Black Pepper Perfumes & Fragrances

Black pepper smells sharp, dry and warming, with a woody base and a volatile, almost citrusy top. It is the backbone of the modern spicy family and a staple of contemporary masculine fragrance.

The raw material comes from dried unripe berries of Piper nigrum, a climbing vine cultivated in Vietnam (the world's largest producer), Indonesia, India and Brazil. Berries are steam-distilled or CO2-extracted to produce oils dominated by rotundone, beta-caryophyllene and limonene. Rotundone is the molecule responsible for the signature peppery character and is present in tiny amounts. Black pepper has been traded globally since ancient Rome.

Black pepper is a top note with good persistence. Perfumers use it to electrify modern masculines (Terre d'Hermes, Bentley for Men, Spicebomb), to add bite to rose and chypre compositions, and to sharpen leather and tobacco bases. It pairs naturally with bergamot, vetiver, oud and iso e super.

Black pepper performs best in autumn, winter and evening wear, and suits sophisticated masculine and unisex signatures.