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What quality defines an "aromatic" fragrance?

post #1 of 9
4/7/09 at 1:05pm
Thread Starter 
What is it that characterizes a fragrance as being an "aromatic"?

Penhaligons Douro is listed on their website as being an aromatic (as opposed to a floral, chypre, citrus, oriental, etc)

What is an aromatic?
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post #2 of 9
4/7/09 at 1:07pm
I am not knowledgable enough in perfumery to give a difinitive answer, but I have always assumed that the term aromatic refers to the frag containing notes of herbs or greens. I believe similar terms are used in the culinary world as well.
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post #3 of 9
4/7/09 at 1:16pm
I've always known "aromatic" as involving a certain smell of benzene, a six-ringed carbon.
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post #4 of 9
4/7/09 at 1:21pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by pLaTypu5 View Post

I've always known "aromatic" as involving a certain smell of benzene, a six-ringed carbon.

I THOUGHT I smelled six rings of carbon!
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post #5 of 9
4/7/09 at 1:41pm
Benzene is not a "six-ringed" carbon but a conjugated cyclic compound that contains 6 C atoms and 6 H atoms.
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post #6 of 9
4/7/09 at 5:55pm
Yep ... a fragrance is considered "aromatic" when it is quite "herbal" in nature. Notes such as Rosemary, Thyme, Tarragon, Laurel Leaf (Bay), Sage, Clary Sage, Oregano, Basil ... etc, etc.
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post #7 of 9
4/7/09 at 6:41pm
This is OsMoz's description of Aromatic.
http://www.osmoz.com/Encyclopedia/Ol...s/Man-Aromatic

To my nose, it's always meant a pleasant herbal mish mash without very dominant woody or leathery notes.
Renato
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post #8 of 9
4/7/09 at 8:04pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by mtgprox05 View Post

I am not knowledgeable enough in perfumery to give a definitive answer, but I have always assumed that the term aromatic refers to the frag containing notes of herbs or greens. I believe similar terms are used in the culinary world as well.

I agree
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post #9 of 9
4/8/09 at 4:15am
One of the things that might be helpful is Michael Edwards' fragrance wheel. The wheel for fougere has the hub labeled 'aromatic fougere'. See:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Wheel2.gif

Two things that have caused confusion to me in the past regarding the use of the term aromatic as applied to fragrance:

(1) Some classifiers do not use the term at all, or sparingly without explanation.

(2) Aroma is often used in a broader sense regarding pleasant smells.
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