Best d'Annam Japanese Whiskey by d Annam Alternatives & Similar Perfumes
d'Annam Japanese Whiskey is a woody spicy fragrance centred on whisky, oak, sandalwood, barley and clary sage. It combines the warmth and smokiness of whisky with the creamy smoothness of sandalwood and the earthiness of oak. The clary sage adds a subtle aromatic freshness, while barley supplies a dry, grainy texture. Those drawn to smoky, woody scents with a distinctive boozy edge will find this composition notable for its balance of spice and depth.
Japanese Whiskey by d'Annam £295.00
- Key notes:
- oak
- sandalwood
- smoke
- whisky
- Aromagroups:
- green
- woody
Rare mizunara oak, used in Japanese whisky barrels, imparts an unusual sandalwood/pineapple undertone to the “water of life” maturing within. This eau de parfum blends the effect of mizunara oaked whisky with the furry, malty smell of chestnut for a moreish, warm experience. Don’t be fooled by the shape of the bottle — this whisky is only for spritzing, not sipping!
In only this life,
let me drink up.
And in lives to come,
I'll be perfectly content
as a bug, a bird.
- Ōtomo no Tabito
この世にし
楽しくあらば
来む世には
虫に鳥にも
我らはなりなむ
- 大伴旅人
SMOKIN' GUN by BORNTOSTANDOUT £160.00
- Key notes:
- cedarwood
- incense
- juniper
- oak
- sandalwood
- smoke
- whisky
- Aromagroups:
- aromatic
- woody
Love around the campfire. Heavily peated, spiced scotch in the wet woods
PERFUMER
FLORIAN GALLO
Bois d’Ascese by Naomi Goodsir £170.00
- Key notes:
- frankincense
- oak
- smoke
- tobacco
- whisky
- Aromagroups:
- woody
Perfumer: Julien Rasquinet.
Naomi Goodsir’s Bois d’Ascese is perhaps the smokiest peaty and charred-whiskey-barrels smelling perfume out there. But the smoke in this fragrance is quite contemplative, it’s not the hints of gunpowder or fireworks, neither is it anything foody. The smoke and woods in this perfume are dry and romantically ascetic, rather introvert and they practice self-discipline.
Dorian's Spleen by L'Entropiste £260.00
- Key notes:
- coffee
- dark chocolate
- mineral accord
- peat
- smoke
- whisky
- Aromagroups:
- woody
A rich whisky aroma, intertwined with the sweetness of caramel, coffee and dark chocolate, which truly tickles the senses. With the sophistication of a dandy, the moreish aromas give way to hints of ash and smoke.
Hyrax by Zoologist £200.00
- Key notes:
- castoreum
- civet
- hyraceum
- saffron
- whisky
- Aromagroups:
- leather
- vintage/old school
- woody
Perfumer: Sven Pritzkoleit
It's a dramatic animalic dry leather. Smell the artistic take on the hyraceum aroma (a larger than life fantasy) in this perfume and also if you visit us at Covent Garden, you can discover how natural hyraceum smells. We have a piece of this ancient fascinating material for educational purposes.
Sven used natural hyraceum as obtaining this material does not involve any animal cruelty (please see below). However, the perfumer purposeley enhanced most of the nuances of natural hyraceum to dramatic proportions: animalic, urinous, leathery, ambery and barnyard.
***
What is hyraceum?
Hyraceum is the fossilized urine of hyraxes Bloom's specimen (available to smell at our Covent Garden store) came from a mountainous area in South Africa and was harvested by local tribesmen from a hyrax’s urinal area in an ancient cave (as communal animals they have a designated communal loo - latrine). Hyraceum is exclusively fossilized urine deposits (no feces). As many desert plants and animals have water saving habits – hyraxes’ urine is not a liquid. They excrete jelly-like urine that dries in the sun to a stone.
The specimen was procured with the expert assistance of The Rising Phoenix Perfumery and could be thousands of years old.
Malt by Akro £160.00
- Key notes:
- malt
- patchouli
- whisky
- Aromagroups:
- woody
A good whisky is an immersive sensory experience: the tickle in your nose, the spice on your tongue, the smoky afterglow in the long fadeout. Akro founder Anais Cresp first became enamoured with the smell of whisky while working in the pubs and bars of London. She associates it with that ‘tipping point’ in a night—the witching hour when beers become shorts, relaxation edges into hedonism, and night drifts closer to day. Malt is a sweet and smoky scent that brings an air of cosy decadence to any situation.
Rhinoceros (2020) Version II by Zoologist £240.00
- Key notes:
- coffee
- leather
- oud
- tobacco
- whisky
- Aromagroups:
- leather
- vintage/old school
- woody
Perfumer: Prin Lomros
Please note this 2020 formulation by Prin is a new vision of the Rhinocerous theme and is not a replacement (neither conceptually and nor technically) for the prevous discontinued formulation.
Prin Lomros tells this bold leather story in his favorite witchy herbal incense style with a few nods to the first chapter (the boozy theme of rum and whiskey).
Zoologist's concept for the perfume:
"Under the searing gaze of an unrelenting sun, the ornery rhinoceros surveys his dusty territory. A tough, battered hide is his armour against the erosive onslaught of sand, whipped into a frenzy by a hot, merciless wind, as he stands strong, defending his domain.
On the first spray of Zoologist Rhinoceros, heady notes of sweet rum and whiskey collide with mellow coffee before the scent settles into its lingering journey. Rich leather, oud and incense are carried in a cloud of smoky red tobacco along a dusty amber path, dotted with hints of patchouli and moss. Rhinoceros is a sophisticated and robust scent that makes a bold, unapologetic statement. Go forth and explore your world. Don’t ask permission."
Zoologist Rhinoceros does not use animal products.
Vanilla Shot by Olfactive Studio £200.00
- Key notes:
- aldehydes
- coriander
- dried fruit
- myrrh
- vanilla
- whisky
- Aromagroups:
- leather
- woody
Perfumer: Bertrand Duchaufour
Visual artist: landscape artist/photographer Martin Hill.
The same way in which Martin goes to a sight and rearranges what nature left there into an installation, the perfumer rearranged some molecules and materials to put the beauty of a natural material into focus.
Also Martin aims to let his structures be absorbed back into natural chaos. Perfume evaporates into the environment in a similar fashion, beautiful but transient.
In Vanilla Shot all of the focus is on vanilla (natural, dark and balsamic). The concept of the perfume is inspired by a photo of a piece of Martin Hill's land art shot at dreamy dusk (below). The twigs used in the structure balanced over the lake are reminiscent of vanilla beans. The installation transcends two planes - liquid and ether and in the perfume vanilla spans the sweet and bitter corners of the scented universe. Vanilla Shot is not an ordinary sweet gourmand. In this perfume all nuances of natural vanilla get proper attention: balsamic, fruity, spicy, sweet and even leathery.
Montabaco by Ormonde Jayne £295.00
- Key notes:
- ambergris
- black tea
- cardamom
- clary sage
- iso-e-super
- juniper
- sandalwood
- tobacco
- Aromagroups:
- green
- spicy
- woody
An ornate tobacco leather with a hint of intoxicating tobacco bloom, as well as fresh leaves.
Montabaco is part of the Four Corners of the Earth collection and represents Latin America, the land where tobacco originated.
The perfumer conjures the original jungle encounters between natives and the sailor-explorers (who were totally oblivious to the magic of tobacco at that point). This is a novel interpretation of a tobacco-themed perfume, invoking lush green shadows full of parrot cries, mysterious blooms, and adventure.
The elixir is also exceptionally concentrated, at 42%. Hence the 'intensivo' in the title.
08 Labdanum+Oak by Raer £130.00
- Key notes:
- cardamom
- labdanum
- mate tea
- oak
- Aromagroups:
- spicy
- woody
An intense perfume steeped in steadiness and strength. Built on a fortress base of sweet ten year-aged English Oakwood and resinous wild Labdanum. Spicy Elemi Resin and Black Peppercorn give a floral fire background; Vetyver Root offers power and structure, while exotic hints of Black Cardamom and French Carrot Seed, Osmanthus Flower, and Yerba Maté Leaf play in the background. This is a smooth, suave perfume to be worn with self-assurance.
About d'Annam Japanese Whiskey by d Annam
- How does d'Annam Japanese Whiskey differ from other whisky-based fragrances?
- d'Annam Japanese Whiskey uniquely balances whisky with clary sage, oak, sandalwood and barley, creating a woody spicy scent with aromatic freshness and grainy texture not always found in other whisky fragrances. Many alternatives emphasise smokiness, animalic notes or sweetness more heavily.
- What makes d'Annam Japanese Whiskey a woody spicy fragrance?
- The woody spicy character comes from its combination of oak and sandalwood woods paired with the aromatic clary sage and the warm, spicy nuances of whisky. Barley adds a dry, textured element enhancing the spicy woody profile.
- Are there fragrances here that focus more on smoky notes than d'Annam Japanese Whiskey?
- Yes, several fragrances such as Japanese Whiskey by d'Annam, SMOKIN' GUN and Bois d’Ascese emphasize smoky accords more prominently, adding incense, tobacco or peat to intensify the smoky character beyond the reference.









