Karen Dubin Left, Patrick Watson, Sue Phillips at the Sniffapalooza master class; Scenterprises Back Label Perfume

On Sunday, February 8th, 2015 Sniffapalooza held their third in a series of Master Class Scentsory Pairings created to explore the olfactive universe with like minded guests. Having attended the first Master Class (with KELLY & Jones Fragrances) I was most definitely looking forward to the day’s event.  Held at Back Label Wine Merchants located at 111 West 20th Street in the heart of Chelsea, the store has gained a wonderful reputation for their thoughtfully curated selections and their weekly wine classes and education seminars.  We were greeted by Patrick Watson (co-owner) who offered us all a glass of the 2012 Schloss Muhlenhof, a deliciously drinking German sparkling wine to prepare our taste buds for the Master Class. The Master Class included Sue Phillips, a fragrance industry expert who has developed scents for Avon, Tiffany & Co., Burberry, Trish McEvoy amongst others.  Sue is the founder of Scenterprises and The Scentarium, the newest perfumery and interactive fragrance space which has become a destination for education, and custom fragrance creation.  Mademoiselle Miel, founded in 2011 by Susan Brown, is based in St. Paul, Minnesota.  Referred to as the Beekeeping Chocolatier, they have their own hives and uses honey instead of sugar to create their distinctive Honey Bon Bons. She was awarded 2014 Top 10 Chocolatier of North America. Susan was not able to attend but notes on the artisanal delicacies were provided and presented by chocolate loving Team Karen! Presently the chocolates are available in Minnesota and online.

Karen Dubin led off the Master Class giving insight behind the planning, how the collaborators were chosen and the trial and errors needed to find the right matches. Each place setting were arranged (in order) with wine glasses, a plate with the chocolates and sensory pairing notes.  For each of the six matches, each presenter preceded with a detailed explanation on their respective discipline. We were instructed by Patrick to first smell the scented blotter strip, then sniff the wine, then dip the strip around the inside of the rim (not in the wine!) and t assess them together. Then sip and have a bite of the chocolate and judge the sensory experience created.

The Scentsory Pairings: Fragrance ingredients, wine and chocolate

The six pairings in order:

Lemon Pistachio captures flavors of the Mediterranean (nice zest!) and Patrick chose the 2012 Chateau Pajzos Tokaji Furmint (an aromatic wine with hints of citrus, green apple and apricot) with Sue's beautifully crafted Citrus Blend (Bergamot and Lemon). A wonderful start!

Juniper was refreshing, brisk with a woody taste teamed up with (of course!) a Perry's Tot Gin and Tonic which is made in Williamsburg, NY and bottled at the original Navy Strength, 100 UK proof! Sue brought out her Tonic Sport that stood right up to it. Very masculine. She told us that juniper as a scent is appreciated more stateside then overseas.

Apricot Cardamon pairs tangy orange-sweetened apricot with spice of cardamom oil. The Bera 2013 Brachetto from Piedmont is a red sparkler that is fragrant and aromatic. To that Sue put a Fruit Blend w/ a Touch of Spice. Our senses were now bordering Prada Candy! The high quality of her blends keeps the fruit (apricot and peach) in line with nice honey.

Pure Rose incorporates rare 100% grade therapeutic-grade rose oil from the Damask Rose of Bulgaria (it takes 30 roses to make a single drop). The Heron 2012 Pinot Noir had clean aromas with nice structure that kept the dark cherries from getting tart. The Floral Blend surprised us all. Rose perfumes can be fusty and are ubiquitious. Not so with Sue's Rose Blend, which incorporated clove and violet leaf. Just beautiful!

Cherry Almond uses Michigan cherries and pure almond extract from California almonds. A Bussola 2010 Valpolicella Ripasso was rich with licorice dark berries and spice flavors. The Vanilla Blend is plush with the addition of tonka.

Smoked Honey with Scotch (honey smoked over wood ) would match up to any summer BBQ! Patrick hit a home run with the crowd with the Catskill Provisions NY Honey Whiskey! He sold out his allotment. Even the non scotch lovers were buying! The Sweet, Smoky Blend just wrapped itself around the two and closed out the event in grand style!  Thank you Team Karen for a fabulous sensory experience!

–Hernando Courtright, Guest Contributor and Event Reporter

Sue Phillips of Scenterprises NYC

What would a Sniffaplooza event be without a fragrance. Sue Phillips created a special perfume for Back Label.  A sparkling citrus, vibrant juniper and luscious fruity blend combined with exotic Moroccan rose with cognac & clove & violet leaves, with base notes of smooth vanilla and sensual honey & patchouli notes. Thanks to Sue we have 15ml of this unique fragrance blend (a $55 value) for any US reader. To be eligible please leave a comment with what spirit and cuisine paring sounds the best to you and what you enjoyed learning from this report. Draw closes February 16, 2015

Happy Valentine's Day!!!