and villages full of orchards below. This is the first incense I am really proud of making.

 

[Oudamberlove]

@Grega
The wonderful thing with homemade mixtures,
is that “The Sky is the Limit”,
and you can enjoy blends that otherwise you will never be able to find commercially.

StickOTD, homemade stick,
Nippon Kodo Indonesian Kizami
The resinousness is ouddicting.

 

[Johnnyboy]

Gyokushodo - Nami No Sho

A very clear and ethereal incense. To my nose, the sandalwood and aloeswood take the backseat here to support the slightly salty and sweet marine note which is front and center. I really enjoy this one for its lightness and airiness.

 

[Oudamberlove]

Homemade Sandalwood w/ Ambergris

I smell the ambergris,
but I’m wanting more,
next batch I’ll add more🙂

 

[Himanshu Sharma]

Chokoh No. 5

Love the aromatics. Beautiful blending.

 

[Himanshu Sharma]

Ken's Mysore Monkoh

To me, this should be a benchmark. I get no off notes even if I have it up close near my nose.
These are grey/black colored sticks. Perhaps, the way sandalwood was processed make these stick look this way and smell matchlessly good.

 

[Oudamberlove]

Wu Shuang Ge Hainanese stick

The aroma of gently heated Hainan agarwood
with some incense smoke alongside.

 

[Johnnyboy]

Tennedo - Frankincense

My favorite frankincense stick I've tried so far. Has the citrus/fruity notes of Hojari frankincense without any sharpness. Very smooth and energizing aroma.

 

[Johnnyboy]

Tonight it's: Tokusen - Byakudan Houn Sandalwood

I'm still pretty new to Japanese incense and so far my reference points for sandalwood sticks have been Yamadamatsu - Kayo & Kagetsu and the Minorien sandalwood. I think this one is might be my favorite sandalwood I've tried so far though. The sandalwood in this is so rich and clear. Smells like you are putting your nose directly over a low temp, slow burning, high quality piece of sandalwood. I only had one sample of this but definitely will be getting some more.