Force

One of the most profound feelings I've experienced is to be in the thick of the woods, late afternoon on a comfortable June day in New England, sunlight filtering through tall pines, and the haunting song of a wood thrush sending shivers up my spine. Their flutey song rambles upward and then terminates with a variable trill. I have stood still just to perceive with my senses, losing track of time. It's especially haunting if there is a mist, and when the conditions are just right, the balm of the surrounding conifers express their aroma with clarity to my nose. The forest floor will emit a certain earthy sweetness from fallen needles, decomposing vegetation, layers of organic sediment. It's enough to ease most any febrile mind into calm deliberation. I might even imagine myself as Thoreau, getting better acquainted with wildness in quasi-solitude. Force by Tobba offers an impressive approximation of such experiences as the above, capturing the minty, terpenic leaves and needles and the oddly sweet, leathery-rich understory exudates. There is a phase that I love that has me imagining there is a peculiar candy comprised of licorice tubes filled with balsam fir preserve. Perfumer Jasper Li employs Kephalis, a Givaudan material that I loved to experiment with in my blending days. Warm, woody, honeyed and tobacco-like, with a smoky cedar undertone, I think its a brilliant addition here. It diffusiveness lends a complementary atmosphere to contrast with the unctuous density of the other materials, including a meditative myrrh. I must admit, Force gives me the same sort of frisson as the songs a wood thrush sings.

To me Force evokes the feeling of beautiful artists studios, empty spaces full of the potential for creativity. The sense of clay work happening recently and dried paint. Or of a forest clearing blanketed in mist. It’s the stillness of these pictures, yet they somehow manifest a certain life energy. It begins with a wintery air of delicate mint then a distant flicker of church incense. There’s smoke amidst evergreens. The orris is earthy and barely perceptible. I must say the quality of the juice is really high across the range, but this is my standout. Follow me on Instagram: @TheScentiest

Notes are wrong, official notes: cypress, spearmint, cocoa absolute, licorice. Fir Balsam, Kephalis Patchouli The is no orris, and no suede and no incense

Basically an incense from a cold presbytery with inviting woody and sweet nuances. I have sweet ink and wet newsprint, cumin, patchouli, balsamic licorice candy, pine, cypress, fir. Mix the smoky sweetness of Fille en auguilles with Vikt from Slumberhouse, a bit of leather and lower the sillage into an intimate cloud. Smooth, pleasant without strange turns. The Force, not the physical one.

I enjoy this because it smells like pine trees. Perfect for winter and/or Christmas season. Incense, pine, a bit of leather. Cozy and fresh. This is my favorite of the Tobba line and the only one I'd seriously consider purchasing.