Pan Aroma Incense Sticks, bought from Amazon,
are a gift pack of five assorted scents for £1.58, including
postage. Each scent comes in its own hex box containing sixteen sticks - so that's a total of 80 sticks. Pan Aroma is a brand owned by
Manchester based company, 151Products Ltd.
The sticks are very neat, clean and tidy. Machine dipped so the incense
paste appears like an extruded incense stick - though with a bamboo
inside. The sticks on all the aromas are undyed, and the paste appearance on all is a dull, dry, pale
chocolate brow. They all look the same.
Soothing Aromas
These are mild, and mildly pleasant incense sticks. There's some fruit sweets top notes on a gentle if slightly harsh woody base - middle notes are softly floral with just a hint of burning herbs. The mix of warm woody notes with the gently sweet perfume produces an attractive aroma that is bright and inviting. This is a very acceptable budget incense.
Lemongrass
The aroma is a little harsh, reminding me of some Ancient Wisdom incense sticks. Not a refined scent, but neither is it offensive. There's an aroma of burning matter - wood and green leaves. It's quite possible there is some dried lemongrass in the incense paste, though you couldn't pick out the scent of lemongrass from the aroma. Ancient Wisdom do source from Thailand where I've noticed that dried organic matter is used in greater proportion than in Indian incense - though Pal-Ji Honey Suckle is made in India, and that has the same burning green matter aroma.
Soothing Aromas
These are mild, and mildly pleasant incense sticks. There's some fruit sweets top notes on a gentle if slightly harsh woody base - middle notes are softly floral with just a hint of burning herbs. The mix of warm woody notes with the gently sweet perfume produces an attractive aroma that is bright and inviting. This is a very acceptable budget incense.
Appearance 5/10
Scent 5/10
After 5/10
Plus 10/20
Total 25/50
Lemongrass
The aroma is a little harsh, reminding me of some Ancient Wisdom incense sticks. Not a refined scent, but neither is it offensive. There's an aroma of burning matter - wood and green leaves. It's quite possible there is some dried lemongrass in the incense paste, though you couldn't pick out the scent of lemongrass from the aroma. Ancient Wisdom do source from Thailand where I've noticed that dried organic matter is used in greater proportion than in Indian incense - though Pal-Ji Honey Suckle is made in India, and that has the same burning green matter aroma.
Appearance 5/10
Scent 4/10
After 4/10
Plus 8/20
Total 21/50
Patchouli
Patchouli is a herb in the mint family, and the leaves are a useful insect repellent. Silk traders would protect their cargo by wrapping the silk in patchouli leaves, so the scent developed a positive association in the West. The oils that are produced from the plants have a sweet, heady scent with good base earthy notes, like the floor of a wood on a damp Autumn evening; patchouli oil is slightly musty and musky and fairly sensual and oily. The plant itself, and the dried leaves of the plant, may incline more toward the aroma of mint. Out of the packet these patchouli incense sticks have a medicinal, menthol aroma with a hint of camphor and the overall suggestion of patchouli. It's a decent enough scent, and quite promising. When lit, though, the aroma is of faint burning green leaves - slightly sharp, with an attractive underlying tone of warm sandalwood, and mid notes of that camphor and menthol. It's not a bad scent at all, but it's a bit disappointing. Forget that it's called patchouli, and it's quite an acceptable background scent, and not bad for the price.
White Jasmine
The sticks do have a jasmine tone to the scent - mildly fruity, faintly medicinal with a hint of camphor, and the sweet flowery perfume of jasmine. Jasmine is a popular scent for use in incense - in India it is known as Mogra. When burnt the aroma is mild and modestly pleasant, and does have the sense of jasmine, though the aroma is a little harsh with sharp points leaning toward burning herbs. Overall, it's a mild, warm, pleasant and softly woody tone, with some sweet flowery and balsamic notes. Yes, it is sharp in places, a little vulgar, and rather modest in smoke and aroma intensity - but it's not offensive, and works OK as a background room freshener.
Spring Poppies
As with some of the others, there is a camphor wood base to the incense paste. The combination of perfumes and camphor wood in this paste create a scent reminiscent of cheap polish sprays. It does feel like synthetic perfumes have been used. The scent is not unpleasant - it's just not elegant or profound or what one associates with Indian incense (or Thailand incense, as this may well be). The burning incense is mild, inoffensive, and has an elusive curry aroma - turmeric perhaps. The idea of an aroma based on "spring poppies" is quite pleasant - though I don't recall poppies having a scent.
Overall
The scents are mild and inoffensive, and occasionally pleasant. The most attractive is Soothing Aromas - and the least pleasant is probably the Lemongrass. They serve well as a background aroma to help freshen up a stale smell, but would not be used as a main incense, to cover up a strong odour, or to create a positive mood or atmosphere in a room. What is impressive is the price. These are a bargain buy.
Date: May 2013 Overall score: 23
Patchouli
Patchouli is a herb in the mint family, and the leaves are a useful insect repellent. Silk traders would protect their cargo by wrapping the silk in patchouli leaves, so the scent developed a positive association in the West. The oils that are produced from the plants have a sweet, heady scent with good base earthy notes, like the floor of a wood on a damp Autumn evening; patchouli oil is slightly musty and musky and fairly sensual and oily. The plant itself, and the dried leaves of the plant, may incline more toward the aroma of mint. Out of the packet these patchouli incense sticks have a medicinal, menthol aroma with a hint of camphor and the overall suggestion of patchouli. It's a decent enough scent, and quite promising. When lit, though, the aroma is of faint burning green leaves - slightly sharp, with an attractive underlying tone of warm sandalwood, and mid notes of that camphor and menthol. It's not a bad scent at all, but it's a bit disappointing. Forget that it's called patchouli, and it's quite an acceptable background scent, and not bad for the price.
Appearance 5/10
Scent 4/10
After 4/10
Plus 10/20
Total 23/50White Jasmine
The sticks do have a jasmine tone to the scent - mildly fruity, faintly medicinal with a hint of camphor, and the sweet flowery perfume of jasmine. Jasmine is a popular scent for use in incense - in India it is known as Mogra. When burnt the aroma is mild and modestly pleasant, and does have the sense of jasmine, though the aroma is a little harsh with sharp points leaning toward burning herbs. Overall, it's a mild, warm, pleasant and softly woody tone, with some sweet flowery and balsamic notes. Yes, it is sharp in places, a little vulgar, and rather modest in smoke and aroma intensity - but it's not offensive, and works OK as a background room freshener.
Appearance 5/10
Scent 4/10
After 4/10
Plus 9/20
Total 22/50Spring Poppies
As with some of the others, there is a camphor wood base to the incense paste. The combination of perfumes and camphor wood in this paste create a scent reminiscent of cheap polish sprays. It does feel like synthetic perfumes have been used. The scent is not unpleasant - it's just not elegant or profound or what one associates with Indian incense (or Thailand incense, as this may well be). The burning incense is mild, inoffensive, and has an elusive curry aroma - turmeric perhaps. The idea of an aroma based on "spring poppies" is quite pleasant - though I don't recall poppies having a scent.
Appearance 5/10
Scent 4/10
After 4/10
Plus 8/20
Total 21/50Overall
The scents are mild and inoffensive, and occasionally pleasant. The most attractive is Soothing Aromas - and the least pleasant is probably the Lemongrass. They serve well as a background aroma to help freshen up a stale smell, but would not be used as a main incense, to cover up a strong odour, or to create a positive mood or atmosphere in a room. What is impressive is the price. These are a bargain buy.
Date: May 2013 Overall score: 23
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