There are few incense ingredients as confusing as Dragons Blood. The name Dragons Blood can refer to no less than sixteen different resins from the same number of trees. It may also refer to the extremely poisonous mineral cinnibar (mercury sulfide), although not in recent times that I know of. It is also another name for red rock opium, but it does not contain opiates and its intoxicating properties are doubtful at best.
More commonly, although dragon blood incense is made from Dracaena draco gold Daemonorops draco trees. The first is known as “true” dragon blood. The scent is variously described as sensual, deep, penetrating, and often sweet. Given those properties of the scent, it is no wonder that it is often included in the rituals and spells of our pagan and Wiccan friends as an aid to sexuality and desire. I find the scent to be a bit “floral” at times, depending on the manufacturer. However, that may just be my nose and my penchant for warm, earthy notes like patchouli.
Hem’s Dragon Blood Incense smells quite a lot like a host of other dragon blood offerings from other manufacturers. Please note this does not include pure resin dragon blood. That scent is so much richer and more attractive than any stick version you’ve ever experienced. This palo is slightly spicy, sultry, sensual in a way, and surprisingly rich. In fact, this is one of the few times I can think of the “Hem Scent” that usually bothers me so much works with the scent rather than against it. The oily and slightly bitter aroma that I find to be characteristic of Hem’s incense sticks adds a mysterious finish to the aroma that I actually find quite pleasant.
Sometimes I arbitrarily assign incense scents to things that happen in everyday life and this is definitely a scent of “the storm has knocked out power tonight, so let’s sit in the dark and talk.” It has that kind of sensual, mysterious yet slightly spicy scent that I think would go wonderfully with a conversation in the dark.
