Osmanthus

Osmanthus is beautiful 365 days a year. But there’s no denying that it really comes into its own in the summer heat, when it wears like the crispest white linen summer dress you’ve ever had the pleasure of putting on. Opening with a lively duo of bitter, greenish citrus and artemisia, the fragrance immediately establishes itself as a very clean, peppery, and invigorating citrusy floral. The osmanthus is there, half-hidden in the rustle of green muguet and leaves, but it is not overly ripe or fruity, instead emitting only delicate wisps of leathery apricot skin.

The gently bitter citrus and herbs carry through to the heart, where the osmanthus melts into a radiant white jasmine, creating a gauzy, diaphanous floral effect akin to a flurry of moist petals settling on the surface of green water. And although the base gives us a bit of ambery woods for structure, the overall feel here is of a lively, cheerful floral brimming with pepper and citrus. But don’t mistake freshness for banality! As flinty and delicious as a glass of chilled Sancerre, Osmanthus shows us just how intoxicating crisp, clean flowers can be when handled by the right hands.