Medullary-ray

I read a review of this that described it as "Briney olives with a soft sour sandalwood” and I immediately sped down to my local perfumery to check it out because I HAD to know if it could really smell like briney olives. The answer is: yes, absolutely, this perfume opens up with a powerful blast of ripe, resinous, almost tarry black olive, which soon blends with spicy green fig leaf and herbal, gin-and-tonic juniper before easing into a veritable logpile of sun-beaten woods (guaicwood, birch, cedar) and a warm bed of dry, aromatic grasses (vetiver, papyrus, hay). The vibe is sweet, fresh, and languorous, braced with the front-loaded saltiness of the olive and fading into a smoky, creamy, leathery finish (myrrh, frankincense, sandalwood oil). It really feels like a whole story, perhaps the dreamy Tuscan late-afternoon suggested by the description: a frolic in the countryside; a roll in the hay; a few too many cocktails during a seaside rendezvous. I love the complexity of the salty, vegetal brine, the damp greenness, and earthy smokiness. It’s a dirty, rough-around-the-edges fragrance that’s full of layers, endlessly interesting. Like a bowl of particularly pungent olives, this isn’t for everyone or for all occasions, but it's way up my alley. I’m going to be wearing my sample a bunch and I could definitely imagine getting a bottle. No idea what the name is supposed to mean, though.

Upon first spray you are not going to experience your eyes rolling back into your head in ecstasy. It's not that type of scent- but give it time & space, and it may weave it's way into you and make a deep connection. Don't focus on it. Just wear it. Preferably more than once. 1st wear- I thought it was "nice". 2nd time- made a note that there is something really special here. 3rd wear, and I was falling pretty hard for it. 4th and final full wear available in my sample and I cannot imagine it being the last time to experience this meditation. It elicits poignant contemplation. How? I don't know- so I just bought the 30 ml so I can explore further. Euan has an uncanny ability to evoke emotion and awaken subconscious connections with scent. If you are in this hobby for something deeper than "pretty smells" don't sleep on Jorum.

I would truly love this one IF the unripe olive was not as amplified in the opening, although it does get more subtle after a while. There is a perfect balance between heavy resinous goodness, fresh aromatic aspect, and dry airy spices. I always find myself being attracted to the scent combination of papyrus, pomegranate leaf, orris root, and birch as altogether they give a rounded, almost soapy/clean green smell in an elegant way. Thus, even though you can put your finger on the castoreum note, Medullary-ray does not smell barnyardy or dirty to me. The green fig leaf, papyrus, and sandalwood become leathery, really present later. This scent picturises a breezy forest while mimicking the nature sounds and smells of mammals zipping behind the trees and into the branches. A very transportive and vivid scent.

smells inhuman, rather like a landscape or place; which is what i seem to chase at this point in my perfume journey... smelling inhuman. the myrrh, hay and juniper strongly stand out for me in the opening. like i’ve just opened up an ancient wooden box, gilded in gold, that contains thousand year old manuscripts. it’s unlike anything i’ve ever experienced before. i can absolutely smell valerian and olive aswel; two very polarizing notes that work so magically together in this. salty, acidic olive and sweaty-ass-crack-esque valerian complete this super interesting profile. savoury and complex, thick and rich, tender and warm. after being on my skin for 5ish hours, it settled into something much more peppery. warm and animalic. entirely genderless and absolutely gorgeous.

A masterpiece fragrance that you want to wear all day long in +8-15°C. The character of its scent reminded me of the smell if you burn and then extinguish willow bark from a branch, and when it becomes cold, it will have this aroma. The associations also captured the smell of a “cat’s paw.” But the main theme is a twig or olive bark (but not the olive itself), a noble woody scent, a salty-sweet tartness, valerian, and olive without the oil. It is balanced as much as possible.