Anand – Unique Nag Champa

This sample with two sticks was a gift from my friend Silver, who lives in India.
They’re extruded, powder-coated sticks, measuring 8″ (about 20.5 cm) in length. A while ago, Steve also reviewed Unique Nag Champa. His sticks look like mine, but the ones in the product image from Ephra look hand-rolled. A 15g box of Unique Nag Champa costs €1.75 there.
It’s possible that production of this variety was outsourced, or perhaps it was never produced by Anand and the manufacturer has simply changed. Alternatively, they might have just modified production, or there may be one version for export and another for the domestic market.

On the packaging, these incense sticks are labelled as Fluxo, a term that usually refers to extra-thick sticks with particularly intense fragrance. However, they are absolutely average in both regards.

“Unique” certainly describes these Nag Champa, but mostly because I don’t find them particularly typical of the genre. Without knowing the name, I wouldn’t necessarily identify them as Nag Champa.
There’s a certain floral aspect, but it seems non-specific and not particularly pronounced either. On one hand, I find the scent profile rather generic; on the other, I occasionally catch some notes that are rather unusual.
First and foremost, there is a fresh, kinda sour note, which at times I find unpleasant and sharp, but other times sparkling and interesting. When I perceive it negatively, it reminds me of vinegar cleaner. Sometimes I also catch a creamy, fruity note similar to what I smelled in Vijayshree – Nag Beuzinho. When I find the sour note to be sparkling and pleasant, it’s connected to this, as a part of the fruity complex.
Equally fleeting is a subtle bitter note that appears and varnishes as it pleases. When I catch it, it reminds me of Goddess from Kamini. Both are woven into a woody, somewhat creamy-sweet, and perfumey-cosmetic construct of scents, which overall I perceive as rather synthetic.

Unique Nag Champa doesn’t smell unpleasant, but to my nose, it simply doesn’t smell good either.