Black Currant Bud Absolute

Our exquisite Black Currant Bud Absolute has a complex bouquet of intense tangy green and fruity elements, somewhat citrus/minty notes, wine-like earthy undertones and even what some call a tomcat urine-like note. What?! Yes, this amazing absolute, a modifier of many uses, can add a hint of animalic allure when used in trace amounts. This odor is attributed in part to minute amounts of the sulfur compound 4-methoxy-2-methylbutan-2-thiol, reputed to have an olfactory detection threshold of 1 part in 1,000,000 billion![1]  In the book Perfumery – Practice and Principles, authors Calkin and Jellinek state that the use of animalic notes in perfume compositions is of great significance, evoking a sense of pleasure for the perceiver.[2] Author/perfumer Alec Lawless categorizes Black Currant Absolute as a maverick, an oddball "that can make the party!"[3]

Ribes nigrum – native to the British Isles[4] – is cultivated in Northern Europe, particularly in France, Holland, Belgium, and a few other countries in that part of the world. About 300 kilos of Black Currant buds, harvested in December, January and February, yield only 1 kilo of the absolute, an aspect that greatly affects production cost of this material.[5] Extraction takes place in France[6] for the fine perfumery industry, and thankfully for creative use by natural/botanical perfumers.

Although Black Currant Bud Absolute is soluble in alcohol, it is only partially soluble in fixed (carrier) oils.[7] It does impart its aroma to fixed (carrier) oils by gently heating both absolute and carrier oil separately before combining. When cooled, insoluble material will precipitate to the bottom, however the portion remaining will be highly aromatic. Please also see special use instructions to blend.