Jorum Studio Vernus via Instagram

“Vernus was made around 8 or 9 years ago. I kept coming back to the formula wondering if anyone else would relate to it in the same way I did. It felt right to launch Vernus for our 2025 Spring TIME limited release… I look forward to hearing if it ignites similar memories in others.” ~ Euan McCall, perfumer

Edinburgh based Euan McCall courtesy of the perfumer

Vernus translates from the Latin as “pertaining to the Spring season.” Jorum Studio perfumer and creative director Euan McCall has created Vernus, a limited seasonal extrait edition (only 926 exist) which celebrates the perfumer’s fondest childhood memories of vernal ramblings in the Scottish countryside. The narcissus and its kissing cousin, jonquil – were amongst his favorite aromas heralding the new season of lush growth. As spring faded into early summer, the air was redolent with newly mown hay, hayricks a-drying in the sun, the fruiting quince. Marigolds popped up with their customary fanfare; magnolias blossomed early on – many from late March to May, with a few varieties coming into bloom as early as February. Green! An abundance of green in a country which is no stranger to precipitation (Scotland averages 250 rainy days a year).

 Wild daffodils (NYC)  Spring 2025 photo by Michelyn

Vernus exalts the beautiful brevity of the season with a parfum which is bittersweet, verdantly sappy, and intones an earthy fecundity. The choices of aromatic materials may appear surprising, but they complement one another in olfactory synergy. Of the florals, magnolia, jonquil, narcissus and jasmine present an ebullient sweetness: some honeyed, with overtones of citrus (magnolia); honeyed and indolic, with nuances of mimosa, tobacco, and tuberose (jonquil); heady and green, with a slightly sharp edge and soupçon of leather – especially in the drydown (narcissus); and creamy, indolic and spicy (jasmine). Other components showcase very different scent profiles. Petigrain sur fleurs is its own creature – floral, verdant, tinged with fruit and a hint of the bitter. At first spritz it greets us merrily, open-hearted; eau de brouts is a relative, in that it is essentially petitgrain water, distilled from the leaves and potently green with woody undertones.

Getty images

The fresh, grassy, sap-rich facet of Vernus is accentuated by resinous galbanum and the crisp elegance of violet leaf. Marigold provides a rich, boozy/herbal/fruity note which plays well with the spice of paprika oleoresin and sunflower’s herbal/rooty/ vegetal musky/dry hay-like aroma: together they evoke the sunlit fields which Euan McCall has strewn with flowers. The addition of quince contributes a fruity sweetness which bears a resemblance to pear and apple; it reminds me of how a skilled cook will accent and contrast flavors when presenting a menu so that the palate is never bored. I don’t know what the perfumer’s reference for hickory is, but there exists a distillate which is quite smoky – so if this is the case, its employment is subtle. Goldenrod is herbal, terpenic, and floral – all of which melds harmoniously to flesh out the subtle nuances of the Scottish countryside in the growing season, teetering on the verge of summer.

I confess to Arcadian envy when I apply my small sample of Jorum Studios Vernus. Not unlike the perfumer, my happiest teenage years were spent in a similar environment (as opposed to my earlier very-urban upbringing). I was that barefoot girl in the meadow, resting against the day-warmed haystacks with a shy boy and first kisses. I am grateful to Euan for creating a fragrance which invokes the halcyon days which will never come again. Vernus is oddly beautiful (as many of Euan’s perfumes are) and poignant – and perhaps, a limited edition is fitting. Both spring and youth are fleeting and etched forever in fond memory, as this perfume demonstrates.

Notes: petitgrain sur fleurs, quince, marigold, sunflower, magnolia, narcissus, jonquil absolute, jasmine absolute, galbanum, violet leaf, hickory, paprika, goldenrod, hay oil, hay absolute, eau de brout absolute

Sample kindly provided by Jana Menard of Fragrance Vault – many thanks! My nose is my own…

~ Ida Meister, Deputy and Natural Perfumery Editor

Deputy Editor’s Note: Apparently the number 926 is regarded as an Angel Number. Several angelic messages are potentially relayed: a) to have faith that your material needs will be provided for as you serve your life’s purpose; b) a reminder to be grateful for abundance and to open one’s heart; c) it encourages us to pursue a spiritually-based practice.

courtesy of Fragrance Vault

Thanks to the generosity of Fragrance Vault we have a 30 ml bottle of Jorum Studio Vernus 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 Ida’s review and if you have tried a Jorum Studio perfume. The draw closes 7/26/2025

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Editor’s Note: Please enjoy Rachel’s review of Pony Boy (which was amongst her Top Ten of 2022), J Wearescentient’s review of Trimerous, and 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. Euan McCall was Michelyn’s Best Artisan of 2022 and CaFleureBon Rising Star of 2019

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