Bhagwan – Royal Amber

I purchased this pack of incense sticks directly from Bhagwan Incense, in September 2023. The boxes of all varieties contain 15g, but since they come from different sources (currently at least five) and their styles are very different, the quantities contained vary greatly. Royal Amber are very thick, a box contains 8 sticks. At the time of purchase, one pack cost €5.95, which makes the unit price €0.70. Their price has since fallen by one euro.

Disclosure: Due to my history and friendly relationship with Eugene, the owner of Bhagwan Incense, I would like to point out that I cannot write reviews of this brand with complete impartiality. I write a lot of the Bhagwan reviews based on samples that were given to me – these are labelled accordingly.
All reviews are unpaid and reflect my honest opinion, but you are welcome to consider them as advertising.

Besides the two samples that Max gave me, we have burned Royal Amber at Max’s and each time it revealed a little more of its complexity to us.
The composition consists, so to speak, of three aspects: on the one hand, a very typical, soft and balsamic amber sweetness, on the other hand, there is a fresh aspect that I often find a bit minty, and in between there is a wealth of darker, woody, resinous or even almost earthy notes.
The scent is indeed very complex and multi-faceted. It has a trait to transform itself now and then, revealing another perspective, so that notes combine in new ways and create ever-changing associations.
Not only is the amber sweetness not always immediately present; depending on what the resinous nuance is combining with – the minty freshness or the soft, woody smokiness – I either feel remembered of frankincense or rather of pine. The dark, slightly tart and very balsamic tone is occasionally reminiscent of myrrh. Especially if I let the sticks burn a little longer, a waxy note gradually emerges. If the sweetness is in the foreground, it can appear slightly vanilla-y or remind me of Turkish honey.

Royal Amber is a special amber fragrance with a unique character. There’s a lot going on in its scent, and it never gets boring listening to it. At the same time, its velvety softness allows you to just let yourself float in it.