What does Patchouli smell like?
Patchouli opens with a camphorous, almost minty note, then reveals the smell of wet soil, cellars and roots. As it dries down it turns woodier and more ambery, with hints of bitter cocoa and dry leaves. On skin it lasts for hours and evolves into a velvety, slightly winey warmth. Fractionated grades are cleaner, losing the earthiness while keeping a bright woody facet that dominates many modern fragrances.
Origin and production
Patchouli (Pogostemon cablin) is grown mainly in Indonesia, especially Sulawesi and Sumatra, which supply most of the world's production. The leaves are dried and lightly fermented before steam distillation. In the nineteenth century patchouli leaves were packed with shawls shipped from India to keep moths away, which is how Europe first came to know its scent. Its main molecule is patchoulol.
How perfumers use it
Patchouli is used in the base, anchoring and extending a composition. With bergamot and oakmoss it forms the backbone of the chypre, and it pairs with rose, vanilla, chocolate and spices. Mugler Angel, in 1992, used it as the counterpoint to a gourmand accord; Chanel Coco Mademoiselle pairs it with rose and vetiver in a modern chypre; Tom Ford Black Orchid uses it to darken its base.
How to wear it
Patchouli is at its best in autumn and winter and appeals to lovers of deep, sensual and assertive fragrances.
