Bhagwan – Cedarwood

This is another of the packs that I received from Eugene, the owner of Bhagwan Incense, as a sample when I ordered from his shop at the end of 2023. A 15g pack costs 4.95€ and contained 17 sticks, which works out to about 0.29€ per stick. The burn time is stated as 40-45 minutes.

Disclosure: Due to my history and friendly relationship with Eugene, the owner of Bhagwan Incense, I would like to point out that I cannot write reviews of this brand with complete impartiality. I write a lot of the Bhagwan reviews based on samples that were given to me – these are labelled accordingly.
All reviews are unpaid and reflect my honest opinion, but you are welcome to consider them as advertising.

According to the description, Cedarwood contains the essential oil of the Himalayan cedar.

Cedarwood has a very pleasant, though surprising scent because if I didn’t know better, I would probably guess they were patchouli incense sticks. Indeed, Eugene mentions a very earthy and warm scent in his description, which strongly resonates with my perception.
The vanilla, which is also mentioned, remains pleasantly in the background with Cedarwood. The cedar oil and its natural sweetness seem to form a symbiosis with the vanilla, merging seamlessly. Together with the earthy yet subtly green-fresh aspect, the result is a round, highly pleasant fragrance.

I compared Cedarwood with Bhagwan – Patchouli (behind which I suspect the same manufacturer – HMS): In direct comparison, Patchouli has a much clearer patchouli character, but the scent remains a duet with vanilla, which never submits to the patchouli.
Cedarwood, on the other hand, appears more harmonious; the scent compounds form much more of a unity. The earthiness of the scent is different from that of patchouli, not so geosmin-like musty, but deeper in a balsamic way.

I can’t help but think of Cedarwood as a patchouli scent, and I actually prefer it to Bhagwan‘s Patchouli. It’s a cosy, comforting scent, calm and enveloping.