Monsoon Incense – Patchouli

This pack was part of a generous selection of samples sent to me by Eugene Andrushchenko, owner of the brands Bhagwan and Monsoon Incense, in mid-2024. At that time, the brand was still called Good Incense.
A 15g pack contains approximately 11 sticks and costs €2.95, which comes to €0.27 per stick. They are 8″ (about 20.5cm) long and burn for 40–45 minutes.

These Patchouli sticks have a similar character to Patchouli by Natural Incense Company. Like those, Monsoon’s Patchouli has a very spicy, almost cinnamon-like scent. Moreover, they are quite sweet, with a vanilla-y, sugary sweetness like it would be radiated by a funfair booth selling candied almonds and other delicacies.
Not untypical for patchouli scents, I notice a musky component in the fragrance. It’s not animalic, but somewhat peculiar, with a balsamic softness.
Over time, more of the earthy aspect comes through, though it never takes centre stage. However, I have the impression that it has become more pronounced as the sticks have aged; a very positive development, in my opinion.
However, the cooler season might also contribute to the sweetness being a little muted, giving more space for the earthy and dark-green herbal patchouli.

Monsoon Incense’s Patchouli has grown on me more and more. I find it particularly well-suited for lovers of sweet patchouli scents.

There’s an ORS review of Patchouli. Furthermore, a comment from Eugene under a review on Incense in The Wind states that these Patchouli incense sticks are produced by Damodaras (DBS). In Steve’s recently published review of Patchouli, he elaborates on some interesting details regarding this.