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title: "Incense Review: Abundance / Oud by Flora Botanical Incense "
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description: "Reviewing Abundance / Oud from Flora Botanical Incense and talking about agarwood in combustible incense."
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date: 2025-12-19
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tags:
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- Incense
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- Incense Review
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synopsis: "Reviewing Abundance / Oud from Flora Botanical Incense and talking about agarwood in combustible incense."
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imageURL: /img/flora_botanical_incense_abundance_oud/flora_botanical_incense_abundance_oud_preview_copy.webp
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imageAlt: "A closeup of incense packaging, reading: Flora Botanical Incense, Pure and Natural, Plant based."
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mastodon_id: "115748680674563634"
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---
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Flora Botanical Incense is the brainchild of Alyssa Severeid, who is also behind the [Incense Explorer podcast](https://www.incenseexplorer.com/)[^1]. I'd been keen to try her sticks for some time, but I admit the price tag kept me at bay until a recent sale. Not long after ordering I was delighted to receive a rather pretty compostable mailer along with the usual contingent of bills and junk mail. The packaging of the sticks is rather clever: a cardstock sleeve wraps around an oblong chunk of cork with a shallow divot removed to contain the sticks. The cork component doubles as a burner, which is nice.
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The format and premium pricing of these sticks really intrigued me; in my part of the world, almost all high end sticks on the market are small and coreless, in the style of Chinese or Japanese incense. Virtually everything you'll find on a bamboo splint here is very much on the low end[^2]. The price point is directly addressed [on the brand's Instagram page](https://www.instagram.com/p/DSVgKeujxPf/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==) , which notes a few key factors, boiling down to the use of natural, responsibly sourced and whole-botanical ingredients. A former print broker, I suspect the packaging has something to do with it too. As an incense-maker, I am also well aware of the fact that in order to get any kind of pleasant fragrance from whole-botanical ingredients, their quality has to be very high—ergo their price tends to be also. This is especially true of agarwood.
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[](/img/flora_botanical_incense_abundance_oud/flora_botanical_incense_abundance_oud_drawer_copy.webp)
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The sticks are very neatly made; they appear to consist of a solid, even, light-brown masala, machine extruded to coat a rather hefty bamboo splint. Each stick is roughly eleven inches (27.8cm) long with a burnable length of seven and a half inches (19cm). There is little to no fragrance on the unlit stick. This aligns with the ingredients listed on the packaging: cultivated agarwood powder (Aquilaria crassna); litsea powder; bamboo stick. Clearly, these are not Japanese style "sweet" agarwood sticks in which sandalwood, camphor, and spices bolster a small amount of agarwood, but these sticks also do not appear to be using the sort of high-end woods that you often find in a strictly-agarwood stick, which can be so rich with resin that they emit fragrance at room temperature.
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Lighting up a stick of *Oud* from Flora Botanical Incense put a smile on my face as I was met with the distinctive aroma of agarwood. It's very obviously a natural fragrance, which I appreciate—the effort that goes into making any whole botanical incense is not lost on me. As the stick burns, however, the characteristic harshness of low-end agarwood creeps in. I don't mean that as a knock; this acrid note is found anywhere less than top-shelf agarwood is used—you'll also find it in Yi-Xin's *Everyday Aloes* and Kyara Zen's *Mystery of the Goose Pear*. Last night I thought I detected a hint in Yamadamatsu's *Suifu* (although, if so, it was cleverly obscured with camphor). It just happens to be a note that I don't particularly like. The balance between yin and yang here isn't too bad, however; I am still able to enjoy the sticks. The overall fragrance is gentle enough not to be bothersome, but has no trouble filling the room. It lingers quietly after the burn, but disappears before too long.
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[](/img/flora_botanical_incense_abundance_oud/flora_botanical_incense_abundance_oud_sticks_copy.webp)
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Unless you are working with [very high grades of agarwood](https://makertube.net/w/ns6yRBLjQE1aKDYaHv2Qs8)[^3] you will typically see ambergris-like striations in the wood between the resin and white wood fibers. Unlike the redolent heartwood of the sandal tree, these white fibers contain little oil, and thus, little fragrance. This is all very well when you are putting a cultivated "skin" on the heater to enjoy at 180°c, but when you grind up the wood whole and put it into a stick of combustible incense, those white fibers emit a harsh, acrid smell that evokes burning paper and marmite.
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This has largely prevented me from using agarwood in my work—I find affordable agarwood acrid and, well, just take a look at the price [of](https://www.ensaroud.com/product-category/oud-wood/oud-chips/) [the](https://www.kangiiten.com/collections/agarwood) [nice](https://www.risingphoenixperfumery.com/collections/agarwood) [stuff](https://www.agaroots.com/collections/chips/products/cambodi-grade-aaa-1) . But when it comes to buying incense for my own enjoyment, I don't mind spending a bit of money. I really enjoy artisanal single-origin agarwood sticks, so rich with resin (and charcoal to keep all that resin burning) that the sticks are black. There's something so moreish about that nigh-indescribable, sticky, room-filling fragrance that lingers for hours. I guess what I'm trying to say is that at $68 for 25 sticks, for me, the value is just not there in Flora Botanical's *Oud* sticks. At this price point, I'm really looking for quality over quantity: I'd be much happier with a small bundle of skinny and redolent coreless sticks—all resin with the few decigrams of binder and charcoal necessary to keep them solid and burning. These days, this is well achievable with cultivated woods.
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[](/img/flora_botanical_incense_abundance_oud/agarwood_skins_vs_white_kinam_bead_waste.webp)
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I'm not unimpressed with these sticks, though. The bamboo stick and the wider diameter part and parcel of this format really can fight against you in your effort to produce a good fragrance, but the sticks seem well made and I am absolutely going to work my way through the box. If you enjoy the harsher side of less resinated agarwood, and you're not looking for a composition, you really can't go wrong here. As for me: am I likely to buy another box? No. But would I complain if my partner lit a stick in the living room? Absolutely not.
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[^1]: Alyssa also happens to be part of an incense-makers chat group that I am a member of, but rest assured, I intend to be impartial in my review of her work all the same.
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[^2]: Of course, it may just be that I simply don't know where to find the good stuff.
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[^3]: Republished because Instagram was sending anyone who clicked the link to a totally random reel for some reason.
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42
content/blog/what-ive-been-up-to-lately-holiday-edition.md
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content/blog/what-ive-been-up-to-lately-holiday-edition.md
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title: "What I’ve Been Up to Lately: Holiday Edition"
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description: "Some things I've been doing in the lead up to crimbo."
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date: 2025-12-22
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tags:
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- Life
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synopsis: "Some things I've been doing in the lead up to crimbo.."
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imageURL: /img/what-ive-been-up-to-holiday-edition/christmas-wreath.webp
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imageAlt: "Some fake red berries on branches with false pine-cones and needle-like leaves, mounted on a gold mesh with yellow fairy lights. Some moss is visible on the bottom right corner."
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mastodon_id: "115765976616748230"
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---
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## Christmas time
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Sol sneakily decorated the apartment while I was busy earlier in the month, with two wreaths they made a year or two ago with parts from a trip to [Michaels](https://www.michaels.com/), and some paper chains we made last year (?) out of cardstock printed with plaid patterns and gold foil. They also left some of those tiny fake presents on my desk that I bought because I thought they were cute.
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[](/img/what-ive-been-up-to-holiday-edition/christmas-wreath.webp)
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I got myself, Sol, and Davey an advent calendar each earlier in the month. I couldn't believe the advent calendars they have available these days. I was still under the impression that your options were either little holiday-themed pictures or wee pieces of waxy chocolate. Sol's contains a bath bomb for each day leading up to Christmas, Davey's has a series of magic tricks, and for myself, a traditionalist, I purchased an advent calendar containing wee pieces of waxy vegan white chocolate. But one year, when I'm feeling flush, I think I'd like to get myself a [Nippon Kodo incense advent calendar](https://nipponkodostore.com/products/advent-calendar).
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[](/img/what-ive-been-up-to-holiday-edition/christmas-paper-chain.webp)
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I sent out some holiday cards too. It's a tradition that I think needs a resurgence—people ought to get something nice in the mail now and then besides an Amazon package.
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## The trombone doctor
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The F-valve on my Conn 88H trombone seems to be prone to sticking. The other day, after being left alone (and in cold weather) for a few days, it became stuck so badly that I couldn't loosen it myself. Davey kindly agreed to drive me up to Des Plaines to see [Dana Hofer](https://www.danahoferbrassrepair.com/), a well known brass repair technician. I'd been meaning to see Dana for some time to have the thing cleaned professionally, but I just never seemed to have $320 lying around to put towards trombone maintenance. Alas, the situation had come to a head. On Saturday, I grabbed my Conn and my old Benge 165F (a little worse for wear as a result of a couple unfortunate marching-band accidents while in the care of my younger brother), and Sol, Davey, and I headed up to Des Plaines.
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[](/img/what-ive-been-up-to-holiday-edition/conn-88h-trombone-in-the-bath.webp)
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Dana was very friendly and conversational. Turns out, in addition to being the go-to brass instrument repair man for all of the pros in the [CSO](https://cso.org/), he played the tuba on the 2004 album [*Cathedral Brass* by Cathedral Brass](https://open.spotify.com/album/5kZDcoigkQgcI3hcb5r2x1), and he does a bit of recreational blacksmithing. (We came away with a hand-forged coat hook and an indestructible iron bottle-opener!) We struck a deal in which I traded in my old Benge trombone for a free service on my Conn plus a modest sum on top, which I'm really happy about. Firstly because I was nervous about the price of the cleaning and repair, and secondly because, after serving me and my brother faithfully through high-school, the battle-worn Benge had been sitting around unplayed for years. I'm delighted to see it in the best possible care until it can move on to a new home. Billed as a transitional instrument between a student and professional model, the Benge 165F was basically a budget Conn 88H. With a closed-wrap F-attachment and a beautiful rose brass bell, it's a great horn that can absolutely hold its own against professional models. They don't make them anymore, so someone is going to be really glad to get to use it once Dana performs his craft.
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[](/img/what-ive-been-up-to-holiday-edition/blacksmith-forged-coat-hanger-bottle-opener.webp)
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After we saw Dana, we went for lunch at [*Boon Cafe*](https://www.booncafe.net/), a halal, vegan, Indian-Arab fusion restaurant featuring, to quote the restaurant's website: "A unique menu for Halal, Vegan, Vegetarian, Gluten Free, Pescetarian Individuals. EVERYONE enjoys a meal together." At the time, the place was pretty quiet, and staffed, it seemed, only by a single industrious teenager. Because I'm an absolute health-nut, I had the vegan Chana Chaat from the "Fry Bar" menu, in which various toppings (in this case saucy chickpeas and pita chips) are piled on top of a mound of fries, plus a side of vegan mac and cheese. Davey had the Sumac Clucker Vegan, and Sol had the Pulled BBQ Mushroom Burger with a side of mac and cheese. We all wound up having some of the Chana Chaat as it was a very large plate of food. Everyone enjoyed what they ordered. The mac and cheese was solid (although salt levels might have been increased a touch). In my opinion it was neck and neck with *[Chicago Diner](https://veggiediner.com/)*, but below *[Alice & Friends' Vegan Kitchen](https://aliceandfriendsvegankitchen.com/)*, which I maintain makes the best vegan mac and cheese in the city of Chicago now that, heartbreakingly, *Upton's Breakroom* has closed.
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## Incense samples
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I've been having a lot of fun going through some of the incense samples sent to me by [Irene](https://blog.rauchfahne.de/en/). I predominantly burn Japanese incense, and some of the Indian style sticks she sent me have been a great change of pace. There were some really nice and/or interesting Japanese sticks included too, like Yamadamatsu's Hyofu, and Hikali Koh's Morikage. The latter was like a [Japanese Nag Champa](https://blog.rauchfahne.de/en/2024/11/27/nag-champa-tier-list/), which was wild to experience.
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It was also a pleasure to try a stick she made with Atlas Cedar. Irene has been giving me advice for some time now, so I knew her work was going to be good, but _god damn—_ I see why people keep telling her to sell her work! Sol loved it too. I've been in a bit of a slump with my incense making recently; none of my experiments seem to be working. But I found those Atlas Cedar sticks quite inspiring, not only because they were good, but because the fragrance was so new to me, and it was so *clean.* It's easy to forget when you're experimenting with ingredients that simply do not want to smell nice in the burn just how good and clean a fragrance you can achieve with predominantly whole-botanicals. It's like a reminder that there's light at the end of the tunnel.
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## Steam sale
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Now that I have a good chunk of time off, I have also found myself taking advantage of the Steam winter sale. I immediately became hooked on [*Detroit: Become Human*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Detroit:_Become_Human) (performance issues aside), which is a cinematic choose-your-own-adventure story where you play as three sentient androids in a world where androids are abused and enslaved. I keep wanting to play it on the couch, but with the stuttering ~~it seems like I'm going to have to~~ I am having to stream it from the beefier rig in my office.
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I also nabbed [*Easy Delivery Co.*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Easy_Delivery_Co.), which is charming beyond words, *[20XX](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/20XX)*, *[Battlefront II](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Wars_Battlefront_II_(2017_video_game))*, *[Breakout Recharged](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breakout_(video_game)#Re-releases_and_enhanced_versions)*, *[Golf with your Friends](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golf_With_Your_Friends)*, and *[High on Life](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_on_Life_(video_game))*. I had a quick go on *Breakout Recharged,* before quickly deciding that I needed to return to the game with a mouse and keyboard later. I haven't tried the others yet, but there's plenty of time ahead.
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title: Amber Moon
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manufacturer: Holy Smokes (Berk)
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date: 2025-12-17 12:53:00
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date: 2025-12-17 10:53:00
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time: 10:53 AM
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---
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title: Hyofu
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manufacturer: Yamadamatsu
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date: 2025-12-17 11:58:00
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time: 11:58 AM
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---
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When I lit this stick, I actually laughed out loud after getting an immediate and beautiful hit of frankincense. The melony frankincense note here is very much in the same vein as Tennendo's frankincense sticks. I'm not convinced it's pure resin, but it's really nice.
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title: "Marco Polo’s Treasures - Red Mirrha"
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manufacturer: Fiore D’Oriente
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date: 2025-12-21 14:10:00
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time: 2:10 PM
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title: Morikage
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manufacturer: Hikali Koh
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date: 2025-12-17 14:38:00
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time: 2:38 PM
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title: Nagchampa Aditi
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manufacturer: Mother’s
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date: 2025-12-21 16:08:00
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time: 4:08 PM
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title: Oud
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manufacturer: Flora Botanical Incense
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date: 2025-12-18 11:04:00
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time: 11:04 AM
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---
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