Description
A new Frankincense! The Hidden or Occult Frankincense was officially discovered in 2019 in the Ceel Ufeyn area of northern Somalia/Somaliland.
Boswellia occulta is a very different tree than its neighbours the B. carterii trees. Historically, Boswellia Occulta resin has always been mixed in with the local Frankincense Carterii and considered by locals to be the same tree. The name “Occulta comes from the Latin, Occultus which means “Hidden. Though this species has been present as long as any other Frankincense species and is an important commercial crop locally, it remained hidden from the view of botanists till recently. Hence the name-Occulta.
Not only do its simple leaves look different than most other Frankincense species, but Frankincense Occulta oleoresin has a chemical composition that is very different from that of all other known Frankincense species.
This difference is most evident in its aroma and flavour. Unlike most other Frankincense essential oils that contain a predominance of alpha-Pinene, (or in the case of Boswellia papyrifera octyl acetate). B. Occulta essential oil leads with a high percentage of methyl ethers, in particular, 1-methoxydecane and 1-methoxyoctane which is really unusual and unexpected from a Frankincense type. When these compounds were first noticed in Boswellia carterii essential oil samples, it was assumed that they were not of plant origin. Now the mystery is solved.
Chewed, this resin has an interesting bitterness and flavour that is nothing like B. Sacra or B. carterii. It is almost a candy/mint/gasoline flavour. It lingers on the tongue just like gasoline does after you have done everything in your power to pull that tube out of your mouth just before the gasoline came out. But it is not as intense. Or as unpleasant.
It has a very interesting aroma burned in a censer and similar to its flavour, leads with notes of mint rather than pine with an odd but not unpleasant sweetness to it. Just very odd and unexpected. After the essential oils and resins have offered themselves up on the coal, the typical charred aroma of the water-soluble gum portion is indistinguishable from that of any other type of Frankincense resin.
I have received only a small amount of this unique resin and am not certain of the future supply.
For more information on this unusual species see the following links-
https://aromaticplant.org/assets/26725-21295-1-pb.pdf
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/1934578X19866307
For more information, recipes and instructions on making your own therapeutic or cosmetic products from Frankincense resin, please visit-https://apothecarysgarden.com/2014/07/30/how-to-make-a-whole-extract-of-frankincense-and-other-oleoresins
Dan
Ray Durgan –
Glorious quality, superb service, looking forward to future dealings!
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Ericka Leannon –
High quality and love the scent. Thank you.
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Yazmin Miller –
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Rylee Reichel –
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Zoila Lindgren –
I really find this to have a fragrance different than most frankincense and very much like it. Maybe I have so many choices now, that I am overwhelmed by the large selection and try to stick to one variety at a time while indoors. Really love this one though and will be using it again tonight.
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Octavia Turcotte –
Never seen this frankincense before. Very excited to use it collect more!
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Marisa Buckridge –
This frankincense is unique and deserves a place in everyone’s collection. This is a repeat purchase for me.
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Zoila Lindgren –
Unique amoung the frankincense. Distinctly refreshing on the tealight warmer. Dependable my go-to resource the A garden shop.
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Amelie Hahn –
High quality, just as advertised. Thank you.
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Abigail Marquardt –
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Tania Torphy –
Great to deal with and the scent is lovely. Will be back for more, Thank you.
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Federico Fay –
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Alberta Reinger –
This is my absolute favorite!
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Santiago Anderson –
Superb incense. Love this store and supporting small business.
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Adell Wehner –
Refreshing frankincense. Minty, citrusy main notes. Uplifting energy. Something new & exciting.
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Adalberto Hegmann –
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Peyton Herman –
high quality sacred frankincense !
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Kailey Luettgen –
This has got to be one of the most fascinating scent profiles of any Frankincense species I've used to date. It's really nice to have an unadulterated source of this pure resin, as historically it has just been thrown in with other Frankincense varieties that grow in its local. The resin itself has a somewhat similar scent to a cold early spring rain in the desert.
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Harry Mills –
As always, the best shop for incense resin and wonderful smelling this one.
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Godfrey Oberbrunner –
Beautiful stuff, thank you very much!!!
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Leola King –
Thank you for your service 🙂
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Paul Kuhlman –
Quite a unique and essential study. On a ceramic heater set at 220, the fragrance is a gourmand light milkiness; a touch of honey, and notes of faint citrus, apricot, and nut.
Very comforting and sedating.
Thank you again for sourcing a great variety of resins for us to experience. Top marks as always.
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Lucy Kuhlman –
Similar but different…thanks for sharing this!
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Jeffry Heidenreich –
Hands down one of the best around. Not just on Etsy, but anywhere. Amazing plants gathered in a good way. And the best service around. Thanks, Dan!
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Candice Willms –
The quality of the resins from Apothecary's Garden is superb, and each is exquisite in its own right. The items received always match the shop description, and more than meet my expectations. The service is also excellent, with fast shipping to Australia. An exceptional experience all round, and I'll be back for more.
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Karina Howe –
A little bit of treasure, utter treasure. And ships fast and all that you should wish.
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Clarabelle Oberbrunner –
My, oh my! This is a frankincense that smells so unique! On the heater, it leads with dry, woody notes similar to papyrifera. Then sweet undertones make their appearance, similar to your standard carteri. But then….as the heating continues…the most unique scent note presents itself. The closest I can describe it is a mix of mint and diesel fuel! What a strange but enjoyable ride! This is totally unlike any frankincense I've had before. It's like a one of those mythical creatures that is a mix of various known animals and something otherworldly. 👹 What a privilege! Thank you Dan! 🙏 You have raised my love of frankincense to new heights. Getcha some before this sells out! ✌
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