Bhagwan – Balsamic Amber

I already received a few sticks of Balsamic Amber back in late 2023 when Eugene (the owner of Bhagwan Incense) sent me the first samples. When he let me know he’d be sending more in mid-2024, I took the opportunity to reorder a few favourites, including this one.

I paid €4.95 for a 15g pack of 8 sticks (~ €0.62 per stick); however, the price has since gone up by one euro, to €0.74 per stick.
They are 8″ (approx. 20.5 cm) long and burn for 40–45 minutes.

It annoys me a little that it took me so long to review Balsamic Amber, as these are outstanding incense sticks. But especially with these, I like to take my time to do them justice.
Moreover, cold winter air does this fragrance absolutely no favours — something I realised when I lit one of the samples briefly in January. My notes from then mention a dull, unremarkable scent with little sweetness.
The after-smell, however, was an entirely different story, as it smelled deeply aromatic and fascinating. Therefore, I was very curious to finally experience this scent in warmer weather…

My second attempt was in April, and it couldn’t have been more impressive: such a rich, dense and complex amber scent as I had never encountered before!

The sweetness is deeply balsamic and merges with a saturated palette of aromatic notes that evoke all sorts of associations: honeybee products, like the slightly tart-smelling propolis; but also dried fruit, figs in particular, and furthermore Kletzenbrot.
I also detect a particular spicy note I’ve occasionally found in some oudh incense sticks, one I usually describe as reminiscent of Magenbrot. Oudh Majestic is a good example of this; I suspect it comes from the same manufacturer. As in those, I also find a light volatile note in Balsamic Amber which I don’t find it unpleasant here either, especially since it’s even weaker than in Oudh Majestic.

The more space the smoke has to diffuse, the more clearly the fragrance reveals its layers. The smoke spreading down the hallway opens up the scent of labdanum, with its dark, kinda mystical character. It’s rarely encountered in incense sticks but in fact a classic element of the amber accord.

Balsamic Amber is potent, and the scent is very dense; these sticks benefit greatly from good ventilation and a spacious environment, whether that’s a genuinely large room or opened doors.
At the same time, their strength allows for very economical use. Just burning a few centimetres is enough to fill a room with a wonderful, long-lasting fragrance.
The after-smell is a true delight; for me, more akin to the room-note of loose incense than that of sticks.

Amber is one of my all-time favourite scent genres, and Balsamic Amber instantly placed itself among my top picks in this category.
What sets Balsamic Amber apart from other amber sticks, is its distinctive, aromatic-tart aroma and its complexity. This is a truly fantastic amber, a fragrance I want to bathe in.

There’s an ORS review of Balsamic Amber available.