Amber · Natural material · Heart notes
Clove
Clove is the dried flower bud of the Syzygium aromaticum tree, known in Indonesia as cengkeh. It smells warm, sweet and spicy, with a sharp woody edge. Cloves come from the Maluku Islands. In perfume, clove usually sits in the heart notes and adds spice to amber, woody or floral blends.
· Written by the FRAG team
What does clove smell like?
Clove smells warm and spicy, with a strong sweetness and a slightly sharp woody side. For Indonesians, the scent of cengkeh is very familiar from cooking, spiced drinks and kretek cigarettes. In perfume, clove feels sharp at first, then softens into something warm and sweet.
The signature scent of clove comes from eugenol, which makes up about 72 to 90% of clove oil. Because it is so strong, clove is usually used sparingly so it does not cover the other notes.
Clove, a spice native to Maluku
Cloves are the flower buds of the Syzygium aromaticum tree, picked and then dried. The tree is native to the Maluku Islands in Indonesia. Before the colonial era, cloves grew on only a few islands, including Bacan, Makian, Moti, Ternate and Tidore, and were traded from there around the world.
Today Indonesia is the largest clove producer in the world, but only about 10 to 15% of its harvest is exported. Much of the rest is used at home, including in kretek cigarettes. The provinces of Sulawesi now produce more than 40% of the national harvest, while Maluku produces about 15%.
Clove in the heart notes
Clove is usually placed in the heart notes. It brings a warm, slightly sharp spice to the middle of a blend, which gives floral or sweet notes more character. Clove is common in amber perfumes and spicy woody perfumes.
Cinnamon and nutmeg reinforce the spice in clove. Rose and clove make a warm, peppery floral pairing. Orange makes clove feel brighter, while vanilla and tobacco make it sweeter and darker.
When to wear a clove perfume
Clove feels warm and dense, so perfumes that put it forward suit evenings or cooler weather. When clove is only a small part of the heart, paired with citrus or flowers, the perfume still works well during the day.
