Journal | The Society of Scents and Spirits

Highlights

The latest issue, alongside a few pieces worth reading again. Like going back to your favorite spirit or cigar.

Latest Issue September 3, 2026

Islay and Smoke: What Peat Actually Is

Not every Islay bottle is peated, and I own the proof on the same shelf as the ones that are. Where peat smoke actually comes from, the phenolic chemistry it shares with smoky perfumery, and the leather and birch tar notes that shadow it.

What Was Actually in the First Mai Tai

The rum in the first Mai Tai vanished within a decade. The real 1944 recipe, the myths around it, and three modern ways to build from it.

Special Occasion Fragrances

Room size and standing distance decide these picks, not fragrance families or seasons. Four occasions get a full recommendation here, two are worth reading the full piece for.

Coming Soon

What is next in the Journal. Each lands as a full article and a bite-sized version on the same day.

Comic-style illustration of a perfume bottle and a glass of bourbon on a perfumer's workbench, with a scent strip and raw oak chips nearby

September 8, 2026

Five Fragrances With Bourbon in the Notes

Vanilla, oak, caramel, and clove show up marketed as a bourbon or whiskey accord across niche and mainstream perfumery. Five fragrances built around that note, what real bourbon actually smells like underneath it, and how the accord gets built versus what the label implies.

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Bite-Sized

Quick reads in about three minutes. Go deeper into the full article when a subject catches you.