Goloka – ORGANICA – Kastoori

I first picked up Kastoori a few years ago on a whim in a shop. That was when I had just started getting back into stick incense. I really liked them but had trouble describing the scent, which is why I never reviewed them back then.
It wasn’t until the end of 2024 that I bought another box. It was part of an order from Ephra World Shop. There, a 15g pack costs €1.85; it contained 14 sticks, making it about €0.13 per stick. Back then, in the shop, they cost €3.

I’m not quite as enthusiastic about Kastoori as I was initially, but I still find something appealing about them.
The scent has a rather woody base note that at times reminds me of sandalwood. It is only moderately sweet but soft, much like musk incense sticks often are. (Kastoori is the Indian word for musk.) So, they don’t belong to the funky, animalic musk scents.

What’s interesting is an almost green freshness that contrasts with the overall rather heavy and calm fragrance. This aspect stood out more in the first box and was a big part of what excited me about Kastoori. In my old notes, I wrote that “it smells like camphor on Valium, but greener.” 😆

Now, unfortunately, I notice a faintly soapy tone in Kastoori’s scent, which dampens my enthusiasm. The woody base seems more prominent, or perhaps the fragrance is a bit weaker in contrast.
Whether that’s due to my perception or if I just got a slightly poorer batch with this box is hard to say.

Kastoori are definitely decent musk incense sticks with a rather unobtrusive, non-animalic scent. But those who are very sensitive to soapy smell might want to avoid it.