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Today I am reviewing Shoyeido Amethyst incense sticks.
I received this incense in a Shoyeido incense sampler pack.
This sampler pack contains 10 sticks, 5 being from their Jewel series, and 5 from their Angelic series.
The incense sticks included in the sampler pack are: Inspiration, Peace, Hope, Joy, Love, Diamond, Ruby, Emerald, Sapphire, and Amethyst.
This particular incense from Shoyeido is from their ‘Jewel’ series. Their Jewel series has proven to be quite popular and the Amethyst variety the most popular.
The item description says:
A silky combination of sandalwood and cinnamon – great to use anytime.
The main ingredients in Shoyeido’s Amethyst incense are: Sandalwood, Cinnamon, Saussurea, and spices
The addition of saussurea seems interesting. Saussurea is also known as the snow lotus and has a deep history throughout Asia, including Indian medicine and Chinese martial arts.
Table of Contents
Fragrance Review
So, I’ve burnt through over half of this stick so far while I was writing and sorting the text for this review. Upon lighting it, immediately I notice sandalwood and cinnamon. It seems to be a sweet type of cinnamon, so I’m not sure if it is Ceylon Cinnamon or Cassia.
I don’t have a lot of experience with saussurea in regards to incense, but I can definitely tell there is something else in the fragrance profile. I assume this is the saussurea, and the smell is interesting. The scent is strangely charming. It has a rather balanced scent which isn’t annoyingly sweet or overwhelming. The scent seems airy and wispy in a way.
The fragrance profile is not as complex as many of Shoyeido’s other incense formulations. It seems rather basic, but what it is, this is a quality incense stick. Taking the price into consideration, I can see why this incense is so popular.
Supposedly the full-length sticks burn for about 30 minutes, but my half stick sampler seemed to only burn for 10minutes or so. This leads to to think that this incense may burn faster then some of Shoyeido’s other varieties.
Conclusion
Considering the price, this is a fine sandalwood incense with cinnamon overtones. I could see most people enjoying this incense.
Shoyeido Company History
Shoyeido has been around for over 300 years and is one of the more prominent Japanese incense manufacturers and exporters. The founder of the company was Rokubei Moritsune Hata, who was an employee in Kyoto’s Imperial Palace in the 18th century. The history of Shoyeido has now spanned over twelve generations.
Due to Shoyeido’s company history, they are considered to be an accurate representation of Japanese incense. If you haven’t really tried much Japanese incense, then Shoyeido is probably one of the better brands to start with.
It’s typical for Japanese incense manufacturers to use nature as inspiration for their creations. Many Japanese incense creations are forged from the memory of fragrances experienced in past-times. This leads Japanese incense to be quite different from the other various forms.
Kyoto, the city where Shoyeido is located, is essentially a cultural center for Japan. Traditional goods, arts, and practices are kept alive in this city. An interesting fact about Kyoto is that it was almost a target for an atomic bomb during World War 2. However, the US Secretary of State at the time, Henry Lewis Stimson, personally intervened to save Kyoto from destruction.
Have you tried Shoyeido Amethyst incense sticks?
Let us know what you thought about them in the comment section below!
