Hay Absolute 

Poaceae spp. / Foin coupé L.

(7)

The aroma of our delightful Hay Absolute is powerful, suave, extremely sweet, diffusive, rich coumarin-like, faintly herbaceous, and reminiscent of freshly cut hay, with a sweet jam-like undertone like that of fig preserves. It is diffusive, very tenacious, and makes an excellent addition to the perfumer's palette.

Size

Selected size SKU:420-015 - Hay Absolute 15 grams

2 grams (1/14 oz)
$17.75
5 grams (3/17 oz)
$34.25
15 grams (1/2 oz.)
$81.25
50 grams (1 3/4 oz)
$218.25
100 grams (3 8/17 oz)
$389.50
200 grams (7.055 oz)
$700.00
$17.75
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Product Overview

The aroma of our delightful Hay Absolute is powerful, suave, extremely sweet, diffusive, rich coumarin-like, faintly herbaceous, and reminiscent of freshly cut hay, with a sweet jam-like undertone like that of fig preserves. It is diffusive, very tenacious, and makes an excellent addition to the perfumer's palette.

'New mown hay' or foin coupé perfume was popular at the turn of the 20th century, with coumarin comprising an important part of the hay-like aroma.[1] Foin coupé is actually French for ‘cut hay’ rather than the botanical name of the source plant for Hay absolute which, according to Rhind and Lawless, is an extraction of the alpine sweetgrass Hierochloe alpina[2],[3], or according to Poucher is the sweet-scented vernal grass Anthoxanthum odoratum.[4]

 

Chandler Burr, once a perfume critic for the New York Times, calls Hay Absolute "One of the most sublime of all perfume materials. Hay is, as literally as possible, the smell of liquid summer sunlight." Perfumers, knowing that this fragrance is not quite appealing on its own, suggest that Hay needs a ‘support group’ of mossy and green nuances to bring out its best features.

 

Coumarin, the aromatic lactone responsible for the sweet, hay-like aroma, is 'glycosidically bound' and not volatile when grasses are living and green, but is only liberated when the plant material is cut and dried. This is when enzymatic action occurs, breaking the chemical bonds and releasing the fragrance of a thousand blades of vernal grass.[5] Tonka Bean is another aromatic material that is noted for its coumarin content and shares scent nuances similar to some found in Hay. According to Rhind, it is noted that "Hay Absolute is often described as having a 'happy smell', and can be used for its uplifting, comforting aroma."[6]

1 Rhind, Jennifer Peace. Fragrance and Wellbeing, 2014, p. 282.

2 Ibid.

3 Lawless, Alec. Artisan Perfumery or Being Led by the Nose, 2009, p. 81.

4 Poucher, W.A. Perfumes Cosmetics and Soaps, Vol. II, 4th ed., 1932, p. 178.

5 Ibid, pp. 178-9.

6 Rhind, Jennifer Peace. Aromatherapeutic Blending  Essential Oils in Synergy, 2016, p. 261.

Blends Well With

5.0

7 Reviews

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Customer Reviews

Great Product!

Rating

I would personally not call this sweet, but this material is indeed extremely rich, the very top smells exactly of hay like one would expect but it rapidly settles into a solid generous note of dried virginia tobacco with connotations of whole wheat cereal. Dry yet Lush and full. Great quality product. it can go I many directions depending what you blend it with. Enjoy!

Review by Laurent 2/26/2021

Wonderful...

Rating

Tobacco, honey, tea... very little green to my nose Eden does it again!

Review by Mohi 12/7/2020

Deep

Rating

Very deep...hints of tobacco note...nice.

Review by Jayesh Deep 6/7/2019

Delicious!

Rating

Raisins, henna, and tea.

Review by Cananga odorata 4/21/2016

Fantastic!

Rating

This was part of my first order with Eden. It was EXACTLY like I hoped for: sweet, slightly honeyed, slightly smoky aroma that is just what I hoped for to blend with beeswax abs and cedar wood. Lovely!

Review by John 5/26/2015

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