Not you, by any chance?" "Not me," says Olivier Creed, who points out that ambergris (sparingly used in the world's finest scents) while it might, at a stretch, be described as sperm-whale vomit, technically consists mainly of regurgitated squid beaks.
A saleswoman came out with scent strips -- three for men, three for women -- that were indeed subtle, not like the heady, complex mixes I associate with fine perfume.
He loves its neighborhoods, its women walking languidly on a summer's evening, its history and the fine swampy scent of the East River at ebb tide.
Now, before we leave our wrists, you'll want to be spritzing some of the finest luxury scents that could only come from The House of BULGARI.
Dogs have a wildly fine nose for scent: we can detect molecules in parts in the million, dogs in parts in the billion.
Most of all he liked grilled mutton kidneys which gave to his palate a fine tang of faintly scented urine".
In Eastern cultures ambergris is used for medicines and potions and as a spice; in the West it was used to stabilize the scent of fine perfumes.
There are even Bloomsday breakfasts featuring Bloom's favourite, "grilled mutton kidneys which gave to his palate a fine tang of faintly scented urine".
Quail from the specials board comes with chunks of carrot and caramelised oranges – the scent of fine sherry imbues many of the dishes.
Historically, however, I've never been quite so fond of the reality – what James Joyce termed the "fine tang of faintly scented urine" does not exactly whet my appetite first thing in the morning.
