New Perfume Review: Imaginary Authors Saint Julep (Josh Meyer) 2017+ Southern Juke Joint Draw

vintage Poster Mint Julep 1910 via googlesearch.com

"I must speak a little upon the mint-julep, as it is, with the thermometer at 100 degrees F., one of the most delightful and insinuating potations that ever was invented, and may be drunk with equal satisfaction when the thermometer is as low as 70 degrees.” -Captain Frederick Marryat’s diary (1838)

Imaginary Authors St Julep (photo from Josh)

Releasing  today,the twentieth of June, is the very latest in the Imaginary Authors canon; Josh Meyer’s tribute to the hot and sultry summers in the south: Saint Julep.

Josh Meyer of Imaginary Authors via Josh

Whether it’s the cross-country road trip vibe of Kerouac in The Cobra And The Canary, or the -macho Pamplona-run-with-the-bulls Hemingway feel of Bull’s Blood, Josh Meyer’s thoughtful and much-discussed Imaginary Authors perfumes exist to tell a story. You really don’t need to know the stories to love Josh’s perfumes, but if you’re a compulsive reader like I am then the genesis (or should I say genre) of his perfumes will feel familiar to you. You may think you’ve read or heard the story, but like the goddess Athena emerging fully formed and battle ready from Zeus’s forehead, these tales and their “imaginary authors” spring to life from the extraordinary mind of perfumer Josh Meyer.

Classic Southern Literature collage by Robert

Mining the rich and vast Southern literary tradition which gave us Faulkner, Williams, Capote, and Harper Lee among others Josh gives us a Mint Julep of a perfume that could easily have been inspired by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Alice Walkers’ juke joint in “The Color Purple”, or a scorchingly hot and bright afternoon on a front porch in Carson McCuller’s “Member Of The Wedding” or “The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter”. “Open the whisky, Tom,' she ordered, 'and I'll make you a mint julep. Then you won't seem so stupid to yourself…” ― F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby

Juke Joint Chapel Southern Living Magazine 2010

The “plot” of Saint Julep according to Josh Meyer is this:“On the outskirts of Clarksdale, Mississippi, at the end of a secluded dirt road sat a small ramshackle church. It was not a place of worship but rather where many went to seek refuge during impoverished times. Legend has it the structure was transported to the wild mint field by hand, hoisted on the shoulders of two dozen men. The outside remained simple and nondescript but the interior was aglow with Christmas lights, pilfered neon signs and a jukebox donated by the sheriff's son.

via the Sheffield Brew Club

It was a distinctly secular place where locals who knew where to find it could share moonshine, socialize, and dance their troubles away. They called their ramshackle juke joint Saint Julep, and the oral histories compiled within paint a picture of that magical place where "the smiles were always free and salvation had the distinct smell of sweet mint." -Milton Nevers, Author

etsy.com

Mint Julep as a drink, originated sometime in the mid-1700’s. The origin of the word julep comes from the Persian word “gulab” or “julâb” which means “rosewater”. The term mint julep was also used to describe a drink to accompany medicine to kill the medicinal taste and help with upset stomachs and ease sore throats.The mint julep, a cocktail made with bourbon, powdered sugar, water and mint, is the official drink of the Kentucky Derby horse race, and nearly 120,000 juleps are mixed sold at Churchill Downs racetrack over the two-day race period.

Eddie's Place by Harold Newton©

Saint Julep is a seemingly simple but actually very complex “one trick pony”, and oh what an astonishing and amazing trick it is. Opening with an arctic blast of herbaceous and citrus cool, it’s easy to believe that you’re taking an initial sip of an icy mint julep on an almost unbearably hot, humid, and languid southern afternoon. The bourbon note suggests not only the alcoholic aspect of the drink, but also a wood-like vibe that could easily be either mint leaves and stems, or the smell of heat rising from a planked porch, and slightly acrid like sweat on the back of your neck being cooled by being rubbed with a cooling ice cube. The sugarcube note serves to add a sweetness that helps to cut the bitter herbs.

Shack Up Inn

The cool minty scent rising from the cup mixes with the fecund blowsiness coming from the decades-old Magnolia tree helping to shade the porch. And the metallic bite and zing is the scent of cold liquid against the side of the traditional silver or silver-plated julep cup. Saint Julep is a saint I would happily pray to, even as a non-drinker. It encompasses everything I look for in a warm weather scent; easy to wear, intriguing, and like the feeling of air-conditioning on a steaming hot day, cool and oh so refreshing. 

Can I get an AMEN!  

Notes: Sweet mint, tangerine, southern magnolia, bourbon, grisalva (an aroma molecule which can be ambergris, animal, dry, fresh, metallic.), Sugarcube, crushed ice.

Disclosure: Thank you SO much to Imaginary Authors and Josh Meyer for supplying the perfume. The opinions are my own.

Robert Herrmann, Contributing Editor

 

St.Julep photo by Robert

Thanks to Imaginary Authors and Josh Meyer, we have a 14 ml. travel spray of Saint Julep edp for one registered reader in the USA so be sure to register if you have not done so. To be eligible please let us know what appeals to you about Robert’s review, if you have a favorite Imaginary Authors fragrance, and what is your very favorite book written about the South? Draw closes 6/21/2017

It is on sale here

We announce the winners only on our site and on our Facebook page, so like Cafleurebon and use our RSS feed…or your dream prize will be just spilled perfume.

 

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25 comments

  • ringthing says:

    I am a big fan of Imaginary Authors and look forward to trying everything Josh comes up with. My husband is from Louisiana and you so perfectly describe that fictional juke joint and the oppressive heat of the southern summer, Robert. Saint Julep sounds fantastic. My favorite Imaginary Authors perfume is Memoirs of a Trespasser and my favorite southern book is To Kill a Mockingbird. Thanks for the great review and draw.

  • I am continually amazed at creative minds such as Josh’s that can come up with these compelling, visually driven stories and accompanying fragrance creations. I have tried a number of Josh’s scents, including those he created for The Sum, and Falling into the Sea is my favorite so far. My favorite Southern classic is Gone with the Wind! I live in the US.

  • I enjoyed reading of the mint julep origins. I have always enjoyed the Tennessee Williams plays made into film. Memoirs of a Trespasser remains a fave. USA

  • What appeals to me the most about the review is the background and origins of mint julep. I found it enlightening that the word julep comes from ghulab. I’ve had incredible rose fragrances with ghulab in their name. My favorite Imaginary Authors is Yesterday Haze. My favorite book about the south is the only one I think I’ve read and that’s To Kill a Mockingbird. I’m in the US. Thanks so much.

  • Thank you, Robert for interesting review. It is very good when as Robert said, this fragrance “is a seemingly simple but actually very complex “one trick pony”. I hope that will not very retro.
    Unfortunatly, I’ve never tested any Imaginary Authors perfumes. So I hope to win and test it.
    My favorite Southern classic is “Gone with the Wind”.
    USA, DE

  • Malka Gittel Bas Reuven says:

    Ah, the South. So often depicted, so little understood, and its great days as a literary flashpoint seemingly now gone. I love that Robert’s written to those burgeoning pre-Civil Rights days, the 30s through the early 60s, when road house shacks could be found in the damndest places and a Bette Davis or Joan Crawford movie could be unfolding in real life down by the lake, like at Cousin Charlotte’s. (Picture insertion of b/w movie stills to illustrate.)

    My literary south is that of Faulkner, as with Sanctuary and Requiem For a Nun, spiced with a bit of the nostalgia of Fannie Flagg for the kinder, gentler moments of those days and the slower areas of the 1960s.

    I can’t attest to a favorite IA scent as I look on this draw as my chance to introduce my nose to Josh’s work.

  • With temps in the upper 90’s, a mint julep sounds perfect for this moment. I was born in the South, went to grad school there, and have enjoyed a julep or two. If ever there were a patron saint of refreshment, Saint Julep would be it! I love Tennessee William’s depictions of the South. His characters are poignant and deeply flawed, a reminder of our own humanity.
    I don’t a have a favorite IA scent but enjoy all of them. I’m in the US.

  • Systeme D says:

    Another great review from Robert! “Fecund blowsiness” really paints a perfect picture of a magnolia tree. I had one in my yard when I lived in Virginia many years ago, and my memory of that tree has not yet faded.

    My Imaginary Authors favorites are The Soft Lawn and Mosaic. I deeply appreciate Josh Meyer’s creativity.

    I cannot narrow down my favorite work of southern literature to just one, so I will mention Morrison’s Beloved, Allison’s Bastard out of Carolina, and Jones’ The Known World, and note that those choices barely scratch the surface!

    I am in the US – not in the south anymore, but I do visit New Orleans whenever I can!

  • roxhas1cat says:

    Yes you can get an “AMEN”. I have this on my wrist now as I tested it at my local shop this afternoon. It is a delight, perfect for this first day of summer. I wish I had the ingredients for a mint julep right now, I ‘d mix one up and sit on my porch. I do love the south!! My favorite scent from this line not counting the one on my wrist now, is Memoirs of a Trespasser. My favorite southern book is “Little Altars Everywhere”. Great article!! Thanks for the chance. I live in the US.

  • NiceVULady says:

    As always, Robert brings the fragrance alive. I live in the South and this is a drink that conjures up plantations and Gone With The Wind. My favorite Imaginary Author’s fragrance is Memoirs of a Trespasser. William Faulkner and Tennessee Williams are two of my favorite southern writers along with Harper Lee and Margaret Mitchell and really so many others. Thanks for the draw. I live in the USA

  • fazalcheema says:

    I didn’t know Kentucky Derby actually has an official drink. Saint Julep does seem faithful to the Mint Julep recipe mentioned in Robert’s article. My fav. Imaginary Authors creation is Memoirs of a Trespasser. I am in the US.

  • I appreciate that Robert quoted actual literature for a a review on an Imaginary Authors fragrance! My favorite Imaginary Authors fragrance is The Cobra & The Canary. My favorite southern book is The Clearing by Tim Gautreaux. I live in the USA.

  • ccatabay90 says:

    Reading through the review, I thoroughly enjoyed the imagery of Athena springing forth from Zeus’s forehead when describing how these “imaginary authors” spring to life. I also appreciate the quotes from novels peppered throughout this review!

    My favorite Imaginary Authors scent is Every Storm a Serenade.

    Lastly, my very favorite book written about the South is Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston.

  • ntabassum92 says:

    WOW, this sounds amazing. So refreshing for summer. I love mint, and I love mint julep mocktail variations. I haven’t actually tried a fragrance from Imaginary Authors. I love the book Gone with the Wind – wonderful Southern novel 🙂

  • I love the literary bent that Josh employs, especially since I find (for myself anyway), so much of what makes fragrances appealing is the mix of culture, memory, literature, reverie, etc.(..atomized context?) that surround their narratives and accommodate our own. Anyway, I also really enjoyed the ethnology in this article and the way the piece segued from context to review without pausing to get technical. Lovely stuff!
    Thank you for this draw. I am in Canada, but my sister in Wisconsin is visiting us later this summer, and could bring the travel spray with her, so please count me in.

  • Oh, gosh and as for a book written about the South… not easy!
    Off the top of my head it’s Light in August, The Heart is a Lonely Hunter or Huckleberry Finn…

  • Zephyr1973 says:

    I LOVE this review and cannot wait to get my nose on this – I suspect this will be a favorite of my beloved, as he adores mint…and sugar…I see a Christmas gift in his future!

  • RoseMacaroon says:

    This sounds enchanting and delish! Really have no experience with Imaginary Authors, but hopefully that will change. Beautiful review, thank you so much for the draw! My favorite novel about the south would be Huck Finn, but I really love Fannies Flagg’s Fried Green Tomatoes too.
    I’m in the US.

  • The south is a mystical and magical place I think, and it has a slow pulse all to its own that is not matched anywhere else. I just recently have been enjoying mint in one of my fragrances and this sounds right up my alley for this time of year – I don’t think I’ve tried any Imaginary Authors fragrances yet, but I’d really like to see how this one is. I enjoyed Midnight in the garden of good and evil and really felt as if I was in Savannah when I read it. thanks for the draw- I’m in US and registered.

  • Saint Julep sounds like such a perfect, refreshing summer fragrance. I love how literal the notes are; it’s like the recipe for a mint julep directly translated into a perfume, crushed ice and everything! It’s nice to see that it actually smells complex while still retaining a realistic quality to it. My favorite Imaginary Authors fragrance is Cape Heartache, and Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward is a great southern read. In the US!

  • Sudipta Dutta says:

    Wanted to have a mint perfume for sometime now. Have a trip to Austin coming up and will love to try this on that trip.
    The notes are great and what a way to get a idea for a perfume.

  • doveskylark says:

    I loved reading about the history of the mint julep. It made me think of my southern heritage and made me long for the sultriness of the south. I rally want to try the Cobra and the Canary from this house.
    I love reading Flannery O’Connor’s short stories,
    I live in the USA.

  • I’m thinking this is full bottle worthy for myself. I love the story behind the mint julep and love the description of how this fragrance opens up and settles. Sounds just amazing. Love Falling Into the Sea and book would be Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe. In the USA. Thank you.