Black currant smells tart and fruity with a famously catty, green-sulphurous edge that makes it instantly recognisable. It sits alongside pink pepper as a signature accent of modern perfumery.
The raw material comes from Ribes nigrum, grown mainly in Burgundy, the UK, Poland and New Zealand. Two materials are used: cassis bud absolute, solvent-extracted from the sticky spring buds for its intense green-peppery intensity, and berry reconstructions built from fruity esters and sulfur molecules. Natural cassis bud is used in trace amounts because a little goes a long way.
Black currant is a top note with vivid lift. Perfumers use it to add modern bite to fruity-floral compositions, to support pineapple in Aventus-style openings, and to cut the sweetness of rose, vanilla and gourmand bases. It pairs naturally with rose, patchouli, bergamot and musk.
Black currant performs best in spring and autumn transitional weather, suits daywear and unisex signatures, and gives fragrance a distinctly contemporary character.
