Rosie - thanks for the extra source from WSP. Looks like I'll have a lot more fragrance mixing and experimenting to do. Like that's a bad thing?!
Heather, since you're in NJ, you could maybe stand next to some blooming lilac bushes while drinking a grape soda and get a rough idea of what a Texas mountain laurel smells like.
Grape hyacinth is somewhat similar but not nearly strong enough.
I think mountain laurel throws the strongest per/flower daytime fragrance I've ever experienced in nature. After dark, my night-blooming jasmine wins hands down. That stuff is unbelievable. You smell nothing while the sun is out, but at sunset the little nondescript flowers start pumping out fragrance and it gets stronger as the night progresses. Head out to get the paper before the sun comes up and it chases you back into the house screaming for mercy. Too bad it froze to the ground this winter (boo!) but new shoots are popping up and I should have blooms by late May. That's another one I wish I could bottle. It's similar to your typical jasmine, but has much more depth.
Here's a pic of the mountain laurel. Butterflies and bees love it!