ethaisa

Calaveras: Clever little satirical poems in the style of epitaphs written to tease the living and ease grief over a loved one's passing. Xocolatl, tequila, copal incense, smoke-dried jalapeños, vanilla pods, and cajeta.

Oh, this is amazing; deep, dark bitter roasted chocolate nibs, with hints of smoke and spice. Not at all what I would consider traditionally "foody", even with the vanilla, which enhances rather than overwhelms. Hints of salted brown butter and sweet heat develop on drydown. I'm so glad I got a bottle; I may need another - I can't wait to see how this ages, and I suspect that if I don't buy a back-up, I won't ever know; I've worn this three days running and I'm no where near tired of it yet!


Nothing Gold Can Stay:

Nature's first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf's a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.

Dewy green leaves colored by Moroccan amber, ginseng, and rooibos.

Sweet, wet grass and leaves at first, very green and almost springlike. Then it mellows and the green fades away leaving me sipping cooling tea from a amber cup. Dry down is a light indeterminate floral, pretty, with a hint of yellowy ash. It reminds me of walking through yellow leaves after a rain on a cool day, you know when fallen leaves plaster themselves to the sidewalk and you have to be careful not to slip on them? Generally I'm not big on anything aquatic, but I quite like this.

The Hag

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Black musk, bay leaves, galangal, bourbon vetiver, blackcurrant, and rum.

Smoke and sex in a warm, dark room. Love it.

(I was worried about the rum, but I don't really pick up any at all, except a hint in the bottle; perhaps it's the rum and galangal that's sweet underneath the smoke?)


Flor de Muerto

The orange marigold, or zempasúchitl, has been one of Death's symbols since the pre-Columbian era. The yellow and orange petals are believed to represent the rays of the sun, bringing joy and light to the souls dwelling in the realm of the dead. These flowers surround Day of the Dead altars to guide the spirits to their offerings.

I love marigolds, and plant them with my tomatoes all the time. This is a sweet and warm marigold, all flower no bitter leaves. Very bright and fragrant. A little goes a long way, at least on me.