Monsoon Incense – Indian Myrrh

I ordered Indian Myrrh together with a few other varieties from Monsoon Incense while replenishing my stock of Monsoon Sandalwood.
A pack of Indian Myrrh cost €2.95 and contained sixteen sticks, which works out at roughly €0.18 each. The burn time is stated as about 45 minutes.

The moment I opened the bag, I knew these sticks must come from HMS – that giveaway vanilla note is unmistakable.

It continues once the stick is lit: the aroma is balsamic and very sweet, however swiftly joined by a bitterness typical of myrrh. The strength in which I perceive the bitterness varies throughout the burn. At its extreme it reminds me of hot car tyres; when it stays further in the background, I sense it as a tart‑spicy element, not acutely bitter.

Beyond that, Indian Myrrh offers a relatively dark, woody tone that contributes greatly to the fragrance’s calm, relaxing character.
I want to like Indian Myrrh because the deep, comforting warmth is so appealing, yet the moment that burned gum note hits my nose, something in me says, “No, thanks.”
That said, I have to admit I found this note much stronger at first – perhaps I’m slowly getting used to it. Either way, I’ll be keeping the sticks.

I consider Indian Myrrh intriguing myrrh incense; you just have to like Myrrh’s inherent bitterness.

For anyone who struggles with the bitter aspect as I do, I recommend Mother’s Myrrh – both the Regular and Golden lines; Myrrh from Eugene’s Bhagwan range, or the Myrrh sticks sold by Temple Of Incense.

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Other brands that stock HMS sticks offer several myrrh variants. I haven’t found any whose descriptions match altogether – especially as Indian Myrrh lists guggul alongside myrrh (which makes sense, as this is the ‘Indian myrrh’). Visually, they’re all quite similar.
Only Pure mention a bitter note for their Classic Myrrh.
I’m not familiar with any of these varieties, however.