CLOVE BUDS

Clove buds bring a concentrated spice impression: warm and sweet, yet distinctly pungent. Their familiar clove character is closely linked to eugenol, an important component of the oil. Some bud oils also show a sharper, almost metallic edge or a darker cocoa-like nuance, giving the note more contrast than a simple sweet spice description suggests.

Cloves are the dried, unopened flower buds of Syzygium aromaticum. Steam distillation produces clove bud essential oil; this is distinct from oil made from the leaves of the same tree. In perfume, the bud note can provide a clear spicy accent or become part of a fuller warm accord, depending on its balance with the other materials. The name identifies the bud-like scent rather than guaranteeing a particular extract, concentration or position in every fragrance.