The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
Brooklyn fragrance house D.S. & Durga was founded by David Seth Moltz, who composes each scent as a study in translating specific settings, historical moments, and emotional states into olfactory form. The brand name combines two nicknames. Cowboy Grass began the way all D.S. & Durga scents do: with a feeling, a setting, a specific moment Moltz wanted to carry in a bottle. In 2008, the Brooklyn-based perfumer turned his attention westward, past the suburbs and strip malls, into that wide open American geography that exists more in memory than in present reality. Rather than reaching for obvious cowboy references like leather or tobacco, he chose herbs: Wild Thyme, Artemisia, Clary Sage, and grass itself. The idea was to capture the smell of wide open spaces, not the smell of a saddle.
The note selection reflects a deliberate philosophy: use materials that actually smell like their names rather than relying on synthetic associations. Wild Thyme was chosen over more conventional aromatics because it carries a specific wildness that other herbs lack. The pairing of Vetiver with actual grass creates an effect that neither material achieves alone, the vetiver providing earthy depth while grass adds a bright, green lift. Benzoin was added in the drydown to provide warmth without sweetness, preventing the finish from feeling cold or merely environmental.
The evolution
The fragrance moves through three distinct phases, each grounded in specific materials. Wild Thyme and Bergamot create the opening, a combination that feels both medicinal and fresh, like crushed herbs on a warm day. The heart develops with Artemisia bringing a slightly bitter, sage-like quality, while Basil and Clary Sage add aromatic complexity. Rose appears in the heart as a quiet floral thread, not a focal point but a softening agent that keeps the herbs from becoming too harsh. The drydown pivots to Vetiver and Grass, materials that smell genuinely of the earth and plants. Ambergris provides a subtle animalic undertone while Benzoin adds warmth, ensuring the grassy finish doesn't feel skeletal or thin. The arc tells a story of discovery, depth, and resolution, each phase building on what came before.
Cultural impact
Cowboy Grass occupies a particular space in niche perfumery, drawing those who appreciate aromatic-herbal compositions with genuine depth and character. Reviews describe it as photorealistic dry grass and hay, with a prairie-switchgrass authenticity that renders the American West without apology or ornament. Some find the herbal opening sharp enough to be polarizing. Others consider that sharpness the entire point or exactly the quality they seek. Wearers invoke Cormac McCarthy and the high plains drifter archetype, noting the fragrance performs exactly what its name promises: it smells like a landscape rather than a perfume.
