Folkwinds by Jono Bornstein

[Jono@Folkwinds]

I think @Jono@Folkwinds has a very special relationship with UPS and have VIP access, because I just got the package already!

The presentation is lovely, the bandana, the cap. Really nicely put together! The glass travel sprays are a nice touch too, they feel much better than the plastic ones.

As for the scent, I'm going to save that up for the weekend ❤️

UPS and I are hot and cold 😂

 

[chad34]

How small of a run were your first 3 bottles @Jono@Folkwinds? I was assuming 86 from the bottom of the bottles but was still curious nonetheless.

 

[Jono@Folkwinds]

How small of a run were your first 3 bottles @Jono@Folkwinds? I was assuming 86 from the bottom of the bottles but was still curious nonetheless.

That’s correct Chad. About 85 of each give or take a few testers/ personal bottles which won’t see circulation.

Unfortunately my label maker has been iffy about working, so there is a period where some bottles are not numbered, but still, the count remains.

 

[In Amber]

I just ordered American Pharoah. Very excited about this!

i think you will love it , it's great

 

[PStoller]

I’ve ordered American Pharaoh as well. It’s well worth having, even beyond my interest in supporting truly independent perfumers.

 

[chad34]

I’ve ordered American Pharaoh as well. It’s well worth having, even beyond my interest in supporting truly independent perfumers.

I wholeheartedly agree with you!

 

[Mick B]

I have a confession to make... I could not help myself and was unable to wait, I just had to spray American Pharaoh already.

To me, it opens with a very boozy cherry. once the booze dies down, it's an amazing cherry tobacco. The cherry is great, and its nothing too sweet. The dry down leaves cherry-scented sandalwood.

I'm looking forward to wearing this more, and digging out the other ingredients. And I'm sure the family will love this when I visit them for the holidays later this month.

American Pharaoh is a winner. I'm really happy with it, awesome work Jono!

 

[Jono@Folkwinds]

Hey everyone. Thank you for
Your amazing impressions! Winner of the giveaway is @Thedad!
Thank you, and I’ll PM you. Travel sprays will be sent out tomorrow.

@everyone else, please feel free to continue your reviews, and hopefully we can do something like this again very soon. (Maybe for Boxing Day/new Years).

I have a really exciting announcement this week, so stay tuned.

 

[Jono@Folkwinds]

Limited micro-batch of 25 bottles; completely experimental perfumery. Details to follow soon.

 

[Scent Detective]

View attachment 313521 Limited micro-batch of 25 bottles; completely experimental perfumery. Details to follow soon.

Looking forward to hearing the note profile...

 

[Jono@Folkwinds]

Smuggler's Notch:

For a long time now, I've been obsessed with the idea of cohesive, closed-loop perfumery. What I mean by that is the notion of blending materials together which are also extracted together, distilled together, and grown together. This idea is not new; the art of Indian attars most certainly inspires what I'm striving for, and you may have noticed that my first three compositions featured many co-absolutes.

That was the beginning, but here's the bigger picture: a perfume in which the raw materials are blended both pre-extraction and post extraction. Smuggler's notch will feature three main components; a cutting edge CO2 extraction of pre-blended materials, distilled into it; the same materials, functioning as top-notes. and as a base, a home-brewed co-absolute mirroring those materials. Around these components, I will fill the composition out with perfumed accords, featuring mainly absolutes and CO2 extracts. My goal is unity. The scent scape I aim to capture is Smuggler's Notch, a mountain pass in northern Vermont, where smugglers would sneak in alcohol from Canada during the prohibition. Here's a snapshot of the material's I'll be working with:

Vermont Honey crisp Apples
Vermont Red Spruce
Vermont Sugar Maple
Toasted American Oak
Hawaiian Sandalwood
Arturo Fuente Hemmingway Cigars
Incense-grade Nha Trang Agarwood
Aged Orris Root Circa-1950
Dark Malted Barley
American Rosa-Ragusa Hips
Deer-Tongue
Wild Grasses

The composition?

Singed-carmailized-tobacco-and-booze meets crimson-red-apples and bitter-creamy-narcotic-woods.

This is an expensive undertaking, and as such, is why I am setting up a pre-order.

Price and availability details will follow in the coming weeks. I cannot express how excited I am.

 

[hopefullawguy]

Sounds incredible!

 

[chad34]

Wow, this sounds really amazing and a very complex undertaking. You had me at Incense-grade Nha Trang Agarwood Jono. By the way, is this the type mentioned?

 

[Jono@Folkwinds]

Wow, this sounds really amazing and a very complex undertaking. You had me at Incense-grade Nha Trang Agarwood Jono. By the way, is this the type mentioned?

View attachment 313556

Thanks Chad. Not specifically that wood but it would technically yield a similar profile if burned as incense. Nha Trang is a place in Vietnam, where both Aquilaria Sinensis and Aquilaria Crassna grow. Sinensis is typically cool, green, and tea-like, whereas Crassna is typically red-jam-tobacco-like. Nha Trang’s tend to also feature some bitter nuances.

The kind I am using is a Crassna, and when CO2 extracted, should impart bitter-red-fruit-tobacco characteristics onto the composition.

 

[Jono@Folkwinds]

Thanks Chad. Not specifically that wood but it would technically yield a similar profile if burned as incense. Nha Trang is a place in Vietnam, where both Aquilaria Sinensis and Aquilaria Crassna grow. Sinensis is typically cool, green, and tea-like, whereas Crassna is typically red-jam-tobacco-like. Nha Trang’s tend to also feature some bitter nuances.

The kind I am using is a Crassna, and when CO2 extracted, should impart bitter-red-fruit-tobacco characteristics onto the composition.

I should add, I also intend on using some Papuan agarwood resin in the base, which WILL feature some of the greener aspects of agarwood.

 

[chad34]

Thanks Chad. Not specifically that wood but it would technically yield a similar profile if burned as incense. Nha Trang is a place in Vietnam, where both Aquilaria Sinensis and Aquilaria Crassna grow. Sinensis is typically cool, green, and tea-like, whereas Crassna is typically red-jam-tobacco-like. Nha Trang’s tend to also feature some bitter nuances.

The kind I am using is a Crassna, and when CO2 extracted, should impart bitter-red-fruit-tobacco characteristics onto the composition.

Very interesting Jono, thanks for the breakdown here!

 

[FullCollapse]

The composition?

Singed-carmailized-tobacco-and-booze meets crimson-red-apples and bitter-creamy-narcotic-woods.

This is an expensive undertaking, and as such, is why I am setting up a pre-order.

Price and availability details will follow in the coming weeks. I cannot express how excited I am.

This sounds amazing and will be added to my very short list for 2023. Can't wait!

 

[Martin__]

New perfume house: Folkwinds

Folkwinds is a new perfume brand that intends to highlight North American made aromatic materials, designs, and artwork; creating scent-scapes that capture the great beauty of North America, using primarily natural, American-sourced materials...

basenotes.com

 

[Martin__]

Indie Perfume Spotlight: Folkwinds

Each week in Indie Perfume Brand Spotlight, we question different brands to find out more about their brand and the people behind it. This time we question Jono Bornstein from Folkwinds. About You Tell us who you are? My name is Jono Bornstein...

basenotes.com

 

[chad34]

After some more intense wearings, Cloud Illusions has moved into the top spot for me from the 3. I wonder how different this will be in warmer weather, but I absolutely love it all there same.

 

[Jono@Folkwinds]

After some more intense wearings, Cloud Illusions has moved into the top spot for me from the 3. I wonder how different this will be in warmer weather, but I absolutely love it all there same.

Iris dew and sandalwood sing in the heat.

 

[chad34]

Iris dew and sandalwood sing in the heat.

Looking forward to warmer weather for more than 1 reason now!! 🤣

 

[chad34]

Just out of curiosity Jono, what does isolated Iris smell like? I'm terrible at picking out nuances, and I guess I've always assumed that Iris has a petrol type smell to it, how far off the mark am I here? I do know that you posted a video to YouTube some time ago where you went into detail about orris/iris but I can't remember it that well. Thanks for your insights into this.

 

[Jono@Folkwinds]

Just out of curiosity Jono, what does isolated Iris smell like? I'm terrible at picking out nuances, and I guess I've always assumed that Iris has a petrol type smell to it, how far off the mark am I here? I do know that you posted a video to YouTube some time ago where you went into detail about orris/iris but I can't remember it that well. Thanks for your insights into this.

Iris is really an accord Chad, up to interpretation from perfumers. There are lots of irones available for perfumers, which have a bit of a purple berry, airy nuance. In addition, there is orris. Orris butter, orris resinoid, orris absolute, and orris CO2, which comes from the iris root…orris materials tend to have powdery and earthy facets.

 

[chad34]

Iris is really an accord Chad, up to interpretation from perfumers. There are lots of irones available for perfumers, which have a bit of a purple berry, airy nuance. In addition, there is orris. Orris butter, orris resinoid, orris absolute, and orris CO2, which comes from the iris root…orris materials tend to have powdery and earthy facets.

I suppose it would help to smell the individual ingredients in isolation to make them easier to identify, and to become acquainted with them. Thank you Jono.

 

[Martin__]

Personally I am interested in American Pharaoh, and I think that sooner or later I will end up with buying a bottle (rather a matter of time). The two other ones - not sure yet.

Very curious how the brand, and Jono as a perfumer develop. Definitely I am going to follow everything Folkwinds-related. I'm keeping my fingers crossed! And once again - huge congrats, mate!

 

[Jono@Folkwinds]

Hey Folks!

I've been getting lots of questions about the upcoming Smuggler's Notch Project. I figured I'd do an FAQ here, and open this up to some public Q and Q as well.

Pre-orders will open in a week or two, right around Christmas. I am running a small trial extraction this week (with a larger one soon after), which will give me an estimated yield, and will inform the pricing on the project. I will be sure to give plenty of warning as to when the listing will go live.

If I had to put an estimated price on a bottle right now, I'd say it will be approximately $435, a $100 premium over my main line, but I can assure you the extra cost will be worth your while. This will be a 100% natural composition, full of unique extractions and rare materials, and I am aiming for a 50% concentration.

I do not have any samples for Smuggler's Notch; this project is essentially an experimental artistic venture, and I do hope you can trust me to release something worthy of your time and investment.

I'd love to think of each of the 25 bottles as one part of a collective, and do not intend to break any of them up for sampling. There's a child-like wonder in the stories we tell each other about certain fragrances; some of that mystique should make Smuggler's Notch all the more exciting.

Full bottles will ship out in February. I have the absolutes ready and macerating as we speak, awaiting the co-extraction.

After the extraction, I will judge as to wether or not this composition should remain vegan. I may add some musk or castoreum.

The presentation is not finalized, although these will certainly be in my 50ml bottles. Smugglers Notch will debut a new bandana, and continue the use of my CNC'd steel caps. Apart from that, I may shake things up a bit.


That being said, any questions?

 

[thesacredsaguaro]

What if it doesn’t smell good and you have to start over?

 

[Jono@Folkwinds]

What if it doesn’t smell good and you have to start over?

That’s why I haven’t opened the preorder yet..

 

[thesacredsaguaro]

That’s why I haven’t opened the preorder yet..

Ahhh gotcha. I was under the impression you were doing preorders to fund the project itself but I guess it makes way more sense to at least finish the product first and make sure it’s worthy of the price tag and the experiment goes well before selling.

nevermind the last part sorry bout that.

 

[Jono@Folkwinds]

Ahhh gotcha. I was under the impression you were doing preorders to fund the project itself but I guess it makes way more sense to at least finish the product first and make sure it’s worthy of the price tag and the experiment goes well before selling.

I gotta say $435 is a hefty price tag for something like this without very expensive materials. Could you share a little about the price and what makes something like this so expensive? Perfumers create their own absolutes all the time and experiment making materials for their novel scents and the price tags rarely reach this point. I’d be interested in learning about your process and maybe a break down of what goes into something like this?

Sure, happy to. I’m not going to share my formula but to give you an idea:

Purchased absolutes: ~$2,500
Commissioned Lab Work: ~$4,000 (for extractions and distillations)
Commissioned Artwork: ~$1,000

Raw Materials for extraction (by the pound)…and keep in mind, this will take upwards of 10-20 pounds

Sandalwood $100
Agarwood $400
Freeze dried apples $100
Hemmingway cigars $175/ box of 25

That’s without the cost of blending, trials, as well as the built in cost of my CNC’ed caps/ bottle presentation.

As you can see, this is going to be around a $8,500- $10,000 project with very little money being made. It’s much more of a passion project than anything else.

 

[thesacredsaguaro]

That’s an interesting breakdown. I guess we just have to take your word for it.

 

[Jono@Folkwinds]

That’s an interesting breakdown. I guess we just have to take your word for it.

Part of the challenge is not having an economy of scale on something thats pretty uncharted territory. As the batches hopefully get bigger on later projects, the price could come down.

 

[911LambMelb]

Hey Folks!

I've been getting lots of questions about the upcoming Smuggler's Notch Project. I figured I'd do an FAQ here, and open this up to some public Q and Q as well.

Pre-orders will open in a week or two, right around Christmas. I am running a small trial extraction this week (with a larger one soon after), which will give me an estimated yield, and will inform the pricing on the project. I will be sure to give plenty of warning as to when the listing will go live.

If I had to put an estimated price on a bottle right now, I'd say it will be approximately $435, a $100 premium over my main line, but I can assure you the extra cost will be worth your while. This will be a 100% natural composition, full of unique extractions and rare materials, and I am aiming for a 50% concentration.

I do not have any samples for Smuggler's Notch; this project is essentially an experimental artistic venture, and I do hope you can trust me to release something worthy of your time and investment.

I'd love to think of each of the 25 bottles as one part of a collective, and do not intend to break any of them up for sampling. There's a child-like wonder in the stories we tell each other about certain fragrances; some of that mystique should make Smuggler's Notch all the more exciting.

Full bottles will ship out in February. I have the absolutes ready and macerating as we speak, awaiting the co-extraction.

After the extraction, I will judge as to wether or not this composition should remain vegan. I may add some musk or castoreum.

The presentation is not finalized, although these will certainly be in my 50ml bottles. Smugglers Notch will debut a new bandana, and continue the use of my CNC'd steel caps. Apart from that, I may shake things up a bit.


That being said, any questions?

Sounds great overall but 'vegan' is a gimmick haha. Put the good stuff in there, that's what we are all here for. Haha.

 

[Jono@Folkwinds]

Sounds great overall but 'vegan' is a gimmick haha. Put the good stuff in there, that's what we are all here for. Haha.

Hahaha I may go with some deermusk and muskrat, I’ll have to see what fits 😉

 

[Scent Detective]

Smuggler's Notch:

For a long time now, I've been obsessed with the idea of cohesive, closed-loop perfumery. What I mean by that is the notion of blending materials together which are also extracted together, distilled together, and grown together. This idea is not new; the art of Indian attars most certainly inspires what I'm striving for, and you may have noticed that my first three compositions featured many co-absolutes.

That was the beginning, but here's the bigger picture: a perfume in which the raw materials are blended both pre-extraction and post extraction. Smuggler's notch will feature three main components; a cutting edge CO2 extraction of pre-blended materials, distilled into it; the same materials, functioning as top-notes. and as a base, a home-brewed co-absolute mirroring those materials. Around these components, I will fill the composition out with perfumed accords, featuring mainly absolutes and CO2 extracts. My goal is unity. The scent scape I aim to capture is Smuggler's Notch, a mountain pass in northern Vermont, where smugglers would sneak in alcohol from Canada during the prohibition. Here's a snapshot of the material's I'll be working with:

Vermont Honey crisp Apples
Vermont Red Spruce
Vermont Sugar Maple
Toasted American Oak
Hawaiian Sandalwood
Arturo Fuente Hemmingway Cigars
Incense-grade Nha Trang Agarwood
Aged Orris Root Circa-1950
Dark Malted Barley
American Rosa-Ragusa Hips
Deer-Tongue
Wild Grasses

The composition?

Singed-carmailized-tobacco-and-booze meets crimson-red-apples and bitter-creamy-narcotic-woods.

This is an expensive undertaking, and as such, is why I am setting up a pre-order.

Price and availability details will follow in the coming weeks. I cannot express how excited I am.

This sounds amazing!

 

[Jono@Folkwinds]

Trial extraction is running today, so fingers crossed I’ll have some good news for everyone by Christmas Eve.

 

[slater93]

first impression of both SA and AP

american pharaoh is an instant love, i would say this does have some similarities to mond or other idealistic classic fall- honey tobacco, apple to my nose, but with some subtlety and greater depth than something like mond i think i can pick up on the musky quality but having never specifically smelled muskrat musk it can be hard to be sure. i’m not getting any whiskey and that’s just fine with me, i like the focused qualities i get of moist tobacco instead.

santi ani is different than i expected, it almost creates a leather accord in my head, it’s slightly austere to my nose and subtly spiced. i quite like it but i think i need more time to unpack, AP strikes me as a very extroverted approachable scent whereas SA is more introverted and will reveal its details through multiple wearings. as i continue to wear SA i can see the spice accord doing something similar to a cider donut very specifically actually. it reminds me a tad of the structure of something like mitsuoku.. perhaps it’s the ambergris. it feels distinctly classical but with differentiated nuance i assume coming from the high natural content and unique composition. it also has a salty quality i’m guessing also from the ambergris which makes it feel nautical, but it is definitely shier composition that reveals itself slowly which.. is a pretty apt choice for a place like new england to my mind.

i will turn around and grab cloud illusions soon, these are both great to my nose!

 

[Mick B]

 

[FragSyndrome]

what time stamp does he talk about folkwinds? I tried to find it by skimming the video and no way I’m about to watch all that lol.