Boozy notes recall a drink: rum, cognac, whiskey, gin, mezcal, champagne or liqueur. They are what you are looking for in a whiskey perfume or a rum fragrance. They have nothing to do with the alcohol that carries the perfume, which evaporates within moments and leaves almost no smell behind. A rum or cognac note sometimes comes from a material taken from the drink itself, such as cognac oil. More often, it is an accord the perfumer rebuilds from other materials. You find these notes mostly in gourmand, amber and woody perfumes, and also in fresh compositions inspired by cocktails.
The alcohol in the bottle, a carrier that fades
Almost every perfume is diluted in ethyl alcohol, the same alcohol found in drinks. It acts as a solvent. It dissolves the essential oils, absolutes and molecules, then carries them into the air as it evaporates. Perfumers use a very pure alcohol, usually of agricultural origin, which is denatured to make it unfit for drinking.
When you spray, this alcohol is noticeable for a few seconds. It is the cold, sharp sensation of the first moments, sometimes mistaken for a top note. Once the alcohol has evaporated, only the materials it was carrying remain on the skin.
Materials taken from drinks
A few genuine raw materials do come from drinks. They are rare and used in small doses. Cognac oil is the best known. It is distilled from wine lees, the yeast deposit left at the bottom of the vats after fermentation. The result is a green oil that smells of wine, fruit and brandy, hence its name. A rectified, paler version also exists. Its smell comes mainly from esters, a family of compounds found in many fruits.
Rum is available from some suppliers as an extract or an absolute. The idea is to concentrate the rum and remove most of its alcohol, keeping its notes of molasses, wood and dried fruit. The exact process varies from one supplier to another.
For whiskey and cognac, perfumers often turn to the wood of the cask. Oak extracts, notably CO2 extracts, bring the woody, vanilla notes that ageing gives to spirits. Oak also contains a molecule called whiskey lactone, which smells of coconut and wood and passes into the spirit over the years in the cask. Our article on raw material extraction covers distillation, absolutes and CO2 extraction in detail.
Gin and juniper berries
Gin has one advantage over other spirits: its main material exists as such in perfumery. It is a spirit flavored with juniper berries, often with coriander, angelica root and citrus peel.
The berries come from a small conifer, Juniperus communis. Steam distilled, they yield a fresh, resinous and peppery essential oil with a pine facet.
For a gin accord, the perfumer starts from this oil and adds citrus, spices and sometimes a sparkling note that recalls tonic water. Another juniper, cade, gives an oil taken from its wood. It is very smoky and has nothing to do with the smell of gin.
Rum, whiskey, mezcal and champagne: rebuilt accords
For most drinks, no single material is enough. The perfumer then assembles an accord, meaning several materials that together suggest a smell none of them carries alone. Our article on the perfume accord explains this method.
A rum accord relies on notes of molasses, brown sugar, vanilla, wood and dried fruit. A whiskey accord adds oak and smoke, sometimes honey. A cognac accord leans toward grape, plum and wood.
Mezcal is a special case. This Mexican spirit is distilled from agave hearts cooked in pits dug into the ground and heated with wood, which gives it its smoky taste. Tequila, made from blue agave, is usually steam cooked and lacks that smoke. A mezcal accord therefore combines smoky, green and sweet notes.
Champagne is suggested through its bubbles more than its taste. Perfumers use bright, dry notes, citrus, ginger or aldehydes, with a touch of grape. Liqueurs such as amaretto or cherry liqueur are built around bitter almond. Its main molecule, benzaldehyde, smells of both almond and cherry pit.
What boozy notes smell like
English-speaking perfumers call them "boozy" notes. They give an impression of warmth and roundness, sometimes of slight tipsiness. Two families stand out.
Dark spirits, rum, cognac and whiskey, lean toward cooked sugar, wood, dried fruit and vanilla. They tend to settle in the heart or the base. They pair well with tobacco, vanilla, cocoa, honey, tonka bean and oud.
Clear spirits and cocktails lean toward freshness. Gin, vodka, mojito and champagne usually sit in the top notes, with citrus, mint, ginger or marine notes. Like all top notes, they fade fairly quickly and often open onto a warmer base.
Whiskey perfumes and other boozy scents from our catalog
We have chosen perfumes that list a drink in the note pyramid published on their product page.
Mezcal and agave smoke
Mezcal My Love, by Adi ale Van, composed by perfumer Jimmy Bodin, places a mezcal accord in the heart, with agave syrup, brown sugar, smoky notes, geranium and rosemary. Italian grapefruit, Japanese peppermint and ginger open the composition. The base brings together oakmoss, Haitian vetiver and hinoki. The house points out that it keeps the smoke of roasted agave without turning into a sweet cocktail. Our profile of Adi ale Van tells the story of the Romanian house.
Whiskey and Cuba Libre
Adiere, by Adi ale Van, opens on a Cuba Libre accord, the cocktail of rum, cola and lime. Cola, lime, bitter orange, black pepper and thyme come with it. The heart pairs a whiskey accord with tobacco absolute, leather, an ink accord and pinewood. The base moves on to smoke, patchouli, vanilla absolute, tonka bean, amber, cocoa and oud.
Gin and vodka
Gin Sling, by Aaron Terence Hughes, opens on gin, tonic and lemon. The product page describes a gin accord with juniper facets. Ginger, nutmeg and pink grapefruit form the heart, then white musk closes the composition. Our profile of Aaron Terence Hughes covers the British house.
Moonlit Lullaby, by Tada Parfumeur, places a vodka accord in the base, with heliotrope and honey. The top combines chamomile, yuzu, apple, lime and green notes, the heart sugar, lavender and grapefruit zest. The perfume grew out of a cocktail whose softness had surprised the perfumer. Our profile of Tada Parfumeur presents the Thai house.
The fresh rum of a mojito
Aura, by Aaron Terence Hughes, puts rum in the top notes, with lemon, pink grapefruit, lime and mint. The house sees it as a reworked mojito, inspired by trips to Mexico. Ambergris and sea salt form the heart, then the base brings together vetiver, patchouli and sugarcane. The sugarcane in the base recalls the plant rum is made from.
Aged rum and vanilla
Tierra, by Pernoire, opens on aged rum and red berries. The heart brings together vanilla, warm spices and benzoin, and the base rests on oud. The house wanted to capture the warmth of South America, with a deliberately short pyramid. Our profile of Pernoire covers the Swiss house.
Cozonac, by Adi ale Van, is inspired by the braided sweet bread of Romanian holidays, which itself contains a little rum. Candied lemon, citrus zest, pear, panettone and toasted hazelnuts open the perfume. Rum arrives in the heart, with panna cotta and orange blossom. The base pairs Madagascar vanilla with candied fruit.
Sayat Nova, by Bortnikoff, takes its name from an 18th century Armenian poet and troubadour. Apricot and narcissus up top, rum and vanilla in the heart, then a base of three ouds, from Laos, Bengal and Trat, with oakmoss. Our profile of Bortnikoff looks at this house that distills its own oud.
Rum extract and umeshu
Matsuri N°Lon-03, by MysNyx, is the perfume in our catalog that lists a rum extract. It sits in the base, after a top of umeshu and frangipani and a heart of incense. Umeshu is a Japanese liqueur made from plums steeped in alcohol with sugar. Our profile of MysNyx presents the Thai house.
Cognac
Addicted, by Aaron Terence Hughes, opens on cognac alone. The heart combines honey, cinnamon and apple, which the house compares to a caramelized tart. The base brings together chocolate, vanilla, tonka bean and sandalwood.
First Hug, by Voice From The Sky, pairs cognac, oak and blue chamomile in the top notes. Perfumer Tianle Feng tells the story of a meeting on a beach in Cannes, and speaks of the light intoxication of a cask-aged spirit. Neroli, incense and violet leaf in the heart, then a base of seaweed, galbanum and ambergris. Our profile of Voice From The Sky covers the Chinese house.
Champagne and rice wine
Melancolie, by Adi ale Van, composed by Jimmy Bodin, puts champagne in the top notes with passion fruit, ginger, lime and vanilla. The heart adds a liqueur, white grape and violet. Ambrette, Siberian iris and mahogany wood form the base. The house describes the morning after a party, with a champagne accord whose fizz is dry and mineral.
Mo Suo Gu Niang, by Cinojad, translates as "the old brew of the Mosuo". The heart brings together a Sulima rice wine accord, wild raspberry and Mosuo rose, after a top of red berry ginseng, rhubarb and coral ginger. Fir from Lake Lugu, between Yunnan and Sichuan, henna musk and Siam wood form the base. Our profile of Cinojad presents the house.
Amaretto and cherry liqueur
Raw Cherry, by Aaron Terence Hughes, places a cherry liqueur in the heart, with sour cherry, dark chocolate and tonka bean. Lemon and mandarin open the perfume. Amaretto arrives in the base, with vanilla, nutmeg, oud and Damask rose. Cherry and bitter almond share the same facet, which explains why they are so often paired.
Oud Noir pairs plum and amaretto in the heart, after a top of cinnamon and saffron. The base brings together Thai oud, benzoin and vanilla. The house speaks of a liqueur-like heart, set between the spices and the wood.
Aged spirit
Gun Shadows, by Adi ale Van, simply lists an aged spirit in the heart, with a wanted poster accord and a cheap cigarette accord. Metallic notes and a blood accord up top, then a base of coffin wood accord, oud, old newspaper accord and ink accord. The house describes a brown, smoky heart, like a saloon the morning after a long night.
You will find more compositions in our selections of gourmand perfumes and fresh perfumes.
Frequently asked questions
Does a perfume with boozy notes contain more alcohol?
No. The amount of alcohol depends on the perfume's concentration, not on its notes. A rum note is built from odorous materials, just like a rose or vanilla note.
Why does a perfume smell of alcohol right after spraying?
That is the carrier alcohol evaporating. The sensation lasts a few moments, then gives way to the top notes.
What is the difference between a rum note and a cognac note?
Rum comes from sugarcane and leans toward molasses, vanilla and brown sugar, as in Tierra or Cozonac. Cognac is a grape brandy aged in oak casks, fruitier and woodier, as in Addicted or First Hug.
What does "mezcal accord" or "champagne accord" mean in a pyramid?
The word accord signals a note rebuilt by the perfumer from several materials. As far as we know, there is no common raw material of mezcal or champagne. The accord aims to convey the impression of the drink, its smoke or its bubbles.
Do boozy notes last long on the skin?
It depends on where they sit in the pyramid. As top notes, like the gin in Gin Sling or the rum in Aura, they fade fairly quickly. In the base, like the rum extract in Matsuri or the amaretto in Raw Cherry, they stay longer.
Further reading
The materials that most often accompany boozy notes are covered in our Perfume materials guide, including tobacco, vanilla and cocoa. To compare an aged rum, a cognac and a fresh cocktail on your own skin, the perfumes mentioned are available as 2 ml samples, depending on the house, on our samples page.