BALSAM

Balsam suggests a resinous warmth that can combine soft sweetness with spice or a woody edge. It is a broad material description rather than the name of one tree. A sweet balsam effect can feel rounded and enveloping, while other interpretations place more emphasis on drier resinous facets.

Specific balsams have their own sources and scents. Peru balsam, for example, has sweet vanilla-like and cinnamon-like aspects; that does not make every balsam interchangeable with it. Nor should the general label automatically be read as fir balsam. In a perfume, the surrounding woods, spices and sweeter notes help reveal which side is emphasised. A note list describes the effect without necessarily identifying the exact natural extract used.