The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
Spiced Spirit landed in 2026 as part of OriArome's Boozy Series, the line where the house leans hardest into sweetness without apology. The nose belongs to Jérôme Epinette, a perfumer whose work shows up in a range of well-regarded releases, and who tends to build compositions that feel both generous and disciplined. Here the project asks for warmth, richness, and a boozy undertone that earns its place rather than riding on top, and the result reads less as a cocktail and more as the hour that stretches after one, when the glass is empty but the room still holds the glow. It's an amber-woody composition that takes the dessert impulse and threads it through resin, asking the pistachio and vanilla to earn their weight against myrrh and sandalwood rather than disappearing into them.
What makes this one unusual is the restraint inside the indulgence. Pistachio and pineapple in the opening could easily spiral into pastry-shop territory, but the davana pulls things back, adding a herbaceous, almost-bitter edge that prevents the sweetness from going soft. The heart is where Epinette makes the smartest move: roasted tonka absolute next to iris butter and Somali myrrh. That's not a common pairing. The iris gives a powdery, suede-like texture, the tonka brings the gourmand warmth, and the myrrh threads balsamic smoke through both, so the middle phase reads as warm leather drizzled in honey rather than as a dessert accord. It's a layering choice that keeps the composition smelling intentional.
The evolution
The first ten minutes are the loudest. Pineapple and pistachio arrive together, the fruit bright and the nut soft, with davana threading something herbal through the middle so it never goes flat. That opening fades fast, and what's left feels like a different fragrance. The iris and roasted tonka take over, and the composition shifts from bright-and-edible to dense and textured, almost suede-like, the kind of scent that feels heavier than the notes on paper suggest. Somali myrrh anchors the transition with a smoky, slightly bitter resin that prevents the middle from going cloying. By the third hour, the base has settled: Madagascar vanilla and sandalwood blend into a creamy, golden warmth, and the labdanum absolute adds a sticky, amber-like density that clings to skin and fabric. What's surprising is how long the myrrh survives. It outlasts the vanilla, outlasts the sandalwood, and shows up faintly the next morning on whatever you were wearing.
Cultural impact
Spiced Spirit appeals to the wearer who treats gourmand as a wardrobe staple rather than a guilty pleasure, someone who actively seeks out sweetness with backbone and isn't looking for permission to enjoy it. The Jérôme Epinette credit adds another layer entirely, his name attached to a release that sits in OriArome's dessert-leaning catalog and signals a certain kind of craft ambition. For collectors who notice who's behind a composition, the pairing matters: a perfumer with a reputation for thoughtful structure applied to one of the most overtly sweet briefs in the brand's lineup.
The House
OriAromeOriArome is a fragrance house operating under the Shaikh Saeed Perfumes umbrella. The brand has built a collection that leans into opulent, dessert-inspired compositions with bold oud and boozy facets. Their catalog spans gourmand flankers, Middle Eastern-inspired releases, and fruity-spicy compositions, with a signature style that reviewers describe as sweet, boozy, and slightly unconventional. The house operates primarily through social media channels, reaching collectors and fragrance enthusiasts via Instagram and TikTok.
The Creator
Jérôme EpinetteEpinette's style can be described as modern and sophisticated, with a focus on natural ingredients and clean lines. He has a knack for creating fragrances that are both wearable and interesting, often incorporating unexpected elements to add depth and complexity.
