Yankee Candle’s Top 10 Winter Fragrances

If you're confused about what to burn now that Christmas is over with and spring is still months away, don't worry. Stoney Keeley has you covered.

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The holidays are in the books, but we’re way too far out to start burning spring fragrances. What is a man to do? Don’t worry, folks. I am here to help. In my 16 years of Yankee Candle burning experience, I have developed quite the rhythm and routine for every season. Even in this weird no man’s land of the calendar, when time and space seem nonexistent, I have a few scents up my sleeve that I like to run back. So, if you’re confused about what to burn between now and Fresh Cut Roses around Valentine’s Day, fret not. I’ve got you covered.

Yankee Candle’s Top 10 Winter Fragrances

10. Almond Cookie – I would’ve loved to have been in the meeting room for this one…it’s like they couldn’t decide between an almond and a cookie, so they just went with both. Do almond cookies actually exist? Is that a thing that I’ve just missed out on my entire life? Regardless, I like to burn almond cookie in the early fall and in the winter time – the warmth and sweets of it all just remind me of staying in and eating something decadent after a hearty meal on a cold night.

9. Nectarine and Honey – Man, I look a good, rich, sweet citrus as opposed to a straight up fresh and fruity citrus. That’s what you get with Nectarine and Honey. It’s like an Old Fashioned minus the whiskey. Damn, now I’m going to have to go pour me up a drink to warm my soul on this frigid winter night.

8. Icy Blue Spruce – I love this one in the winter time because it’s a great winter tree fragrance, but there’s almost a hint of mint or some sort of herb in it. I don’t know. I just know that it gives me that tingly cold feeling right up my nose like I just popped a new piece of gum into my ol’ gobbler.

7. Mountain Lodge – A surprisingly versatile fragrance, Mountain Lodge can fit just about anywhere on the calendar and that’s part of the reason I love it so much. You can burn it in the summer time to bring back memories of heading to the cabins of the Smoky Mountains on vacation. Or, you can burn it in the winter time for it’s cozy and musky scent. It’s one of those rare “it doesn’t really matter when you burn it” candles for me.

6. Maple Pancakes – Are you into torture? Specifically speaking, do you love to torture your own family? Well, I have just the candle for you – Maple Pancakes. Nothing will inflict mental anguish on folks quite like waking up early on a Saturday morning, burning this candle, and having everyone in the house think they’re waking up to pancakes, only to discover that it’s just a candle. That’s how accurate this one is. It’s cozy and warm, just like an early winter’s morning ought to be.

5. Cascading Snowberry – Y’all probably know by now if you’ve been following my Yankee Candle reviews, that I like “different.” Well, Cascading Snowberry is a very “different” take on the Christmas/winter time candle. It’s almost got an ivy quality to it. Like frosted poison ivy…but….like…I’d imagine that probably wouldn’t test well in focus groups. This is a nice scent that’ll change things up during December, but isn’t so Christmasy that you have to put it away before New Year’s. I’d burn this thing into February.

4. Red Berry and Cedar – Yeah, I know. There’s a lot of tree fragrances on this list, but everything else is dead this time of year, so what am I supposed to do? I like Red Berry and Cedar because it’s so different from all the other tree fragrances with Christmas tree profiles.

3. Balsam and Cedar – full review – Balsam and Cedar is precise and accurate – you will have people walking into your house saying “where’s the live Christmas tree?” Imagine the utter shock on their faces when you tell them – SURPRISE – it’s a candle. I think Balsam and Cedar plays well after the holidays too because it doesn’t have the typical cinnamon spice fragrance that so many holiday candles have.

2. Sparkling Snow – My father nearly ruined Sparkling Snow for me back in 2008 when I was burning it and he walked in and said it smelled like soap. After that, I was afraid it was going to lose a bit of its holiday luster. Can’t be talkin’ ’bout Christmas spirit when it smells like Irish Spring, SMDH! Nonetheless, I was able to power through that mental block out of sheer mental toughness, and to this day, I find Sparkling Snow to be a good change-of-pace holiday candle. It’s a nice, clean, pure scent that makes for a delightful alternative to the typical Christmas smells like sugar cookies, trees, and cinnamon.

1. Hot Buttered Rum – This might be my hottest of hot takes when discussing Yankee Candle fragrances, but Hot Buttered Rum is easily on my Mount Rushmore of Yankee Candles. There is something about it that is so warm, sweet, and cozy that it just replenishes the spirit. I don’t know what kind of voodoo they put in it to get that, but I will fire it up every winter and pile the blankets on top of me. It’s hard to find, so chances are you’ll have to shell out the dough to find this bad boy on eBay.

Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network, and a Dogs Playing Poker on velvet connoisseur. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD, #BeBetter, and ‘Minds right, asses tight.’ “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, Yankee Candle, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley.

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