Grasse Rose Absolute

Note Profile

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About

Grasse rose absolute is the solvent extract of Rosa x centifolia, the cabbage rose or Rose de Mai. It is the heaviest and sweetest of the rose extracts, deep-rosy and honeyed with a balsamic weight the plain rose note does not carry.

Also Known As

Grasse Rose, May Rose Absolute

Scent Profile

Grasse rose absolute is the heaviest and sweetest of the rose extracts, a deep, rich rose rather than a dewy one. A honeyed sweetness runs through it, next to a balsamic, resinous weight the plain rose note does not carry. A warm spice trace, close to clove, comes and goes depending on the batch. A mossy edge shows early on and fades as it settles, with a faint green freshness and a whisper of animal warmth underneath.

ScentWheel

Breadthmedium

EnvelopeHeart · ~8h lasting

Family Floral, Sweet & Gourmand

Read off the wheel, not a label applied to the note.

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Materials That Can Make This Note

Perfumers can make Grasse Rose Absolute from this natural extract.

Natural extract Rose absolute (Rosa x centifolia L.) floral · green · spicy

Smell words come from published sources.

Allergens perfumes with this note can list: Rose absolute (Rosa x centifolia L.)

A given perfume with this note may use this material, or something else, and may or may not contain the allergens above.

Origin

Rosa x centifolia is a hybrid bred by Dutch growers between the 17th and 19th centuries. Wikipedia states it 'is particular to the French city of Grasse', and the flowers are harvested commercially for rose oil there. In the trade the same species is grown in Morocco, Egypt and India and the material is sold as Rose de Mai regardless of region. The absolute is extracted from the concrete, which Arctander calls 'one of the most extensively used of all the floral absolutes'.

Usage in Perfumery

A heart material in fine fragrance, used where a rose needs weight and sweetness rather than dewy freshness. PerfumersWorld notes it carries its own top, heart and base structure, so a small dose can build a whole rose accord. Added to a formula it can produce a faint lychee quality.