Happy Hari – Nag Champa Gold

This stick was part of a sample set I bought in March 2022 from Padmastore.de. The set contains only one stick per variety (a total of 13) and cost €14.95 at the time. (It has since increased by €1.)
A pack of Nag Champa Gold recently cost €4.25, but is now sold out. It has a burn time of 60 minutes.

Nag Champa Gold is legendary and has a cult status in the incense scene, much like the Happy Hari brand itself.
It is impossible to fully capture a complex scent like this with just one sample, so my description will be rather superficial.

The fragrance is gentle and powerful at the same time. It has everything one could wish for in a Nag Champa: creaminess, floral notes; a warm, woody base, and spicy accents. Additionally, there is a special, tart note that is at least partially connected to the floral aspect.
The spice reminds me of classic baking spices like cinnamon, but there is also an element of a more tart, sharper scent that can feel slightly harsh at higher concentrations. I also detect a waxy note again, and this time I’m quite certain it’s Halmaddi.
When I burn the incense sticks in my living room, the smell is not unpleasant, but I notice that it really only opens up in the hallway. There, it appears much more harmonious, sweeter, softer, and the spice doesn’t feel harsh. The blend of fragrance components takes on an enchanting, almost intoxicating quality.
I find the after-smell more powdery than creamy, and a fine musk note becomes more pronounced, which I occasionally also smelled while the stick was still burning.

These are seriously good Nag Champa. Preliminary rating: 4.2

Note:
Since the variety is sold out at Padma Store, it means their stock is depleted. The Happy Hari brand no longer exists. The incense sticks sold under that name came from different producers and are therefore potentially still available. I recently discovered that Temple Of Incense – which are, like Happy Hari, from the United Kingdom – now has Nag Champa Gold in their range and claim that they are the same as those from Happy Hari. However, I have not tried them yet.