Ramakrishna’s – Special Amber
I got this pack of Special Amber as a gift from my friend Silver. She bought it directly from Ramakrishna’s in India.
Ramakrishna’s are quite difficult to come by in Germany. The best option to buy Ramakrishna’s is via GoaBay, where Special Amber costs 420.00₹ or 220.00₹ on permanent offer. Aside of that, there’s also an American eBay shop selling the brand, though I can’t find this variety there.
One pack contains 4 sticks, which weigh about 18g each. The sticks are 21cm long (of which slightly more than 17cm is actual incense) and have a diameter of slightly more than one centimetre. Despite this, the bamboo stick isn’t thicker than with most ordinary masala incense sticks.
I’ve never burnt a whole stick at once, but I estimate that one stick burns for about two hours.
I have to admit, the enormous thickness of these incense sticks is intimidating, and for the first attempt I went outside on my balcony.
In the left photo you can see how resin, resinoid (an extract of aromatic resins or balsams) or something similar has emerged from the stick where the flame had touched it upon lighting.
The smoke development is quite moderate considering the thickness of the sticks, which is why I later decided to use them inside the house as well.
The raw sticks have a certain, animalic muskiness, but I don’t notice it when burning.
The fragrance is quite classic for the amber genre. Characterised by a warm, soft balsamic sweetness that’s carried by dark, deep and earthy notes.
I don’t find Special Amber particularly complex. Nevertheless, it’s very pleasant and interesting. What sets the fragrance apart from others is its pronounced powderiness, which lends it a special softness.
Special Amber smells attractive and has its own character. Despite the extremely thick sticks, the fragrance is gentle and pleasant.
The unusual format alone should make incense stick enthusiasts curious to try them. For this reason, I’ve decided to give the two spare sticks to friends.
There’s a Reddit post about Special Amber. The same user ordered from GoaBay some time later, but instead of the Special Amber got the regular version, which he was equally thrilled by.
This version is sold by Monsoon Incense under the name Woods, and I’ve got samples of it; so there’ll also be a review of these as well.