Shroff – True Sandal

I purchased this pack at the end of 2023 for €14.95 from Padma Store. It contains 50g, which corresponded to 44 sticks. The burn time is listed as 40 minutes; the sticks are 8″ (about 20.5 cm) long.
As you can see in the image below, True Sandal is extruded, which is unusual for Shroff.

Ashok from Padma Store is highly enthusiastic about True Sandal and describes them as perhaps the best sandalwood incense sticks on the market. These sticks are even praised by some sandalwood enthusiasts (on Reddit), who typically only use Japanese incense. It was clear to me that I absolutely had to try True Sandal, and since I have liked all of Shroff‘s sandalwood varieties so far, I had no hesitation in treating myself to such a large pack.

True Sandal somehow feels minimalist; these are simple, extruded, single-note incense sticks. But despite this, it has an interesting, multifaceted sandalwood scent. They are an excellent example of how high-quality, machine-made Indian incense can be, showing that hand-rolled isn’t the only way to go.
Besides the warm, intensely woody base character of this scent, I find the typical milky and sweet softness in True Sandal that I love so much.
At times, I find the scent powdery and more woody-dry; however, this seems primarily weather-dependent.
The fragrance truly blooms when well diluted in the air of the room, and ‘blooming’ really is the perfect term here because there’s a fine tone in this sandalwood fragrance that I can only describe as floral. I was told that sandalwood can have a floral component, though I’d never found it before. Here it is now, and it’s enchanting!
What I find rather unusual about the scent of True Sandal is an almost fruity aspect of the wood aroma, which is also linked to its floral quality.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t compare True Sandal with Jeomra’s Sandelholz [sandalwood] because I have none left. Nevertheless, I can say I prefer True Sandal because they have that milky sweetness I found lacking in Jeomra‘s sticks. This is likely due to the type of sandalwood.
However, I had a small leftover of a Jiri & Friends – Sandalwood stick. Compared to Shroff’s, these have a distinctly darker, more tart scent, and they are perhaps a bit spicier (which reinforces my assumption that they use Australian sandalwood). In comparison, I also find their sandalwood character to be a bit blurry. J&F avoids using essential oils, which could be a reason for this.

True Sandal lives up to its name. As noted in various comments in shops, on Reddit, and elsewhere, the scent of True Sandal is very close to that of high-quality sandalwood when gently heated on an incense burner.
However, I must say that I still really enjoy Shroff – Mysore Sandal and True Sandal doesn’t quite manage to rise above it. Still, it’s awesome to have another high-quality sandalwood fragrance to choose from.