Shroff – Dry Masala Sampler: 505 Amber 1882, 707 Amber Bathi
The Dry Masala Sampler, compiled by Padma Store, currently sold out, costs €15.95 (in March 2022) for 2 incense sticks of each of the 12 varieties available at the time. Now there are 17.
In the incense scene, 505 Amber 1882 is often considered the flagship of Shroff. While warm and sweet, it is not a typical amber incense stick. The scent is very spicy and, for me, it has a certain degree of the fabric or ironing smell that I described in my review of Paneer. However, here it seems less hot and dry, but making the scent more tart. Initially, I even found 505 to be somewhat sour.
There seems to be a general consensus about the musk aspect of 505, but it is not so obvious to me. I only clearly noticed it when I briefly left the room to fetch my watering can from outside, that’s when I smelled the animalic note on my clothing.
Remarkably, near the window, or at very high dilution, a floral scent emerges that I otherwise don’t perceive.
The after scent develops into a pronounced musk aroma with a fresh aspect. The scent profile is very multifaceted and interesting, but unfortunately, not quite to my taste.
Rating: 2.6
707 Amber Bathi is also not typical of what one might expect from an amber scent concept today. I would classify this variety much more in the musk genre. The scent is musk-like aromatic, with a very light acidity that I also noticed in 505. Not actually animalic, but very strong-spicy and deep, almost tart. This heavy scent is accompanied by a balsamic softness that makes the composition round and pleasant.
There is a certain sweetness present, but it fades even further into the background when a resinous aspect emerges after a while.
The whole complex is embedded in a distinctly woody base. Overall, the scent strikes me as very warm, which interestingly is intensified on a cold day. Nevertheless, I have the impression that 707 Amber Bathi comes better into its own in warm weather.
Even after the second stick has almost burned down, I am still unsure about the rating. They are good, complex, and interesting and appeal to me much more than 505, but still don’t quite hit my taste. It feels unfair to rate them less than 3, but nevertheless, I can only give them the rating: 2.9