I’ve removed R-Expo’s Bam Champa from our hall of fame after being sent two samples showing the incense has completely changed and is now inferior product. It’s an extremely puzzling move in an era when we’re seeing something of a Nag Champa comeback. In fact the new version I wouldn’t even consider a champa anymore, the sticks are dried out (more than they originally were) and the perfume now strikes me as synthetic. As always if anyone has reports on incenses that have drastically changed scents or formulas, let us know.
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Olfactory Rescue Service 
Kevin Kraus said,
May 14, 2011 at 11:47 am
Were do you find the Aparajita at incense guru? I looked on the site several time and don’t see it?
Carrie said,
May 17, 2011 at 4:47 pm
Here you go!
http://www.incenseguru.com/aparajita_herbal_30g.html
Kevin said,
May 18, 2011 at 9:27 am
Thanks!!
Carrie said,
July 15, 2011 at 4:40 pm
IG has been out of Aparajita for quite a while. I’ve been looking and looking and finally found a music store in Oak Park, IL that carries it, and just placed an order for 3 boxes over the phone.
I am so excited to find out what this smells like, I’ve been very curious since first reading about it here.
tacololo said,
August 10, 2011 at 12:47 pm
I ordered some from hybrid elephant.
Wonder what its like.
vinny said,
May 6, 2011 at 5:51 pm
Mike have you tried Aparajita herbal incense? It was apparently a favorite with George Harrison and Ravi Shankar .It has Oudh,Sandalwood , Clove , Civet and Musk
Kevan said,
May 6, 2011 at 9:16 pm
LOL, stop doing this to me Vinny! The moment I make my first incense order in 3 months, you start talking about a bunch that I haven’t tried! This “Aparajita” blend sounds really good and it’s available at IG, but I’m forced to wonder if, like so many old classics it seems, the quality has suffered in the modern version.
vinny said,
May 7, 2011 at 10:55 pm
I ordered the meena supreme and aparajita. The person who sold me Aparajita told me its more or less the same incense still , he told me it took him almost 10 years to locate the manufacturer.
vinny said,
May 11, 2011 at 4:17 pm
I recieved the Aparajita and Meena Supreme.
I was not so impressed with the Meena Supreme either , but its those scents which grows on you, because its very unique smell.
Aparajita is OMG , AMAZING , George Harrison had good taste ,
its a very heady sexy sultry mix but at the same time calming. The civet and sandalwood just make it very exquisite . Its not for everyone but for me its amazing.
Kevan said,
May 12, 2011 at 1:45 pm
Xinny, I hate you. LOL!
Now I’m going to have to buy some Aparajita! (After I use up several packs of Mothers first though).
Carrie said,
July 24, 2011 at 6:31 pm
Meena Supreme is certainly different. I probably won’t be burning much of it, but I can see getting a craving for it once in a while.
Aparajita smells totally unlike any Indian incense I have ever smelled. I had a little bit of deja vu when I lit the first stick, I wonder if I might have smelled it way back in the day. 🙂
It’s almost more like a Tibetan incense. Or a hybrid Tibetan/Indian.
Mike said,
May 9, 2011 at 2:34 pm
Not within recent memory, no.
Tio said,
May 5, 2011 at 12:57 pm
Mike, have you (or anyone else) tried “Flora” Nag Champa (middle box pictured here… http://www.celticmythmoon.com/images/Incense%20-%20Nag%20Champa%20800W.jpg)? I’ve seen it stocked locally.
Also, “Om” Nag Champa is now at my local Wheatsville food co-op (Om is third from the bottom at EOTA… http://www.essenceoftheages.com/ivarious/ivar1.html).
Thanks for the heads up on Bam. Sad story indeed.
Mike said,
May 5, 2011 at 2:23 pm
Tio, yes I did try that a long time ago. At the time I remember seeing it at Cost Plus import stores in the area. When I bought it I remember it being virtually identical to an incense in the Incense from India line, but it’s been too long to remember which one. I don’t remember it being anything like a nag champa though, no halmaddi, dry and much more of a floral. I never went back, so I guess that says something.
Kevan said,
May 4, 2011 at 8:12 pm
That’s unfortunate. Bam Champa was really good, a unique spicy-sweet blend.
In my latest order from Essence of the Ages I threw in a pack of the Gold Nag Champa. I like the Dhuni and Schroff versions but (and I don’t know what’s spurring this on) I feel like they have something missing.
Also, I dug out the Raj Laxmi today. I forgot how good a blend it actually is.
Mike said,
May 5, 2011 at 9:07 am
I’ve often had the feeling that many of the nag champas today are missing something and I think they are, a little, (at least they’re closer than they were) but I also think I sometimes get this impression because the “vanilla” nag champa scent is something I like rather than love. I tend to get more excited about them when they become part of other blends.
Kevan said,
May 6, 2011 at 9:21 pm
I agree with you that blends like the ones from Mothers are more exciting because there’s so much more going on than the usual. But that also speaks to my point: there’s a smoothness to the Mother’s blends that the modern “vanilla” nag champas don’t have. They’re just more mellow. I don’t know if that’s because of the added aromas on top of the champa or because of something that they include in the mix that Schroff and Dhuni don’t have — the mattipal and honey, perhaps?
Mike said,
May 9, 2011 at 2:40 pm
Well for sure there’s a note in a lot in some of the “vanilla” champas that the Mother’s line definitely doesn’t have. Dhuni incenses definitely have halmaddi/mattipal (and I’d guess with the latest batch they may use more of it than anyone else). My guess is it’s entirely in the oil mix where the notes are coming out because most of the base ingredients will be the same (bamboo stick, sandalwood powder, halmaddi).
vinny said,
May 5, 2011 at 10:37 am
Hey Kevan,
I bought the Balaji Focus ,they are really smooth , just as you said , its quite nice ! LOOOL at your comment about sai flora, I still use it but they vary a lot pack to pack ,some are resinous ,some are too spicy, some have burnt after smell , its very hit n miss but most of them are very churchy lol as you said. I also got Sai Chandan ,which you said was good , it doesnt smell like your typical sandalwood , It seems more Japanese in style I found , like a green tea herbal note, but the Focus was really nice. I suggest NR Rao Yagna and NR Rao Oudh. Please do tell me how you find Meena Supreme
vinny said,
May 4, 2011 at 4:18 pm
Mike I just recieved some Bam Champa today and it smells nasty , like old musky after shave in a bad way. It previously smelled like a Champa but now its like WTH am I smelling. I had ordered 6 from Incenseguru and I emailed them regarding this. Soooo not happy. Shroff nag champa here I come!
Mike said,
May 4, 2011 at 5:23 pm
I’m pretty sure IG already know about the issue. And yeah that’s not a bad description for the new version at all. Be sure to check out the Nag Champa Gold too, I can imagine you’ll be happy with it.
KeesKoh said,
May 4, 2011 at 10:25 am
Thank you!