Montblanc's white star was adopted in 1913, and it stands for the snow-capped peak of Mont Blanc. Later, the company put the mountain's height, 4810 metres, on its branding too. Think about that for a second. A company that made writing instruments looked at the highest peak in the Alps and decided that was its logo.

Mont Blanc Explorer, as most people type it, is Montblanc's fragrance take on that same idea. The brand spells itself as one word, and the bottle carries the star. It launched in 2019 as a new pillar for men, and it is a woody aromatic made by three Givaudan perfumers, Jordi Fernandez, Antoine Maisondieu and Olivier Pescheux. Three names on one designer scent is unusual, and I think of it as a committee done right. Montblanc lists bergamot, pomarose and sage on top, vetiver, leather and sandalwood in the heart, and patchouli, Ambrofix and Akigalawood underneath. It borrows adventure as a mood and never pretends to be niche, which is a kind of honesty.

The trick is to smell Explorer and then the scents that are built the same way. The first grid does it in one sitting. Explorer Eau de Parfum is the original, and Montblanc's own Legend Eau de Toilette sits beside it as the other side of the house. Burberry has two on the shelf, Hero Eau de Toilette with bergamot and cedarwood and Hero Eau de Parfum with pine and cedarwood, and they are the closest in spirit. Gucci's Guilty Eau de Parfum for Homme brings rose and cedarwood, Valentino's Vendetta Uomo adds ginger, Yves Saint Laurent's L'Homme is the smooth one, and Amouage's Reflection Man is the one to try if you want something from a more rarefied house.

A rule I keep: if you like a scent, find out which single ingredient you are responding to. With Explorer, a lot of people are responding to vetiver, the grassy, woody root that Montblanc lists in the heart. Once you know that, the shelf gets simpler.

Start with the eau de toilettes. Mr. Burberry pairs grapefruit and vetiver, and Burberry Touch pairs violet and vetiver, a softer approach. Prada's Luna Rossa Ocean puts vetiver with iris, and Azzaro's Wanted Eau de Parfum sets it beside sage. Henry Rose's Boys of Summer Body Spray, with pink pepper and vetiver, is the lighter way to wear the note.

Then the everyday version, which I like a lot. CYKLAR's Core Vetiver Roll-On Perfume Oil comes with driftwood and citrus zest and lives in a jacket pocket. Salt & Stone's Santal & Vetiver Deodorant and Method's Men's Body Wash in Sandalwood + Vetiver let you carry a hint of the same idea through the day without a spray.

A pairing I like: the roll-on on your neck and the spray on your chest, for a scent that stays close and gets sharper as you move. Layering with a matching body wash also helps the scent last longer.

What I would skip: vetiver scents on a day you do not like grass. It is green, a little dry, and not for everyone.

Here is how I would choose a daytime scent: hold it up in the morning, and imagine wearing it in a meeting. If it still seems right at a desk, it will work everywhere else.

Hermès H24 Eau de Toilette is the clean, modern one. Prada's L'Homme Eau de Toilette and Jimmy Choo's Man are polished, easy to wear, and quiet on the train. Yves Saint Laurent's Y Eau de Toilette adds fresh lavender and geranium, Ralph Lauren's Polo Red has grapefruit and coffee, and Carolina Herrera's Bad Boy Cobalt is the darker, punchier one.

Mugler's A Men Eau de Toilette and A Men Stellar Eau de Parfum are the bold ones in the grid, fragrances that people remember. I would wear them on days when I want to be noticed. Save them for cool days and keep it to one spray, then ask a friend how it reads.

Spicy scents suit cool weather. In summer, choose a lighter one, or use fewer sprays than you think you need.

What I would skip: a big spicy fragrance for a small office. A lot of people share the air, and a bold one fills it.

Try this: when you buy a woody scent, buy it in the smallest size, or a roll-on. Woods and amber suit some people beautifully and others less so, and a small bottle lets you find out.

Jo Malone London has most of this grid, and the line works like a set of building blocks. Hinoki & Cedarwood Cologne Intense with tonka bean and Cypress & Grapevine Cologne Intense with amber are the woody ones. Oud & Bergamot Cologne Intense and Amber Labdanum Cologne Intense are warmer and heavier. Blackberry & Bay with cedarwood, Mimosa & Cardamom with sandalwood and Wood Sage & Sea Salt are lighter, brighter ones.

CYKLAR's Cedar Supreme Roll-On Perfume Oil with tonka bean is the practical one, small enough to travel with and simple to reapply.

A pairing I like: two of the Jo Malone colognes layered, one woody and one fresh, such as Wood Sage & Sea Salt over Hinoki & Cedarwood. A small bottle makes the experiment easy.

What I would skip: layering more than two. Past two, you are no longer wearing a scent, you are mixing a drink.

I think Explorer is the most honest bottle in this group. It does not pretend to be a secret, and it wears well from a Monday meeting to a Friday dinner. If you like it and want to branch out, Burberry Hero and a vetiver from the second grid are the two I would try next.

So I would start with the original, live with it for a week, and then choose one from each of the next grids. A company once turned a mountain into a logo. You are only picking a scent.

Explorer works because it is a daily bottle, and a week of scents needs a few friends around it. For the vetiver days I would reach for the HERMÈS Terre d'Hermes Eau Intense Vétiver, the CREED Wild Vetiver and the Malin and Goetz Vetiver. Jo Malone London Hinoki & Cedarwood and Sea Salt & Bergamot are the quieter options for the office. Burberry Hero in both the Eau de Parfum and the Eau de Toilette sits close to Explorer's lane, and the Montblanc Legend keeps you in the same house. Jimmy Choo Man and HERMÈS Rocabar fill in the rest of the week. The CREED travel atomizer is handy for a gym bag, and the Polo Blue deodorant is an easy daily companion. What I would skip: two vetivers in one day.