KOH-DO Berlin: Elbenzauber | RITUAL
KOH-DO is a Berlin-based company with a store of the same name (Stargarder Str. 75, Prenzlauer Berg) which owns the brands Elbenzauber and RITUAL.
Elbenzauber Incense sticks are traditional Masala Agarbatti produced in India, but there are also loose incense blends sold under this name.
The origin story of Elbenzauber reads a bit like the one about the brand Happy Hari: Someone from the West travels to India, falls in love with the scent of particularly high-quality incense and decides to make them available to the Western market.
The line of RITUAL incense sticks comes from their own factory in Berlin. It evolved from a single variety (“classic”) whose recipe the company was able to purchase; In the early 20s (of this century) it was expanded into a line with two additional varieties.
In their store they also sell incense products from Japan, Tibet, Bhutan, Nepal, Peru, Mexico and other parts of the world, as well as teas and other products.
They don’t have their own online shop for end customers, but you can find their incense sticks in other, mostly Berlin-based stores and some online shops.
One pack (15g) of the Elbenzauber line costs €4.50 at most (online) shops, rarely you can find it cheaper. The “Weiße Reihe” [“White Line”] (their premium line) sells for about a euro more. For this line, there are sample sets available, but unfortunately not the regular Elbenzauber line.
RITUAL you can find online for between €12 and €15 for a pack of 10 really thick sticks. Some retailers offer individual sticks to sample.
According to their own statements, KOH-Do participates in fair trade and works with aid organizations.
My Personal Experience With This Company
A small downer is that my attempt to contact them (to inquire about a list of dealers and ask some questions) has so far been unsuccessful.
When it comes to the Elbenzauber incense sticks, I have to admit that I’m a little bit in love.
It starts with the Art Nouveau-inspired packaging, which I find beautiful (and which, by the way, is made entirely of paper).
Furthermore, I appreciate that the brand doesn’t just provide whimsical, picturesque but meaningless descriptions of its varieties, but also names actual ingredients.
Most of the varieties I have tried so far have been superb and (alongside a few classics) very unique compositions.
I’ll be publishing reviews of them occasionally in the coming months, but I’ll take some time to do them justice.
I’m also particularly excited about their in-house produced incense sticks. I haven’t had a chance to try them yet, but I’m really looking forward to doing so.