Osmanthus

Osmanthus is the smallest flower in my palette and one of the most complex. Its tiny golden blossoms smell of apricot, of black tea, of honey and, unexpectedly, of soft leather. It is a flower that behaves like a fruit and finishes like a glove.

What osmanthus is

Osmanthus absolute is obtained by solvent extraction from the flowers of Osmanthus fragrans, an evergreen shrub of the olive family whose clusters of minute orange gold blossoms open in autumn. The absolute owes its character to a group of molecules called ionones and to a rare family of lactones that give the apricot and peach sweetness, together with a tea like, leathery depth. It is one of the most expensive floral absolutes in the world, because the flowers are so small and the yield so low.

Where our osmanthus comes from

Ours comes from China, where osmanthus has been cultivated for more than two thousand years and where the flowers are gathered in the autumn hills of Guangxi and the south. The city of Guilin is named for it. The cool, misty autumns of the region bring the flowers into bloom all at once, and the absolute extracted from them has the full apricot and tea character that makes Chinese osmanthus the only osmanthus that matters in perfumery.

How osmanthus smells

Rich, fruity and floral, apricot, tea and a touch of leather. It opens with ripe apricot and honey, then reveals a delicate floral heart and a warm, tea like, faintly leathery finish that lingers for hours.

Osmanthus in our chapter

• VIIIRoyale OudThe Taproot · in the heart

  In Royale Oud it sits in the heart beside rose and wormwood, the apricot flower whose leather finish leads naturally down into the resins and oud of the taproot.

A note from the atelier

Osmanthus above oud is a conversation between two kinds of leather, one from a flower and one from a wood. In Royale Oud that conversation is the heart of the chapter.

Questions about osmanthus