Sold by the mL in a 5mL bottle. A thick paste dissolved 50% in perfumery alcohol to make it bottle-able.
Ribes nigrum is native to the British Isles but is cultivated in Northern Europe, particularly in France, Holland, Belgium, and a few other countries in that part of the world; it is extracted in France for the fine perfumery industry and thankfully for creative use by natural/botanical perfumers.
Aroma: Intense, dominant green/fruity, tangy, somewhat minty/citrus-like aroma with deep, warm, wine-like earthy undertones – a bold and unique aromatic!
Appearance: Dark green/brown, viscous that ranges from pourable to a thick paste-like material at room temperature. May require special use instructions to blend. Soluble in 190 proof alcohol and fixed vegetable (carrier) oils.
Use: Aromatherapy / Natural Perfumery
Blending Suggestions: Dilute and add drop by drop to your perfume blends until the desired effect is achieved.
Blends Well With: Armoise, Bergamot and other citrus oils, Boronia, Cilantro, Cistus, Cognac, Coriander, Galbanum, Jasmine, Labdanum, Lavandin, Lavender, Lime, Oakmoss, Orange Blossom, Orris, Rose, Sandalwood, Spearmint, Tarragon, Violet Leaf, Ylang Ylang. “Black Currant Bud can be used to modify intense green odors such as galbanum and violet leaf.”7
Safety Considerations: None known, dilute before using. A patch test should be performed before use for those with sensitive skin.
Exquisite Black Currant Bud Absolute is what the author/perfumer Alec Lawless categorizes as a maverick, an oddball “that can make the party!”1 Its aroma is not really floral but a complex aroma of intense tangy green and fruity elements 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 pheromone/animalic allure when used in trace amounts. This odor is attributed in part to minute amounts of a sulfur compound – 4-methoxy-2-methylbutan-2-thiol – reputed to have an olfactory detection threshold of 1 part in 1,000,000 billion!(2)
In the book Perfumery – Practice and Principles, authors Calkin and Jellinek state that the use of animal notes in perfume compositions is of great significance – “When smelled as part of a perfume, [animal notes] are capable of producing a sense of pleasure associated with ancient neural pathways without the perceiver being aware of the true nature of the stimulus [nor] their presence [being] consciously recognized.” In addition, the authors believe that “[animal notes] probably have an unconscious erotic effect.”3
For information regarding the aromatherapeutic attributes of Black Currant Bud Absolute, please see:
Aromatherapeutic Blending – Essential Oils in Synergy, Jennifer Peace Rhind, 2016, p. 148.
Medical Aromatherapy – Healing with Essential Oils, by Kurt Schnaubelt, 1999, p. 187.
1 Lawless, Alec. Artisan Perfumery or Being Led by the Nose, 2009, p. 83.
2 Rhind, Jennifer Peace. Listening to Scent – An Olfactory Journey with Aromatic Plants and Their Extracts, 2014, p. 104.
3 Calkin, Robert and J. Stephan Jellinek. Perfumery – Practice and Principles, 1994, p. 79.
4 Rhind, Jennifer Peace. Fragrance and Wellbeing – Plant Aromatics and Their Influence on the Psyche, 2014, p. 263.
5 Arctander, Steffen. Perfume and Flavor Materials of Natural Origin, 1960, p. 101.
6 Industry communication.
7 Rhind, Jennifer Peace. Listening to Scent – An Olfactory Journey with Aromatic Plants and Their Extracts, 2014, p. 104.