Cycle – Asli Bakhoor
Another sample from the incense exchange with Steve Pereira, here is his review of Asli Bakhoor.
Bakhoor is actually a traditional type of incense from the Arab regions. It typically consists of wood chips cooked with aromatic oils, resins, and sugar. The result is a highly aromatic mass that is burned on charcoal or, more recently, on an incense heater.
Asli Bakhoor is a pleasant interpretation of a Bakhoor scent. It’s not overly intense but makes its presence felt. The scent is heavy, slightly herbal, and reminds me of (inexpensive) Attar perfumes, but it doesn’t smell soapy like many cheap Bakhoors do, and that’s something I appreciate. It has a rather powdery fragrance with a hint of soft musk and a woody base. There’s some sweetness present, but it doesn’t dominate.
Asli Bakhoor is the first Cycle incense I’ve tried that doesn’t have the typical “Cycle base smell” that I’ve found more or less evident in all other sticks of the brand: an animalic scent (possibly from allegedly contained cow dung) with a hint of Magenbrot spice in varying proportions.
I find the scent good, but it’s not the type of fragrance I actively seek out. Nevertheless, I can recommend Asli Bakhoor.
As an avid Bakhoor enjoyer (and reviewed one Bakhoor in my blog, planning on to review more Bakhoor’s), this has really catched the main hints in any bakhoors and attar but in medium fragrance. My second favorite for Bakhoor themed incenses after Balaji’s Bakhoor.
Oh, nice!
I see you mention alum in the https://ratnagandh.wordpress.com/2024/06/22/365/ you did so far. I read that this is a common ingredient in a book, but sadly, it had no further details on why it is used or what it might contribute to the scent. Do you know any resource to read that up?
I got a number of bakhoor samples from a friend. I intend to spend some time with them during the cold season, so there will be a couple of Bakhoor reviews on Rauchfahne as well. I guess you usually buy them local but also brought some (like the Sandalwood one) from your travels?
Yup. I get most of my Bakhoor from grocery stores (brands like nabeel, bait Al Arab, solo, etc are readily available in popular chains of Hypermarket like lulu, carrefour, union coop etc. ), online stores and from perfume shops like Hamidi, Naseem, Swiss Arabian, Al Haramain and Ajmal. I’ve order one luban called yashem luban- https://www.noon.com/uae-en/luban-with-musk-and-roses/ZCFB5EAEA39653C5CE8C5Z/p/?o=zcfb5eaea39653c5ce8c5z-1. The reason I bought it because of this reel I got-https://www.instagram.com/reel/C9E5IMhxq75/?igsh=N3J4Mmg3dzEwZGFp. Can’t wait to try it.
I’m going to Saudi Arabia this December and I’m planning on to go to Al Maiglia market centre where there are lots of perfumes and incenses.
Ah, then we might have a couple we can compare reviews on. I got a few Al Haramain as well. (Bakhoor Cambodi, Cambodi, Bukhoor Maliki, Hindi Muri and Hindi Muri Super)
I don’t know how to feel about all that liquid. I know it’s not uncommon with some bakhoor, but still.