Juniper Berries
18 fragrances with this note
Part of accords: Fresh spicy, Aromatic, Fresh aromatic
- Latin name
- Juniperus communis
- Family
- Cypress family (Cupressaceae)
- Origin
- the Balkans (North Macedonia, Albania), Italy, India
- Parts used
- ripe “berries” (actually fleshy cones)
- Raw materials
- essential oil, CO₂ extract
- Extraction
- steam distillation of crushed berries
- Olfactory group
- aromatic (coniferous)
- Position in the pyramid
- top note
- Synthetic substitutes
- alpha-pinene, terpinen-4-ol (components of the oil)
Juniper is an evergreen coniferous shrub, and its blue-black “berries” are actually fleshy cones. They take two to three years to ripen, so the same bush carries green and dark ripe “berries” at once.
How it smells: fresh, piney and resinous, with a lemony tartness and a faintly peppery shade — like a sip of cold gin in the open air. Juniper adds coolness and vigour to a fragrance.
The best-known association is gin: juniper berries give the drink its characteristic taste and smell. In perfumery juniper often opens fresh masculine and unisex fragrances, making them clean and “mountain-like”.
What it pairs with: with citrus and bergamot — fresh “gin and tonic” compositions, with lavender and rosemary — herbal Mediterranean ones, with cedar and vetiver — dry forest scents, with pink pepper — a sparkling start, with incense — cold resinous smoke.
Good to know: the word gin comes from the Dutch “jenever”, the name for juniper, from which the Dutch first made the drink.
Fragrances with Juniper Berries
