Answering a question posed on Answers.com that many had not even considered required addressing, the creation is the masterwork of scientists Prof. Anity and Dr. Doesmuch.
It has been an 18-month journey that has proven as arduous as it has odorous.
“Humans can distinguish more than 10,000 different smells (odorants), which are detected by specialized olfactory receptor neurons lining the nose”, says Prof. Anity. “In Luxembourg it is a given that the people’s noses are assaulted from a myriad of directions.”
Dr. Doesmuch continues; “When you smell many fruits or flowers, what you are smelling is esters evaporating from the fruit or flower. Esters are organic molecules and we wanted to reproduce Luxembourg’s smell essence, or smellessence for a broader market.”
How does one distinguish a uniquely Luxembourgish scent? Prof. Anity has some thoughts, “for example, the ester that gives a banana its smell is called isoamyl acetate, and the formula for it is CH3COOC5H11. The primary smell of an orange comes from octyl acetate, or CH3COOC8H17. Esters can now be made artificially, and that is where artificial flavors come from. It is simply a case of reproducing the favoured flavours and smells that cause a reaction in the populace. The ester for the stairs at the Gare for example is not too far off that for the toilets at the lift connecting the Grund to the Plateau Saint-Esprit.”
Doesmuch is keen on explaining this idea further, “It’s all about finding a connection. We were looking to strike a balance between pan-sexual and a-sexual, inasmuch as we wanted a scent for all. There are notes that are more likely to be picked up by males, rather than females, and this coalescing of natural odor with our luxomixocity is what makes it so unique.”
The pair admit to being a bit worried when the virus struck, but it “actually helped us a great deal” offers Anity, “With so many people staying home, it was easier for us to gather samples. We also saw that the population were really going to miss the Scheuberfoeur. We had to make a few last minute adjustments to the recipe to get just the right the balance.”
So, just what has gone into this compressed can?
“There’s a whiff, of new company car smell, a few drops of, Schubbi grease. We’ve added a healthy portion of exhaust fume, cigarette smoke, vape...vapour. There are notes of Cheque Repas paper, distilled Cremant bubbles. A distinct twist of Cattenom cloud and a sprig of Mayo from Belgium. The secret ingredient, and the hallmark we feel sets us apart, is that we have added a microscopic fibre from one of Xavier Bettel’s scarves. All this is dashed off with a little spring water from the Mullerthal, to add freshness and earthy tones,” a recent press release states.
The fragrance is ready for mass production and will be given as a free sample in September.
There are talks of regional variations each quarter and it is hoped that the investment will help raise Luxembourg’s GDP significantly.
Axe’s Luxembourg formula, for those keen eyed and in the know is CH3COOC5H2.
