Jasmine sambac smells greener, cleaner and more tea-like than its cousin grandiflorum, with a fresh white-floral heart and a delicate honeyed undertone. It is the jasmine of Asian cultures, the flower of garlands, temple offerings and jasmine tea.
The plant is Jasminum sambac, native to the eastern Himalayas and cultivated mainly in India, Egypt, China and the Philippines. Flowers are hand-picked at dusk when the scent is strongest and solvent-extracted to produce a concrete and then an absolute. Sambac is less indolic (less animalic) than Jasminum grandiflorum, which gives it a lighter, fresher character better suited to modern compositions. It is the national flower of the Philippines.
Jasmine sambac is a heart note. Perfumers use it to add fresh tea-floral brightness to white florals, to soften citrus and green compositions, and to bring an Asian character to modern orientals. It pairs beautifully with tea, rose, neroli and cedar.
Jasmine sambac performs well across seasons, reading coolest in summer and most tea-like in transitional weather.
