The variety of scents on offer leads to a paradox that you find in every enthusiast hobby: on one hand people can’t stop wanting to try what’s new, but on the other hand they are happy to spend large amounts of energy online debating what their choices would be if they had to limit themselves.

When I first sat down to write this piece I thought it would be relatively straightforward, just a story about something from my childhood that still fills me with great memories. It didn’t take long for all the knowledge I’ve acquired since then to kick in and make me realize that there might be far more to the “Real American Fragrance” than just the juice in the bottle.