Olfactory Rescue Service

For the reviews on the Fred Soll’s line already done you can check the listings on the left side of this page. These are very well done incenses at a great price. I love the picture of Fred with Billy E Gibbons on the home page, I find it hard to imagine, say, the head of a major Japanese incense company in a similar shot.

Classic Vanilla: This is about as strong a vanilla note as I can imagine, there is a slight creaminess to it but overall it is pretty much a full on vanilla scent, somewhat singular in its delivery. I have some of the Nag Champa with Amber & Vanilla sticks on hand which I find to be a more attractive mix just because there seems to be much more going on. However, if you are a vanilla fan this might be right up your ally.

Fresh Peaches: When you pull this out of the package it really does smell like a peach and even when lit the Peach scent note hangs in there over the smoke and even over the base note of the burning stick.. It is pretty sweet and very strong but at the same time a true Peach scent, one which seems to have a very long hang time. It also does not smell artificial to me, something I was not expecting. I have no idea as to how Solls managed to create this scent and make it so true to life but in its own way it is a work of art. I would think that the people who like his Strawberry line will also like this.

Sacred Myrrh: When I think of Myrrh I generally think of something that has a somewhat bitter and very grounded quality to it. It is, I believe, one of the resins associated with the Egyptian god Set, who is not well known for any warm and fuzzy qualities. This particular stick on the other had is very, very sweet with a very faint almost bubble gum note in the background. To me, it is hard to find the Myrrh scent within the sweet notes. Of all the Fred Solls scents I have tried this seems to be the oddest one. Not at all what I was expecting or hoping for, which could be why it did not do it for me.

Dragon’s Blood: I find this quite wonderful; deep, sultry, penetrating, with a slight bitter edge to it. All this drifts over a slightly(very slight) sweet base note that in many ways seems to be the signature scent of the entire line. This is a real winner for those of you who enjoy heavy resin blends. There are some similarities between this and , say, some of the Copal’s but I think that that is just how it is going to be in this neck of the resin world. Not to be missed if you are a Solls fan or you like big resins. This pretty much humbles any other resin blend on a stick.

White Sage & Dragons Blood: The addition of Sage really changes the scent characteristics of this blend from the Dragons Blood above. This feels like a much more energetic and vibrant offering, which, given its description at the home site “Here we have created the ultimate protection combination..” makes sense. This is a strong, very penetrating scent, not harsh or overbearing but you know it’s there. I personally find it refreshing and it seems to have a certain “bright” lift to it. Excellent for cleansing the atmosphere on a spiritual or physical level.

Lemon Grass: This was quite a surprise to me. It has a distinct citrus/lemony scent when unlit, the surprise is that it follows through when lit. Somehow, I have never put the combination of incense and citrus or lemon together in my head. Somehow this does just that. It really works well and is a great room scent rather then say, a meditative incense. Of course your personal preferences may be completely different. I think this would be great on a Summer or Spring afternoon. It has a very lifting and upbeat quality to it. Probably not for everyone but so unique that it is well worth trying.

Bunch more from Fred Soll’s coming soon, enjoy!

Fred Soll Part 1
Fred Soll Part 2

In the large Fred Soll catalog you can roughly break down some of the incenses into groups. There’s a large number of frankincense incenses, quite a few champas and then several with sage, patchouli or cedar as the basic scent. I’ll be covering the patchoulis this round, and I believe Anne will be covering the frankincenses at a later date. The champas have been sadly out of production for at least a year now, so we’ll be waiting if and until they’re released again, the question being whether halmaddi resin will ever be available again. And of course we’ll have a couple more miscellaneous batches to come, one in the near future from Ross. All in all, including the champas, that should be about 7 installments in this series and given the selections are pretty fluid, perhaps more to come in the future.

This part, I’ll be covering the patchoulis and an incense called Ceremonial Rain, which fits into this batch alongside the Patchouli Rain incense to round out the group. The thing is, it’s fairly easy to summarize most of these incenses without going into a lot of detail. Except in the case of Ceremonial Rain, all of these incenses use a very deep and beautiful patchouli oil, one that combines the usual herbal essential oil you’ll often find, with a sweet finish that is often rarer. Combined with the pinon, charcoal and wood base, Soll seem to have found a very nice combination that works most of the time. However, I should mention that in a couple of these cases, the incense has a hard time staying lit, although you can mitigate this issue by burning the incense horizintally as the directions suggest. It isn’t foolproof, but I did experiment and found that at least one of these incenses burned without extinguishing once the stick was horizontal.

This incense was the Cedar & Patchouli, which I found very difficult to keep lit vertically, so this is one you’ll want to burn the other way. And you will want to burn this as it’s once of Soll’s more pleasant scents with the cedar wood and oil wonderfully fragrant along with the usual patchouli. Given i’s smokiness it’s a remarkably mild scent. In many ways it’s an east/west blend, a skill Fred Soll seems very fluent in applying.

Ceremonial Rain is the one incense here that doesn’t (seem to) have patchouli, and acts instead as a cross between a forest resin sort of blend (something that usually has a high level of pine pitch anyway) and a deodorizing, cleansing incense. This tends to reflect quite nicely the quality of the environment after a bit of rain. The resin and gum mix is quite pungent with that apple-like quality resin blends often have, yet one will be left guessing at the rest of the elements, certainly some pine and cedar are in the mix, but one wonders at possible lavender, juniper and dragon’s blood notes that may or may not be present. Overall you tend to get the fruitier resin notes on the top and a more herbal-like oil below. It’s almost like burning five different Soll sticks at once and ends up being one of the line’s most intricate recipes.

Not terribly far off from the Cedar & Patchouli mix is Soll’s Desert Patchouli, perhaps an incense a touch more in the western direction. The patchouli is perhaps a bit heavier here with the pinon element more of a note. The balance provides a dry herbal feel, a touch of spice and perhaps an even fainter touch of sage in the mix. Intense and very smoky at heart this still seems to be mostly a pinon and patchouli mix, so you may want to either buy this or the Cedar & Patchouli as the two are similar enough that one may feel they’re somewhat duplicative. Of course fans of patchouli might like to compare the subtle differences.

Frankincense & Patchouli combine, perhaps, two of Soll’s most common ingredients (along with the ubiquitous pinon). As always the use of frankincense resin, generally of the less expensive and mild kind, tends to quiet this incense down, and as such it’s quite a bit less intense than any of the previous patchouli blends. It’s virtually a cross between the Classic Frankincense stick and the Desert Patchouli and the two ingredients turn out to be quite complimentary, the resin matching the intersection where the patchouli is sweet, no doubt with a little help from the pinon.

Patchouli & Dragon’s Blood is also very similar to the Desert Patchouli blend, with the distinctive Dragon’s Blood resin lessening the sweetness the Pinon usually applies. As a result, this tends to be even more so in the Western direction with a distinct campfire like scent to it, a bit hotter and slightly tangy. I’d add this to the minor differences mentioned between the Desert Patchouli and Cedar & Patchouli, all are different in only minor, slightly adjusted ways. You can perhaps attribute this to the strong personality of the patchouli oil.

Finally, the Patchouli Rain and as you may have guessed, this is like taking the five Fred Soll sticks you’re burning to make up Ceremonial Rain and adding a Desert Patchouli stick, but without the smoke such a hypothetical situation would entail. This stick I found trouble keeping lit either horizontally or vertically, which is a shame as this is the most intricate incense in this group here, with the wet, cleansing feel of the Ceremonial Rain without as much of a fruity resin blast, thanks to the patchouli evening it out and giving it a better balance. It may even be a bit too multifaceted, at least looking from the angle that often Soll’s work is so good given its simplicity and two or three note scents.

As always only patchouli lovers need apply here, but really those who think of Deadheads and their patchouli oils might be surprised to find a better quality oil at work here, one with less of a cheap oily smell and more of a sweet open ended scent.

This is Part 2 of our Fred Soll’s reviews, there are at least three more coming. In a nutshell these are great incenses, done in his own style and using very good ingredients. The sticks seem to last for a minimum of an hour, sometimes more and are generally very strong so using a smaller amount becomes an option.

Red Sandalwood with Special Herbs: To me this has an almost classic Indian scent to it, the Sandalwood is in the background with an almost camphor and cinnamon and spice foreground. It is mellow, not overwhelming and is simply very pleasant. The perfect scent to have in the background for study or relaxation.

New Mexico Sandalwood: This one has more of a Sandalwood presence up front . However there is also a lot of depth in this stick, more so then just Sandalwood but the other spices and/or herbs involved are difficult to nail down. It is very relaxing and at the same time does a great job of pulling you in as you start to wonder what the other subtle scents really are. Fun!

Spicy Cinnamon Incense: The name really captures the scent profile here. This is way past any of the Japanese Cinnamon blends in strength. I am pretty sure there is ground Cinnamon spice as well as a very large amount of Cinnamon Essential Oil in this one which gives it the spicy aspect. There is also a very light burnt scent in the background, which might be the base or possible the stick. This one really reminds me of Cinnamon toast. If you are a cinnamon fan you should try this one.

Benzoin: This one is really interesting. It uses both the Siam and the Sumatra resins for a really nice effect.They tend to work in harmony here and balance each other.  It is a very rich, deep and smooth blend with what must be an huge amount of resins on the stick. When I first tried this it did not seem that great, however that was also after having gone through a lot of other incenses. When I tried it by itself, then all its really excellent qualities came out. If you like resins do not miss this one. Also this one seems to stand on its own, it is not in the Indian or Japanese or anyone else’s  camp. Think of it as independently wonderful!

Rosemary and Sage: This one is very different the ones above, The Rosemary adds an incredibly cooling and clearing aspect that is really nice, refreshing and when mixed with the Sage just wonderful. Perfect for a summer or spring day, it really reminds me of being out doors near Lake Tahoe. The stick is very sticky so I am assuming there are lots of Essential Oils involved here (you pretty much have to cut the package open to get a stick out). Also the are small bits of (I think) Sage on the outside of the stick for, sort of, flavor blasts. This is so nice its like scent therapy.

Amber and Honey: This uses real Ambergris in the mix as well as honey. I have to tell you up front I love Ambergris so I am not what one would call an impartial judge here. This is a very deep, complex, warm and almost hypnotic scent. I would not call this a day time incense,  it’s much more oriented towards the night. The impression I get from this one is of a very luxurious and perfume worn by a very confident woman. It demands to be noticed and will set the atmosphere in any room it is burned in. Ambergris has almost magical properties in the world of scent and perfumes that are very much sought after. It tends to amplify other scents and at the same time has amazing longevity and staying power in a blend.  In this case the amber note mixes with the honey for a really beautiful incense. The Ambergris is beach caste( meaning collected from beaches).

A note on the cones from Fred Solls:

I got the smaller cones, called Cone Cuties in both the Amber and Honey as well as the Spicy Cinnamon. I personally find them to have a better scent then the stick, less burning stick if you will   Soll ‘s makes two sizes of cones, The smaller Cone Cuties and the large size Cones. Cones produce a lot of smoke for a short period of time and are designed to scent a space in a hurry, they also travel very well, less breakage. I would love to see these blends done as extruded sticks in the Japanese style. I am sure it would smell quite wonderful, although given the amount of oils and resins involved it might not be possible. Enjoy

-Ross

This article will be the first in what should be a long series of exposés on the venerable American incense company Fred Soll who creates one of the finest and most original styles of incense sticks (and in some cases cones) available, a true domestic treasure. There are about 50 different blends available most of which seem to have a base of pinon pine resin and what we’d assume is some sort of charcoal or other method to keep the stick lit, although in nearly every case the type of off smells associated with charcoal or inferior methods of keeping a stick lit are totally missing. In fact for stick incenses these could be among the nicest bases around, usually exuding a sweet and fragrant resin scent that bolsters nearly every top scent for each incense.

Fred Soll sticks are actually something of a sight to behold. They’re quite long for one thing and usually rolled in whatever ingredient the specific incense has with the herbs resins and woods often surrounding the stick in a pleasantly rough fashion. In some cases there are additional natural ingredient applications to enhance the packaging. Often these sticks are semiwet and very sticky and are often so redolent in aroma that the smell will exude just sitting a stick in a holder and letting it sit. It should be mentioned that all these sticks are designed to be burned horizontally, although I will say in most cases you’ll have no trouble with a vertical application either. In a few cases the only downside is keeping a stick lit, in some of the formulas (none in this particular article) this can be problematic at times, which probably indicates a very low amount of material used to keep the incense lit. Generally these are all very natural with a high level of craftsmanship and as such they’re fairly expensive, although this is more so the case in incenses using rarer ingredients, such as the company’s champa scents. But in nearly all cases you’re definitely getting what you pay for.

I wanted to start this series by writing about the company’s Pinon stick as it seemed to me it was the closest in style to Fred’s base stick, which seems to me to always exude a little pine resin. However the Pinon stick is much more than the base itself. Incense lovers speak frequently about resins like frankincense, myrrh, benzoin and such, but I’m always surprised how little Pine pitch comes up given what a gorgeous aroma it is (perhaps it’s so inexpensive to escape notice?) This is the perfect example of why it’s such a brilliant addition to forest resin blends and such, as not only does it exude the classic pine needle fragrance, but the pitch itself moves into both apple- and pear-like territories, enough to make your mouth water. Only pinon resin on charcoal or a heater is richer than this stick, which could be the finest pine incense anywhere and is perfect for freshening up an area. One could do worse than starting here on a journey through the Fred Soll line.

The two copal incenses, Copal Negro and Magical Copal, demonstrate what a terribly sticky resin Copal can be and in stick form this stickiness perhaps doesn’t work so well with the packaging (but then again I can’t imagine what they wouldn’t stick to). All of the sticks adhere to each other and the packaging like glue making them problematic to remove, although you’ll be very glad you did so. In both cases I’ve had to remove the entire batch of sticks from the package (fairly ruined in the process) and separate them all to get a stick and in doing so it’s easy to damage and pull resin globs off the other sticks. But at the same time there’s something very visceral and interesting about the process. I suppose this is why you rarely find copal in stick form, but it’s worth the effort, with the cool, smoky, resin in both forms a delight. In Copal Negro’s case the top notes are somewhat muted leaving the scent vaguely similar to quality benzoin, however the Magical Copal, I would assume, uses Golden Copal or perhaps even Blanco, giving the top end the lime-like notes you tend to associate with great quality resin. Copal in all its forms is one of my all time favorite incense scents so I find both sticks fantastic and the additional pinon base actually enhances them both. There’s really nothing else like these in all of incense and it’s hard to not have impressions of shamanic rituals and ancient Mayan ruins and jungles while experiencing either.

Soll’s Egyptian Musk is one of the finest musk incenses you’ll find outside of those that use the real thing, so for those concerned over ecological issues when it comes to the use of animal products, this will be among the best of the herbal blends. I’ve experienced oil blends in this vein before, slighty vanilla-like, creamy, sultry and mysterious and Soll definitely uses a very fine quality blend to go with the sweet resin base. Again, it’s very different from powerful Tibetan musks but at the same time its difference is its strength and you’re unlikely to find a better musk in perfumes, incenses or anything else. It’s a real gem of this line and highly recommended.

Ginger & Ginseng is something of an unusual blend and one little tried in incense. For one thing, I’ve personally never thought of ginseng as having much of a pleasant aroma, usually one you’ll smell in strength with herbal supplements. On the other hand Ginger can smell quite nice, but it’s often too sharp or powerful, which made me wonder what it would be like in incense. However together the two herbs tend to cancel out the problems with the ginseng tempering the ginger’s stronger qualities and the ginger overwhelming the more negative aspects of the ginseng. With both herbs powdered and rolled on a Soll resin base stick, the herbs are balanced out even further with that sweet pinon-like smell. While I’m not sure I’d call it a success necessarily, which may only indicate my ambivalence to the ingredients, it’s certainly an interesting experiment and those who like the scents should certainly investigate. Perhaps I’m even only a few sticks away from truly appreciating the scent.

The final incense in this batch, Santa Fe Spice, was apparently imagined  while ”enjoying hot chocolate and cinnamon cookies,” experiencing “the aroma of Pinon and Cedar as it drifted down the mountains.” This is a spice masterpiece. So often the combinations of cinnamon and clove like spices can fall flat in an incense but here the combination of cinnamon oil, which is very powerful on top, with pinon and cedar is dead perfect. I’m not aware of the origin of the other touches (for instance if there’s chocolate in the mix it’s fairly buried), but there are some unidentifables in smaller quantities. It’s a very powerful stick overall and perhaps best burned in parts as a full stick of this will be very potent. While many Solls are best described as the stated ingredients mixed with a resin base, here the concoction is a bit more complex. But truly, this is brilliant stuff.

We’ve got a lot more of Fred’s work to talk about in the near and not so near future. I’ll be writing about his champas and jasmine incenses in my next article and I believe Ross will also be joining in on this series at some point, so there will be plenty to talk about and rest assured there are a lot of brilliant scents in this line and few if any poor ones. This is a company with a deservedly strong reputation and joins Mermade and Nu Essence as one of the stalwarts of American incense.