Morning Star Sandalwood Incense Review

I will open this review by simply stating that I love sandalwood. It is one of those fragrances that is the perfect combination of spicy and woody with an earthy touch that makes me adore it in (almost) all its variants. For example, it is now well known that I am a huge fan of Genieco’s Gonesh Extra Rich Sandalwood. I like that version because it’s thick and earthy and not necessarily because it’s an exact version of sandalwood. I like the slightly different character.

Which brings me to Morning Star by Nippon-Kodo and its sandalwood. Right out of the box, the scent is almost perfect. Spicy, woody and with a slight earthy touch so that the aroma is full-bodied and warm. I was enjoying the aroma of the stick so much that I was hesitant to put it on the included ceramic burner and light it. I was afraid that the wonderful scent would change character too much and diminish my enjoyment.

I shouldn’t have worried. When lit, the bar still shows all the character and aroma of the unlit bar, but with a bit more intensity. Morning Star incense is of a variety that produces less smoke and the aromas are always delicate and never overpowering. Unlike some Indian or Tibetan incense sticks. Like I said before, I am a big fan of Gonesh Extra Rich Sandalwood, but even I have to admit that the smoke output is pretty high. Not so with Morning Star. I strongly believe that Morning Star is an incense that can be enjoyed by people who have an aversion (for whatever reason) to incense.

So this is a winner in my book and one that I will definitely use again and again. The inclusion of a small square ceramic burner in each box is a nice touch, although I found the hole to be too large and let the stick lean. So I would suggest placing the stick upright in a small container of sand.