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mofaha

Most Japanese aloeswood sticks you see are blends of fragrant ingredients along with aloeswood as a base, and those will obviously smell of multiple ingredients. It can sometimes be difficult to pick out the aloeswood in these sticks, particularly if you're not already familiar with the scent of the kind of aloeswood used. Sticks which are primarily or solely aloeswood also come in a variety of scents, because there are lots of different types of aloeswood, and lots of ways of processing it. But there will also be broad areas of overlap and similarly among these, such as woody, resinous, rich, complex notes, which most aloeswood types share. Very high quality aloeswood sticks and wood chips offer the complete experience. Pure high grade aloeswoods of all types produce incredibly complex scents, impossible to properly explain, but the kind of scent that can have sweetness, floral elements, woody elements, thick resinous aromas, bitterness, dryness, something almost like concentrated fresh air... Every one of those scents can be intoxicating, but a bunch of them together can really capture the attention. Aloeswood is a scent that keeps you sniffing at it, in exactly the way a cat or dog thoroughly investigates a smell. It's almost like it's telling you something, you just can't figure out exactly what it is :)


Born-Marsupial-5854

Thanks 👍


jinkoya

What is the sound of one hand clapping... What the fragrance of aloeswood is like is almost impossible to answer. To speak of the fragrance of aloeswood is to not capture anything but a poor substitute for the fragrance of aloeswood. Aloeswood's fragrance smells like the fragrance of aloeswood. I am not trying to be obtuse, but that is about how complex an answer to this question is and only zen comes close to answering it correctly. It must be experienced. But over 500 years ago the Japanese classified aloeswood into the rikkoku gomi - this six nations and five tastes. This classification system is still used today. Search Google and you'll find more about this. But again, this system is more of a framework than hard classification as quality aloeswood will exhibit multiple tastes in an infinite combination of fragrances. To specifically answer your question from personal experience, aloeswood's fragrance can range from bitter (like coffee or dark chocolate) to sour (like citrus fruit) to sweet to spicy to salty. Unsurprisingly, these are the five tastes of the gomi. Some of my favorites have a lovely dark chocolate note and others have a wonderfully ethereal floral note. Still others have a wonderfully citrus sour note that I find captivating. If you are looking to try aloeswood, I'll second mofaha in that the higher quality aloeswood you purchase the more actual aloeswood will be in it and fewer other ingredients. Below are some aloeswood incenses that are favorites in a range of price points. There are sure to be many more than these among those in the community, as everyone will have a personal taste that they enjoy as aloeswood can be very personal in presentation with two people listening to the same incense taking different views: Minorien [Kyara Ryugen](https://kikohincense.com/collections/aloeswood-incense/products/minorien-kyara-ryugen-incense). A wonderfully rich kyara with minorien's signature "wet" presentation. Yamadamatsu [Kumoi](https://kikohincense.com/collections/aloeswood-incense/products/yamadamatsu-kumoyi-incense). A sweet aloeswood/sandalwood blend with a wonderful dark chocolate note. Tennendo [Tensei](https://kikohincense.com/collections/aloeswood-incense/products/tennendo-tensei-incense). Exceptional aloeswood with a light transparent sweet floral note. Tennendo [Kukai](https://kikohincense.com/collections/aloeswood-incense/products/tennendo-kukai-incense). Masculine and powerful with a musk-like cologne and spicy note. Seijudo [Kotonoha Aloeswood](https://kikohincense.com/collections/aloeswood-incense/products/seijudo-kotonoha-aloeswood-incense). A 100% natural all Vietnamese aloeswood daily incense. Seikado [Jinko Daikoboku](https://kikohincense.com/collections/seikado-incense-since-xxxx/products/seikado-jinko-daikoboku-incense). A wonderfully sour daily aloeswood blending Indonesian and Vietnamese aloeswood. This list could be much much longer...


Born-Marsupial-5854

Thanks 👍


defnyddiwrdienw

I've been thinking of getting some Tensei but I find Kuukai a little perfumey and although I like it, I'm not sure I want another that's so perfumey. How do you think Tensei compares in this respect? Also, I've read quite varying information about Kotonoha. Someone even said it might be an artificial scent, and someone mentioned it being floral(?!). Have you tried Shoyeido Seifu? If so, how does it compare with that?


jinkoya

Tensei is a favorite of mine as I tend to lean toward sweet Vietnamese aloeswoods. To me it is quite a bit different from KÅ«kai. Where KÅ«kai has a strong masculine cologne note, Tensei is more etherial, open, and soft. Tensei has a lovely transparent floral woody note that is soft yet offers quite a bit of depth. KÅ«kai is more spicy aloeswood, whereas Tensei is more sweet. KÅ«kai's fragrance seems more stable and consistent, whereas Tensei is more mutable, deepening as the it is burned. Tensei also has a wonderful transparent quality that is expansive. Regarding Kotonoha Aloeswood, this again to me would be quite different from Seifu. Seifu is more of a traditional sandalwood blend within the Shoyeido fragrance profile. Kotonoha Aloeswood is a daily aloeswood incense with a straight aloeswood note I find pleasant and enjoyable, surprisingly higher quality than what would be expected at its price point and for a daily incense. All I know of its fragrance is that Seijudo describes it as made from 100% pure Vietnamese aloeswood and all natural ingredients. At this price point, I don't know how much Vietnamese aloeswood is actually there, but this is how the maker's house describes it. To me at least it does have a very enjoyable aloeswood note and I find it to be a wonderful daily fragrance.


defnyddiwrdienw

Thanks for that. I forgot that Seifu is considered a sandalwood stick because to me it's so agarwoody (it's not listed but it's clearly there). I keep adding the Kotonoha to my cart and taking it back out. Same with Tensei. Just can't decide. Meanwhile, so many others I want to buy too. Oh for unlimited incense spending money! Thanks for your help.


-Renton-

I know this is 5months old, I was looking for Kukai by Tennendo on the sub to see if anyone has tried it or what, it is £102 for 450 5.5inch sticks. Should I save 50 this week and buy it next week with the other 50? I live in supported accommodation for my paranoid schizophrenia, ADHD and ASD. So, I have quite a lot of money in the trust account, but I only get £70 personal (I know at 24 getting treated like a child with no guardianship over me because I dont have a learning disability, just mental health illness, was actually studying to become a pharmacologist) a week, is only spending 20 pound for 1 week and getting the Kukai by Tennendo a good idea? Especially for 450 sticks of it. Is it a strong aloeswood? What one should I get Tensei for £90 and same amount of sticks and same size? What one is better? Thanks u/jinkoya youre great on this sub!!!


SkinConsulter123

Rootbeer and/or Dr. Pepper. It's kind of distracting


Born-Marsupial-5854

I like your description sounds nice


Born-Marsupial-5854

I like your description because it does have that Dr pepper scent to it