While the distribution of my many bottles of sandalwood is mostly random, I try to balance the selections by including a variety of samples with different prices. Since none of these is the ecstasy-inducing Mysore version, I find they smell very similar; my $5/milliliter version holds up to many for $25 or more.

Of the three bottles shown here, one just (the little blue one) says rare and doesn’t even have the supplier on it. It’s very good; rare, I don’t know. The others, from very reputable suppliers, have nuances of toast and a profoundly complex background.

Keep in mind that all my sandalwoods have bottle age—some are 15 years old—which enhances them and makes them a litte softer and more inviting.