Jorum Studio Arborist, photo by The Perfumed Dahlia
Perfumer Euan McCall and his partner Chloe Mullen launched Jorum Studio in 2019 after a decade of formulating fragrances for other brands. Handcrafted in small batches using the finest raw materials, Jorum Studio fragrances are evocative of the iconic Scottish landscape, but use materials conscientiously so as not to endanger protected native plants. Although Scotland is widely identified with single malt whiskey, bagpipes, shortbread, and kilts—Jorum Studio is showcasing a different view of the country, producing aromas in their Edinburgh studio that are odes to a Scotland as experienced by artisans who live there.
Green Man, photo by Sue Rickhuss via Pixabay
Jorum Studio Arborist is an “ode to the Virideer, a Scottish term for a keeper of woodland, a representation of the mythological Green Man. Found in many cultures from many ages around the world, the Green Man is often related to nature deities. In some cultures, he is the inspiration for artists; in others, the Green Man is a symbol of rebirth, by way of new growth in the springtime. Carvings of the Green Man have been found in Cyprus, Iraq, and Britain, with sculptures found in Lebanon that date back to the 2nd century. Typically, the Green Man is represented by a man’s face peering out of dense foliage. He might have leaves instead of hair, or a leafy beard.
Euan McCall of Jorum Studio (photo courtesy of Euan McCall)
“My late uncle was estranged from my father’s family and shortly before his untimely passing he reconnected with the family. I was quite young at the time but my only memory of him is a lasting one. He was a tree surgeon (or arborist) by trade and put simply, he was a nomad, travelling from one forest to the next. In my youth, my father used to drag me hillwalking and one time we visited my uncle. The place my uncle has laid down some roots was in the highlands of Scotland, neighboring a whisky distillery. I will never forget the experience of visiting him in his nomadic dwelling, undulating live malting aromas wafting from distillery and the smell of my uncle’s habitat and surrounding. Arborist revisits this encounter – a distillation of this memory.” -Euan McCall on his inspiration for Arborist
(photo courtesy of Jorum Studio)
There is something feral about Jorum Studio Arborist. It opens with a boozy, woodsy, musky burst, smoky and leathery notes rushing to fill any gaps in a potent swirl of scent. It warms quickly on the skin, an initially camphorous effect settling into something much more sensual. There’s a duality to it—like a calloused hand cradling a flower. Arborist has the feel of a resinous and pine-y woodland as it emerges out of the mists, damp soil and fallen trees offering shelter to a multitude of woodland creatures. A stag raises its proud crown of antlers, then rubs them against a tree trunk, its light snorts masked by the sound of unseen, rushing water in a nearby spring. The Virideer, Green Man, and/or Arborist would feel at home in this setting, just as Jorum Studio Arborist melds seamlessly with skin—a familiar, musky, well-worn leather, and smoky woods scent.
Notes: Quince, Honey, Saffron, Osmanthus Absolute, Magnolia, Burdock, Papyrus, Mugwort, Rose Absolute, Tuberose, Myrrh Absolute, Spruce Resin, Douglas Fir, Labdanum, Jatamansi, Malt, Lichen.
Disclaimer: A bottle of Jorum Studio Arborist was generously provided for this review by Euan McCall of Jorum Studio. My opinions are my own.
Dalya Azaria, Senior Contributor
Jorum Studio Arborist, photo by Jorum Studio
Thanks to the generosity of Euan McCall of Jorum Studio, there is a bottle of Arborist for one registered reader worldwide, except for the EU. To be eligible for the draw, please leave a comment saying what appeals to you about Jorum Studio Arborist based on Dalya’s review, whether you have a favorite Jorum Studio fragrance, and where you live. Draw closes 4/22/21
Editor’s Note: Editor’s Note: Euan McCall was Michelyn’s CaFleureBon Rising Star of 2019
You can read Ida’s review of Athenaeum here, Carduus and Nectary here as well as Guest Contributor Brooke Belledon’s interview with Euan McCall and review of Fantosmia here
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In the USA, Indigo Perfumery has Jorum Studio Arborist in stock here.
Luckyscent.com carries Arborist here
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