- Latin name
- Coffea arabica, Coffea canephora
- Family
- Madder family (Rubiaceae)
- Origin
- Brazil, Ethiopia, Colombia, Vietnam
- Parts used
- roasted beans
- Raw materials
- CO₂ extract, absolute
- Extraction
- CO₂ extraction or solvent extraction
- Olfactory group
- gourmand
- Position in the pyramid
- heart
- Synthetic substitutes
- coffee bases with pyrazines and furfuryl thiol
The coffee note is the aroma of roasted coffee beans. Raw green beans barely smell: the familiar coffee aroma is born during roasting, when hundreds of new aromatic substances form in the bean.
How it smells: warm, bittersweet and toasty: freshly ground coffee, dark chocolate, nuts, caramel and a faintly smoky shade. Coffee adds energy, depth and an urban atmosphere to a fragrance.
CO₂ extract conveys the true smell of coffee best: it keeps both the freshness of the grind and the richness of a dark roast. Perfumers often reinforce it with coffee bases so the note lasts longer.
What it pairs with: with vanilla and caramel — a “latte”, with cardamom — Middle Eastern coffee with cardamom, with rose — an unexpected “morning” contrast, with tobacco and leather — dark evening fragrances, with patchouli — a chocolate-coffee base.
Good to know: coffee beans in perfume shops are supposed to “reset” the nose between sniffs, but research does not confirm this — it is better simply to smell the skin of your own wrist or step outside for fresh air.
Fragrances with Coffee
