Black Currant Blossom
Black currant blossom is the flower of the blackcurrant, Ribes nigrum, a shrub of which all parts are strongly aromatic. Blackcurrant bud absolute, the related perfumery material, is fruity, green and sulphurous.
- Type
- Ingredient
- Olfactive family
- Fruity
- Subfamily
- Berry notes
- Cluster
- Berry notes
- Source
- Ribes nigrum buds
Scent
The Full Story
Did You Know?
Of the whole blackcurrant plant, the most aromatic part is the bud rather than the fruit. The smell of the blackcurrant thiols depends on their concentration: at low levels it is a pleasant blackcurrant odour, and at higher concentrations it becomes distinctly more feline.
Extraction & Chemistry
Extraction method
Blackcurrant bud absolute is made from frozen buds by solvent extraction. Harvesting begins at the end of November and continues throughout the winter until February. The plant must be dry to be picked, so it is harvested in the afternoon to avoid the morning dew. The plants are then cut and the buds separated from the branches. The buds are first extracted with a volatile solvent to obtain a concrete, and the concrete is then washed with ethanol to obtain the absolute.
- Formula
- Complex natural mixture (key constituents: 4-methoxy-2-methyl-2-butanethiol C₆H₁₄OS)
- CAS
- 68606-81-5 (Ribes nigrum bud absolute)
- Botanical
- Ribes nigrum
No IFRA Standard for the material itself (51st Amendment)
In Perfumery
Blackcurrant bud absolute is often used in red fruit reconstitutions. It works well with rose to bring freshness to the top and fruitiness and greenness to the heart. Its sweet, sulphurous notes soften certain spices and facilitate their use in floral reconstitutions such as violet or green gardenia. It is perfectly adapted to floral accords and can also be a very good fixative or harmoniser in chypres.
See Also
6 notes