$44.50
While it’s not the way I would phrase it, I have to admit that I share my friend’s sentiment that patchouli “smells kind of like a dirty hippy.”
But not this patchouli.
A year ago, when we sat down for an ingredient review with our master perfumer Ugo, he shared the story of Mane’s Patchouli Gayo project—supporting the sustainable production of patchouli oil in its original homeland.
Ugo thought it would be fitting for Keap to center this ingredient in its fragrance. I voiced my reservations in centering a scent that I typically don’t enjoy, but thankfully he put some of this particular Patchouli Essential Oil on a blotter for me.
Using traditional distillation methods, it takes 5 to 8 hours to obtain essential oil from patchouli leaves. (Photo: Mane)
The Gayo patchouli retains some earthiness but to me does not have that soggy backpacker odor that characterizes conventional patchouli oils. Instead it has a cleaner camphoraceous top note that reminded a lot of our Keaper Lab testers of eucalyptus and/or a day at the spa.
This patchouli oil also carries an interesting cocoa-like note that feels cozy without being too gourmand or sweet.
We brainstormed a scent concept around it that was deep, dark, ceremonial and woodsy. At the same time we spent a lot of time learning about the history and cultivation of patchouli in Indonesia and about the Gayo highlands of Sumatra and its people.
In Gayo language, “Tanoh” can be translated in English at once as “Land”, “Earth”, “Soil”, as well as “Our Land,” referring specifically to the Gayo highlands.
“Dawn” evokes to us both the relative darkness of this scent (with a subtle, rising aromatic note) as well as its transitional properties. We felt that Tanoh Dawn’s scent was a kind of portal into a new phase, a new form of being. The early hours are also when this patchouli cultivation typically happens as it is the time of day when the leaves have the highest oil concentration.
We felt a deep sense of curiosity and kinship toward this faraway place and toward its inhabitants who have endured (and continue to endure, in some regards) several waves of colonial oppression over the past few centuries. I’m excited to share more over the coming weeks about the beauty of this long-awaited scent as well as the magic behind its creation.
As with our other Full Circle Collection scents, Tanoh Dawn is 100% plant-based and 100% biodegradable—something you won’t find in any other luxury candles.
Tanoh Dawn candle (Photo: Chris Brooks / Keap)
Subscribers signed up for our Seasonal Scent option in October will be the first to receive Tanoh Dawn. If you aren’t currently subscribed, you can get a preview of it in this month’s Scent-to-Home sample set.
As always, if you have any questions or comments, I love to hear them!
Warmly,
— Harry from Keap, Steward-Owner