Smoky & Earthy

Harshness is the acrid, almost burning sensation you experience when inhaling smoke from a freshly extinguished candle—sharp, slightly metallic, with an underlying bitterness. Imagine the charred edges of burnt toast, the metallic tang of iron filings warming on a stove, combined with the peppery bite of black smoke curling through cold air. It's deliberately unpolished, confrontational even, lacking the smooth sweetness of other smoky notes. There's an almost medicinal quality, like antiseptic meeting ash.

Woody

Mastic absolute smells like walking through a Mediterranean pine forest after rain—resinous and slightly bitter, with an almost medicinal quality. Imagine the sticky sap on your fingers after touching tree bark, mingled with hints of incense, dry spice, and a whisper of anise. There's a clean, slightly peppery undertone that feels both ancient and oddly modern. It's woody but not in the deep, dark way of oud; rather, it's bright, crystalline, and subtly astringent—like chewing on a piece of aromatic bark.