Jorum Studio Pony Boy Review (Euan McCall) 2022 + The Lure of the Kelpie Giveaway

Jorum Studio Pony Boy

Jorum Studio Pony Boy (courtesy of the brand)

Recently my colleagues have been writing about rhubarb in perfumery (DSH Green Rhubarb and Cane Sugar and Parfums Quartana Mandrake) and that reminded me of one of the most unique uses of a rhubarb note that I have experienced, Jorum Studio Pony Boy, a fragrance that I selected as one of my Top Ten Scents of 2022.

Euan McCall of Jorum

Euan McCall of Jorum -courtesy of the perfumer

Jorum Studio Pony Boy by Euan McCall is named after the kelpie of Scottish lore rumored to be infinitely tied to rivers and lochs, luring the unsuspecting passerby in effort to replace their long lost first love (or child depending on the fable). A shapeshifter of varied myths, each could take the form of anything from a haggard old man to a beautiful siren but, often thought to retain their cloven feet – a clue to their true selves.

Legend of the kelpies in Scotland

 Kelpie Collage (Wikimedia)

With the same seductive and magical opening of a fairy tale, Jorum Studio Pony Boy pulls you straight in from the start. The haunting call of a kelpie might be easier to resist than the tart sweetness of rhubarb and pink grapefruit mixed with dewy green leaves and fresh spices that is the exceptional onset of this creation. The similar yet distinctive tartness of the grapefruit plays into the hands of the botanical rhubarb, creating a mystical song that whispers its calling without allowing you the opportunity to pin down exactly from where it emanates. The tanginess is tempered by freshly chopped coriander and sparkling pink pepper. The heat of your skin brings Pony Boy to life, as the honeyed champaca and creamy fig arise slowly along with the earthy beetroot.

photo (Unsplash)

The combination of rhubarb, pink grapefruit and beetroot evoke a vision of a slivered moon rising high overhead as the last rays of sunlight create a pink veil of clouds over the dark and murky loch.  As Jorum Studio Pony Boy wears, you can sense the coolness in the air as the sun slips behind the hills and all that remains is the stillness of the brackish water stained with shadows. Pony Boy is the fog tumbling down the verdant hills, leaving a water colored trail of lotus lingering on your skin. Dark green vetiver, musky ambrette and dry woods are what lie hidden beneath the surface of this ever-changing scent; evoking a sense of calmness as you realize you have no where to run and the only option is to give into the ethereal call of the kelpie.

“When thowes dissolve the snawy hoord,

An’ float the jinglin icy-boord,

Then water-kelpies haunt the foord

By your direction,

An’ nighted trav’lers are allur’d

To their destruction.” -Robert Burns, Address to the Devil

Do not underestimate the intoxicating, otherworldly powers of Jorum Studio Pony Boy. You may never escape its grasp.

Notes: Rhubarb, Coriander seed, Fig, Pink Grapefruit  Champaca Absolute, Pink Pepper, Beetroot, Pink Lotus Absolute, Vetiver, Ambrette seed, Atlas Cedarwood, Raspberry Leaf, Red Cedarwood, Calamus

Disclaimer: Review is based on a sample of Jorum Studio Pony Boy provided by Indigo Perfumery. My opinions are my own.

Rachel Watson, Senior Contributor

Jorum Studio Pony Boy review

Jorum Studio Pony Boy (courtesy of the brand)

Thanks to the generosity of Indigo Perfumery we have a 30 ml of Jorum Studio Pony Boy for one registered reader in the USA only. You must register or your entry will not count. To be eligible, please leave a comment saying what sparks your interest about Rachel’s review and if you have tried a Jorum Studio perfume. Draw closes 8/11/2023

Follow us on Instagram @cafleurebonofficial @dubaiscents @indigoperfumery @jorumstudio @jorumlaboratories

Editor’s Note: Euan McCall was Michelyn’s Best Artisan of 2022 and CaFleureBon Rising Star of 2019. Please enjoy Ida’s reviews of Spiritcask, The Scottish Odyssey quartet, Pentimento and Elegy, Athenaeum and Carduus and Nectary. The Jorum Studio Scottish Odyssey Quartet was awarded Best of 2022 by Ida. There are several meanings to the term Pony Boy

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31 comments

  • cnii says:

    Oh I am so excited for this giveaway! Rhubarb, grapefruit, and beet combined make me see neon fuschia, and I would so love to actually smell these notes together in Pony Boy. I have tried Trimerous and Gorseland by Jorum Studio and they are both startling: not quite like anything else I’ve smelled. I really admire how this brand is inspired by the actuality of nature, not just “pretty” nature. Thank you!
    WV, USA

  • Brad Woolslayer says:

    I love the use of rhubarb in fragrances, and this one seems like another must try. The tart sweetness of rhubarb and pink grapefruit mixed with dewy green leaves and fresh spices sounds quite intoxicating. I live in Maryland USA.

  • WeAreScentient says:

    A lovely review, this is one Jorum I need to smell. I enjoyed the history of the myth that inspired it and I’m a big fan of Jorum’s releases, especially trimerous. I’m in Ireland so cant play. Good luck to all!

  • Lance says:

    Great review and I feel a kelpie pulling me towards Pony Boy
    Big fan of rhubarb and very curious about the beet root and fig
    I do own Athenauem which I bought at indigo after reading it here. It’s the best lavender !
    Thank you indigo
    PS Loved the Robert Burns poem

  • Arron_Q says:

    Oh, wow! This one sounds like such a journey. Swinging from bright pink grapefruit and rhubarb to earthy beet, green vetiver, ambrette, and woods. I love fragrances that take you on an adventure and it appears that Pony Boy is ready to take you hiking through the beautiful Scottish highlands. I can imagine having a picnic beside a babbling brook, catching wafts the not-so-distant peat bogs. I have not tried anything from this brand before, but they have some very intriguing fragrances. Apart from Pony Boy, both Healing Berry and Firewater sound really interesting. Best of luck to everyone. I live in NC, USA.

  • Christine says:

    Oh, I do love a “dirt” note, so I think I’d love beet, plus rhubarb!

    I haven’t tried this house after years away from buying. It sounds like I’ll have to pick up a few samples. I really appreciate that they sell 30ml bottles at a reasonable price.

  • Ann says:

    Love your description, Rachel.
    I don’t know how Euan McCall keeps on creating such interesting, thought-provoking and smile-producing fragrances, but he is a master at doing just that!

  • Wilson Chin says:

    I smelled this earlier this year and loved it! Reading this article, I had no idea these were the notes. Rhubarb! I love a fruity scent! NY, NY

  • Steve A says:

    I was sparked by the atypical set of notes. I have not tried one from this house. Stay gold, Ponyboy. Stay gold. US

  • Richar Potter says:

    Fresh chopped coriander? Sign me up. I love all my Jorum scents but have yet to try Pony Boy. USA

  • bigpapa says:

    This story almost reminds me of the movie The Perfumier where he creates a perfume that is so intoxicating everybody is put under a spell. This is a new house for me, never heard of them before.

  • johnmadison says:

    Thank you for the review of Jorum Studio Pony Boy, Rachel!
    I find the note of rhubarb really interesting in fragrance, and when you shared this this is one of the most unique uses of it I was instantly intrigued.
    The pink grapefruit I can only imagine pairs beautifully with the rhubarb, and I would love to get my nose on that earthy beetroot note. I find earthy vegetal notes like carrot blend really well with citrus and fruits, so I’m certain the beetroot would offer a similar result. And the dark green vetiver, musky ambrette and dry woods sound like a gorgeous finish to Pony Boy.
    I would love to wear this and I am fully ready to give into the ethereal call of the kelpie!
    I have yet to try a Jorum Studio fragrance and I would be so ecstatic to begin with Pony Boy.
    John – Minnesota, USA!

  • Karen Ruano says:

    Ooo the way that this fragrance is described sounds amazing! I feel like the bright zingy nature of the Rhubarb and Grapefruit will be rounded out beautifully with the fig, the pink lotus and the amabrette seeds! I have not tried any Jorum Studios fragrances but they have been on my radar recently! And I have been wanting to try out samples!

  • Annika says:

    I love rhubarb in fragrance particularly during the warmer months. The tart fruitiness in combination with the grapefruit, herbs, spices and vetiver sounds refreshing. I’ve never heard of the legend of the Kelpie, but Pony Boy sounds like a fitting scent for a mythical creature. I’ve not tried any Jorum Studio fragrances before. I’m in the US.

  • Regis Monkton says:

    Jorum Studio has been one of the main fragrance companies I’ve been most intrigued to try, but I haven’t had a chance yet to try any of their releases. I’m very interested to try Jorum Studio Pony Boy. I like to hear about its grapefruit and rhubarb opening with the cardamom and pink pepper spices. I like to hear about the honeyed champaca and the creamy fig. I appreciate Rachel’s isolating the combination of rhubarb, pink grapefruit and beetroot, and I’m intrigued to see what that’s like. I live in the U.S.A.

  • tamehuff says:

    The rhubarb notes are intriguing. I was fortunate to visit the Kelpies this last January and curious if this fragrance evokes the magic of that time.

  • rmsssss says:

    Rhubarb and fig and beetroot? So many interesting ingredients in Pony Boy! Jorum Studio is so creative, I would love to try this new scent. My favorite from them is Rose Highland. I’m in MN, USA.

  • hippononamus says:

    The pairing of the vegetal and fruit notes with dry woods sounds intriguing; as does the imagery of a pink sunset behind cold hills. I’ve only ever tried beetroot in fragrance in CDG’s Rouge. I haven’t tried a Jorum yet, but Gorseland and Arborist have been on my to sample list.

  • AJ says:

    Wow, what an unsusal combination of notes! This sounds really interesting. I love Fire Water by Jorum Studio. I’m in the USA.

  • rebecca says:

    This just sounds like such an interesting and mysterious scent.
    I very much enjoy both rhubarb and grapefruit,
    But, I really want to experience ‘a water colored trail of lotus lingering on your skin’!! That sounds delightful.
    I have not tried any other Jorum Studio perfumes.
    I live in the US.
    Thank you for the drawing.

  • Patty Wood says:

    I love the tart smell of rhubarb and also champaca. I would like to see what beetroot contributes. I have not tried any from this line, but would like to start with Pony Boy. I live in WV, USA.

  • soviz says:

    I’ve never tried a Jorum scent and this sounds wonderful! I always love a mythological/supernatural reference and the way perfumers draw out associated notes and accords; I’m fascinated by the way the sweeter, fruitier notes in Pony Boy are tempered by the earthy beetroot and the woods in the base. I’d love to try this one out — thank you! I’m located in New York, in the US.

  • Teresa C says:

    The note combinations are unique and very interesting, and the visual comparisons of fog and brackish water paint a vivid image of what the scent brings to the imagination. Also, being a fan of The Outsiders as a kid, I had to check out a scent called Pony Boy! I have tried Jorum’s HIghland Rose (lovely rose with gorse) and Firewater (all birch smoke on me, sadly).

  • RonaldProkes17 says:

    I have never tried a Jorum Studio perfume, but they have certainly been making waves in the fragrance community recently from what I can tell. This perfume sounds so innovative and evocative. I really enjoyed Rachel’s review and how she described in details the murky waters and ominous sunset it conjured for her. I love scents that change throughout the wear and I also love the rhubarb note used in the composition. It sounds like Euan McCall is really thinking outside the box with this and many of his composition, but not just for shock value, but instead creating original watercolour paintings using unorthodox note combinations and juxtapositions. I love how Rachel’s review highlighted that and would love to try this perfume.
    I am located in the US.

  • Caliwas says:

    Such a beautiful and enchanting review by Rachel of *Jorum Studio’s Pony Boy*. The fragrance based on Rachel’s scenery depiction sounds; mystical, magical and enchanting as a still calm moment out of a fairy tale. Oh my goodness I would cherish this scent. Thanks for the opportunity. Greetings and gratitude from the USA.

  • roxhas1cat says:

    I’d love to experience the magical opening of a fairy tale! I love both rhubarb and fig and grow both in my yard. This sounds like a delight. I have not smelled anything from this brand. Thanks for the chance! USA.

  • wallygator88 says:

    Thanks for the wonderful review Rachel.

    I’ve been very curious about this brand and have been keeping an eye on them for some time.

    Rhubarb fragrances are such a wonderful wear all year – to celebrate warm weather and to remind one of warmer days in winter.

    The opening of this fragrance sounds particularly stunning with my favourite notes of rhubarb, fig and grapefruit, garnished with a touch of spices.
    I would have though that would be the maximum expression, but the perfumer goes beyond by adding in pink lotus absolute, vetiver and red cedarwood to balance this out and make it a complete fragrance.

    It seems that the kelpie of Scottish yore, migh have lured me into trying this.

    I’ve not tried this brand before.

    Cheers from WI, USA

  • mmerline says:

    Rhubarb is one of my favorite notes in perfumery, so any perfume that uses it in a unique way gets my attention. The combination of rhubarb and grapefruit sounds particularly tangy—tart, sweet, and vibrant—but the addition of earthy beetroot is an unexpected twist. Euan McCall’s juxtaposition of bright fruit and landscape-notes is a clever way of invoking the kelpie, gliding along in the fog and moonlight. Jorum Studio fragrances have been on my to-try list for a while and Pony Boy is at the top. Great review, Rachel!

    I’m in the USA.

  • Torax says:

    Great review by Rachel here.
    This year I had the pleasure of trying Firewater and it was glorious!
    Pony Boy seems like a cool fragrance that I really need to try. Rubharb, pink grapefruit and beetroot seems like a magical blend. I really need to try this asap.
    USA here.