Today I am going to be reviewing Shoyeido Translucent Path incense sticks.
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Translucent Path Incense Packaging
So, this particular incense I received came in their ‘Premium Incense Assortment’ sampler pack, which I purchased along with some other of their products.
The product description says:
Translucent Path is the crown jewel of incense. It is made of kyara – the most cherished and fragrant form of agarwood. It is unlike any other fragrance on Earth.
Shoyeido’s master incense crafters spent a full decade perfecting the recipe for this exquisite fragrance. With great care and clear intention, a true masterpiece of fragrance was born.
They make it apparent that these are mostly kyara, and I’ve read all over the internet that Shoyeido claims these are primarily pure kyara, with the addition of some necessarily binder.
Kyara is the finest variety of agarwood available on the market and it is not possible to produce it via artificial methods.
As far as Shoyeido is concerned, this is the top tier of incense, and their priciest incense as well. This is not for the meek, as a box of this incense can cost upwards of $500 to $850 a pack.
Review
These Shoyeido Translucent Path incense sticks sure pack a punch.
These have very deep and rich characteristics and the fragrance almost seems intoxicating. I’m not kidding, these incense sticks may temporarily altar your sense of perception. Those of you who are familiar with high quality of kyara know what I’m talking about. The scent almost envelops you as the stick burns.
Listening to this incense describes a deep complexity which although is distinctly agarwood, is hard to describe.
I wouldn’t say it’s musky odor is overwhelming, but it’s not light either.
There are some other unusual elements at play in this kyara incense stick.
The iconic musky bitterness, some fruity elements, and some spice. At the same time, it is mildly sweet and also sour. As I mentioned, the fragrance profile is quite complex.
The musky kyara scent seems to linger around quite a while. More so then many other agarwood incense sticks which I have burned. As the smoke airs out, the scent becomes more wispy and you can pick up some additional scent notes.
A thing I really like about these Translucent Path incense sticks, in comparison with some of their other premium incense blends, is that they burn a little longer. The resinous kyara agarwood seems to slow down the burning process.
Although these are spectacular incense sticks, for some reason, I find myself preferring Shoyeido’s Infinity incense sticks, which are slightly cheaper.
