437 Taltos

Taltos is a deep, rooty, medicinal smelling blend, made with osha root, aged Bourbon vetiver, helichrysum and safflower, with a dark base of tobacco, labdanum and Thai Malacensis oud from Yaaseen.

I think this is the first time I have used osha root as a main note. This is a wild material, extremely potent and deeply rooty in it's aroma. It could be compared to angelica root, but I feel osha root has more appealing qualities, complex underground notes that feel like they've been brooding for centuries, gaining in potency and complexity.

I also used a few other materials I have not explored for a long time or ever, helichrysum absolute, safflower absolute and boxtree absolute.

Helichrysum absolute has a very different profile to the essential oil, it is a thick brown paste, with a rich, sweet, hay and tobacco-like aroma, very colourful and has a meadow / wildflower field vibe.

Safflower absolute also has some comparisons to tobacco, it has a sweet, bran-like scent, with some floral nuances, it is rich, warm and has a comforting, barnyard facet to it's character.

Boxtree absolute is a material I have not used up until a couple of weeks ago. It is a bright, green, mossy scent, a little like cedarmoss, but cleaner and feels more lively.

Smelling from the applicator, Taltos has a deep, rooty, almost medicinal aroma, oozing with dark, smoky, tarry elements. This is base heavy, but has a lot of contrasting, bright notes.

This has some resemblance to a drink that was popular in UK called dandelion and burdock, a rooty, sweet drink that used to be made with real herbs, but now is often synthesised chemicals.

Despite being so dark and weighty, it feels invigorating to my senses, it has a smoky, herbal, purging quality, like something a shaman would be burning.

I used a copal negro absolute in the base, which feels like it has been brought alive by the other materials, this is something that feels like it has a living quality to it, the stony quality of the copal negro conjures up an image of an ancient altar in my mind, deep in the forest, rare herbs are sought out to create an important aroma that will open the senses, assisting in direction and intuition.

Smelling on the skin, Taltos begins as a warm, rooty, smoky scent, it has a lot of depth to the smoky elements. Complex mixes of incense and herbs capture a feeling that can only be hinted at with words. Scent has a power that words lack, that ability to immediately catch a feeling, before the brain can analyse. This has been shown to be the case, smells bypass rational thinking for a short time. In this moment a scent can be fully perceived. Kodo ceremonies focus on this subtle, meditative perception of scent.

There is a certain oriental incense feel to Taltos too, it is brimming with invigorating herbs and smells like it is gently burning.

Taltos settles as a invigorating, spiced woody aroma, the Thai Malacensis oud radiates a complex, dark, smoky profile, oozing with fragrant resin.

Taltos is made with the following materials in approximate order of potency:

Osha Root (Absolute: Earthy, smoky, rooty)

Helichrysum (Absolute: Earthy, sweet, herbal, floral)

Kua Myrrh & Suke Quto Coffee (Absolute: Spicy, resinous, radiant)

Safflower (Absolute: Earthy, tarry, spicy)

Thai Malacensis Oud (EO: Dark woody, resinous, smoky) (From Moustafa Shoair)

Tobacco (Absolute: Dark sweet, tarry, resinous)

Buchu Leaf (EO: Spicy, sharp, herbal)

2019 Bourbon Vetiver Absolute (EO: Earthy, spicy, vibrant, rooty)

Copal Negro (Absolute: Dusty, resinous, balsamic)

Hydrocarboresine (Extract: Resinous, tarry, leathery)

Sassafras (EO: Spicy, rooty, bright)

Castoreum (Absolute: Leathery, smoky, resinous)

Greenheart Wood (EO: Woody, dark, dry)

Sylhet Oud (EO: Earthy, woody, barnyard)

Somali Myrrh (Absolute: Resinous, earthy, bitter)

Papuan Vanilla (Absolute: Sweet, creamy, powdery)

Indonesian Sandalwood (EO: Clean, woody, creamy)

Boxtree (Absolute: Green, bright, mossy)

Calamasi (EO: Juicy, zesty, green, citrus)