I’m not a fan of the DS&Durga perfumes. They promise good stories on paper, but often smell overly synthetic and predictable in reality. However, their 2013 HYLNDS project was truly unique in scent, materials, and quality. The perfumes tell stories from Celtic folklore, and each features specific, rarely used accords: Larch in Bitter Rose, Meadowsweet in Isle Ryder, and Pineappleweed in Spirit of the Glen.
Although not a drinker, I enjoy boozy accords in perfumery, as well as tasting and smelling various spirited drinks in real life. I find them fascinating in terms of their odor and complexity of taste, just like perfumes. In perfumery, most of the boozy fragrances I know and enjoy seem to excessively use certain materials (usually to add warmth and depth) and, as a result, end up feeling overall heavy, rough, and rugged - either too smoky, sweet, woody, etc. The only “Bacchic” perfume (outside the protagonist of this review) I came across that was smooth and classy all around was Roja’s Creation-E or Enigma pour Homme. Mr. Dove has his haters, but one can’t deny the man has taste and knows how to convey it through his perfumes. In Enigma, I found the first “classy boozy” perfume where the perfect Cognac accord marries so well to the vanillic, powdery benzoin and the spices. The only problems for me were the linear development, becoming dull after the hour mark, and the somewhat predictable and “approachable” character of the composition. And for that, I have found the perfect, improved version in Durga’s Spirit of the Glen.
If you gave me to sniff this fragrance blindfolded, I could have sworn it was a Roja. What I mean by that is that it has that degree of polish, smoothness, sophistication, and “posh” that you’ll only find in Mr. Dove’s creations. Imagine that gracious execution but with an “artisanal” soul and vision. That is what we have here. I was preparing for a bold whiskey accord with a substantial amount of smoke and sweetness to complement it, and I was caught off guard. This is an outdoorsy, open-field, meadowy, naturalistic scent that evokes the green plains of Scotland, featuring an ethereal "Scotch of the highest quality" accord and the most restrained use of oakwood, supported by gentle malty and vanillic facets in the base. The major players are the Pineappleweed, Whiskey accord, and the Oakwood. The former is used here brilliantly, and I wish there were more of it in perfumery, especially in Agrestic compositions. Its scent and taste are delightful, highly reminiscent of Chamomile, but with a sweet-fruity undertone that recalls, you guessed, Pineapple. Therefore, as soon as you spray this perfume, you are greeted by this fruity, herbaceous, and green aroma paired with the finest, smoothest whiskey money can buy. The fruitiness smells like a combination of pear and pineapple, balanced by a warm, grassy sensation. The whiskey is not the type that burns your throat, but rather, the perfectly aged liquor with no after-burn and an explosion of flavors: fruity, woody, malty, and sweet. Very aromatic and light for a bacchic perfume. If you think it’ll continue to get rough as it transitions to the heart and base, don’t worry, it doesn’t. As it develops, the oakwood starts to become more assertive while the herbaceous, pastoral elements move slowly in the background, yet never leave the scene. The oakwood is treated, as the rest of the perfume, with great care. A material that is quite polarizing on its own; woody, smoky, peaty, with strong whiskey, vanillic, toffee, and fruity-like undertones. Here, the emphasis is placed on its woody, boozy, and vanillic facets, while the smokiness is toned down to a simmer and maintained throughout. Hence, you’ll get smoke, but it’s more like the fog that often covers the Northern plains. Lastly, the final addition to the flow is the malty and vanillic aspects, bringing about warmth and subtle sweetness. It never becomes cloying. I want to reiterate, there is not one rough edge to this perfume. The smoke won’t make your eyes tear, the spirit won’t burn your throat, the fruitiness won’t make you think of little umbrella cocktails, and the sweetness won’t have you reach for the insulin shot. It strikes a perfect balance.
Treated with meticulous care, aged to perfection, imbued with the Scottish flair and burning desire for freedom, freedom to roam the vast and green lands that characterize it, Spirit of the Glen may just be the most refined and perfect Bacchic perfume out there, at least that I know of.
IG:@memory.of.scents
Top Notes 
Pineappleweed
Scotch whisky
Pear
Grass
Heart Notes 
Limousin oak
Hay
Base Notes 
Barley malt
Bourbon whiskey barrel
DrB1414
BoBoChamp
Hermesh
