Winter of 99
Kerosene (2019)

Wood smoke, vanilla, and caramel. The wood smoke is the same accord we’ve gotten from Kerosene before in Copper Skies and Broken Theories. The vanilla and caramel are of Sweetly Known, Follow, Followed, and Promises, Promises. Pegg does sweet quite well. He manages to keep sweetness from going down a thick and lumpy path, giving it plenty of air and space and breathability. Once the wood smoke at the top departs the remainder of the perfume is very similar to Kerosene’s other sweet vanilla perfumes. Read my reviews of those if you are interested further, but I’ve mostly run out of ways to say the same things over and over. Winter of ’99 is a good perfume, it’s well made and fun to wear, but, what’s probably obvious by my brevity, I’m not compelled to think about it much further.

Another stellar release from Kerosene. This one feels like it takes the signature smoke from Blackmail, strips away much of the sweetness, and pushes the smokiness forward. In many ways, it comes across as the niche answer to By the Fireplace by Maison Margiela. Where By the Fireplace has a slightly synthetic edge that keeps the smoke from feeling fully real, this one smells genuinely photorealistic—you can actually detect a burnt campfire accord. It’s not charred or ashy, just that lingering, smoldering edge, like the fire is still going in the background.

I also pick up a distinct sawmill accord. The more I wore it, the more it reminded me of freshly cut wood after using an electric saw—when the blade is still hot and there’s that smoky, heated wood smell in the air. That exact sensation is recreated here. Performance is solid, and nothing comes across as artificial, abrasive, or harsh. There’s still that familiar Kerosene sweetness, but it’s much more restrained. It’s nowhere near as thick or intense as Followed, and instead sits closer to Sweetly Known, just dialed back by a couple of notches. A touch of vanilla remains to round things out and smooth the edges.

On skin and clothing, the molasses note becomes a bit more noticeable, while nutmeg adds a subtle spice that gives the smoldering vanilla extra depth. This isn’t an especially complex fragrance—you’re mainly getting woods and smoky vanilla—but the balance between the two is thoughtful and well executed. Overall, it’s another well-blended scent from the house, best suited for fall and winter. Performance is strong, and it’s absolutely worth sampling if you enjoy smoky fragrances.

This scent has smoldering vanilla, wood, molasses, and nutmeg. This is warmth and comfort with a real dash of spice. I don't know how to aptly describe this, but the molasses seem to give it a warm, furry feel. This is a smoky, bold vanilla, and I'm loving it!

The opening accord of spices and old tires dries down to caramel and old tires, and eventually to just an almost ineradicable caramel.

I want to say something about Kerosene's art direction. It trades on its association with Detroit, my home town, and the website is replete with images of chains and beat-up bricks and plaster. The perfumer cites as inspiration "the scent of dirt, grease, oil and sometimes blood...gasoline, stamped steel, plastic, trees, earth." Yet the five fragrances I've tried smell overwhelmingly and unmistakeably of pastry, cookies, and candy. It's a big disappointment.