BORNTOSTANDOUT
DRUNK MAPLE

2024

PERFUMER
ALEX LEE

PINK PEPPER ESSENCE
DAVANA EO
RUM PURE ESSENCE

COFFEE
MAPLE SYRUP
SOFT SUEDE

VANILLA
SANDALWOOD
BENZOIN
ORCANOX

‘The perfect pre-drink for a wild night. An ultra-addictive maple syrup, accompanied by a golden rum. It’s an intoxicating blend.’ – BornToStandOut

Dare I say, finally a more risk-taking BTSO release that I’m reviewing (after Nanatopia, Fig Porn & Dirty Rice). With the brands attempts at ‘provocative’ marketing, so far they read as pretty basic to my nose. While Drunk Maple isn’t my favorite of the 4 mentioned, I do think it takes the most risk.

Drunk Maple not only has a booziness, but a woodiness and its burnt. Burnt woods and maybe even a hint of burnt rubber. It has a somewhat familiar boozy, woody sweet combination with the bitterness of coffee and a dense, dark sweet syrup drenching it. However, the smoky quality is strong with Drunk Maple. The charred, roasted woods make it smell old, vintage and a little bit daring. It’s a step further than the roasted qualities in fragrances such as Teo Cabanel Oh La La or Versatile Cafe Croissant; Drunk Maple isn’t just a toasted pastry and coffee, it’s coffee in a burned down cafe. Yet, sweet enough and getting smoother quickly, to not be a real challenge to wear either (it’s no Hiram Green Hyde).

Quite a nice release. I’m not a big fan of this style of charred woodiness, but Drunk Maple balances it well and I’d argue this fragrance feels the most substantial and perhaps best constructed of the four I’ve tried from BTSO at the time of writing.