Osmanthus smells like apricot and peach crossed with tea and a soft leather undertone. It is one of the most recognisable oriental florals and the beloved flower of Chinese gardens and tea culture.
The tree is Osmanthus fragrans, an evergreen native to southern China with tiny orange-yellow flowers that bloom in autumn. Blossoms are solvent-extracted to produce a concrete and then an absolute, mainly in Guangxi province. The aroma comes from ionones (which also drive violet and iris) and lactones that give the characteristic apricot facet. Yield is extremely low and prices are high.
Osmanthus is a heart note and a sophisticated one. Perfumers use it to add fruity-leather depth to florals (The Different Company Osmanthus, Jean-Claude Ellena's Osmanthe Yunnan for Hermes), to bridge white florals with tea, and to give modern woody compositions an Asian accent. It pairs beautifully with tea, tobacco, iris and leather.
Osmanthus performs beautifully in autumn, spring and cooler daywear, and suits refined unisex signatures.
