- Origin
- an accord composed by the perfumer
- Raw materials
- “boozy”, fruity and vanilla notes
- Extraction
- synthesis
- Olfactory group
- gourmand (“boozy”)
- Position in the pyramid
- heart
- Synthetic substitutes
- cognac oil, fruity esters, vanillin
Liqueur in perfumery is the accord of a sweet strong drink: thick, aromatic, infused with fruit, herbs or spices. It conveys not the sharpness of alcohol but the warm, heady sweetness of an after-dinner glass of liqueur.
How it smells: warm, sweet and dense: a soft boozy shade, syrup, dried fruit, a faintly spicy and vanilla note. Liqueur sounds cosy, sensual and made for the evening.
Liqueur differs from cognac or whisky in its sweetness and thickness: less oak and smoke, more fruit, sugar and spice. So the liqueur note flows easily into gourmand and amber compositions.
What it pairs with: with cognac and cinnamon — warm winter fragrances, with cherry and raspberry — fruit liqueurs, with vanilla and tonka — dessert compositions, with rose — a heady flower, with woods and amber — a warm evening base.
Good to know: many famous liqueurs originated in medieval monasteries: monks infused herbs and spices in spirit as medicines, and over time these drinks became dessert liqueurs.
