Jorum Studio Spiritcask

“New make is the clear spirit that comes off the still. It’s usually 68% alcohol and has aromatic characteristics. A lot of whisky’s flavour, and all its colour, comes from the wood.” ~ via The Single Cask

All Meisters appreciate a fine whisky in moderation – its color, aroma, widely divergent flavors. I recall one holiday season years ago, while my husband was still employed: clients would try to outdo one another by gifting rare bottles of whisky (which we could ill afford ourselves). I sat in our little candelit kitchen with our eldest, our feet resting upon the table as we regarded several small glasses filled with a variety of spirits lined up like so many small soldiers. I approached them as I would any work of art, encouraging our son to admire the bouquets, hues while we gingerly sipped – judiciously rolling the precious drops upon our tongues as we savored each. I’m grateful to all the folk who made such an olfactory/gustatory education possible – and there were many.

Euan McCall of Jorum Studio  and Jorum Laboratories courtesy of the perfumer

It is easy to see why perfumers clamor to recreate the alluring aroma of such potables. Even if you are a teetotaler, there is a suave, seductive character which alcoholic beverages reveal – be it champagne, wine, gin, rum, cognac, bourbon, eau de vies, the hoppy/malty liveliness of beer – and most certainly, whisky. Most frequently, while depicting whisky, the peaty, smoky aspects are showcased, as perfumer Euan McCall has done in his recent Scottish Odyssey’s Firewater. In the latest addition to his Scottish Odyssey Collection, Euan presents us with a more ephemeral version of Scotland’s pride, a ghostly twisted vanilla which haunts the oaken barrels: Jorum Studio Spiritcask. This should not surprise us; leave it to Jorum Studio to cast fresh eyes upon a previously tried-and-true theme and render it new.

pixabay whisky

Spiritcask is inspired by very young whiskies, as opposed to those which have aged and matured over many years. It has been said that, by drinking a new make – one can foretell the spirit it will become (and, as distilleries crop up ever more rapidly, so does the interest in new make). Jorum Studio Spiritcask opens with a sprightly tone which dances upon the skin – so fresh, fruity (ylang-ylang, pear, chamomile) and light-hearted. You feel youthful just smelling it: slightly brash, restless, and bristling with vitality.

This is not to detract from the perfume’s beautiful blending and advanced degree of sophistication; Spiritcask is anything but feckless. With the passage of time, a concerted mellow quality appears, and it is masterful, quietly prismatic in scope – neither your generic vanilla nor a ho-hum malt. Its complexity displays a true sleight-of-hand balance between the gourmand, woody and leathery facets of Euan’s fine materials. One such participant is whisky lactone – a scented chameleon element which displays maple, cocoa, wine, toasty, caramel, and overall alcoholic beverage nuances. We smell traditional oaken casks, as well as hints of cedar and guaiac, but none of them overwhelm Spiritcask’s composition. Malt, rum, and cognac are detectable throughout the fragrance’s development – whereas coffee and labdanum appear graceful and subtle; the tender touch of jasmine feels perfect, and Bourbon vanilla is woody. One is left to ponder the question: what libation preceded the current one in residence? What scented specters haunt these venerable kegs?

Notes: New Make, ylang-ylang, pear, chamomile, malt, cognac, jasmine, rum absolute, leather, cocoa, maple, cedarwood, whisky lactone, caramel, labdanum, guaiacwood, coffee, Bourbon vanilla absolute, oakwood absolute

My bottle of Jorum Studio SpiritCask was gifted by the perfumer – many thanks!  My nose is my own…all images via Jorum Studio unless otherwise noted.

~ Ida Meister, Deputy and Natural Perfumery Editor

 

Jorum Studio Spiritcask

Thanks to the generosity of Jorum Studio, we have a 30ml bottle of Jorum Studio Spiritcask extrait from the Scottish Odyssey collection for one registered reader in the USA, EU or UK (excluding Spain, Italy, Russia and the Ukraine ). You must register on our site or your comment will not count. To be eligible please let us know what appealed to you in Ida’s review and where you live. Draw closes 3/9/2022

Editor’s Note: Euan McCall was Michelyn’s CaFleureBon Rising Star of 2019,  and received 2022’s Best Artisan perfumer from Michelyn; Ida awarded Jorum Studio Scottish Odyssey Collection Best Collection of 2022, Rachel Watson gave Pony Boy from the Scottish Odyssey Collection a Top 10 Best of 2022.

In the USA, Fragrance Vault carries a wide selection of Jorum Studio including Spiritcask here. Jorum Studio is also offered at Indigo Perfumery

Luckyscent.com has a great selection of Jorum Studio Perfumes here

Our friends at 7 Scents in Budapest carry Jorum Studio here

Follow us on Instagram @cafleurebonofficial @idameister and @jorumstudio @jorumlaboratories

This is our Privacy and Draw Rules Policy

We announce the winners only on our site and on our Facebook page, so like CaFleureBon and use our blog feed…or your dream prize will be just spilled perfume.