I know what you mean, but some fragrance does smell different to different people I think or some people just describe scent horribly wrong as you say. lol
For a very good example, have you smelled Oncidium Sharry Baby? It is famously known as chocolate orchid, which I think is just a marketing gimmick because I do not find any chocolate smell from it at all. Vanilla of some sort or certain cookie dough smell, which often has vanilla extract. lol
Many orchid fragrance is very hard to correctly describe because they are very complex and often there really isn't much reference to compare it to and make it understood by others.
So best thing is "very nice!" which does not really say much.
I think one just has to experience many fragrant orchids in person and then just say "oh, Brassavola nodosa fragrance!" or "Cattleya Lemon Schiffon scent!". That's about as accurate as it can get and many people in the hobby know and just do that.
If you don't like coconut smell, then you want to stay away from Maxillaria tenuifolia.
Not only it smells like coconut, but it is so strong that it can easily fill up a library. lol
If you ever end up in perfume industry, I have a request. Make one that smells like Neofinetia and miltoniopsis.
Threaded Mode
