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Many people absolutely despise incense. Others adore it. Most don't care that much, as long as it doesn't stink like really cheap perfume or smell like, well, sickeningly sweet olfactory-destroying crap (i.e., really, really cheap perfume.)
I want to hear from those who LOVE incense, not from those who despise it or don't care. This is a simple poll about what incenses you love/like and why you love/like them. I am interested because I will investigate what others regard highly from personal experience, and likely make some purchase decisions based thereon. Likewise, I hope what I say herein gives good guidance to anyone interested in incense.
I'll get the ball rolling with my faves and why.
Both of my current fave incenses are from Japan: Nippon-Kodo and Shoyeido. It seems those Japanese really know about subtleties and nuance and don't go for nostril obliteration and olfactory full-spectrum-dominance like so many of the wooden stick incenses I've tried.
N-K incense was founded in 1575 and Shoyeido in the 1700s as I recall, so no fly-by-night operations here! I suspect they know what they're doing by now.
With the Nippon-Kodo "Morning Star" line you have a wide variety of fragrances to choose from in their entry-level selections: eighteen very nice offerings, including Fig (yum!), Yuzu (sweet) and the ever-popular Sandalwood (a favorite). All the N-K fragrances go for adherence to the natural smell of their titular main ingredient, meaning they aren't special house 'blends' with funny titles that produce wild mixtures of smells rather than relatively pure scents of the named ingredient. Instead, the N-K incenses try to capture the smell of their name: "Rose", "Gardenia", "Cedarwood", etc. How well they capture those scents varies. With some, they really nail it. Like with "Fig", or better yet, "Mimosa". "Cedarwood" is spot on (if you like cedar), and "Patchouli" is, well, patchouli. But that "Mimosa" fragrance is really nice.
With "Mimosa", you really smell that mimosa scent that you get on hot summer days when the wind whips through a mimosa tree and sends those sweet smelling red blossoms floating their pollen all over you to enjoy. We have one nearby, it is now summer here in New Zealand, and I can say the folks at N-K really nailed it with their "Mimosa" incense. Delightful!
Every one of the 18 fragrances in the N-K line-up is nice, with no losers or 'stinkers'. But what I like most is that you can select the fragrance you like and you'll get an incense that is not too terribly off the mark. Not every one is a bull's eye, but I doubt you'll be disappointed with any. I certainly have not been. They've all been wonderful.
And best of all, Nippon-Kodo incense is relatively inexpensive on Amazon, with boxes of 200 sticks (with base) going for around $8-9 a box. These are stick incense with no wood, about 5" long, and burn about 20-25 minutes each. They do NOT leave a smell that lingers and lingers. One open window and the beauty slips away, for better or worse. But never any lingering long. It won't be there the next day (or week.) And to be honest, probably not more than an hour or two, even with a closed up house. But open a window and "SHOOM!", it's gone. Which is nice.
The other brand I really enjoy is Shoyeido. Again, this is a non-wooded 5" long thin stick incense (like the Nippon-Kodo) that also lasts about 20-25 minutes per stick. Shoyeido's introductory line of Joss-Sticks includes "Nokiba" (Moss Garden), "Ranka" (Orchid), "Kyo-nishiki" (Autumn Leaves); and "Baika-ju" (Plum Blossom). No bases are included.
These Shoyeido incenses are the exact opposite of the N-K line. The Shoyeido fragrances go for that mixture approach I discussed above, but they do it very well, indeed. These blends are deeply satisfying and more subtle than the N-K, as these scents literally unwind and disentangle and float separately on the air, so you catch the fine smell of sandalwood, or aloeswood, mixed with cinnamon and wee bit of this or that. Each constituent part both blends wonderfully with the other scents in the mix, as well as holding their own individually as they dissipate throughout your living space. Delicious!
The Shoyeido sticks are only a tiny bit pricier than the N-K, but nothing shocking. But they are both well worth the investments if you enjoy incense.
I will be shortly trying out the slightly more expensive lines at Nippon-Kodo, including some Ka-Fuh (Scents in the Wind) "White Plum" and "Cypress"/Hinoki and some stuff called Kayuragi with "Pomegranate" and "Wisteria" fragrances. I will also try their Mainichi-Koh Kyara Deluxe line, with "Aloeswood". Should be an olfactory orgy! (At least I hope so.)
I also ordered incense from another Japanese maker, Baiedo, from whom I have bought some incense called, "Kobunboku".
We'll see how these newest additions turn out. They should be here in about a few weeks. Looking forward to it. :-)
FYI- Some incenses are simply ridiculously expensive and seem to touch the high bar set by audio products in the "WTF?" category of expense/item. I've seen some stuff going for over $70, $80 and even $100 a box! Anybody rich/crazy enough to try these out? Please let us know how it went.
TIA for all who participate and share.
Smell well!
Cheers,
WS
Follow Ups:
Which is mind-blowing, at 2 bucks a stick (this was 5 years ago, bought a stash.) Amazing experience, I usually burn 1/3 of a stick. Smells incredible, unlit, and once burning, it's wayyy good! I understand that it's hand made, rolled onto a stick of some sort.
Not yer usual Sandalwood, at all. They call it "the good $hit" at shops that carry it. Only made in India, and totally worth it!
Someone said that incense "stirs up the elementals."
Best when burned with a friend.
{:-)>
.
HEM incense from India. I get it at ishopindian.com. I like their Opium and Forest incense. I have 4 incense burners and sometimes have the Opium going on two and Forest on the other two for filling up the whole place when I want to meditate. I also tried their others.
I bought their big sampler of cones. We'll see how these fare. Hopefully, they'll be knock-outs.
Looking forward to it!
Thanks for the recommendations.
Cheers,
WS
awesome, I use their bamboo sticks, got close to 2,000 left, will light up 8 sticks of forest now to start the morning right ;)
Edits: 02/28/15
Yeah, I like it intense, too. I'll fire up six to eight sticks, position them all around me, and do some serious lung damage, all the while luxuriating in olfactory heaven. Yowza!
I'll check out that HEM brand. I've seen it many times, may already have some somewhere in my 'vast' incense collection. ;-)
Actually, I do have a LOT of incense (many thousands of sticks), so I may just have some in a box somewhere. If not, hell, I'll give it a try.
Thanks for the post, bullethead.
The incense of poor, rural Mexican churches. Arizona Cypress is my favorite. Straight Pinon resin should be avoided since it finishes with
nasty black smoke. Ponderosa resin is also primo. Regards
J.R.
I'll check into it. Always interested in new and different olfactory explorations (as long as they're pleasant, of course.) These sound quite interesting.
Thanks for the post!
And it's inexpensively found on e-Bay. The little charcoals are the
easiest way to deal with it. Regards,
J.R.
.
My wife is into burning incense but I dislike smoke so she changed her evil ways even before we married.
My wife took up the far more civilised practise of aromatherapy. Using a small unadulterated candle to heat a well containing water & essential oil/blended oil of choice.
The candles are virtually smokeless and odourless so the only fragrance released into the air is the fragrance of the essential oil.
She nearly always has her candles burning when she listens to music. (So to speak)
Some of the fragrances/scents she uses are;
• Gardenia
• Vanilla
• Lavander
• Sandalwood
• Boronia
• Jasmine
• Geranium
• Musk
• Basil
• Chamomile
• Eucalyptus
• Spruce
• Agar
I leave it all to her and she usually has several burners going at once but only at one end of the house. The candles burning, the silhouettes created and the aroma all add to a lovely ambiance when listening to music and dancing.
Smile
Sox
We do, actually, and make our own aroma therapy blends and sticks, for burn-less enjoyment as well as the classic single candle burner approach.
In short, we love both, but we find the smell of incense to be just a little more enjoyable, and the oils that aromatherapy releases can also cling to things, so it all has its upsides and downsides.
But aromatherapy in the classic sense (candle and EOs) is very nice, indeed. We enjoy that as well and find both to be wonderful adjuncts to many activities.
The original post simply limited the scope of the query to incense. But classic aromatherapy is wonderful as well.
... I don't know, who said you don't practice EO-based aromatherapy as well?
I was just throwing in what we do. Yes, I know it is not what you asked but I said what I wanted to say regardless.
My wife loves incense but she loves me more so she does not burn them any longer.
Yes, of course the vapours released from aromatherapy have airborne contaminants. The filters in the return ducts near where my wife burns her candles need to be cleaned every quarter whereas the others in the house only need cleaning yearly. So yes, I can physically see it.
I think aromatherapy and/or incense burning goes hand-in-hand with listening and enjoying music.
Cheers :)
Smile
Sox
Aromatherapy is way cool. We do it, too. It's wonderful. We just like incense a little better, that's all.
Thanks again for your post, Sox.
Cheers,
WS
Love walking into stores that sale it and occasionally sniffing it, but I wouldn't want it burned in my house. Smoke, whether it smells nice or not clings to just about everything for too long a time IMO.How my mom put up with it between me and my brother back in the mid 70s is beyond me.
Edits: 02/24/15
.... in my OP are pretty good at NOT leaving any residual, clinging odor or lingering smells. We're with you 100% there, GL, for sure. We certainly don't want lingering smells either. (My wife especially! She hates that.)
Also, the Nippon-Kodo "Morningstar" line is fairly cheap, so if you wanted to try a smaller box, you're not out much.
But if the wife says, "NO!", well, that settles that, I'm afraid (and in my house, too, btw!)
So if incense is no longer your thing, no problem.
But it sure was nice when you were a kid, wasn't it?
Maybe you should let that incense-burning kid in you out again...... but ONLY if it's cool with your lovely wife, of course.
Why?
Because based on those gun-toting news photos of her you shared with us a while back, it is pretty obvious THAT lady is truly 'armed and dangerous', and despite her beauty, looks like one woman that would command my respect --and GET IT EVERYTIME!
(I mean, I wouldn't want to piss her off............ EVER!!) ;-)
Cheers,
WS
since my wife who is Burmese, and a Buddhist, has expressed interest in burning it in our house; which I would have no problem with.
Besides, the woman is always right, especially asian wives (like yours and mine.)
When I walk through a nice trail of the incense scent, it can really send me places that nothing else can or does. Don't know why. Just does.
Anyway, either way, stay happy and healthy.
Cheers!
WS
I currently have some jasmine from Japan (forget brand), but don't have any definite favorites. One thing I insist upon, though, is that it be the solid incense sticks without the wooden core. That way, if you want to use some in a small room, it's very easy to break into partial sticks for a shorter burn. I find the aroma very relaxing.
Although the wooden stick (usually bamboo, as I recall) incense can be very, very nice, usually my wife and I are like you and prefer the no-bamboo stuff, all thing considered. But I have great respect for all forms of incense enjoyment. Whatever works for people is fine with me. It's all good!
Thanks for your post.
I enjoy the smell of incense when I am somewhere that uses it. Unfortunately, it makes my wife sad because she associates it with memorial services from when she was growing up in Korea. So, none in our home.
___
"If you are the owner of a new stereophonic system, this record will play with even more brilliant true-to-life fidelity. In short, you can purchase this record with no fear of its becoming obsolete in the future."
.
That was an enjoyable read. Sparked an interest in the Nippon-Kodo Cedarwood.
...I just wanted to add I went to a website called "Olfactory Rescue Service" and discovered that incense reviewers are just as tweaky as audiophools, and the levels of complexity and discernment exhibited is truly impressive. He pooh-poohs the lower Nippon-Kodo line as 'plebian' and 'common', and extolls the virtues of nearly $500 a box incense!
Wow. $500 a box for incense.
Now this guy REALLY sounds like an audiophool!
And then he proves it beyond a doubt, that HE'S ONE OF US, when he compares cheaper incense to listening to digital sound in the early 80's, as being harsh, annoying and uninvolving. Ouch!
Well, fuck him. I like N-K's el cheapo "Morning Star" incense line. Not afraid to admit it.
But I will be moving (slowly) up the ladder, incense-wise. I got my wife to go along with semi-expensive stereo gear, maybe expensive incense will also be something that slowly nets me in its clutches.
But right now, I'll be a simple plebe and happily enjoy my 'cheap' Japanese incenses that, to my horribly uneducated nose, smell very nice and are worth every penny.
Hope that N-K "Cedarwood" works out nicely for you, Craiger56.
Smell well!
Cheers,
WS
that we get at World Market. Champaka, Champaka Flora , Nag Champa and a couple of others that we are out of right now. Usually light one stick at a time after dinner around the time I turn on the Mac Mini and the Ipad Air and the stereo. We will burn 2 or 3 sticks a night...
When I lived in the tropics we burned mosquito coils!!
I'll order some of that Nippon-Kodo incense, thanks....
Edits: 02/24/15
....... how you got all those self-immolating mosquitoes to coil up for you to burn them! Usually they fly around, buzzing and swarming, sucking our blood and ignoring our requests to stop, and they absolutely NEVER let us burn them. They are quite willful around us, to be honest, and rarely obliging. You are a lucky man, LWR. ;-)
Have fun with that N-K stuff. It's reasonably priced and lovely smelling. We burn around 4-8 sticks throughout a day, and I can do around 6 sticks a night in the Music Room, if I'm in there for a while. Our windows are usually cracked open some, so things dissipate quickly, sometimes too quickly. But better that than lingering too long, I suppose.
Life is short, lungs are for using (and abusing, within reason, of course.) I'm sure none of this is healthful, but I don't care. The uplift I get when those fragrances waft by, is really a wonderful feeling. I think aroma therapy is useful. This is my personal aroma therapy, on the cheap, as usual.
Cheers!
WS
PS-
Keep the COTD pics coming. Even if I don't post for each, I love them all and they always brighten my visits here to AA. Way cool! :-)
the sense of smell triggers the strongest memory recalls....If I smell a gardenia I immediately can visualize dancing with my teen age GF back in the day when I could smell Jungle Gardenia perfume on her neck...
Then there was Ozium.....which ...if I smelled it now it would likely trigger a case of the munchies.
"Spray it on the floor where the bong water spilled, the law smells this, we're going...Downtownnn!"
Bong water, nastiest reek on da planet!
Ah, the recklessness of youth...
Later Gator,
Dave
we would spray Ozium to dissipate any tell tale odor...everyone had some in their car back then....
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