- Latin name
- Ribes nigrum
- Family
- Gooseberry family (Grossulariaceae)
- Origin
- France (Burgundy)
- Parts used
- buds gathered in winter while the plant is dormant
- Raw materials
- bud absolute (bourgeons de cassis)
- Extraction
- solvent extraction
- Olfactory group
- green, fruity
- Position in the pyramid
- top and heart
- Synthetic substitutes
- sulphur-containing cassis molecules
Blackcurrant bud absolute is one of the most unusual natural materials. The buds are cut in winter, when the bush is dormant and the buds are tightly closed and full of aromatic substances. They are then extracted to give a thick green absolute.
How it smells: sharply green and fruity at once: crushed blackcurrant leaves, a sour berry, a faintly woody shade and the famous piquant “catty” note. Bud absolute sounds livelier and greener than sweet berry accords.
This piquancy comes from sulphur compounds that help the plant defend itself in nature. In small doses they turn a fragrance into a very realistic “garden after rain”, in large ones they make it harsh — so the absolute is used by the drop.
What it pairs with: with rose — a green fruity rose, with bergamot and grapefruit — fresh green openings, with violet leaves — a “spring garden”, with patchouli — a green chypre, with musk — modern transparent compositions.
Good to know: Burgundy farmers cut the buds by hand in the coldest months — one of the few perfumery materials harvested specifically in winter.
