IBN SAIF Trading – Heritage Oman Frankincense Sticks
I picked up these incense sticks at the Hallsbacher Forest Christmas Market. The pack of 8 sticks cost €6.90, so about 86 cents each. They are 20cm long and just under half a centimetre thick. According to the packaging, they burn for almost 2 hours. You can also find these incense sticks on eBay and this shop where I haven’t ordered from yet.
IBN SAIF Trading is a company based in Muscat, Oman. These incense sticks actually come from the region where the Hojari frankincense, used in these sticks, originates.
They seem to contain absolutely no charcoal. I have no idea what the base material is (which every incense stick needs to smoulder) but I like to think they might use frankincense bark. This is a by-product of harvesting and used to be typically discarded. Nowadays, it occasionally finds its way to the global market, which will allow me to check the feasibility of this theory.
Heritage Oman Frankincense Sticks are absolutely top-notch in terms of scent. I don’t detect any off-notes, nothing unpleasant, not even anything that would give away the base material. They simply smell like high-quality Boswellia sacra when burned on charcoal, but without the hassle of constantly having to add more or remove the burnt residues from the charcoal because the leftover gum can emit an unpleasant smell.
I haven’t checked how long they burn exactly because I usually only burn a few centimetres at a time, but I think 1¾ hours is entirely realistic. The smoke production is unarguably significant, but still less than when burning frankincense on charcoal indoors.
The only potential criticism about these incense sticks is that they lack complexity. It is truly a single-note incense.
Oman Frankincense Sticks are particularly interesting for those who prefer burning frankincense on charcoal, but sometimes shy away from the effort or don’t have the time for the preparation and maintenance. Those who like to use frankincense or incense sticks for metaphysical space cleansing will also be well-served by them.
However, those who prefer to place Boswellia resin on an incense heater to get to smell the delicate notes may not find much value in these incense sticks.
Note:
IBN SAIF Trading is a wholesaler, meaning it’s likely you might find these incense sticks in different packaging or as loose items in stores. On the U.S. site Scents Of Earth, there are Hojary Frankincense Sticks that look very similar to these, and u/The_TurdMister once told me on Reddit that these also solely smell like frankincense.
We share some views on this. Both in our curiosity about the combustible material, and in the fact that no scent blending or development has been done. It appears to be just resin on a stick, and just the one resin. Though I felt this stick had a bit more going on than Jeomra’s Hojari.
Interesting. I wonder if this is because Jeomra works with a charcoal base.
Since I wrote this, I acquired some Frankincense bark to experiment with, but I have not come around to doing so. I will write about my findings once I did.
In any case, these are very decent frankincense sticks, I think they are an excellent option if you’re looking for that pure Frankincense smell in a convenient stick formate.
Thanks also for this one. Fascinating. And you placed it next to Jeomra’s Hojari in the sample set you sent me. I can see why. Yes, they are very close. And both are similar to the resin-on-a-stick or resin-smudge sticks that are coming out of South America, and have been influencing incense makers in other countries.
Have you tried any of Fred Soll’s Resin-On-A-Stick incenses? I’m curious about them because they seem to be the start of all this, and am likely to get some this year. If you haven’t had any, I’ll send you some sticks when I get some.
Again, you’re welcome! 😀 It’s awesome to share and compare!
I had the chance to try one Fred Soll’s stick (Sweet Frankincense) so far, which I got in an exchange from someone who brought them back from a vacation in the US.
However, one of my repeat incense exchange-partners is about to send me quite a bunch of Soll’s samples. He’s regularly in the US, as his partner is from there. I will let you know what I got! And thanks for the offer!