Incensum: Benzoin, Amber

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Benzoin

The Incensum page saved in the web.archive explains that the benzoin resin is ground and added to the masala dough together with other resins because it can smell unpleasant in high doses. Benzoin actually has the property of being a strong cough irritant if you use it in too large quantities. Interestingly, it was also historically used to treat coughs.

I can’t say which other resins the benzoin was mixed with here, but they seem to have been used quite sparingly in general, as these incense sticks don’t smell particularly resinous or intense. I also can’t claim to be able to clearly detect benzoin resin in the smell.
The scent is quite subtle. It starts out a bit smoky, then gradually develops into a soft, unobtrusive sweetness and develops a woody and powdery character.
However, the after-smell is relatively long-lasting.

The smell of Incensum – Benzoin is pleasant but bland. A sweet, generic background incense scent.

There is also a review of Incensum – Benzoin on Incense in The Wind.

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Amber

Amber is said to feature Liquidambar orientalis from Turkey. Here is the page saved in the web.archive. There are a few different varieties of Liquidambar and usually “Styrax” is the term used for it, which we most often come across as soaked charcoal chips (although it is now said that synthetic fragrances are often used for those). It’s much rarer to find the pure, viscous balsam resin. In this form, it is very potent and has a pungent, gasoline-like smell. Well diluted, the scent is heady, sweet, light and can be slightly floral. This styrax balm appears to come from Liquidambar styraciflua, which is native to Central and North America. But I have also seen that L. Styracilua mentioned on the product together with L. orentalis, as if they were the same thing; here, for example. Rymer only mentions L. styraciflua for their styrax balm. I have both and they smell identical. 
“Storax” is a real rarity. This is a medium brown to almost black looking, translucent resin with a glass-like fracture, has a deeper and actually ambery-balsamic scent. I’ve been looking for it for a long time. Luckily, Jeomra’s Räucherwelt now has it. I also purchased this Styrax on AliExpress to compare. I recently discovered it at Apothecary’s Garden as well. From what I’ve read so far, Storax and Styrax are actually not the same thing, but both names are often used for various Liquidambar products as if they were synonyms; in English, “Storax” seems to be more commonly used in general.

Curiously, these Amber sticks have more of a frankincense character to me than the Myrrh+Frankincense variety. Here I actually smell a resinous freshness or spice, which is why I compared it with Myrrh+Frankincense and found that in contrast they are even sweeter than Amber.
These incense sticks are anything but typical, both for the fragrance genre of Amber and for any type of liquidambar that I know. There is a certain sweetness, but primarily I find the scent spicy, resinous and tart, sometimes pungent, with hints of burning rubber and petrol. I’m familiar with the latter notes rather from burning real amber, they come out clearly when I get the smoke up close. This variety is also quite smoky and difficult to enjoy in poorly ventilated rooms. However, when diluted well, the smell appears dry and powdery.

I find the dark, slightly tart and resinous-fresh aroma quite interesting, I like them better than Benzoin, but in my opinion, they miss the point.