Negroni
Note Profile
About
Bitter orange over a herbal, rooty base. Orange peel and tangerine open it. Underneath is the herb-and-root frame the drink gets from gin, vermouth and Campari together: wormwood, gentian, juniper, a dry earthy bitterness. A full-strength alcohol lift runs through the middle, and clove and cinnamon sit at the edge. Perfumers who build it usually add a sweet, dark finish that the drink itself does not have.
Scent Profile
Negroni smells herbal and rooty first, the shared frame gin, vermouth and Campari all bring, juniper, wormwood, gentian. Bitter orange peel and tangerine run close behind, opened further by the full strength of the spirit itself. Clove and cinnamon sit at the edges, and a dark, cherry-like fruit shows through, sweetened in perfumery with a caramel finish the drink itself does not have. Underneath sits a dry, earthy, root-like bitterness.
ScentWheel
Read off the wheel, not a label applied to the note.
ScentArt
Origin
A cocktail of equal parts gin, sweet vermouth and Campari, stirred over ice and garnished with orange peel. There is no extract. Two perfume houses publish reference compositions: Pigmentarium's Brutal opens on a Negroni accord that unfolds into black coffee and orange blossom, and BLNDRGRPHY's Amber Negroni lists orange, mandora and tangerine over latte chocolate, heliotrope, caramel and vanilla, with gin, vermouth, Ambroxan, Iso E Super and piri piri in the base. The European Bartender School describes the drink itself as 'herby and slightly rooty, with the presence of some deep dark fruit flavours'.
Usage in Perfumery
A bitter-aromatic opening for masculine and unisex compositions, and a common device in cocktail-themed lines. Perfumers use it where a plain citrus top would be too clean: the herbal-rooty underside gives the orange something to push against. Both published references extend it into a gourmand base, so in practice it also works as a bridge into coffee, chocolate or caramel.
Similar Notes
Perfumes featuring Negroni
A selection of reviewed perfumes where Negroni appears prominently.
No perfumes featuring this note have been reviewed yet. Check back soon.