Back in 2006, Kevin wrote a detailed post about Papier d’Arménie, the traditional French incense papers soaked in an alcohol-based mixture of benzoin and other aromatics. At the time, he sent me some to try, and I’ve since purchased more. I’ve continued to use them from time to time as an easy (and cheap) way to scent my home — all you do is rip a small sheet out of the package, fold it like an accordian, and light it.¹ I like the scent best from a room or so away (as Kevin pointed out, it can smell a bit harsh from close up), and I like it even better unburned; a few loose papers will nicely scent a drawer.

Later, I got my hands on some of the La Rose papers (see above) that perfumer Francis Kurkdjian developed for the Papier d’Arménie brand in 2009.² These smell just fabulous unlit: sweeter, creamier, more floral and less harsh than the original. Burned, I do like them a little better than the originals, but the rose is much clearer in the unlit paper. And again, they work nicely as sachets.

But the reason for today’s post is a more recent discovery, although it was released earlier: the Francis Kurkdjian version of Papier d’Arménie developed for the “Year of Armenia in France” in 2006…

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