White Lotus Aromatics Newsletter - Absolute 1
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Absolute Newsletter 1 (Aglaia -- Bruyere)
Dear Friends-
We are now embarking on a new series of newsletters which concern the subject of absolutes and their contributions to natural perfumery. In this series you will find simple monographs on known and lesser known absolutes, their physical and olfactory characteristics, their use in natural perfumery and the materials they combine well with. This series of newsletters will probably be 12 in number.
This is a vast and interesting subject and these modest monographs can only give an introductory idea of the complexities of the exquisite aromatic absolutes. Steffen Arctander's classic work, Perfume and Flavor Materials of Natural Origin, has continued to serve as a basic reference work for such endeavors but I have tried my best to add my own observations according to my own olfactory explorations of the delightful aromatic palette available to us today. Many new materials have appeared since his work was presented in 1960. I have included monographs on those to the best of my ability. If I have failed to include any authentic materials for which you have examples, and would like me to offer my observations of it, then you are welcome to send a small sample to me and it will appear in a future newsletter.
I would also like to mention that, as many of your know, there has been a genuine renaissance in the realm of natural perfumery. Many people are realizing that they can create aromatic works of great beauty that more closely reflect their personal tastes than any purchased perfume can. I hope this trend will continue as there is great joy in channeling ones creative talents into the evocative world of natural essences. The life experiences of each on of us are unique and special and many times the aromas we encounter through various channels, inspire and stimulate our imagination and creative faculties. It may then occur to us to create special essences capture something of those occasions.
For many years the world of perfumery has been dominated by certain categories of perfumes, i.e. chypre, fougere, oriental, cologne, floral, coniferous, herbal, etc. each which may have many subcategories. All of these are important and shall continue to hold a place of prominence in the years to come. But as the world of natural perfumery moves more and more into the hands of individuals who realize they can participate in the creation process, many more categories will take root and greatly expand the range of categories through which people can express their unique insights into the world around them. Already much is happening in that sphere.
Sacred perfumes can be created to express any number of great religious and spiritual traditions as specific aromatic botanicals are associated with the many approaches to the grand mystery of life. Culinary perfumes can be created to capture the beauty of the cooking traditions of people from various cultures as pungent herbs and aromatic spices loaded with volatile oils play an important part in characterizing their special international dishes. Geographical perfumes can be created to capture some of the grand beauty of a particular spot on the earth. Historical perfumes can give us grand insights into a particular time, place and culture that may have vanished from the world. By studying the various historical records available to us, if we are so inclined, we may recreate something of the atmosphere of a bygone era. It is just to say that if any individual wishes to express something that it is dear to their heart through perfumes, it may be entirely possible, because at no time, to my knowledge has their been access to so many exquisite natural botanical essences.
In the coming year we will periodically offer through our newsletters opportunities procure small amounts of some of the rarer and lesser known absolute which we do not normally stock like Arnica, Carob, Calendula, Gentian, Wheat/Ble, Bran, etc. It is not possible to regularly stock every absolute as they tend to be costly materials but by good fortune we now have access to many of these special materials through extractors living in different parts of the world. You can look for the chance to procure them in the Updates section of the newsletter.
Aglaia Absolute
Aglaia odorata Absolute is extracted from the comminuted seeds of the Chinese Perfume Tree also called Chinese Rice Flower Tree.
A deep olive green liquid displaying a rich warm and suave floral fruity aroma. It is layered on top of a an intriguing precious woods, herbaceous tea-like body note.
In perfumery its unique qualities can be used in elegant floral bases of many types. Aside from its specific olfactory qualities its depth, warmth and mellowness acts as a unifying medium between other ingredients. Blends well with boronia absolute, champaca absolute, carnation absolute, cassie absolute, henna leaf absolute, mimosa absolute, ylang absolute, saffron attar, lily magnolia co2, orange blossom absolute, jasmin absolute.
Ambrette Seed Absolute
Ambrette Seed Absolute is extracted from the seed of Abelmoschus moschatus. The plant is an erect, annual or biennial, hirsute herb with yellow flowers.
It is a light amber color viscous liquid with a delicate but rich, sweet, dried fruit, floral-musky(but not animalic) odor. The full elegant delicacy, radiance and roundness of the bouquet is experienced in all phases of the dry out. It has fine tenacity.
The unique combination of olfactory properties in the absolute mark it as a harmonizing and exalting fixative in sophisticated natural perfume composition. It has the unique ability to knit together the top middle and base notes in sublime way but must be used with great discretion or its own silky aromatic properties can dominate the composition. Breathes and elegant radiance into delicate floral compositions as well as refined oriental bouquets.
Blends beautifully with orris root abs, coriander oil, Nigella damascena abs, Ruh Kewda, Peru balsam eo, Osmanthus abs, rose otto and abs, neroli eo, orange blossom abs, sandalwood eo and abs, and many other expensive florals.
Angelica Root Absolute
Angelica Root Absolute is a dark brown viscous liquid extracted from the roots of Angelica archangelica a herbaceous perennial of European origin or Angelica sinensis of Chinese origin.
Intense heavy, rich, sweet, smoky, leathery, balsamic, animalic, rooty-musky odor displays itself throughout the dry out. Distinctly recalls the odor of old-fashioned apothecary shops. Very powerful, radiant and tenacious. The odor of the absolute bears little resemblance to the essential oil distilled from the roots.
Valued in perfumery for is incredible tenacity, coupled with its rich animalic body notes. Must be used with great discretion as even in small percentages it has a marked effect on any perfume composition. In trace amounts is valued in chypres, fougeres, oriental bases.
Blends beautifully with choya loban, choya nakh, vetiver, ambrette seed Abs.. Aglaia odorata abs., amberi attar, shamama attar, agarwood eo, mandarin-petitgrain eo, orange flower water abs, seaweed abs., oakmoss abs, costus root eo, clary sage eo, patchouli, opoponax and myrrh.
"From the earth they had drawn its moisture, and made the ditch dry; some of the sweetness of the air had entered into their fibres, and the rushes - the common rushes - were full of beautiful summer. The white pollen of early grasses growing on the edge was dusted from them each time the hawthorn boughs were shaken by a thrush. These lower sprays came down in among the grass, and leaves and grass-blades touched. Smooth round stems of angelica, big as a gun-barrel, hollow and strong, stood on the slope of the mound, their tiers of well-balanced branches rising like those of a tree. Such a sturdy growth pushed back the ranks of hedge parsley in full white flower, which blocked every avenue and winding bird's-path of the bank."
--from Pageant of Summer
by Richard Jefferies
Arnica Absolute
Arnica Absolute is extracted from the flowers of the perennial plant which grows wild in many parts of Northern and Central Europe, Scandinavian, Russia and Northern India
The absolute is a dark, amber to green colored viscous liquid displaying a sunny,delicate, incense-resinous, sweet-herbaceous bouquet. Just beneath the surface a refined, pleasant, tea leaf-dried fruit(prune)note can be detected.
In perfumery it finds use in fine herbaceous blends, chypres, fougeres, colognes etc. It is particularly valued for its special contributions to men's fragrances of the leathery, spicy citrus types.
Like many absolutes it has a unique harmonizing effect on other natural essential oils and co2 extracts that come into its company.
Blends well with Labdanum "incense note" abs, Labdanum "amber note" abs, cistus eo, frankincense, mate abs. henna leaf abs, tea leaf abs, birch tar rectified, , cade eo, patchouli eo, lavender eo and abs, clary sage eo and abs, rosemary verbenone eo, rosemary eo, sage eo, citrus oils, bucchu leaf eo, marigold abs, pennyroyal eo, etc.
An acorn fell abruptly
And smote his nose: whereat he spoke
Of acorns most corruptly.
"Great Scott!" he cried. "The Dickens!" too, And other authors whom he knew,
And having duly mentioned those,
He expeditiously arose.
Then, though with pain he nearly swooned, He bathed his organ nasal
With arnica, and soothed the wound
With extract of witch hazel;
And surely we may well excuse
The victim if he changed his views:
"If pumpkins fell from trees like that," He murmured, "Where would I be at?"
--from Fables for the Frivolous
by Guy Whitmore Carryl
Bakul absolute
Bakul absolute is extracted from the flowers of the large evergreen tree growing through India. Small scale extraction occurs in South India.
The absolute is a viscous amber liquid with a ethereal, rich, , honey-like, sweet floral odor with elegant warm, creamy, carmel-like body note with good tenacity.
In perfumery it can serve as an excellent modifier in high class floral compositions seamlessly uniting the top and base notes. It would be invaluable in creating temple and garland perfumes as the flowers are considered sacred in Indian tradition.
Blends well with sandalwood, champa abs and attar, jasmin sambac attar and abs, jasmin grandiflorum abs, ruh khus, vetiver eo and co2 extract, gulhina attar, boronia abs, Aglaia odorata abs,, tuberose abs, neroli eo, orange blossom abs, longoza abs, frangipani as, fenugreek eo and co2 extract , broom abs, ambrette seed abs and co2 extract, white champa eo, ylang abs and eo, agarwood eo.
I must search in the drowsy shade of the bakula grove, where pigeons coo in their corner, and fairies' anklets tinkle in the stillness of starry nights.
--from The Crescent Moon
by Rabindranath Tagore
Beeswax absolute
Beeswax absolute is extracted from the wax of bees, Apies mellifera. The wax is produced all over the world and the exact odor of the absolute depends on the aroma of the pollen of the flowers that go into making up the honey that in turn penetrates into the honeycomb or wax.
In general though it can be said that Beeswax Absolute is a solid waxy mass of pale yellow to dark gold color with a delicate soft, warm, sweet, powdery-waxy odor with a diffusive herbaceous, rich hay-like undertone.
Beeswax absolute is used in perfumes where one wishes to convey the sense of a aroma-laden herb garden or a fragrant wild flower meadow. It is also valued for its role of rounding off the rough edges of a composition. Its aromatic impact in a composition may be small but its warming, softening, harmonizing effect is pronounced.
It blends well with helichrysum eo, flouve eo, hay absolute, honey absolute, jasmin abs, mimosa abs, rose absolute, boronia abs, cassie abs, Aglaia odorata abs, orange blossom abs, ylang eo and abs, rose otto and abs,, chamomile eo, broom abs, , bakul abs, tuberose abs.
She loved the smell of the
house when she opened the door each Friday evening. It was a smell
as familiar as her own scent on her petticoats as she pulled them over
her head and her nightgown when she folded it to put it under her
pillow. Her own scent was impossible to unravel, but she could say
exactly what made up the scent of her mother's house. The first part
was whatever might be cooking. Then there was the smell of the beeswax on the wide floor boards, the painted woodwork and the
furniture. There was always a hint of pennyroyal that was hidden
behind and under things to keep out ants and other insects. Now, in
the summer, the open windows added a whiff of manure from the
cows and horses, and a changing note of flowers, grass or hay,
depending on whether it was blooming time, cutting time or gathering
time.
--from Berkshire Wedding
by Judith Greenwood
Benzoin (Siam) Absolute
The absolute of Siam Benzoin is extracted from the balsamic resin of the tree, Styrax tonkinensis. Main collection of the resin occurs in Laos with smaller quantities in Vietnam. As the pure absolute is solid plastic mass and very difficult to work with, various materials are added to make it pourable. Perfumers alcohol is preferable but DPG(diethyl phthalate) is more common. Nowadays benzyl benzoate and dipropylene glycol are now also commonly used in diluents. DPG is often used to make other resin absolutes(myrrh, frankincense, etc) pourable but may not be indicated by the purveyor or the material. Even with the addition of 50% ethanol or DPG the material is quite thick and somewhat sticky.
The odor of the absolute is pleasant, delicate sweet balsamic with a distinct vanilla odor.
Benzoin(Siam) is valued as a fixative in perfumery, in colognes, in alcohol for "pre fixation" prior to preparation of colognes and lotions. Also valued for use in oriental perfumes where it imparts its sweet balsamic notes, in powdering fragrances etc.
Blends well with frankincense, myrrh, opoponax, cinnamon bark, fir balsam absolute, calamus, vetiver, cyperus, , cistus, labdanum absolute, tonka absolute, etc.
‘Well, I’m the wrong side of the counter to believe much in patent medicines. But there are asthma cigarettes and there are pastilles. To tell you the truth, if you don’t object to the smell, which is very like incense, I believe, though I’m not a Roman Catholic, Blaudett’s Cathedral Pastilles relieve me as much as anything.’
‘Let’s try.’ I had never raided a chemist’s shop before, so I was thorough. We unearthed the pastilles—brown, gummy cones of benzoin—and set them alight under the toilet-water advertisement, where they fumed in thin blue spirals.
‘Wireless’
Rudyard Kipling
Benzoin (Sumatra) Absolute
The absolute of Sumatra Benzoin is extracted from the balsamic resin of the tree, Styrax benzoin which grows in Indonesia.
The odor is similar to the Siam Benzoin but is somewhat harsher and less refined due to the presence of cinnamate esters which are also found in Styrax.
Each of the Benzoin extracts find their own uses with the Siam Benzoin being preferred for fine perfumery work and Sumatra Benzoin for hyacinth, new mown hay, and sharp floral types of perfumes.
BlackCurrant Absolute
BlackCurrant Absolute is extracted from unripe buds of the shrub Ribes nigrum which is mainly grown in France but also in Australia, Holland, Poland and England.
It is a dark green or blue green semi solid paste or very viscous liquid with a peculiar pungent, slightly phenolic, green, woody-spicy odor. The term "cat urine-like" has been used to describe one of the aromatic components of the absolute.
In perfumery it needs to be used with great discretion as the intense and peculiar odor of the absolute can easily dominate a composition. Yet is is a valuable addition to any creative perfumer's palette as its unique range of notes can give unique tints and hues to a natural perfume.
Forms nice accords with tomato leaf absolute, bitter fennel eo, cedar leaf eo, davana eo, Artemisia annua eo, Artemisia afra eo, yarrow eo, pennyroyal eo, hyssop eo, tagetes eo, rue eo.
Biddy, having rubbed the leaf to pieces between her hands,--and the smell of a black-currant bush has ever since recalled to me that evening in the little garden by the side of the lane,--said, "Have you never considered that he may be proud?"
"Proud?" I repeated, with disdainful emphasis.
"O! there are many kinds of pride," said Biddy, looking full at me and shaking her head; "pride is not all of one kind--"
--from Great Expectations
by Charles Dickens
Boronia Absolute
Boronia Absolute is extracted for the flowers of Boronia megastigma which grows in Australia and Tasmania.
The absolute is a deep golden-orange viscous liquid(sometimes green depending on solvent)with a delightful wild, ethereal, tangy, fresh, sweet, herbaceous-tea, violet-like odor , with a warm sweet roseaceous, , coumarinic undertone.
It is highly valued in high class floral perfumes and bases. Used in natural creations of violet, sweet pea, honeysuckle , mimosa and cassie types as its aromatic profile has many exquisite facets that fortify the above mentioned florals.
Blends well with cassie abs, mimosa abs, Aglaia odorata abs, elder flower abs, cananga eo, champaca abs, ylang eo and abs, , frankincense eo, labdanum, abs, cistus eo, jasmin abs, orange flower abs,, mandarin petitgrain eo, ruh kewda and attar kewda, peru balsam eo, , jonquil abs, violet leaf abs.
Genet Absolute
Broom/Genet Absolute is extracted from the flowers of the wild shrub, Sparticum junceum which grows in Italy, south of France, and Spain.
The absolute is a dark brown, semi solid or very viscous liquid, with a deep roseaceous-floral, coumarinic, honey, sweetness. A fine herbaceous, hay-like accord sits beneath the surface and has good tenacity.
In perfumery it is used in various floral bases where its rich honey-sweet, floral notes add richness, fullness and body to the composition. Rose bases, tuberose, cassie, mimosa, honeysuckle and violet benefit from its presence.
Blends well with flouve eo, hay eo and abs, helichrysum eo and abs, blue chamomile eo and abs, fir balsam absolute, tonka abs, orris root abs and co2 extract, boronia abs.
Oh the Broom, the yellow Broom,
The ancient poet sung it,
And dear it is on summer days
To lie at rest among it.
THE BROOM FLOWER
by
Mary Howitt [1799-1888]
Bruyere Absolute
Bruyere Absolute is extracted from root of tree heather, Erica arborea. It grows all over the Mediterranean region and is common in Algeria, Corsica, and the Canary Islands. The roots of old trees are collected for the purpose of carving tobacco pipes. The waste wood is collected for extraction to produce the Bruyere Absolute.
The absolute is a pale yellow or brownish yellow , solid but soft mass. It is similar in consistency to guaicwood and araucaria oil.
The odor of bruyere absolute is soft, green-woody, mellow-balsamic, with a delicate spicy aromatic undertone
Valued addition to rose perfumes, chypre bases, crepe de Chine, oriental-woody bases to which it contributes a delightful undertone and fine fixative effect.
Blends well with araucaria eo, amyris eo, copaiba balsam, guaicwood, gurjun balsam, bois de rose, ho leaf eo, ho wood eo, linaloe seed eo, atlas cedarwood, himalayan cedarwood, muhuhu eo, virginia cedarwood, sage clary, frankincense, labdanum abs, orris root co2 and abs, oakmoss, agarwood eo, vetiver eo and co2 extract, nagarmotha eo.