Mansoon Incense – Cambodian Oudh

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 7 sticks and costs €3.95; €0.56 per stick. They’re 8″ (approx. 20.5cm) long and burn for 40-45 minutes.

The raw scent of Cambodian Oudh has already a pronounced animalic character.

Upon lighting, a rather sooty flame indicates a high content of oils of some sort.
The animalic character, which is often described as ‘barnyard smell’, continues just as clearly in the burning sticks. However, the smell then also shows a hint of sweetness and more of a balsamic softness is added to the overall very deep and dark scent.
It takes only seconds until Cambodian Oudh fills my living room, and after barely a minute the fragrance is (despite a wide-open window and door) impressively intense, but without overwhelming me.

Cambodian Oudh‘s rather subtle sweetness reminds me of the tartness of wild honey, which can also have an almost sour note. In Cambodian Oudh, this tart aspect sits between the sweetness and the animalic component, which is later joined by a spicy note as the stick burns.
At cooler temperatures, the spiciness seems to come out more clearly.

The oudh smell has a slight similarity to Manmohak Oudh by Cycle; those are considerably sweeter, spicier and far less animalic, though. The type of spiciness is similar, however.
In both, I occasionally find a peculiar freshness that is hard to describe.

Alongside the barnyard smell, a dry, warm woodiness and the dark, balsamic resinousness are prominent in Cambodian Oudh. The fragrance is multi-faceted and of an especially robust nature.
I agree with Eugene’s description: “Not for the faint-hearted Oudh lovers!”
Cambodian Oudh belongs with ease to the most remarkable varieties of the current Monsoon Incense range.

Cambodian Oudh also got reviewed by ORS.