Sweet, anisic, with a dark rooty-woody undertone and a faint bitterness. Denser and darker than anise seed, less green than fennel, with a specific leguminous earthiness. The glycyrrhizin sweetness is not the same as sugar sweetness — it is flatter, more lingering, and slightly medicinal. On skin, the anise character persists but the woody root note emerges.
Evolution over time
Immediately
Immediately
Sweet anisic burst, bright and dark simultaneously
After a few hours
After a few hours
Rooty-woody depth emerges, less anisic
After a few days
After a few days
Persistent dark-sweet residue, warm and herbal
The Full Story
Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) is a leguminous plant whose root contains glycyrrhizin, a triterpene saponin approximately 50 times sweeter than sucrose. The root's aroma is dominated by anethole (the molecule shared with anise and fennel), giving it its characteristic sweet, anisic character.
Beyond anethole, licorice root contains estragole, various coumarins, and woody-earthy terpenes that give it more complexity than pure anise. The overall scent is darker and more rooty than anise seed — there is a woody-bitter backbone beneath the sweetness that grounds it.
In perfumery, licorice provides a sweet, anisic base note with good tenacity. It appears in gourmand, oriental, and dark-sweet compositions. The natural extract (licorice root CO2 or absolute) offers more complexity than synthetic anethole alone.
Glycyrrhizin in licorice root inhibits the enzyme 11-beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase, which normally deactivates cortisol. Excessive licorice consumption can therefore cause cortisol to accumulate, leading to hypertension, potassium loss, and muscle weakness — a condition called pseudohyperaldosteronism.
Extraction & Chemistry
Extraction method: CO2 extraction or solvent extraction of dried Glycyrrhiza glabra roots produces a dark, viscous extract. Steam distillation yields minimal essential oil. The CO2 extract preserves the full anethole-glycyrrhizin profile. Major production in Turkey, Iran, and China, where licorice root has been harvested for millennia.
Licorice is a heart-to-base note providing sweet, anisic character with woody-rooty depth. The anethole content links it to anise, star anise, and fennel, but the woody-bitter elements distinguish it. Used in gourmand, oriental, and dark-sweet compositions. Pairs with vanilla, tonka bean, and tobacco. The root extract (CO2 or absolute) provides more complexity than synthetic anethole. Also used in absinthe-themed and herbal-liqueur accords.
