I would describe the Sutra line as something of a mix of styles, it would be very difficult to describe the range as a whole, as there are some very different incenses at work here. The line seems to be roughly split into two charcoal incenses and six champa and/or fluxo incenses. I thought about discussing the incenses in terms of how they match up with particular styles of yoga, as to be fair this seems to be the goal of the range, but in the end I can imagine few end users will be matching them up in such a way.

Asana Sutra is the first of two charcoal incenses, although to be fair this seems to be more of a charcoal hybrid similar to Madhavadas family incenses. This incense reminds me of some ayurvedic mixes and has enough benzoin in the mix to be classified as something of a loban. There’s a bit of fruitiness in the mix due to the high resin content, but like most lobans there’s something of an abrasiveness in the aroma that could also come from the charcoal content. I don’t want to say this is a bad incense as the aroma is certainly pleasant, but again it’s just a continual reminder that charcoal is really a detraction no matter what you put around it. And while I understand a mild aroma for what is essential a yoga of position, the charcoal works against it. Overall it’s worth a sample just to see where you stand in terms of smokiness etc.

Fortunately we’re back in more impressive territory for Dharana Sutra, easily the best in this group of four and a strong candidate for our Indian Hall of Fame.  This is an absolutely outstanding incense, champa in size but more fluxo in style; long burning, with a very rich and high quality bouquet. Like most fluxos it’s hard to dissect the massive list of ingredients but this appears to be very high in quality sandalwood oil as well as a generous halmaddi and honey mix that leaves the final scent very sweet. In fact this reminds me in style of the group of Shroffs that included incenses like Darshan and Little Woods.

Dhyana Sutra is kind of a strange incense on the face of it. Initial lighting made me classify it immediately into that honey vanilla champa scent that is well known under a dozen names: Honey Dust, Vanilla, Satya Natural etc etc. But after a second or third stick it seemed to separate itself from that group to a slight extent in that it’s a much drier and woodier burn and by the end of the stick my eyes were starting to sting and I was getting a slight bitter note, both qualities of a high quantity of wood powder in the mix. So in the end I’m not sure I’d consider this a clone of Honey Dust as much as a variant on it, and not one I’d consider very successful, like one or two others in this range I was reminded of a host of generic Satya incenses from ten years ago, pleasant without a lot of distinction.

Perhaps it was the smoky blast of the Dhyana Sutra that helped to create a contrast for Niyama Sutra, which seemed a much milder and more pleasant incense. Like Dhyana, it suffers a bit from the same sort of “generic champa” scent a lot of the Satya and Nitiraj incenses have, but once you adjust to the more quieter palate its strengths come out. The Niyama has a touch of vanilla in the mix, but mostly its strength is this unusual spice blend that is reminiscent of both star anise and fennel. Its gentle and wistful and just the right strength for yoga as it speaks to something slightly ineffable.

Coming up as soon as I can get them written up, the last four incenses in the Sutra range (Pranayama, Pratayahara, Samadhi, Yama), the “King of Incense” range, and four new scents from Dhuni. Thanks once again to Paul at Happy Hari for his generosity.

Over at Equinox Aromatics, Andrew has brought in Star Child from England. They look to be very faithful to some of the esoteric teachings as well as also being all natural. Real Halmaddi is also available at his site and not to be missed, it is very entertaining to experiment with if you are making your own blends.

Kohshi has some new scents in, one of which is Sanjusangendo Incense. It comes out of a temple in Kyoto. Nice woody/amber scent with a hint of cinnamon. They also have Kyukyodo and Yamada Matsu available. It is generally best to call the store and check what’s in stock.

Enjoy   -Ross

I do not think any of the three that I reviewed here are based on classic sandalwood or aloeswood formulas, rather than that they are designed to present a scent that is built to showcase an idea or concept, a sort of scent picture of the name of each incense.

Lighting a stick of the Bamboo  and closing your eyes finds one sitting within a bamboo grove, it’s soft with a slight green note, a little sweetness (just a touch) and very real. There are none of the harsh or chemical smells that so often underlay this type of scent. It is really nicely done.

The Lotus truly gets the idea across of what you would think of as a lotus scent. Somewhat sweet with floral notes, not like jasmine or the other “white flower” scents. There is a slight edge to it that really brings the “lotus” note home, without the almost latex aspect of lotus.

Ocean smells like a very clean beach, probably cleaner than most you can find. Ocean scents or aquatic scents were all the rage at one point in the perfume world, most of them ended up smelling like a chemical bath in a chroming factory. This incense is completely devoid of those notes and is really a great mood changer in a room. Clean surf at a secluded beach, just the ticket to lighten up the atmosphere in a city environment.

The other great aspect about these is that the price is very good and one gets quite a lot of sticks. To the best of my knowledge Kohshi /Japan Incense in San Francisco are the only people selling these in the US and they have pretty large selection to choose from.   -Ross

I also noticed when I was there last weekend that they had a pretty good assortment of Kyukyodo (lot of the really good high end line, not to be missed).

You might also check out the selection from Kousaido. I have three that I am writing up for review, they use  what would seem to be a mixture woods and oils to produce some great scents at very good prices, just the thing for Christmas.

Enjoy  -Ross

I’m still having home computer issues and thus may be very intermittent for the next month or two (am not sure yet whether I can get it fixed or have to buy a new machine at this point). I do hope after I get back to spread the word on some new Dhuni and Happy Hari incenses.

Yuko Fukami ( April 2011 Top Ten ) and a number of other great artists are having a combined showing at  Keiko’s Studio,  227 Arlington Ave, Kensington CA 510-524-7986 for more information.

I also have some Agarwood and ambergris blend (loose), made of two Vietnamese agarwoods, touch of Sandalwood, spices and ambergris chunks/dust(yellow) and then saturated with an aged  tincture of grey/tan ambergris. There might be a bit of musk in there also. This sells for $30.00 for 5 grams.

If interested let me know off the blog at “clairsight at yahoo dot com. Make sure you put the word “incense “ in the subject line.

You can see a review of Ocean here:

http://perfumepharmer.com/organic-perfume-skincare-remedies/index.php/2011/08/ross-urrere-sublime-scent-hand-made-incense-review-by-rebel-perfumer-justine-crane/comment-page-1/

-Ross

2. Kyara Seiran from Seijudo: This is number two in Seijudo’s high end line up, based mostly on price point, not scent. I think it is a little less strong and more likable then the Kyara Enju while still being heavily laced with a very strong set of wood notes and spices with musk undertones. If you are in the market for a Kyara blend this is a great one. I find myself liking it more in the cooler months; it is also very relaxing and quite nice in the evening. It is right up there at the pinnacle of this style and not to be missed; it also comes in a number of different sizes and price points.

3. Byakudan Kokoh from Baieido: This is one of the very best of the “straight up” Sandalwoods, in other words, no perfumes and minimal spices or herbs. It is pretty dry in scent but very true to Sandalwood’s nature. Great for reflection or the post work chilling. Baieido really does the woods oh so well, it is hard to go wrong with them and this is a real winner in a old Japan incense style.

4. Enkuu from Tennendo: You can check in the blog for the notes on this one, it has always been a favorite here at ORS and with good reason. It is very much on the dry side of the scent spectrum, it is also has a very clean (not pine or camphor) set of notes to it combined with a very unique and clear wood base of Aloeswood.

5. Cracked Earth from Aluwwah:  Aluwwah is a Canadian Oud  oil and wood seller as well as an incense maker. He has a number of styles of real, hand made Bakhoors at his site. They use real ingredients and quality woods and oils. This one has a nice resinous note mixed with some woods and ambers. It is somewhat lighter in scent then the Bakhoors that I have tried before, which I like as it tends to allow me to check out the different aspects of the mix. There was also a mix called Deer’s Breath that was a huge floral/musk/oud master piece. It’s out of stock but I hear tell that a successor called Lamb’s Breath is in the works.

6.Deep Earth 2011 from Mermade Incense: For the incense heater or coals, but for sure made to be slowly heated up. Stunning deep resin notes wrapped around woods and herbs, I think the name pretty much says it all. Perfect for Fall into Winter.

7. Evergreen Forest Incense from Mermade Incense: This is, again, for an incense heater, you could also try Sacred Grove if you wanted something along the lines of a cone. Either produce a wonderful “in the forest” scent that freshens up the atmosphere and generates a wonderfully clean and very green scent. Very much a Winter forest scent and just a wonderful treat for the senses.

8. Jihi – Amacha kou from Awaji-Baikundo: Very strong and beautiful amber note with borneal camphor added as well as Hydrangea Tea. I think this is one of the most beautiful amber’s on the market, no matter what country you are from. It is a very clean and warm offering that really livens up a space and would also be great to scent ones clothing with. Very long lasting scent.

9. Meena Supreme from  Happy Hari: Easily one of the very best of the Indian incenses and in general this company looks to be a real winner all around. I have not gotten to try the newer releases yet but you can see Mike’s notes within the blog. This has all the deep floral’s along with the woods and spices. There is also enough separation between the notes to make it really interesting. It is pretty strong; you might not want to start here if you are going to be going through a number of different sticks at one setting.

10. Genmyo from Yamada Matsu: These are in the kneaded style or incense balls. These happen to have Kyara and Aloeswoods plus a spice and oil (I think) blended together for a more modern take on this style. There a sort of amber and caramel mix that rides across the woods. There are three different blends from YM that Kohshi has at their retail outlet in San Francisco. The Aloeswood blend has this same set of notes but the amber/caramel notes are stronger and the woods more backed off. It sort of depends on the day as to which I like more.