Rising Phoenix Perfume LaoShan Monkoh Sandalwood Incense Review

JK Delapp of Rising Pheonix Perfume was kind enough to send along a sample of their 2014 Laoshan Monkoh sandalwood incense sticks.

I was sent 2 sticks in total.

Brand: Rising Pheonix Perfume
Jungle: Mysore, Karnataka – India
Production: Made in 2014 by a Chinese incense artisan.
Ingredients: Premium old-stock Mysore sandalwood and makko powder.

Genuine Mysore sandalwood is often considered the ‘holy grail’ of sandalwood. Unfortunately, it is becoming increasingly rare. The Indian government controls the export of most of the material, and with declining supplies, the world is seeing less and less of the material. In some regions of the world, it is near impossible to obtain.

Since these incense sticks are from 2014, these incense sticks are apparently old-stock. Despite being old-stock, these incense sticks smell very potent right off the stick.

JK Delapp charges $165 for 10 grams of this incense, equating to about $4.50 a stick, so this incense is not for faint of heart. He mentioned that he received this incense from a Chinese incense artisan he has worked with in the past.

These incense sticks appear slightly thinner then most other coreless incense sticks I have tried and appear to consist of a very fine powder.

I have now burned one and a half of these incense sticks, and since I only have half of one left now, I imagine it is time to conduct my review.

Review

It might sound silly, but this is what sandalwood is supposed to smell like.

Some people may say, shouldn’t all sandalwood smell like sandalwood? Well, sure, but top-quality centennial sandalwood is no longer a common commodity. Most of the sandalwood available is plantation grade and the fragrance profile often lacks character, as the trees are typically much younger when harvested.

This sandalwood incense is buttery, milky, silky-smooth, and at the same time, the scent seems ethereal in nature. The scent is very clearing and the smoke seems to melt your thoughts away. The sandalwood was definitely taken from an old wild tree, with a strong terpene profile. Despite being made in 2014, with the sandalwood being even older, these pack a serious punch.

This is a top-quality incense stick, and is up there with some of the high-end Mysore sandalwood incense sticks I have burned from some of the top Japanese incense houses.

The scent seems to linger in the room for hours.

An absolutely amazing incense stick, but one that comes at a high-price.

If you can afford them, I would recommend them, as they really are great, but in order to truly appreciate them, I recommend getting acquainted with some cheaper varieties first.

Have you tried Rising Pheonix Perfumes 2014 LaoShan Monkoh Sandalwood incense sticks?

Let us know what you thought about them in the comment section below!