The Gourmand Wars: An Inquiry into Edible Perfumery

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Hey guys, The Booze Wars was extremely successful so I was thinking "can we roll right into the next one?" Many guys mentioned gourmand, how about a good ole knock-down dragout fight between that quintessential question: Vanilla or Chocolate?

So, for years we've debated woods, citruses, fougères and florals. We have analyzed structure, projection and performance as though they were engineering principles. But now we turn to something far more primal.

The gourmand.

Gourmand fragrances occupy a unique space in perfumery. They do not merely smell pleasant. They evoke appetite. They trigger memory. They blur the line between aroma and flavor. Vanilla, chocolate, caramel, coffee, tonka… these are not decorative notes. They are visceral.

In The Gourmand Wars, I'm wanting to examine both designer and niche interpretations of dessert-inspired perfumery. Airy vanillas will stand beside syrupy chocolate constructions. Some will whisper warmth. Others will command attention with almost theatrical richness.

This competition is not about sweetness alone. It is about composition. Density. Balance. Restraint versus indulgence. When does comfort become cloying? When does decadence become sophistication? When does edible become elegant?

What say you, guys? When it comes to gourmand perfumery, do you lean toward the structured elegance of vanilla, or the dense, decadent gravitas of chocolate? And which fragrance in your collection truly blurs the line between edible indulgence and refined composition? Which fragrances would you like to see in the war? Or do you think ole Joe A. here had too much sweets and needs to lie down? Love to hear from ya!

Team Vanilla

Team Chocolate

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