Today I am going to be reviewing Shoyeido’s Southern Wind incense sticks.
Table of Contents
Southern Wind Incense Packaging
I purchased and received a sample Shoyeido’s Southern Wind incense sticks within one of their premium incense stick samplers.
The packaging is beautiful and very Japanese.
The sampler pack contained the following incense sticks:
- King’s Aroma (Ohjya-koh)
- Pride of Kyoto (Kyo-jiman)
- Beckoning Spring (Shun-yo)
- Gentle Smile (Misho)
- Southern Wind (Nan-kun)
- Refinement (Ga-ho)
- Infinity (Myo-ho)
- Translucent Path (Sho-kaku)
These incense sticks are marketed as ‘All Natural’ and are said to contain no synthetic oils or fragrances. A lot of people are picky about the quality of incense they burn, and you should be too. Remember that you are inhaling whatever incense you are burning, so it’s important that it is non-toxic.
The product description says:
One of Shoyeido’s finest, Southern Wind may bring to mind the languorous warmth of endless summer days.
Here is the ingredient list for Shoyeido Southern Wind incense sticks.
Agarwood (Aquilaria agallocha), Benzoin (Styrax), Clove (Syzygium aromaticum) and other spices.
This is an interesting incense because it’s main ingredient is not only aloeswood, but the higher quality version of it (Aquilaria).
This is actually my first time trying this incense. It’s particularly expensive, with a package of 35 sticks costing over $150. This is likely due to the aloeswood content, which is one of the priciest materials on earth.
Southern Wind Fragrance Review
The Japanese are keen on a practice where they ‘listen’ to the incense.
Sometimes when I light incense, I like to close my eyes and see where it takes me.
Upon lighting this stick of Southern Wind, I was immediately transported to a trade caravan traveling east to Japan. I could smell crisp air. The dirt trails we passed. That typical aloeswood acridity and woody bitterness which seem to circulate and entrance anyone passing by. It makes me think of a time long-ago. A time which I’ll have never the chance to experience.
That is becoming even more true with how scarce and expensive quality aloeswood is becoming.
The benzoin and clove are both noticeable but sit in the background.
What I like about this incense is that it’s scent is primarily aquilaria aloeswood. They spice it up a bit, but this is something I would recommend to somebody interested in trying a traditional aloeswood incense stick.
Conclusion
If you’re into Japanese-style incense, particularly aloeswood based variants, then I think these would be well-received.
