What does Clary Sage smell like?
Clary sage opens on a herbal, faintly fruity note that recalls bergamot, thanks to its high linalyl acetate content. Facets of tea, hay and blond tobacco soon appear, followed by an ambery, almost leathery warmth. It lacks the camphor bite of culinary sage. On skin it holds in the heart and leaves a dry, soft, slightly musky trace behind the brighter notes.
Origin and production
Clary sage, Salvia sclarea, is a biennial plant grown in France, notably Provence, as well as in Eastern Europe and Russia. Its flowering tops are steam-distilled into an essential oil, or solvent-extracted into a more ambery concrete and absolute. The plant also contains sclareol, the starting material for synthesising Ambrox, making clary sage a quiet link in the chain of modern perfumery.
How perfumers use it
Used in the top or heart, clary sage bridges citrus and base notes. It is a mainstay of fougères and masculine chypres, alongside lavender, bergamot, oakmoss and woods. Yves Saint Laurent's Kouros uses it right from the opening, Maison Margiela's Replica Jazz Club pairs it with rum and tobacco, and Montblanc places it in the top of Explorer. It lends quiet, grown-up warmth.
How to wear it
Ideal in spring and autumn, clary sage suits anyone drawn to refined aromatic scents with more nuance than plain freshness.
